Improvements in Portiere Rods, and Brackets for the same.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 27th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 30th Dec., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Portiere Rods, and Brackets for the same.
I, WILLIAM SNELGROVE, of Clent Cottage, Harborne, in the County of
Stafford, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
In portiere rods and brackets for the same as at present constructed, the curtain
suspended from the rod is sometimes caused to be raised from the floor upon the
door being opened and thus' allowing the door to pass over the carpet or floor
without catching the curtain beneath it. But the raising of the curtain when
attempted by the methods at present in use, is generally accomplished gradually
with the gradual opening of the door.
My invention is intended to remove this objection of a gradual uplifting of the
curtain by providing brackets and fittings upon the rod, door and frame which will
at once raise the curtain immediately the door is opened and thereby allow the
free and easy movement of the door and curtain from the commencement of the
movement of the door.
In carrying my invention into effect I construct a curtain rod out of metal tube
or I arrange a solid rod for the purpose of receiving the curtain rings; one end
of this rod I carry freely upon a bracket or projecting pin from the frame or door
lintel, while the opposite end I support within or upon a lever or moving arm,
which arm I cause to work or rock upon the central pin connecting it to a bracket
which I fix upon the door.
The door bracket I form with a projecting arm having a jaw or a boss at its
outer extremity for receiving and carrying the rocking arm or portiere rod lever.
Upon the upper portion of the door frame preferably I attach a bracket having a
projecting pin or bar against which the rocking arm strikes. Or I cause this
bracket to be in the form of a jaw capable of carrying a pin between it for the
same purpose of receiving the rocking lever.
The rocking lever carrying the portiere rod I construct preferably with a double
arm having the form of a V, the one arm supporting or carrying the rod at its
outer extremity while the other serves as an operating or controlling device to
regulate the movement of the rod and serve as a counterbalance weight and stop.
Thus when the door having my portiere rod and curtain attached is in its shut or
closed position the rocking lever hangs in a position that permits of the curtain
touching the floor; the smaller controlling arm resting upon or against the fixed
projecting pin or bar of the upper door frame bracket.
When the door is to be opened, the first movement given to the door causes the
small arm of the rocking lever to be depressed by the fixed projecting pin, and
thus the other arm to be raised carrying with it in its upward motion the curtain
hanging from the rod. The rise of the curtain I regulate by means of the position
of the small arm of the rocking lever, which I cause to come into contact with the
fixed door bracket at any desired position, thus by its stop action determining the
amount of travel or height of lift which can be obtained by the movement of
the door.
The outer end of my portiere rod I sometimes cause to be weighted to form a
balance to the weight of the suspended curtain upon the long or inner portion of
the rod. I also cause the attachment of the rod to the fixed frame bracket to be
made by means of a joint or pin permitting freedom of motion to the rod when the
door is being opened or closed.

page_text: Instead of carrying one end of my portiere rod upon a fixed door frame bracket
I sometimes provide for the total lifting of the curtain by employing two or more
rocking levers with the striking bars and brackets arranged to each in the manner
herein before set forth when employing only one rocking arm to raise the curtain
from the opening side of the door.
Springs may be dispensed with and the levers carrying the curtain may tumble
over the centre so as to remain in the up position when the door opens. A catch
piece attached to the door frame pulls up the said levers by a bell crank end and
pushes over the levers when the door is closed, thus allowing the curtain to fall.
Dated this 25th day of February 1893.
MARKS & CLERK,.
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in Portiere Rods, and Brackets for the same.
I, WILLIAM SNELGROVE, of Clent Cottage, Harborne, in the County of
Stafford, Engineer, 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 :——
In portiere rods and brackets for the same as at present constructed, the curtain
suspended from the rod is sometimes caused to be raised from the floor upon the
door being opened and thus allowing the door to pass over the carpet or floor
without catching the curtain beneath it. But the raising of the curtain when
attempted by the methods at present in use is generally accomplished gradually
with the gradual opening of the door.
My invention is intended to remove this objection of a gradual uplifting of the
curtain by providing brackets and fittings upon the rod, door, and frame which will
at once raise the curtain immediately the door is opened and thereby allow the free
and easy movement of the door and curtain from the commencement of the movement
of the door.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings
--
Figure 1 illustrates my invention as applied to a door showing the door in a
closed position.
