Improvements in Grips for Blind and other Cords.
Year: 1888

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Grips for Blind and other Cords.
I, WILLIAM SNELGROVE of Bankwood, Church Road Moseley in the County of
Worcester, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as
follows:
My invention has for its object improvements in grips for blind and other cords
and is specially applicable to such blinds as those which are caused to fall by their
own weight or by springs, in such cases a single cord being all that is necessary.
By my arrangement the cord is kept securely gripped until released, which release
is effected by an easy upward movement of the hand after grasping the cord leaving
the cord with perfect freedom to be drawn or slip through the grip without friction,
until, by lowering the hand or relinquishing the hold of the cord the latter is again
automatically and instantly secured by the grip.
My device is fixed to the frame of the window in a convenient position for easily
being reached, and at the same time exactly under the drum on the roller upon
which the cord is wound and by enabling the cord to be fed through fixed eyelets,
thereby preventing it from running off the drum which is so frequently the case at
present with some clutch arrangements and allowing of easy access to the grip in case
of an disarrangement.
My invention consists of a back plate having two or more screw holes, for fixing
to the frame of the window, and projecting from this plate and forming part of same
are two ears, between which is mounted a cranked lever, having the one arm much
shorter than the other, the long arm being at the extreme end in the same direction
as the other arm of the crank. The angle of the short arm, and the centre upon
which the crank turns are so arranged that the weight of the long arm has a
tendency to slightly press the end of the shorter arm against the grip of the grip.
The cord passes down between the end of the short arm, which may be roughed
and the back of the grip which should be smooth to prevent the cord froin fraying
and is afterwards threaded through an eyelet hole in the bent end of the long arm,
between a smooth pin (furnished if desired with a roller or pulley) and the back of
the in

page_text: The action of gripping is as follows:-The long arm by its weight has a tendency
to hang vertically, and thereby raise the end of the short arm to a more or less
horizontal position and the short arm then slightly presses the cord, against the back
of the grip after which the upward pull of the cord further tightens the grip.
To release the grip it is simply necessary to lift or draw away at an angle the portion
of the cord hanging below the grip which action raises the end of the long arm and
thereby relieves the pressure of the short arm upon the cord which may then either
be drawn or allowed to slip through, until the long arm of the lever is allowed to
fall and the cord is again gripped as before described.
To prevent the cord when being drawn through either way, from rubbing against
the rough edge of the short arm, a roller or spindle is fixed between the ears in a con-
venient position round which the cord passes with little or no friction.
I may hang the lever in a slot, and bend the short arm so as to press the cord
against a projection on the side of one of the ears, or I may place an eccentric cam at
the top of the long arm which would act in a similar manner to the short arm before
described.

page_text: I, WILLIAM SNELGROVE of Moseley in the County of Worcester, Engineer 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 :-
My invention has for its object "Improvements in grips for blind and other cords,"
and is especially applicable to such blinds, as those, which are caused to fall by
their own weight or by springs in such cases a single cord being all that is necessary.
By my arrangement the cord is kept securely gripped until released, which release
is effected by an easy upward movement of the land after grasping the cord leaving
the cord with perfect freedom to be drawn or slip through the grip without friction
until by lowering the hand or relinquishing the hold of the cord the latter is again
automatically and instantly secured by the grip.
My device is fixed to the frame of the window in a convenient position for casily
being reached, and at the same time exactly under the drum on the roller upon which
the cord is wound and enabling the cord to be fed through fixed eyelets, thereby
preventing it from running of the drum, which is so frequently the case at present
with some clutch, arrangements and allowing of easy access to the grip in case of
any disarrangement.
My invention consists of a back plate having two or more screw, holes, for fixing
to the frame of the window and propecting from this plate, and forming part of same
are two cars between which is mounted a cranked lever, having the one arm much
shorter than the other. The angle of the short arm, and the centre upon which, the
crank turns, are so arranged that the weight, of the long arm, has a tendency to
slightly press the end of the shorter arm, against the back of the grip. The cord
passes down between the end, of the short arm, which may be roughed, and the back
of the grip which should be smooth, to prevent the cord from fraying and is after-
wards threaded between a smooth pin (furnished if desired with a roller or pulley),
and the back of the grip and through an eyelet hole on the end of the long arm.
То
The action of gripping is as follows:-The long arm by its weight, has a tendency
to hang vertically, and thereby raise the end of the short arm to a more or less
horizontal position, and the short arm, then slightly presses the cord, against the back
of the grip, after which the upward pull of the cord further tightens the grip.
release the grip it is simply necessary to lift or draw away to an angle the portion
of the cord hanging below the grip which action raises the end of the long arm and
thereby relieves the pressure of the short arm, upon the cord, which may then either
be drawn or allowed to slip through until the long arm of the lever is allowed to
fall and the cord is again gripped as before described.
To prevent the cord when being drawn through either ways from rubbing against
the rough edge of the short arm a roller of spindle is fixed between the ears in a

