Improvements in or relating to Blinds or Shades.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left;' 10th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 11th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Blinds or Shades.
I, THOMAS SLOPER of No. 11, 12, 14 & 15 Brittox Devizes in the County of
Wilts. House Furnisher etc. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows: :-
This invention relates to improvements in blinds or shades, & more particularly
to such as are used outside shop windows etc.
Instead of the usual shade suspended from the top of the window & held out by rods
or frames I prefer to use two (or more) separate shades one over the other &
generally inclining in opposite directions. The top shade is shorter than the lower
one & inclines from the top of the window downwards & outwards. The second or
lower shade is set lower down & is so arranged that it generally inclines the opposite
way to the top shade & can be raised or lowered or its inclination altered in order
to reflect the light shining on the top of the shade directly into the shop window.
The advantage of this arrangement is that the goods in the window or shop
are much better seen from the outside but the direct rays of the sun do not fall on
them. One or both of the shades may also be provided with curtains hanging
vertically on the outer side in the usual manner.
I prefer to secure the fabric forming the shade to strips of wood & these I
suspend on iron rods or stays so arranged that the whole can be rapidly put
together, & when set up can be altered according to the direction of the
'sun's rays.
As it is desirable that the shades (particularly the lower one) should be under
tension I sometimes arrange springs in such a manner that they will keep the fabric
under more or less tension & yet allow it to shrink in wet weather.
I find it convenient to arrange the lower shade on a frame two sides of which
are formed by the wood strips to which the fabric is secured, & the other two sides
by the iron rods. The whole frame is suspended from over the top of the window
by other rods hinged or secured to the frame rods at about their middle & in such
a manner that the inclination of the shade may if desired be varied as before
described & I prefer to so arrange the rods that the wood strips or rails may be
placed upon them when they are hanging vertically from hooks at the top of the
window & that they can be raised & secured in position afterwards.
The lower part of the frame may be secured by any suitable means but I
prefer to use studs & sockets or clamps adapted to be fixed in various positions.
The upper or top shade I sometimes so arrange that it can be drawn up or
removed in order to allow the sun's rays to shine on the lower shade when the sun
has reached a position in which the rays descend more or less vertically as it will
be obvious that in this case the top shade would prevent a part of the light from
being reflected into the window by the lower shade.
I prefer to use a fabric for the shades that is white or of a light colour on the
upper side, & is black or of a dark colour on the lower side as I find that when
the lower sides of shades are of a light colour their reflection from the outer surface
of the window-glass sometimes makes it difficult to see the goods in the window
from the outside.
The arrangements above described may be greatly varied without departing
from the spirit of the invention-for instance, if desired spring roller blinds may
be used or three or more shades may be arranged with or without curtains at their
outer edges the object being to prevent the sun's rays from shining directly on the
goods & to reflect the light from the shades into the window or shop.
DL:
3
1 1000
THOMAS SLOPER.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Blinds or Shades.
I THOMAS SLOPER of 14 Brittox, Devizes in the County of Wilts. 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in blinds or shades and more particularly
to such as are used outside shop windows etc.
Instead of the usual shade suspended from the top of the window and held out
by rods or frames I prefer to use two (or more) separate shades one over the other
and generally inclining in opposite directions. The top shade is shorter than the
lower one and inclines from the top of the window downwards and outwards. The
second or lower shade is set lower down and is so arranged that it generally
inclines the opposite way to the top shade and can be raised or lowered or its
inclination altered in order to reflect the light shining on the top of the shade
directly into the shop window. The advantage of this arrangement is that the
goods in the window or shop are much better seen from the outside but the direct
rays of the sun do not fall on them.
One or both of the shades may also be provided with curtains hanging vertically
on the outside in the usual manner.
I prefer to secure the fabric forming the shade to strips of wood and these
I suspend on iron rods or stays so arranged that the whole can be rapidly put
together and when set up can be altered according to the direction of the
sun's rays.
As it is desirable that the shades (particularly the lower one) should be under
tension I sometimes arrange springs in such a manner that they will keep the fabric
under more or less tension and yet allow it to shrink in wet weather.
I find it convenient to arrange the lower shade on a frame two sides of which
are formed by the wood strips to which the fabric is secured and the other two
sides by the iron rods.
The whole frame is suspended from over the top of the window by other rods
hinged or secured to the frame rods at preferably about their middle and in such a
manner that the inclination of the shade may if desired be varied as before described
and I prefer to so arrange the rods that the wood strips or rails may be placed
upon them when they are hanging vertically from the hooks at the top of the
window and that they can be raised and secured in position afterwards.
The lower part of the frame may be secured by any suitable means, but I
prefer to use studs and sockets, or clamps adapted to be fixed in various positions.
The upper or top shade I sometimes so arrange that it can be drawn up or
removed in order to allow the sun's rays to shine on the lower shade when the sun
has reached a position in which the rays descend more or less vertically as it will
be obvious that in this case the top shade would prevent a part of the light from
being reflected into the window by the lower shade.
I prefer to use a fabric for the shades that is white or of a light color on the
upper side and is black or a dark color on the lower side as I find that when the
lower side of shades are of a light color their reflection from the outer surface of
the window glass sometimes makes it difficult to see the goods in the window from
the outside.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one form of sun-blind or shade constructed according
to this invention fitted to a shop front.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of another form which in Fig. 3 is shown in
section.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

page_text: In Fig. 1 the lower shade A is shown as attached at its inner and outer edges to
two strips or bars A' A' the former of which is held by the tension of springs B
acting on the strip A' against the projections C¹ formed on the under side of the
pivotted arms C, one of which is provided at each end of the shade in the usual
manner. The spring B encircles the outer end of the arm C and bears at one end
against a collar or equivalent C³ on said arm the other and outer end of the
spring B bearing against the strip A' which may be provided with holes or
guides for enabling it to slide on the ends of the arms C for always exerting
suitable tension upon the shade A. The inner end of each arm C is forked at C³
so that it may be adjusted to any position upon the fixed bracket plate D which is
secured in any convenient manner to the shop front or wall at the side thereof.
