Improvements in Fastenings for Attaching Window Shades to Rollers.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2'st July, 1896-Accepted, 5th Sept., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fastenings for Attaching Window Shades to
Rollers.
I, EDMUND FISHER HARTSHORN, of Newark, County of Essex, State of New Jersey,
United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My improvement refers to that class of shade attaching devices in the form of
spring clasps, which are sprung over the roller, and consists of a novel construction
of the clasp whereby the shade is more securely grasped and attached to the roller.
In the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1 is a side view of a roller with the shade attached by my improved clasp.
Fig. 2 is an end section of the roller and the clasp with the shade grasped by the
latter.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the roller showing the method of attaching the shade.
Figs. 4 and 5 are modified forms.
The drawing shows a wooden roller, but the clasp can be used equally well with
any metal roller, having a longitudinal groove, along its circumference.
As will be seen from the drawing, the clasp a consists of a curved band of metal of
a length to encircle the roller for about half its circumference, in the usual manner.
In order that the clasp shall grasp the roller tightly, its diameter is made less than
that of the roller, as shown in Fig. 3 and hence, when sprung over the roller it is
necessary to open out or spring apart the ends of the clasp. At or near the middle
of the clasp is a tongue formed from the metal of the clasp by cutting through
the latter on three sides, and leaving what may be termed the upper or fourth side
intact. When the ends of the clasp are spread apart or opened, as is the case when
the bolder is in place on the roller, the free end of this tongue is thrown
inward and pressed against the side of the roller, as shown in Fig. 5. To increase
the action of the tongue, and insure its free end pressing more firmly against the
roller, the tongue may be tempered to a greater degree than the remainder of
the clasp.
In the surface of the roller are radial, longitudinal grooves, de; or, as in the
modification shown in Fig. 4, a single groove e. When two grooves are used, they
are placed at a distance from each other a little greater than the length of the holder
when detached. The two opposite ends a' and e' of the clasp are bent at an acute
angle with the surface and arranged to enter the grooves in the roller.
In attaching the shade, one of the hent ends a' or ' of the clasp is inserted in
the corresponding groove d or e and the edge of the shade is placed on the
outer surface of the lower part of the clasp and under the tongue h, as shown in
Fig. 3. The clasp is then sprung around the roller until the opposite bent end slips
into the other groove d or e, as in Fig. 2. As before set forth, by reason of the
ends of the clasp being spread out in springing over the roller, the free end h¹ of
the tongue is pressed in against the roller and securely grasps and holds the shade.
The grasp of the tongue on the shade prevents the latter from being pulled out
from the clasp, and thus detached from the roller by any pull in any direction of the
shade, and the engagement of the bent edge cl with the groove holds the clasp in
place on the roller and prevents it being turned around on, or pulled off from, the
latter by the direct pull of the shade on the clasp when the shade is entirely
unwound.

page_text: In the modification shown in Fig. 4, only one end, c', of the clasp is bent and fits
in a groove in the roller and the clasp is made longer than in the construction
shown in Figs. 2 and 3.
In place of the grooves in the roller, ridges or corrugations de may be formed
along the outside of the surface of the roller, as shown in the modified construction
in Fig. 5. With the roller thus made, the ends of the clasp are formed as shown
in the figure to fit over these ridges or corrugations. It is evident that the
operation of the holder will be the same in this last mentioned construction with
the ridges on the roller as with the grooves, and the holder ho equally effective in
securing the shade.
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 :
1. A fastening for attaching window shades to rollers consisting of a spring clasp
adapted to be sprung over the roller, and provided with a tongue integral with the
clasp whereby the shade is secured and held, substantially as described.
2. A fastening for attaching window shades to rollers consisting of the spring
clasp a adapted to be sprung over the roller, and provided with the tongue whereby
the shade is secured and held, substantially as described.
3. A fastening for attaching window shades to rollers consisting of the spring
clasp a adapted to be sprung over the roller, and provided with the tongue h
whereby the shade is secured and held, and the turned-in edge c' arranged to engage
with a groove on the roller, substantially as described.
4. As a new article, a spring clasp for attaching window shades to rollers,
consisting of the clasp a formed of a single piece, and having the tongue h adapted
to engage with and grasp the edge of the shade, substantially as described.
5. As a new article, a spring clasp for attaching window shades to rollers,
consisting of the clasp a formed of a single piece and sprung over the roller, and
having the spring tongue integral therewith, adapted to press the shade against
the roller and grasp the same as the clasp is sprung over the roller, and the
turned-in edge c¹, substantially as described.
Dated this 3rd day of June 1896.
EDMUND FISHER HARTSHORN.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.