IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROLLERS FOR WINDOW BLINDS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lawrence Stockman, of Eton, in the County of
Bucks, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
ROLLERS FOR WINDOW BLINDS."
Sealed the 3rd March 1868, and dated the 25th October 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Lawrence Stockman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th October 1867.
I, LAWRENCE STOCKMAN, of Eton, in the County of Bucks, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
ROLLERS FOR WINDOW BLINDS," to be as follows:-
This Invention is intended to afford a ready means of attaching the blind to
the roller and removing the same therefrom when required without the use of
tacks or nails, and without removing the roller from its place; and, secondly,
to facilitate the taking down and putting up of the roller itself. I divide the
roller (excepting the extreme ends) into two parts longitudinally through
about the centre, leaving one half solid and hollowing the other out slightly,
and I connect these two parts together by hinges, so that the hollow part
opens and closes like the lid of a box. Into the solid part I fix a convenient
number of small tenter hooks; the upper edge of the blind being placed
on these hooks the upper half of the roller is closed thereon and fixed by a
pin or bolt, and the operation is complete. To remove the blind all that is
necessary is to withdraw the pin or bolt, open the roller, and lift the edge of

page_text: the blind off the tenter hooks. I use the ordinary metallic ends, but instead
of having both the axle pins fixtures I make one of them in the form of a
sliding bolt, so that it can be withdrawn into the end of the roller to facilitate
the taking down and putting up of the latter.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Lawrence Stockman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th April 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LAWRENCE
STOCKMAN, of Eton, in the County of Bucks, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Lawrence Stockman, Her special licence that I, the said Lawrence
Stockman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as J, the
said Lawrence Stockman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROLLERS FOR WINDOW BLINDS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Lawrence Stockman, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Lawrence Stockman, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The object and purpose of my said Invention are the affording of a ready
therefrom
means of attaching the blind to the roller and of removing the same.
when required without the use of tacks or nails and without removing the

page_text: roller from its place; and, secondly, facilitating the taking down and putting
up of the roller itself.
In order to effectuate the object and purpose aforesaid I divide the roller
through about the central line thereof into two (2) parts longitudinally
(except that I do not usually divide its extreme ends), and I leave one
half solid and the other slightly hollowed out (except as aforesaid). These
parts I connect together by hinges or joints, so that action similar to that
of a box and lid is obtained. Into the non-hollowed part of the roller
I fix a convenient number of small tenter hooks or pins or catches,
whereby the upper edge of the blind is to be secured to the roller, and to
facilitate the attachment of the blind I prefer to provide the same with eyelet
holes corresponding to the said tenter hooks, pins, or catches, and when the
blind is secured the two parts of the roller are to be closed together, and then
the blind will be tightly held between them, and the two parts are firmly kept
in connection by a pin, bolt, lock, or hook and eye, or other suitable fastener.
To remove the blind all that will be necessary is to unclose the two parts by
withdrawing the pin or bolt or acting on the catch or unhooking the hook
and eye, when the roller may be opened and the blind removed. I prefer to
use the ordinary inetallic ends, but instead of having both the axle pins
fixtures I usually prefer to make one of them in the form of a sliding bolt, so
that it can be withdrawn into the end of the roller to facilitate the taking
down and putting up of the roller. Instead of using hinges (properly so
termed) I can hinge the two parts of the roller together by means of a strip
of calico or other pliable fabric. And instead of only one part being hollowed
both parts may be made hollow and a lath or rod with the blind attached
to it may be inserted and enclosed between the two parts, and thereby secured
to the roller.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, I will now particularly describe and ascertain in what manner the
same is to be performed and put in practical operation, wherein I shall
refer to the Drawings accompanying these Presents by the words, figures, and
Tatton following that is to m

page_text: acting as a bolt for putting up and taking down the roller; d, d, hinges,
instead of which any other suitable form of hinge joint may be used, such for
instance as a strip of calico glued to each part of the roller; e, bolt for
preventing the opening of the parts b, b, when the roller is in use, but any
other suitable form of fastening can be used; k, k, hooks on which the blind is
hung, it having eyelet holes at corresponding distances to the hooks on the
roller.
Instead of hooks and eyelet holes a lath can be put into the blind if both
parts of the roller be hollowed instead of one only.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare
that I claim the Invention the nature and character whereof is set forth in the
outset of this Specification by the words preceeding the words Description of
the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Lawrence Stockman, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
LAWRENCE STOCKMAN. (L.S.)
Witness,
ALEX. P. WRIGHT,
Secretary to the Inventors'
Patent Right Association, Limited,
21, Cockspur Street,
Charing Cross,
Patentee's Agents.