An Improved Device for Raising and Lowering the Cornices and Draperies of Door and Window Curtains.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 30th May, 1895-Accepted, 20th July, 1395
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Device for Raising and Lowering the Cornices and
Draperies of Door and Window Curtains.
I, KARL MORITZ POPPE, of Frankenberg, Saxony, in the German Empire,
Machine Builder, 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 :-
It has long been deemed desirable that means should be provided for lowering
window curtains without the necessity of using a ladder or other piece of furniture
to stand on, in order to reach the top of the curtain. Some such devices have,
indeed, been made and introduced into actual use. They have, however, proved to
be defective in several respects.
I. The valance drapery, or fringe, depending from the cornice, could not,
through the medium of any of those devices, be caused to descend along with the
curtain, so that when that portion of the curtain required cleaning, for example, it
was still necessary to employ a ladder for the purpose.
II. The curtains, when not attached to cornice draperies, were usually hung to
rings passed on a pole and liable to be displaced or to get out of shape, so that it
has been a very tedious task, and one that involved considerable loss of time,-to
re-arrange and straighten out the folds of the drapery, whenever the window or
door was opened.
The object of this invention is to provide an arrangement enabling both the
main cornice and the drapery valance of the curtain to be lowered or raised, without
the necessity of disarranging the folds; the improved mechanism being adapted to
be connected with,-
-or secured to the head of the curtain in the same manner in
which similar devices have been fastened in position hitherto.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings
in which:
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the improved curtain-lowering-and-raising
device, the coruice being shown in its proper position at the top ;
and
Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan;
Fig. 3 shows the curtain together with the cornice lowered at a certain distance;
Fig. 4 is a cross section corresponding to Fig. 3.
Over the window a rail a is secured, with rollers r², pins S₁ S², and a square
or angle piece W fitted to the rail. Over the rollers 1, 2 and 3, cords, t¹ t³, are
placed, from which a second rail b is suspended, as shown in Fig. 4. This last
mentioned rail b is connected with the cornice g¹ by pins or pegs, as shown
in Figs. 2 and 4. To this rail b there are further secured bolts such as c¹ c,
provided with noses or stops n' n² (Figs. 1 and 2) and which a spring f constantly
tends to press to the right side, such bolts being connected together by a wire d
and adapted to be moved to the left by a bell-crank arrangement eh, when it is
desired to disengage the noses or projections n' n², normally suspended from the
pins SS, and thereby to lower the curtain. The cord is guided through
eyes oo, so that it does not hang loosely.
As the cornice while in the act of being drawn up or raised, takes up an
inclined position owing to its folds (Fig. 4), an angle or square W is secured to
the rail a and arranged to come into contact with another similar angle piece or
square W, which is secured to the rail b; whereby the valance may be restored to

page_text: its straight and even position. Where the valance and the cornice have been
secured in place, and the rail b has been separately allowed to drop together with
the curtain, the rollers 1, 2 and pins S S may be connected with or fastened
to the cornice g', instead of to the rail a.
It is to be understood that although the invention is especially useful for
windows, it is applicable to doors, or other places where draperies and curtains are
used, and that the said draperies or curtains may be secured to the cornice in any
convenient manner.
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 ;-
The herein described improved device for raising and lowering the cornices and
draperies of door and window curtains, substantially as and for the purpose shown
in the drawings and specified.
Dated this oven uay
May 1000DA
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433 Strand, London, Agents for the Applicant.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433 Strand, London, Agents for the Applicant.