IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH REVOLVING SHUTTERS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Woodburne, of Ulverston, in the County
of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED
WITH REVOLVING SHUTTERS."
Sealed the 6th October 1875, and dated the 4th August 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Woodburne at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 4th August 1875.
I, HENRY WOODBURNE, of Ulverston, in the County of Lancaster,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND CONNECTED WITH REVOLVING SHUTTERS," to be as follows:-
The object of the first part of this Invention is to cause revolving
shutters to revolve with facility, to have them always at even balance,
whether up or down, and always in a vertical position when down or
partially so, while at the same time I am able to carry the band which
communicates the rotary motion to the shaft back to such convenient
position as it may be necessary in order to provide room or space for the

page_text: passage of cord, chain, or band and weight in many cases, it being very
inconvenient to have the chains and bands close up to the shutters
themselves. Attempts have been made to overcome this difficulty, but
heretofore without success.
To one or both ends of the roller shaft, round which the shutters are
coiled, I fit a groove pulley (preferably as hereafter described) and a
spindle, which I find advantageous to make of V section. These spindles
revolve in boxes of a corresponding section, which contain oil or other
lubricating material. The boxes are made of such length as may be
required, according to the distance the spindle has to travel therein,
which is regulated by the length and thickness of the shutter, as is well
understood. At or near one end of the box in which the spindles
revolve I provide a guide or friction roller mounted on a spindle free to
revolve in bearings formed in the side frames or brackets. Adjacent to
this roller there is another roller, which is preferably grooved. Round
the grooved pulleys on the shutter shaft there are cords, chains, or
bands wound, preferably a band made of leather, or leather and metal,
or of any other suitable composition; the band is carried first to the
flat roller, then to the grooved pulley, and thence to any convenient
distance over, of course if the distance is considerable, other guide
pulleys and down the boxing, with its balance weight attached.
While the band is winding on or unwinding from the grooved pulley
or pulleys the surface of that part which is unwound from its pulley is
kept up against the guide roller, and it is by means of this guide roller
that I am enabled to regulate the motion of pulleys because it always
presses against the band, or in other words the band presses or frictions
against it as the shutters are coiled up or uncoiled. In this way the
spindle travels along to and fro in the box in the direction necessary
to coil or to uncoil, and the band being always up against its friction
roller, as before described, the up-and-down motion of the shutter
becomes facilitated, and it always hangs vertically in the grooves or
slides.
A band of caual thickness throughout may be used but I profor a

page_text: The band being made of leather, or of a composition of metal and
leather, shutters can be raised or lowered without any appreciable noisc,
and therefore shutters constructed according to my Invention are
particularly applicable to private houses, as well as for shops and other
buildings, where they are now generally used.
My Invention further consists in connecting the grooved pulleys to
the shutter rollers in such manner that the position of the pulleys may
be adjusted when required for adding or diminishing the weight necessary
to provide for the easy working of the shutter, thereby preventing any
strain or jar when the same arrives at the end of its course. For this
purpose I form on the pulley a hexagonal or other equivalent shaped
block, which with spindle fits into correspondingly shaped sockets in
the ends of the shutter rollers. To change the position of the grooved
pulley I have only to remove same from socket and change it to the
angle required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Woodburne in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd February 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
WOODBURNE, of Ulverston, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Henry Woodburne, Her special licence,
that I, the said Henry Woodburne, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Woodburne, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND CONNECTED WITH REVOLVING SHUTTERS," upon the condition (amongst

page_text: others) that I, the said Henry Woodburne, my executors or admini-
strators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and scals, 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 Henry Woodburne, 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 in writing, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawing, and to the letters of reference marked
thereon, that is to say:-
The object of the first part of this Invention is to cause revolving
shutters to revolve with facility, to have them always at even balance,
whether up or down, and always in a vertical position when down or
partially so, while at the same time I am able to carry the band which
communicates the rotary motion to the shaft back to such convenient
position as it may be necessary in order to provide room or space for
the passage of cord, chain, or band and weight, it being very incon-
venient in many cases to have the chains and bands close up to the
shutters themselves. Attempts have been made to overcome this
difficulty, but heretofore without success.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is an end elevation, partly
in section, of a revolving shutter fitted and constructed according to
my Invention, and illustrating one mode of carrying the same into
effect.
Figure 2 is a front clevation of same, but showing a portion only of
one side thereof.
Figure 2ª is a cross section of the roller on which the shutter coils.
To one or both ends of the roller shaft, round which the shutters are
coiled, I fit a groove pulley (preferably as hereafter described) and a
spindle, which I find advantageous to make of V section.
a is the roller; two or more tapered lugs a¹ are fixed on the roller a
as shewn at Figure 2ª, and A is the shutter coiled thereon; is one of a

