Improvements in Window Blinds.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 26th Feb., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Window Blinds.
I, AXEL EKMAN, of Finspong, in the Kingdom of Sweden, President in
Aktiebolaget Finspongs-Styckebruk, 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 such window blinds as can be used to cover either the
whole window opening or the upper portion of same, or only the lower portion
of it, thus doing the service of half blinds. The invention more particularly has
reference to an arrangement for the suspension and operation of such blinds.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing. Fig. 1 shews the
blinds used as such, while Fig. 2 shews its application as a half blind.
The cloth 1 covering the window opening or part of it and suitably being provided
at its upper and lower edges with sticks fastened by sewing or otherwise is,
according to this invention attached at its upper end to one or more (in the
drawing two) strings or tapes 2 (Fig. 2) which are fastened to a roller 3, journaled
at the top of the window frame, and can be wound on to said roller preferably in
grooves provided for the purpose. At the bottom edge of the cloth are also attached
strings or tapes 4 (Fig. 1) which are secured to and can be wound on to a roller 5,
journaled at the bottom of the window-frame, suitably in grooves provided on the
said roller. On the ends of the rollers 3 and 5 that are turned in the same direction
there are fixed grooved pulleys 6 around which is passed a string or tape 7, one
turn of the latter being suitably laid around each pulley and its ends being fastened
together.
The window blind is operated by means of this string. By pulling on one of its
parts, the tapes 2 can be wholly and the cloth 1 wholly or partly wound on to the
roller 3, so that the blind will do service as such Fig. 1. The tapes or strings 4
in the meantime remain stretched from the lower roller 5 along the sides of the
window-opening to the lower corners of the shade. By pulling on the other part
of the string 7 the blind is drawn from the roller 3, so that the cloth 1 will cover
more and more of the window opening. In this operation the tapes 4 are wound
on to the roller 5. By continued pulling on the string 7 the cloth 1 can eventually
be entirely drawn off the roller 3 and instead wound on to the roller 5, the shade
being thus made to do service as a half blind, Fig. 2. Evidently the blind can be
made to cover a portion of any size of the window, even counting from below.
In the latter case the tapes 2 remain stretched from the upper roller 3 to the upper
corners of the cloth 1, along the sides of the window-opening. The tapes 2 and 4
are suitably attached to the rollers 3 and 5, by providing holes in the latter through
which the tapes are inserted, their ends being afterward provided with knots or a
clasp, the latter arrangement admitting of the tapes being stretched when necessary.
The tapes 2 and 4 at the same side of the blind are suitably made in one piece so
as to form at the same time a binding for the sides of the shade.

page_text: 1
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is:
1. In window blinds adapted to do service also as half blinds, the arrangement
that two opposite edges of the blind are each attached by means of strings, tapes,
or the like to one of two rollers journaled at the side of the window-opening, or
other opening to be covered that is nearest to the respective edge of the blind and
so as to run parallel to the latter edge, all for the purpose of bringing the blind
to cover different portions of the opening in question by rotating the rollers.
.
2. In window blinds arranged as specified in Claim 1; the arrangement of a
string, tape or similar means passing around the rollers and having its ends fastened
together, for simultaneous rotation of the rollers.
Dated this 90th day of December
1897
BREWER & SON,
London & Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.