Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 21st June, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 7th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 12th Feb. 1839
I, ANDREW SMITH, of 57, Ashbourne Grove, East Dulwich, Clerk, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Venetian blinds, as usually hung within the aperture of the window frame, cut
off the top light of the window when drawn up and so darken the room. Moreover,
in reassembling the laths after they have been dismounted for the purpose of being
cleaned, it is often found that unless care be taken in replacing the laths in the
ladders, the appearance of the blind is not uniform in consequence of the laths
differing in color, and this can only be remedied by unthreading the cords and
re-arranging the laths.
The principal object of my invention is to obviate these objections, and at same time
improve the appearance and lessen the cost of the blind. The laths instead of
being hung in ladders and holed for cords, are in some cases supported by chains or
other connections at the ends, and the cords are threaded through eyes at the ends
of the laths.
According to my invention, the ends of the laths are held in removable caps or
spring clips which carry the eyes or loops for the attachment of the connecting
chains and for guiding the cords, the former being at or near the corners and the
latter along the end of the clip. These eyes or loops are preferably integral with the
clip, the whole being punched out of a single piece of sheet metal which is folded
so as to adapt it to fit on the end of the lath but the eyes or loops may be of wire
soldered or otherwise secured to the clip.
By the use of these clips, the laths may be readily removed and rearranged without
disturbing the connections or cords.
My improvement also consists in dispensing with the ordinary fixed head or pulley.
lath and in hanging the blind on gudgeons movable in vertical guide brackets above
the window frame in such manner that when drawn up, the blind will be wholly
above the window aperture and when lowered to shade the window, the blind wilt
descend in the brackets until the top lath is about level with the top of the window

page_text: aperture. For this purpose, the top lath is provided with end gudgeons which are
received in vertical slots in the brackets and are free to move up and down therein.
These gudgeons form the pivots on which the blind turns in "shading" it, and they
support the weight of the blind by resting at the bottom of their slots when the
blind is lowered. The slots are of sufficient length to admit of the rising movement
of the gudgeons necessary to allow of the whole blind being drawn up wholly above
the window aperture. The gudgeons have heads which retain them in the slots of
the brackets, the latter being provided with a gate to enable the gudgeons to be
removed; and the whole blind to be readily taken down without dismounting the
brackets. In the brackets are mounted the guide pulleys over which the cords pass.
Or, the pulleys may be separate from the brackets and mounted above the window
frame, so that the blind may be wholly taken down without undoing the cords.
Blinds constructed according to my invention may be arranged so as to constitute
what are known as "top light" blinds-that is to say blinds which are lowered
so as to admit light from the top of the window while obscuring the lower part of
the window and to this end, I should employ additional cords passing over
supplementary pulleys mounted in the brackets for lowering and raising the blind
bodily.

page_text: I, ANDREW SMITH, of 57 Ashbourne Grove, East Dulwich, Clerk 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 Venetian Blinds; and has for its
principal object to enable the blind to be removed bodily from the window, when
required, without being dismantled, that is to say without uncording the laths, and also
to enable the blind when drawn up to be raised partly or wholly above the window
aperture so as to obscure as little as possible of the top light.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification, wherein figure 1 is a front view of a blind as applied to a window,
the blind being lowered and shaded. Figure 2 shews, on a larger scale, the brackets
and the ends of three of the laths. Figure 3 is a corresponding edge view of the
laths and brackets. Figure 4 shows one end of the bottom lath of the blind to which
the lifting or running cords are attached. Figures 5 and 6 shew modifications of
the brackets. Figure 7 shews my invention applied to a blind of the ordinary
construction. The same letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.
I dispense with the ordinary fixed head or pulley lath, and mount the top or
rocking lath of the blind on end pivots or gudgeons, as hereafter described. These
gudgeons are supported either in vertically-slotted brackets so as to be movable up
and down therein, or in ordinary brackets and in either case, means are provided,
as hereafter described, whereby the gudgeons may be removed from the brackets for
the purpose of taking down the blind.
The Invention comprises improvements in other adjuncts of the blind, the said
improvements having the same object in view.
According to my invention, the rocking or top lath A of the blind is hung on
end gudgeons a which are supported in brackets B fixed to, or above, the window-
frame. These gudgeons are placed centrally of the width of the rocking lath A,
but in about the plane of the under surface of the lath so as to be below the plane
of the attachment of the chains hereafter referred to, in order that the blind shall
have a tendency to assume the "shaded" position in which the laths are inclined and
closely overlap each other. This position of the gudgeons is necessary for the reason
that owing to the inequalities of the laths they will not close properly together when
"shaded "unless the blind has a tendency to occupy the "shaded" position. In fignres 2
and 3 the brackets B are vertically slotted, the gudgeons a being received in slots b