page_text: the grooved end pulleys; c is one of the end spindles made of a V shape
(or it may be other equivalent corrugated or grooved form). These
spindles c revolve in boxes D of a corresponding section. d is the top
rail of one of the boxes made V shaped to suit the spindle c. The
boxes D contain oil or other lubricating material, and are made of such
length as may be required, according to the distance the spindle has to
travel therein, which is regulated by the length and thickness of the
shutter, as is well understood. At or near one end of the box D, in
which the spindles c revolve, I provide a guide or friction roller e
mounted on a spindle free to revolve in bearings formed in the side
frames of brackets g, which are conveniently made in one with the
boxes D, as shown. Adjacent to this roller e there is another roller h,
which is preferably grooved. Round the grooved pulleys on the
shutter shaft there are cords, chains, or bands wound, preferably a band
made of leather, or leather and metal, or of any other suitable com-
position. The band or chain is first brought to press against the flat
guide roller e and then to the grooved pulley h; is the balance weight
suspended therefrom. The chain may be carried to any convenient
distance if the distance is considerable, of course, passing over other
guide pulleys and down the boxing, with its balance weight attached.
While the band or chain & is winding on or unwinding from the
grooved pulley or pulleys the surface of that part which is unwound
from its pulley is kept up against the guide roller e, and it is by this
means that I am enabled to regulate the motion of pulleys, because the
guide roller e always presses against the band or chain, or in other
words the band or chain k presses or frictions against the guide pulley e
as the shutters A are coiled up or uncoiled. In this way the spindle c
of the roller shaft a travels along to and fro in the box D in the
direction necessary to coil or to uncoil, and the band being always up
against its friction roller e, as before described, the up-and-down motion
of the shutter A. becomes facilitated, and it always hangs vertically in
the grooves or slides.
A band or chain of equal thickness throughout may be used, but I
prefer a band which tapers or diminishes in thickness, the degree of
taper being regulated according to the thickness of roller or depth of
shutter and other circumstances, as practice may dictate.
The band being made of leather, or of a composition of metal and
leather, shutters can be raised or lowered without any appreciable noise,

page_text: pulley e, and then over a guide pulley h, which latter is so placed that
the chain passes down thereto in a slanting direction, the balance
weight tending to draw the shutter roller towards the same side against
the friction pulley e, whereby the roller c¹ on the spindle c is made to
travel along the rail d of the box D in a manner similar to that described
with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The shutter A in this case also
passes over a guide pulley m to ensure that the shutter shall hang
perpendicularly therefrom.
Figure 5 shows a modified arrangement of chain, the first link x of
which is made considerably more tapered than the others, and also for
a greater length, so as to form a spiral box for the chain to roll upon.
In a similar manner the first or the first two of the lathes of the
shutter may be formed with a greater taper, as shewn and described with
reference to the chain.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my
improvements in and connected with revolving shutters.
First. The employment of a grooved pulley for carrying band cord or
chain when the said pulley is mounted on a spindle free to revolve, or
having a separate pulley free to revolve in a box or bearing of V section or
shape corresponding with the said spindle or said separate pulley thereon,
in combination with guide and friction pulley or pulleys, all operating
substantially in manner and for the purposes described and illustrated
in the accompanying Drawings, together with any mere modification
thereof.
Second. The employment of friction pulley and guide pulley appliances
operating on the chain band or cord used for balancing revolving
shutters, substantially in manner and for the purposes described and set
forth.
Thirdly. The employment of leather straps and chains for revolving
shutters, substantially as set forth.
Fourthly. The construction of roller, on which the shutter coils, and
especially the mode of and means for shortening or lengthening the
suspended part of the shutter, and of correspondingly lengthening or
shortening the suspended part of the chain, as set forth.

page_text: In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Woodburne, have here.
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of January,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
HENRY WOODBURNE. (L.S.)