An Improved Connection or Connections for the Ends or Terminals of Picture, Curtain, Drapery, Portiere, Stair, and other like Rods.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 7th June, 1893-Accepted, 5th Aug.,
1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Connection or Connections for the Ends or Terminals
of Picture, Curtain, Drapery, Portiere, Stair, and other like Rods.
I JOSEPH RIGBY QUIGGIN of 45 Ranelagh Street, in the City of Liverpool,
Ironmonger do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the connections, or to the affixing of the ends or
terminals of rods, such for example as picture rods, curtain rods, drapery rods,
portiere rods, stair rods, cornice poles, balustrades, banner poles, and articles of a
like manufacture.
Heretofore the said ends or terminals have either been fixed or secured in
position, by screws, carried by the said ends taking into the screwed middle parts
of plugs, let or inserted within the ends of the rods, or by the ends or terminals
taking upon screws disposed at the ends of the rods, and further, by screwed
pummels of the said terminals screwing into the ends of the rods.
According to my invention, loose ends are applied in a more simple manner than
has heretofore been practised, by making the connections in the form of a spring
plug, primarily composed of turned back branched members arranged conically and
adapted to fit and shut within the ends of tubular lengths, and thereby form the
terminals of them.
In carrying out one form of my invention, I take an ordinary knob end or
terminal, and provide the shank or pummel end of the same with an extended
stalk, terminated by returned branch members, converging outwardly into the form
of a conical plug, and with the free ends of the spring members coming within a
short distance of the face of the pummel or foot as aforesaid.
When inserted within the end of a tube, the resilient and branched members
constituting the plug close, and take the inside figure of the bore of the tube, with
an extended bearing from end to end of the said members, in virtue of which, the
opposed parts in contact are pressed together with such force as to connect or unite
the one part within the other.
propose in one arrangement to make the resilient and conical plug from a
cruciform shaped blank, rivetted or otherwise connected to the end of the central
stem or stalk, and with the branches or spring members made to take a figure
somewhat resembling that of a partially closed umbrella.
The branched members may be convexed in order to strengthen the same, or
they may be directed spirally
In a further arrangement, the branched members may be made from separate
lengths of metal, crossing each other, and united by a rivet, and passing through
them.
As a further form of my invention, the said spring plug may be made from a
neck, or a length of tubing carried by the end, and with the said neck or tubing
split longitudinally, spirally or obliquely, so as to form spring tongues, branches
or their equivalents.
As a still further form of my invention, 1 may make the said spring plug from
coiled spring wire, with an end let within the middle of the foot of the terminal,
and with the wire coiled spirally from the end to the terminal.
In another form of my invention, the ends of the spring members are turned
up to an angle, and are adapted to engage within annular grooves formed within
the bores of the tubes, preferably near their outer ends.
Or the spring and branched members may have tongues cut and directed from
the middles of then, which take into annular depressions or grooves, formed or
impressed within the bores of them, or the bores near the ends of the tubes may

page_text: be choked or reduced in diameter by inward pressure, at the backs of which,
spring tongues take.
As a still further form of my invention, I take a cruciform shaped blank, and
bend the same into a tubular figure, and with their terminal ends slightly gathered
in to form leads. The middle part of the said spring plug is directly connected
to the middle of the foot of the end or terminal. The branches are like unto
spring claws opening outwardly.
To prevent the withdrawal of the said spring attachments, the spring branched
or bifurcated part may be notched or provided with swells, which engage within
annular depressions formed within the bores of the tubings.
Dated this 11th day of October 1892.
JOSEPH RIGBY QUIGGIN,
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Connection or Connections for the Ends or Terminals
of Picture, Curtain, Drapery, Portiere, Stair, and other like Rods.
I, JOSEPH RIGBY QUIGGIN, of 45, Ranelagh Street, in the City of Liverpool,
Ironmonger, 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 ineans for affixing in position the ends,
or the loose terminals of rods, tubes, poles and the like, such for example as picture
rods, curtain rods, drapery and portiere rods, stair rods, cornice poles, balustrades,
banner-poles and other rods and articles of a like manufacture or of a kindred use.
According to my improvements, loose or attachable ends are applied or fitted to
the ends, or within the ends, of the articles to which they are to be applied in a
simple, cheap and efficient manner, and this I accomplish by fitting or providing
the said ends or terminals with spring attachments, each alike unto a spring plug,
primarily composed of a series of turned back and branched members, arranged
circumferentially around a carrying stalk and adapted to fit and shut within the
open ends of the tubular articles as aforesaid, and thereby form the terminals
of them.
In carrying out one special form of my invention, I take an ordinary knob-end
or terminal, and I fit or provide the shank or pummel end of the same with a
centrally disposed and extended stalk or stem, terminated outwardly by returned
and branched members, which, when unconfined, converge outwardly, and form a
conical spring plug, with the ends of the spring members of the same coming
within a short distance of the face of the pummel of the said end.
When inserted within the end of a tube, the resilient and branched members
constituting the plug close, and take the inside figure of the bore of the tube, with
an extended bearing from end to end of the said members in virtue of which, the
opposed parts in contact are pressed together with such force as to connect or
unite by frictional contact the one part to and within the other part.
The resilient and conical plug may be made from crossing strips or from a
cruciform-shaped blank, rivetted or otherwise connected to the end of the central
stem or stalk, and with the branches or spring members made to take a figure
somewhat resembling that of a partially closed umbrella.
The branched members may be crosswise convexed or concaved in order to
strengthen the same, or they may be directed spirally.
As a still further form of my invention, I may make the said spring plug from
coiled spring wire.
In another form of my invention, the ends of the spring members are turned up

