IMPROVED MEANS FOR HOLDING AND REGULATING WINDOW BLIND CORDS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Claude Edward Gibson, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, of the Firm of Gibson and Birch, for an Invention of "IMPROVED
MEANS FOR HOLDING AND REGULATING WINDOW BLIND CORDS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Claude Edward Gibson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th December 1880.
CLAUDE EDWARD GIBSON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, of the
Firm of Gibson and Birch. "IMPROVED MEANS FOR HOLDING AND REGULATING
WINDOW BLIND CORDS."
My Invention of improved means for holding and regulating window blind
cords is intended to supersede the present window blind cord racks, which, in
practice, are found not only to be in the way in windows having short curtains but
also to be very ineffective where there is much stretch in the long cords of high
windows, thus necessitating the cutting and resplicing of the cord. They also
frequently get out of order and give much trouble.
Now my improved cord holder may be fixed at almost any position on the
window frame, and almost at any elevation under the blind roller sheave, and the
cord may hang with the two ends loose, or the ends may be joined together as
desired. In any case there is no tension on the cord except above the cord holder,
as the cord hangs quite loosely underneath the holder.
For ordinary window blinds I use what may be called a cradle plate to screw
to the window sash or other convenient place. To this plate I attach a suitable
carrier having two grooved rollers, which are pressed against the cradle plate by a
spiral or other spring of metal or india rubber, so that when the cords are passed
behind the rollers they are pressed against the before mentioned cradle plate or
against projections formed in the said cradle plate in a measure due to the force of
the spring. This pressure is regulated by a suitable screw and nut, which may be
adjusted in a second or two. By hollowing or corrugating the back of the cradle
to receive the cord I am enabled to produce more friction, and this would be
especially applicable to the cord or cords of venetian blinds.
The outward shape and appearance of my improved cord holders may be very
considerably varied without departing from the principle, and they may be made
in any metal, such, for instance, as brass or iron.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Claude Edward Gibson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th June 1881.
CLAUDE EDWARD GIBSON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, of the
Firm of Gibson & Birch. IMPROVED MEANS FOR HOLDING AND REGULATING
WINDOW BLIND CORDS."
"
My Invention of improved means for holding and regulating window blind
cords is intended to supercede the present window blind cord racks, which, in
practice, are found not only to be in the way in windows having short curtains,
but also to be very ineffective where there is much stretch in the long cords of high
windows, thus necessitating the cutting and resplicing of the cord. They also
frequently get out of order and give much trouble.
Now my improved cord holder may be fixed to almost any position on the
window frame, and almost at any elevation under the blind roller sheave, and the
cord may hang with the two ends loose, or the ends may be joined together as
desired. In any case there is no tension on the cord except above the cord holder,
as the cord bangs quite loosely underneath the holder.
For ordinary window blinds I use what may be called a cradle plate to screw to
the window sash or other convenient place. To this plate I attach a suitable
carrier, having two grooved rollers, which are pressed against the cradle plate by a
spiral or other spring of metal or india rubber, so that when the cords are passed
behind the rollers they are pressed against the before mentioned cradle plate or
against projections formed in the said cradle plate, in a measure due to the force of
the spring. This pressure is regulated by a suitable screw and nut, which may be
adjusted in a second or two. By hollowing or corrugating the back of the cradle
to receive the cord I am enabled to produce more friction, and this would be
especially applicable to the cord or cords of venitian blinds.
I will now proceed to describe my Invention, having reference to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device as it would appear screwed to a
window frame.
Figure 2 is a front elevation with the ornamental regulating nut C removed.
Figure 3 is an elevation from the under side of the device when fixed.
Figure 4 is a side elevation.
Figure 5 is an elevation of the device fixed to a window frame, with the cord
carried over the blind roller and the two ends passed through my improved device.
The two ends are shown broken off, as they may be either joined together and then
hang loose, or they may hang loosely without being joined together, and finish
with a tassel to each loose end.
Figure 6 is a section on the line A, B, showing the position of the projections d, d,
to the pulleys e, e; Figure 7 is also a section on the line A, B, but showing a modifi-
cation of shape for the projections d, d, which may be hollowed out or corrugated
so as to increase the friction or bite of the cord holder upon the cord.
F is the cradle plate, which may be screwed, as shown, to almost any convenient
part of the window frame or walls near to the window at any convenient elevation,
but generally as high up as possible compatable with sufficient freedom to the
cord. G is the carrier, which has the two grooved pulleys e, e, which may be made
from any suitable material, such as china, brass, iron, or other metal, or they may
be coated with leather, rubber, cloth, or other soft material. Fixed to the cradle
plate is a pin h, having the upper end h¹ screwed to receive the ornamental or
other nut Ĉ. The carrier G has a suitable hole in its base to drop over the pin h,

page_text: and it is pressed against the cradle F by the spiral spring k, which may be sub-
stituted for a rubber spring tube or other spring. The pressure of the carrier G
and its rollers E, E, against the cradle F is regulated by the nut C being screwed
against the spring. The projections d, d, might be made of rubber or other soft
material, or the metal could be coated with rubber, leather, cloth, or other soft
material
Having now described my Invention of improved means for holding and
regulating window blind cords in detail, I would have it clearly understood that
the design of the various parts may be considerably varied without departing from
the principle of my Invention, and what I claim is,-
The improved means for holding and regulating window blind cords, herein set
forth and illustrated, with any mere modifications of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said Claude Edward Gibson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
CLAUDE EDWARD GIBSON. (L.S.)
Witnessed by
JOSEPH H. PEARSON,
Clerk to George Barker,
Consulting Engineer & Patent Agent,
77, Colmore Row,
Birmingham.