D may conveniently be formed of angle iron, one member on which the forked end
of C is adjustable being preferably provided with holes D₁ for admitting of the
pin C being passed through it and through holes formed in the two jaws C³ on
either side of the protecting bracket plate; the pin C is preferably connected to C
E is a fixed bracket adapted to
by a chain C or in any other convenient manner.
receive the hooked end of the upper part of the suspending bar F, one of which is
pivotted to the appropriate arm C at a point C which may be located more or less
near the centre of said arm C. G is the upper shade, the inner and outer edges of
which are secured to rods G' G² respectively which may be rigidly attached to the
two suspending bars F in any convenient manner.
The before described shade or blind may be adjusted to suit the direction of the
sun's rays by raising or lowering the ends C³ of arms C as indicated in full and
dotted lines in Fig. 1, these two representations indicating the two extreme adjust-
ments and it will be understood that the blind or shade may be adjusted to any of
the angles between those represented by the full and dotted lines. Supposing the
sun to be almost vertically above the shop or other place to which this blind is
applied, said blind would preferably be adjusted to the position shown in full lines
in Fig. 1, so that the rays of light striking upon the upper surface of A would be
reflected into the shop window beneath the shade G while at the same time
preventing any rays directly reaching the shop window. Should the sun's rays
be directed more obliquely then the ends C³ of the arms C may be more or
less raised towards the position shown in dotted lines so as to more securely
protect the shop window from the sun's rays and still admit of some of the
reflected light passing from the upper surface of the shade A into the upper part
of the shop window.
The arrangement shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is one which admits of the blind or
shade being rolled on a roller in a manner somewhat similar to that of ordinary
shop window blinds, such rolling not being provided for in the arrangement shown
in Figure 1.
In the arrangement shown in Figures 2 and 3 the inner end of each arm C is
pivotted at C to a sleeve H which is adjustable upon a guide bar D secured as
shown in Figure 2 to the walls at each end of the shop front. Each sleeve H may
be secured in any desired position upon its appropriate bar D by a pin or set
The outer ends of the arins Care
screw H¹ or in any other convenient manner.
connected to the
connected together by a strip or bar I and the lower shade A
upper shade G by means of webs, cords or equivalents G³. The lower edge of the
shade G is provided with a light strip or bar G' and the upper edge of the shade A
is provided with a light strip or bar A' to both of which strips or bars the webs G³
are attached. The lower edge of A is secured to a preferably moulded strip J
which is provided with sleeves or sockets J¹ capable of sliding freely on the arms C
and provided with bolts or equivalent whereby the sleeves J¹ may be secured on
the lower part of the arms C so as to fix the bar J attached to said sleeves J¹.
When the last described form of sun-blind is out of use it is rolled up in the
5 manner shown in Fig. 3, the sleeves H then being at the lower ends of the bars D
and the strips or bars I and J on the upper ends of the arms C being in front of
the opening K¹ of the casing K in which the blind roller L is mounted. When it

page_text: is desired to lower the blind the bar J is drawn down to the bottom of the bare C
when the bar I may be pulled outwards in the usual manner. The pivotted ends
may then, by means of the sleeves H, be raised to and secured in any desired
position on the bars D and the blind may be unrolled to the position most suitable
to the state of the light or position of the sun; for instance it may be found advan-
tageous to have the top shade nearly wholly unwound as shown in Fig. 2 or it may
be more advantageous to have the top shade more or less wound up as shown in
dotted lines in Fig. 2. When arranged in this last described manner, the rod G
may be against the casing K. The light will be admitted between the rods A'
and G and webs G and will strike upon the upper surface of A and be reflected into
the shop window. The angle of the shade A may be adjusted to any desired
extent by raising or lowering the sleeves H on the rods D, and by unrolling or
winding up the top shade G.
The before described shades or blinds may be provided with curtains at the ends
in the usual well known manner.
The arrangement before described may be varied without departing from the
essential features of this invention, for instance the blinds may be provided with
spring rollers, or three or more shades may be arranged with or without curtains
at their outer edges, the object being to prevent the sun's rays from shining
directly on the goods and to reflect the lights from the shades into the window
or shop.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,―
1. A. sun-blind or shade formed of two parts so arranged as to admit of the sun's
rays passing the one part and reaching the other in such a manner that they will be
reflected into the shop or room substantially as described.
2. A sun-blind or shade formed in two parts which prevent the sun's rays
directly reaching the shop window and one of which parts admits of the rays
reaching the upper surface of the other part so that the light may be reflected from
said surface into the shop or room substantially as described.
3. A sun-blind or shade consisting of two parts such as AG one above the other
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. A sun-blind or shade consisting of two parts one above the other and con-
nected together by webs cords or equivalent substantially as described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
5. In a sun-blind or shade the combination with arms such as C and a shade such
as A of one or more springs such as B substantially as and for the purpose described
and illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
6. In a sun-blind or shade the combination with a shade A and arms such
as C C C carrying said shade of bars such as F pivotted to the arms C and
carrying another shade such as G substantially as described and illustrated in
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
7. In a sun-blind or shade the combination with two shades such as A G con-
nected together by webs such as G³ of arms C rod I connecting the arms C together
and bar such as J connected to the shade A and capable of adjustment on the
arms C substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 6th day of January 1893.