Improvements in Sun or Shade Blinds and other Window Blinds.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 1st July, 1895
Complete Specification Left. 27th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 30th May, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sun or Shade Blinds and other Window Blinds.
WILLIAM SPENCE GEDDIE High Street Fortrose N.B. General Merchant do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Is intended to work as an inside window blind or shade, its special feature
being that it will work either from above as a blind to pull downwards or from
below as a blind to pull upwards.
It consists of an ordinary blind and two rollers. The roller at the top is that in
general use but instead of having the blind attached to it by tacks or such like it
has 2 or more tapes or cords measuring the length of the window fixed to the middle
part of it.
The blind is attached by hooks to the other end of the tapes; when the roller is
turned the tapes become wound on to it with of course the blind following and it
also rolls on to the roller.
Then from the lower edge of the blind similar cords or tapes are booked on also
measuring the length of the window and fixed to the second roller which is placed
at the bottom of the window the roller and fixing being exactly the same as the top
one so that the blind can be completely rolled on to either the top or bottom roller
and still have an attachement to the one opposite. If necessary or for appearance
the tapes can be unhooked when the blind is not in use.
In raising or lowering the blind the side cord is rolled on reversely on each roller
so that a double action is created for as the one roller unwinds the cord the opposite
roller winds it on.
Another point in the construction of the rollers is that where the centre tapes are
attached to them the rollers are reduced to a smaller circumference so that when
the tape or cord is rolled on there is no protuberance on the surface of the roller to
cause the blind to roll on unevenly.
The primary use of the shade blind is to protect the lower-the most important-
part of shop windows from the rays of the sun and still leave the window open for
inspection to passers by. In very many cases this is found to be impossible even
with the aid of top awnings for it often happens that the pavements in front will
not admit a wide enough awning to shade the whole.
It is also intended for ordinary house windows and all kinds of carriage windows,
where an under shade is often required without necessitating the entire blinding
of the window.
The double action of the raising and lowering cord requires no intricate
arrangement of pulleys or such like but simply the ordinary fixed pulley on the
one end of each roller.
If in any special case it was desirous to shade a part of the window at the top and
a part of the window at the bottom and leave the centre of the window exposed,
this could also be effected by having a set of hooks on the middle of the tapes
which would be used instead of those at the ends and these tapes instead of being
fastened to the roller would be hooked in turn to a short supernumerary length of
blind fastened to the top or bottom roller as might be found most convenient so that
when rolled up the shortened tapes would bring into use the supernumerary blind
and give a length of blind from top and from bottom.
Dated this 29th day of June 1895.

page_text: I, WILLIAM SPENCE GEDDIE, of High Street, Fortrose, N.B., General
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :--
The blind is intended to work as an inside window blind or sun shade, its special
feature being that it will work either from above as a blind to pull downwards or
from below as a blind to pull upwards.
My invention consists of an ordinary blind made of cotton, linen, or such like,
with 2 rollers, one at the top of the window and one at the bottom.
But in order that my invention may be more readily understood and easily carried
into effect will proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Figure 1 is an elevation and Figure 2 a section of my improved blind.
The roller A at the top is something like those in general use but instead of
having the blind B attached to it by tacks or such like it has cords C, C¹ attached
to it either in the body of the roller or at the ends as shewn, these cords C, C¹ being
of sufficient length to reach from the top of the window to the bottom and be
attached there to the top edge of the blind B either by means of a bridle from
the top edge or they can pass through eyes on the top edge and the two ends
fastened together either by a knot or by hook and loop. Thus when the roller is
turned by means of the raising and lowering cord D the attaching cords C, C¹
become wound on to it with of course the blind B following and as the roller A is
continued to be turned the blind B also rolls on to the roller the loose bridle or
lacing through the eyes prevents the blind from going up awry. The under
roller E is an exact duplicate of the upper one A and the cords F, F1 are attached
to it in a similar manner to the ones above and pass through eyes on the lower edge
of the blind B, so that the blind can be completely rolled on to either top or bottom
roller and still have an attachment to the one opposite.
So as not to leave any protuberance or irregular surface on the roller which would
prevent the even winding on of the blind the rollers are made much less in circum-
ference by brass fittings or otherwise where the cords are attached as shown. This
holds the attaching cords when wound up and also the saddle eye at the end of the
blind's edge and allows the blind to wind on either roller quite smoothly: a half
round edging of brass along the upper and lower edges of the blind would adapt
itself easier to the roller than a slip of wood would do but even with the wood there
is no difficulty.
The raising or lowering cord D passes over an axle at the extreme end of each
of the rollers A and E on one side of the window and as a large amount of cord is
necessary, wide or large flanges G are required to keep all the cord D in place and
prevent it from over-riding and perhaps jamming between the side of the window
and the ends of the rollers.
This cord D is rolled on reversely on each roller so that a double action is created
for as one roller unwinds the cord the opposite roller winds it on.
The primary use of the improvement in sun or shade blinds is to protect the
lower the most important part of shop windows from the rays of the sun and still
leave the window open for inspection to passers-by. In many cases this is found to
be impossible even with the aid o top awnings, for it often happens that the
pavement in front of the windows are too narrow to admit of a wide enough awning
to completely shade the window, with the result that the ordinary top blinds have
to be drawn down to the bottom which completely hides the window from the view
of the passers-by.

page_text: It is also intended for ordinary house windows and all kinds of carriage windows
where an under shade is often required without necessitating the entire blinding of
the window. It would also be very useful for conservatories and green houses.
The double action of the raising or lowering cord D requires no intricate
arrangement of pulleys or such like but simply an ordinary fixed pulley on the one
end of each roller.
If in any special case it was desirable to shade a part of the window at the top
and a part of the window at the bottom and leave the centre of the window
exposed this could also be effected by having hooks on the middle of the attaching
cords C, C or F, F' to which a supernumerary blind could be attached.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. The general arrangement, construction and combination of the various parts
constituting my improvements in sun or shade and other window blinds, substantially
as and for the purposes herein before described and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
2nd. In sun or shade and other window blinds, the arrangement of a top and
bottom roller connected to the top and lower edges of the blind by attaching cords,
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and shown in the
accompanying drawings.
3rd. In sun or shade and other window blinds having two rollers, the arrangement
of the raising and lowering cord, substantially as bereinb:fore described and shown
in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 26th day of March 1896
JOHNSONS,
115 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.