A NEW OR IMPROVED PULLEY FOR TIGHTENING THE CORDS OF WINDOW AND OTHER BLINDS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Kirby, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Merchants' Clerk, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED
PULLEY FOR TIGHTENING THE CORDS OF WINDOW AND OTHER BLINDS."
Sealed the 24th April 1863, and dated the 15th November 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Kirby at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th
November 1862.
I, EDWARD KIRBY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Merchant's
Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW
OR IMPROVED PULLEY FOR TIGHTENING THE CORDS OF WINDOW AND OTHER BLINDS,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of a pulley constructed in the manner herein-after
explained to be used in place of the ordinary rack pulley for window and other
blinds.
My said new or improved pulley is constructed as follows:-To a plate
which is fixed vertically on the window or other frame two horizontal arms
or brackets are fixed one near the top and the other near the bottom of the
plate. A fixed vertical rod is supported at top and bottom by the said arms
or brackets. The said rod is square or angular and has a screw thread on its
angles. The axis carrying the roller, under which the blind cord passes, slides

page_text: on the said rod, and a screw box or nut works upon the thread on the angles.
of the said rod, the said screw box or nut being above the sliding piece to which
the axis of the pulley or roller is fixed. The pulley and sliding piece to which
its axis is attached are supported by the blind cord which passes under the
pulley while they are prevented from rising by the screw box or nut. In order
to tighten or slacken the blind cord it is only necessary to turn the screw box
or nut on the rod when it rises or falls on the said rod, and forces down the
sliding piece carrying the axis of the pulley, or permits the said sliding piece to
⚫rise.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Kirby in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th
May 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
KIRBY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Merchant's Clerk, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Edward Kirby, Her special licence that I, the said Edward
Kirby, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Edward Kirby, 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED PULLEY FOR TIGHTENING THE CORDS OF WINDOW
AND OTHER BLINDS," upon the condition (amongst others). that I, the said
Edward Kirby, 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 Edward Kirby, do 'hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists of a pulley constructed in the manner herein-after
explained to be used in place of the ordinary rack pulley for window and other
blinds.
My said new or improved pulley is constructed as follows:-To a plate
which is fixed vertically on the window or other frame two horizontal arms
or brackets are fixed one near the top and the other near the bottom of the
plate. A fixed vertical rod is supported at top and bottom by the said arms
or brackets, the said rod is square or of other angular figure and has a screw
thread on its angles. The axis carrying the roller under which the blind
cord passes slides on the said rod and a screw box or nut works upon the
thread on the angles of the said rod, the said screw box or nut being above
the sliding piece to which the axis of the pulley or roller is fixed, the pulley
and sliding piece to which its axis is attached are supported by the blind.cord
which passes under the pulley while they are prevented from rising by the
screw box or nut. In order to tighten or slacken the blind cord it is only
necessary to turn the screw box or nut on the rod when it rises or falls on the
said rod and forces down the sliding piece carrying the axis of the pulley or
permits the said sliding piece to rise.
Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to describe
with reference to the accompanying Drawing the manner in which the same is
to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in front elevation a new or improved pulley for tighten-
ing the cords of window and other blinds constructed according to my
Invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same, and Figure 3 is a section
of the same taken through the line a of Figure 1. Figures 4 and 5 represent
portions of the said pulley as herein-after explained.
a, is the plate which is fixed vertically on the window or other frame by
screws passed through the holes b, b, at top and bottom of the said plate. Near
the top and bottom of the said plate a horizontal arms or brackets c, d, are
respectively situated, the said arms or brackets supporting the fixed vertical
rod e.
The rod e is square in cross section and has a screw thread made
on its angles as represented in the Drawing. Sliding freely on the said rod e
is a square tube or piece f, the said sliding piece f carrying the axis upon
which the roller g turns, under which roller the blind cord h passes, the axis
of the roller has a knob i on its end, the sliding piece f, roller g, and
knob i are shown detached from the pulley in side elevation and plan in
Figure 4. Above the said sliding piece f is a screw box or nut k working on

page_text: the screw thread on the angles of the rod e, the screw box or nut k is shown
separately in section and plan in Figure 5. The sliding piece f carrying the
roller g is supported on the rod e by the blind cord h passing under the
said roller g, the said sliding piece being prevented from rising by the screw
box or nut against which the said sliding piece bears. To tighten the
blind cord h the screw box or nut k is turned so as to make it descend on the
rod. e.
The sliding piece f is thereby forced before it and the blind
cord tightened. To slacken the blind cord h, the screw nut or box k is turned
in the opposite direction and made to rise on the rod e. The sliding piece f
can now be raised on the rod e, and the blind cord slackened, and if required
removed. Instead of making the fixed vertical rod e having a screw thread on
its angles square in cross section as represented in the Drawing it may be
made of a triangular or other angular Figure in cross section, the slding piece
carrying the roller for the blind cord having a corresponding Figure.
My Invention may be made of any oramental design or pattern.
By my Invention the blind cord is easily and expeditiously tightened or
slackened and removed from or placed on the pulley.
may
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which
the same is to be performed I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described and represented, as the same
be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention, but I claim
as my Invention a new or improved pulley for tightening the cords of window
and other blinds, the parts of which are combined or arranged essentially
in the manner herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Kirby, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
EDWARD KIRBY. (L.S.)
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.