Figure 2 shows the door opening, and the portiere rod raised.
Figure 3 shows a side elevation indicating the relative positions when the door
is closed.
Figure 4 shows the position with the door in the act of closing.
In carrying my invention into effect I construct a curtain rod A out of metal tube
or I arrange a solid rod for the purpose of receiving the curtain rings; one end of
this rod AI carry freely upon a bracket or projecting pin B from the frame or
door lintel, while the opposite end I support within or upon a lever or moving
arm D, which arm I cause to work or rock upon the central pin connecting it to a
bracket C which I fix upon the door.
The door bracket C, I form with a projecting arm having a jaw or a boss at its
outer extremity for receiving and carrying the rocking arm or portiere rod lever D.
Upon the upper portion of the door frame preferably I attach a bracket having a
projecting pin or bar E, against which a part D' of the rocking arm D strikes. Or
cause this bracket to be in the form of a jaw capable of carrying a pin between
it for the same purpose of receiving the rocking lever. The rocking lever D
carrying the portiere rod A, I construct with a double arm as D D having the
form of a the one arm D supporting or carrying the rod at its outer extremity
while the other D¹ serves as an operating or controlling device to regulate the
movement of the rod and serve as a counterbalance weight and stop. The range
of movement of D¹ may be controlled by stops fixed to the door or the joint may
$

page_text: be arranged as shown in the drawings to stop the lever D at the desired position
on both sides of its movement. Thus when the door having my portiere rod
and curtain attached is in its shut or closed position as shown in Figure 1, the
rocking lever D, hangs in a position that permits of the curtain touching the
floor; the smaller controlling arm D' resting upon or against the fixed projecting
pin or bar E, of the upper door frame bracket.
When the door is to be opened, the first movement given to the door causes
the small arm D' of the rocking lever to be depressed by the fixed projecting
pin E, and thus the other arm D to be raised carrying with it in its upward
motion the curtain hanging from the rod. The rise of the curtain I regulate
by means of the position of the small arm D' of the rocking lever D,' which I
cause to come into contact with the fixed door bracket E at any desired position,
thus by its stop action determining the amount of travel or height of lift which
can be obtained by the movement of the door.
The outer end A₁ of my portiere rod A. I sometimes cause to be weighted to
form a balance to the weight of the suspended curtain upon the long or inner
portion of the rod. I also cause the attachment of the rod A to the fixed frame
bracket B to be made by means of a joint or pin permitting freedom of motion
to the rod when the door is being opened or closed.
Instead of carrying one end of my portiere rod upon a fixed door frame bracket
I sometimes provide for the total lifting of the curtain by employing two or
more rocking levers as D, with the striking bars E, and brackets arranged to each
in the manner herein before set forth when employing only one rocking arm to
raise the curtain from the opening side of the door.
Springs may be dispensed with and the lever or levers D, carrying the curtain
may tumble over the centre as shown in Figures 1, and 2, so as to remain in the up
position when the door opens. A catch piece attached to the door frame pulls up
the said levers by a bell crank end and pushes over the levers when the door is
closed, thus allowing the curtain to fall, as herein before described with reference to
the single lifting end.
Figures 3 and 4 clearly indicate the action of the various parts. In Figure 3
the horizontal arrow indicates the direction of motion when opening the door and.
shows the pin E in contact with the short end D' of the lever D; the curved arrow
indicates the direction of the rise of the curtain.
In Figure 4 the door is shown as being closed also indicated by the direction of
the horizontal arrow and the pin E is shown as pressing over the lever D in the
direction of the curved arrow, so lowering the curtain.
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 1
claim is :-
1. A portiere rod arranged to lift the curtain when the door is opened and allow
it to fall when the door is closed, in which the lifting and lowering action is
performed by a swinging lever or levers, carrying the rod and attached to the door
by a suitable bracket, or brackets or other connections; the said lever or levers
being operated by a pin or bar or pins or bars attached to the door frame
substantially as described.
2. The lifting and lowering portiere rod hereinbefore described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 95th day of Navamhor 1893
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.