page_text: the sides of which engage necks formed on the gudgeons so that, whilst the latter
are free to move up and down in the slots, endwise motion is prevented.
For the purpose of enabling the blind to be readily put up and taken down
without dismounting the brackets, the latter may have a gap or gate b formed in
the front or rear member at an intermediate point in its length, so as to permit
the gudgeons to be readily inserted in, or removed from the slots without being liable
to accidentally come out when moving up and down therein. These gudgeons form
the pivots on which the top lath turns in "shading" the blind, and they support the
weight of the blind by resting on the bottoms of the slots in the brackets B, when
the blind is wholly or partially lowered. In this position the top lath is about level
with the top of the window-aperture and the extent of the rising motion of the
gudgeons in their slots is about equal to the height of the space occupied by the laths
when wholly drawn up, so that in the latter position the bottom lath may be at about
the level of the top of the window aperture. Instead of providing a gate for the
passage of the gudgeons, the latter may have T-heads, as shewn in figure 6, which
are capable of being inserted by turning the rocking lath to the position shewn in
said figure, (a position which it can never assume in "shading" the blind) the T-heads
of the gudgeons normally lying across the slots and so retaining the gudgeons
securely in the brackets. To enable the gudgeons to be so inserted, the cap E on one
end of the rocking lath A, whilst fitting tightly, is capable of being slid upon the lath
so as to enable the lath to be shortened sufficiently to admit of the gudgeons being
passed between the two brackets B and then lengthened, in order to engage the
gudgeons in the slots of the brackets.
The cords C pass over pulleys cc which, in the case of the slotted brackets B,
being used, are mounted at a sufficient height above the blind to permit of the rocking
lath A rising to the top of the vertically slotted brackets when the blind is drawn
up, the pulleys being removable from their bearings for the purpose of enabling the
blind to be taken down without being uncorded. The brackets B are not however
necessarily slotted but may be made as shewn in figure 5 when it is not desired that
the blind, when drawn up, shall be raised above the window aperture. In this case,
the bracket is a simple bearing for the gudgeon a with a gate through which the
gudgeon may be passed into or out of its hearing.
In figures 1, 2 and 3 the laths D are held by their ends in caps or clips E, preferably
of sheet metal and are supported by connecting chains F attached to eyes on the
front and rear edges of the caps E whilst the cords C pass through eyes or loops e
affixed to the ends of the clips, these loops being sufficiently elongated to permit of
the free.running of the cords in all positions of the laths. The eyes or loops e and f
are made of wire soldered to the clips except the loops e of the rocking lath which
carry the gudgeons a on their outer side and are made specially strong to enable them
to support the weight of the blind. The clips hold the laths securely whilst permitting
of their individual removal, whether for cleaning or for matching in colour, without
dismounting the chains, clips, and cords.
It is preferable to use the clips last described, but ordinary blinds, that is to say
blinds provided with the ordinary ladders and tapes and having their lifting cords
passing through holes in the laths, may be similarly supported on gudgeons. This is
shewn in figure 7.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-
1st. Hanging the rocking lath of a Venetian blind upon end gudgeons supported
and retained in brackets, as and for the purpose specified.
2nd. In a venetian window-blind, the combination with end gudgeons on the top or
rocking lath, of brackets having vertical slots to receive said gudgeons and permit
vertical motion thereof, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3rd. The use, in combination with a blind hung by end gudgeons on the rocking
lath removably supported in brackets, of pulleys for the cords mounted on, or above,

page_text: the brackets and made removable from their bearings, as and for the purpose
specified.
4th. The combination, with the laths and with the connecting chains and running
cords, of a Venetian Blind of detachable end clips for holding the laths said clips
having loops affixed to their sides for the attachment of the connecting chains and
end loops for the cords to run through, as described and shewn in the drawings.
Dated this 7th day of January 1889.
A. SMITH.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.