IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLVING SHUTTERS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert William Morris, of Barrow-in-Furness,
in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
REVOLVING SHUTTERS."
Sealed the 14th April 1874, and dated the 22nd October 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert William Morris
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 22nd October 1873.
I, ROBERT WILLIAM MORRIS, of Barrow-in-Furness, in the County
of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN REVOLVING SHUTTERS," to be as follows:-
My Invention of "Improvements in Revolving Shutters," already
protected by Letters Patent, No. 2363, A.D. 1872, contemplated
revolving shutters worked by weight and chains with improved back-
ward-and-forward or to-and-fro motion of the winding roller. Spring
rollers were not then contemplated, nor hitherto have revolving shutters
been worked or used with springs, excepting when the spring boxes or
springs have been independent of, that is to say, not directly connected
with the winding roller, and there has been no backward-and-forward
motion, a fixed centre having been used, and a fair leading or friction
roller to keep the shutter plumb in the grooves.

page_text: The present Invention embraces the direct connection of spring boxes
or springs with the winding roller, in combination with an arrange-
ment providing for a backward-and-forward motion to keep the shutter
plumb, the arrangement obviating the otherwise necessary employment
of a fair leading or friction roller.
I propose to make the spring boxes with a square boss, and to fit
them into a corresponding recess in the end of the winding roller, and
to support the axis of the winding roller in or upon carriages or frames
having wheels or rollers running upon rails, or wheel or roller paths
for their support and guidance, thus providing that the roller may
bodily move backward and forward as the winding or unwinding may
require.
And I contemplate generally or in some cases that the said wheels
or rollers should have rails or paths provided to them above as well as
below, in order to prevent the carriages or frames from canting over...
(
The winding roller may conveniently be of a skeleton or composite
character, as described in the Specification of the said former Letters
Patent, and the temporary use of a web will form a. convenient. means
of tightening the springs when fitting up or connecting the shutter
to the roller, the weight of the shutter being permanently supported
directly by the roller. itself, and the connection of the shutter with
the spring boxes or springs being also effected directly by the roller
itself.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert William Morris in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 21st April 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
WILLIAM MORRIS, of Barrow-in-Furness, in the County of Lancaster,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign; did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Robert William Morris, Her
spécial licence that I, the said Robert William Morris, my executors, {

page_text: administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert William
Morris, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after, during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
5, make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REVOLVING SHUTTERS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Robert William Morris, 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 Robert William Morris, 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 of "Improvements in Revolving Shutters," already ;
protected by Letters Patent, No. 2363, A.D. 1872, contemplated,
revolving shutters worked by weight and chains, with improved back-
ward-and-forward or to-and-fro motion of the winding roller. Spring:
rollers were not then contemplated, nor hitherto have revolving shutters,
been worked or used with springs, excepting when the spring boxes or
springs have been independent of, that is to say, not directly connected
with the winding roller, and there has been no backward-and-forward.
motion, a fixed centre having been used, and a fair leading or friction.
roller to keep the shutter plumb in the grooves.
The present Invention consists in the direct connextion of spring
boxes. or springs with the winding roller, in combination with an
arrangement providing for a backward-and-forward motion to keep the
shutter plumb, the arrangement obviating the otherwise' necessary
employment of a fair leading or friction roller.
I propose to make the spring boxes with a square boss, and to fit
them into a corresponding roller, and to support the axis of the winding
roller in or upon carriages or frames having wheels or rollers running
upon rails, or wheel or roller paths for their support and guidance, thus
:

page_text: providing that the roller may bodily move backward and forward as the
winding or unwinding may require.
And I contemplate generally, or in some cases, that the said wheels
or rollers should have rails or paths provided to them above as well as
below, in order to prevent the carriages or frames from canting over.
The winding roller may conveniently be of a skeleton or composite
character, as described in the Specification of the said former Letters
Patent, and the temporary use of a web will form a convenient means
of tightening the springs when fitting up or connecting the shutter
to the roller, the weight of the shutter being permanently supported 1
directly by the roller itself, and the connection of the shutter with
the spring boxes or springs being also effected directly by the roller
itself.
The accompanying Drawing is furnished for more completely exem-
plifing the intended construction, but it is evident that the absolute 1
and relative sizes of the several parts and details of construction admit
of considerable variation.
Subject to this remark Figure 1 shews on a scale of a quarter of
the full size (linear dimensions) side elevation of winding roller a
with a plate or socket piece 6 affixed at each end as the means of 2
direct connection with two spring boxes. Figure 2, on the same scale,
is a cross section to correspond shewing the roller to be of a trussed
or skeleton character (not of itself the subject of the present Invention),
so as the more effectually throughout its length and in a distributed
manner to support the weight of the iron or wooden laths, which, though 2
not represented (it is to be understood) are affixed continuouly or at
frequent intervals along the whole length, instead of at the ends only,
thus preventing sagging or dropping in the middle, or going out of
square, and in combination with parts herein-after described ensuring
the same easy motion and smoothness of rolling action as when using 3
balance weights.
The remaining Figures are drawn to a scale of one half the full
size.
Figure 3 shews one end of roller in combination with socket piece b,
spring box c (circular in form), and carriage or supporting plate d for 3
supporting the spring box by the axis or shaft e, which passes through
the spring box and fairly into the roller, and on which the spring box

page_text: and roller (together) turn. Also in this Figure are shewn one or two
studs or pins f for a pair of rollers 9, and the wall plate or rail plate h
in or upon which these rollers run. It is to be understood that one
or both ends of the roller may be so furnished.
position of spring.
The jointed lath portions of the improved revolving shutters may
be of wood or iron, and be constructed in the hitherto or any approved
suitable manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert William Morris, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four
0
Witness,
Wч. DAWSON,
East Mount,
ROBERT WILLIAM MORRIS. (L.S.)
Barrow-in-Furness.