page_text: convenient position round which the cord passes with little or no friction. I may
hang the lever in a slot and bend the short arm so as to press the cord against a
projection on the side of one of the ears, or 1 may place an eccentric cam at the
top of the long arm, which would act in a similar manner to the short arm before
described. In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily
carried into practice I have appended hereunto a large sized sheet of drawings upon
which I have illustrated the application of my device as a single or double blind cord
grip.
Figure 1 is a sectional view shewing the arrangement held in position for allowing
the cord to slip or be drawn through the grip.
Figure 2 is a similar sectional viow but shewing the arrangement in the position it
would occupy when the cord is being gripped.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a front elevation of same.
Figure 5 is a front elevation but shewing a double arrangement for gripping two
separate or double cords.
Figure 6 is a sectional view shewing a modified method of gripping the cord.
My invention consists of a back plate A having one or more screw holes a¹ and a²
for fixing to the frame B of the window, projecting from the plate A and forming
part of same, are the two ears a³ and a between which, is mounted upon the pin
the cranked lever E having the one arm e much shorter than the arm E³. The angle
of the short arm e² and the position of the centre pin e¹ upon which the crank E turns
are so arranged that the weight of the long arm E has a tendency to slightly press
the end of the shorter arm towards the back plate A. The cord F passes down
between the end e¹ of the short arm e² which is slightly roughed and the back plate A
which is smooth to prevent any fraying of the cord, and is again threaded between
the smooth pin or roller H, and the back plate A afterwards passing through the
eyelet hole at the end of the long arm E. To prevent the cord F when being
drawn-through either-way from rubbing-against-the rough-edge e of the short arm e
the roller or spindle H is fixed in a convenient position between the ears and ex
round which the cord F passes with little or no friction. The action of gripping being
as follows: The long arm Es by its weight has a tendency to hang vertically and
thereby raise the end of the short arm, e² to a more or less horizontal position until
it slightly presses the cord F against the back plate A after which the upward pull
of the cord F further tightens the grip. To release the grip it is simply necessary
to lift or draw away at an angle as shewn, by the hand in Figure 1 the lower portion
of the cord which hangs below the grip, which action it will be seen, raises the end
of the long
arm E and thereby relieves, the pressure, of the short arm e² upon
the
cord F which may then, either be drawn, or allowed to slip through until the long
arm E of the lever, E is allowed to fall into the position shewn by Figure 2, and the
cord is again gripped as before described.
I may hang the cranked lever E in a slot as shewn at Figure 6 and bend the
short arm at e so as to press the cord F, against the projection as on the side of
one of the ears, or I may place an eccentric cam at the top of the long arm which
would act in a similar manner to the short arm as before described, and it will
be readily understood that I may have any required number of grips upon one back
plate A as shewn by Figure 5 which in that case shows two. It will be obvious
that the general appearance, configuration or design may be greatly varied, and I
may construct obvious modifications of the apparatus for gripping tent ropes, lawn
tennis nets and other cords requiring a firm, and quickly adjusted grip.
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:
First. The improvements in grips for blind and other cords in which the cord is.
securely held by a lever E in the manner substantially as and for the purpose herein
set forth and shewn upon the drawings.

page_text: Second. In grips for blind and other cords the arrangement of the eyelet K and
the roller H so constructed that the roughened edge of the grip is removed from
contact with the cord in the acton of raising or lowering the blind.
Third. In grips for venetian and other blinds, having two or more cords, the
construction of two or more gripping levers with independent movement but attached
to the same base.