page_text: hookwise and are adapted to engage within annular shoulders formed within the
bores of the tubes, preferably near their outer ends.
To prevent the withdrawal of the said spring attachments the spring branched
or bifurcated parts may be notched, or provided with swells, which engage within
annular depressions formed within the bores of the tubings.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents a rod, or a picture rod, with
the terminal ends of the same fitted or provided with spring attachments, whereby
the said turned ends are rigidly and attachedly connected to the tube ends
without the employment of screws or other like expedients.
Figure 2 represents in elevation, an end, with its spring attachment, separately.
Figure 3 represents a cross section upon the dotted lines A B Figure 2, showing
the convex-concavo flutings or cross sectional spring members.
Figure 4 represents one end of Figure 2 in section, showing the attachment also
in section, and with the terminal in elevation.
a is a hollow rod or tube, with open ends a², each fitted or provided with
terminals or knobs b, having spring attachments c, carried from the outer extremities
of stems or stalks d, directed from the middle of the foot 2, of the said terminal b.
The spring attachment consists of resilient and troughed thin sheet metal
members, with the terminations of their free and expanding ends e³, coming
within a short distance of the foot of the terminal, whilst the other and attached
crossing middle parts c, (being made from strips) are secured to the end of the
stem or stalked, by rivetting, at d², hence a spring attachment secured at the end of
a carrying stalk, and with the said spring members returned upon the stalk, alike
unto a partially closed umbrella.
The securing of the connection, or the crossing spring members to the stalk may
be performed by a screw pin, instead of by a rivet.
Figure 5 represents a double attachment or a double spring connection carried
by a single stalk, and which, when so combined, iş adapted to unite or connect
together two tubes, or an end to a tube, or one portion of a tubular connection to
another portion, by the said parts of the connection being passed and shut within
the bores of the parts respectively. c, c are spring connections, carried at the
respective ends of a rod or stalk d, and which, when in use, shut within the ends of
the bores of the tubes a, a', to be united together.
Figure 6 represents a further form of connection constructed according to my
invention.
The resilient and branched members are concaved outwardly to about the bore
of the article to which they are to be applied, so that by increasing. the strength of
the said members by making the same concaved, a large frictional bearing surface
is thereby obtained.
Figure 7 represents a still further form of my invention.
In this arrangement, the spring and branched members are directed helically or
spirally around the stem or stalk as a centre, instead of the said members being
disposed radially and equatorially.
Figure 8 represents a hook-ended spring attachment or connection, with the
turned-up ends of the members adapted to take within an annular depression formed
within the bore of the tube near its end.
a is a tube, is a terminal carrying a connection c, at the end of a stalk d, and with
the hooked ends c, of the spring members c², turned into outwardly directed hooks,
whose free ends engage within an annular groove a¹, formed within the bore near
an end of the tube a.
Figure 9 represents a hook-ended connection as in Figure 8, but with the hooked
ends of the spring members engaging or coming behind a shoulder or annular
throttling a', formed within the bore near the end of the tube.
Figure 10 represents a still further modified form of my invention.
The said spring connection and the stalk or stem are made from a length of
coiled wire, with the fore part of the coil slightly tapered, to lead into the open end
of the tube, when pressed home.

page_text: a is the tube, a² its open end and ba terminal, fitted with a spring connection c,
composed of a slightly tapering coil c², circumferentially passing around the carrying
or middle stem or stalk d, whose inner end is secured within the middle of the foot
of the terminal b. Instead of the coil and stem or stalk being made in one piece,
they may be made separate, and the one attachedly connected to the other.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First Securing or affixing ends, terminals or knobs to or within rods, poles or
the like for various purposes, by means of, or through the medium of, a spring
attachment or coupling, consisting of spring arms or members, or returned-back
spring arms or members, carried at the end of an axially directed stalk, fitted to or
within the middle of the foot of the said end, terminal or knob, substantially as
described and set forth in Figures 1 to 9.
Secondly In an attachment or coupling for securing or affixing ends, terminals
or knobs to or within rods, poles or the like for various purposes, making the spring
members or the spring arms troughed or concaved or convexed in cross section
upon their inner or outer sides, for the purpose of strengthening, or imparting
rigidity to, the said arms or members, substantially as described and set forth in
Figures 1 to 9.
Thirdly-In double spring attachments or couplings for connecting together
the ends or sectional portions of rods, tubes or poles, substantially as described and
set forth in Figure 5.
Fourthly In a spring attachment or coupling as in the preceding claims,
making the free ends of the same outwardly hooked, so as to engage within a groove
or behind a shoulder disposed or located within the bore of an article near its end,
substantially as described and set forth in Figures 8 and 9.
Fifthly Securing or affixing ends, terminals or knobs to or within rods and the
like for various purposes, by means of an helix, coil, or convolution, substantially as
described and set forth in Figure 10.
Dthis and
T1902
JOSEPH RIGBY QUIGGIN,
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.