Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 24th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 29th Dec., 1894
I JOSEPH LILLY, of 6 Hutton Street, Nechells, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Art Metal Worker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in or connected with portière rods whereby
the opening and closing of the door, causes the curtain to be raised and lowered
automatically, having for one of its features, its ready adaptation and application
to portière rods of present use and those already fixed.
It consists as follows:-The prortière rod with its usual brackets &c., is mounted
in the usual manner.
In addition to these however, a bracket is secured to the
upper part of the door, (and generally about midway in its width) upon which is
carried and hinged a lever or slide or other equivalent, generally the former. The
longer arm of this lever stands above the top of the door in such a manner that
when the door is nearly closed, it strikes the door frame and thus by shutting the
door it (the lever) is caused to move through a given distance. To this end of
the lever is also attached the one end of a cord or chain &c., whilst its other end
is connected to the lower end or other suitable part of the curtain. Preferably a
cross rod is attached to the curtain at any desirable point and the cord &c.
connected to the rod. This cord or chain &c. is passed over and travels or rides
upon the portière rod when the lever is moved, so as to raise or let fall the lower
part of the curtain. To the short end of the lever, or at or upon any other
suitable part of the same, a spring is attached, whose tendency is to move the lever
so as to raise the curtain. Thus when the door is closed, the lever is forced back
(against the spring) so that the curtain rests upon the ground, but when the door
opens the spring immediately moves the lever and the curtain is instantly raised
and remains so, as long as the door is open.
The arrangement of lever and spring, and its position may as before intimated
be varied without departing from the nature of the invention, as for instance, I may
carry upon the said bracket a pulley over which the cord rides for the rising and
falling of the curtain, so as to be quite independent of the rod.
Dated this 23rd day of February 1894
CHARLES T. POWELL,
Applicant's Agent.
Improvements in or connected with Portiere Rods.
I JOSEPH LILLY, of 6 Hutton Street, Nechells, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Art Metal Worker, 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 or connected with portière rods, whereby
the opening and closing of the door, causes the curtain to be raised and lowered

page_text: automatically, having for one of its features its ready adaptation and application to
portière rods of present use, and those already fixed."
In order to more clearly explain this my invention, I have appended hereunto an
illustrative sheet of drawings upon which are figures and numbers of reference,
similar numbers referring throughout the several views to the same thing or part.
Fig. 1, is a view in front elevation, and Fig. 2, a view in side elevation of this
my invention as seen when the door is closed.
Fig. 3, is a side elevation of the invention as seen when the door is partly open.
Fig. 4, is a view in elevation, and Fig. 5, a view in plan of a modification of this
my invention, as seen when the door is open.
Figs. 7 & 8, are detailed views of one of the brackets used in this modification.
It consists as follows:-The portière rod 10, with its usual brackets &c. 11, is
mounted in the usual manner, but inasmuch as it forms no direct part of this my
invention, I have only indicated its position by dotted lines. In addition to these
however, a bracket 12 is secured to the upper part of the door 13, (and generally
about midway in the width) upon which is carried and hinged a lever 14, or slide,
or other equivalent, generally the former. The longer arm 15, of this lever stands
above the top of the door, iu such a manner (see Fig. 3) that when the door is
nearly closed, it strikes the door frame 16, and thus by shutting the door, it (the
lever) is caused to move through a given distance, into the position shown in Fig. 3.
To this end of the lever is also attached the one end of a cord or chain 17, &c.,
whilst the other end of the cord is connected to the lower end or other suitable
part of the curtain, which latter is suspended from the rod 10, in the usual manner.
Preferably a cross rod is attached to the curtain at any desirable point, and the
cord &c. connected to the said cross rod. This cord or chain &c. is passed over and
travels or rides upon the portière rod 10, when the lever is moved so as to raise or
let fall the lower part of the curtain. To the short end 18, of the lever, or at or
upon any other suitable part of the same, a spring 19, is attached, whose tendency, is
to move the lever so as to raise the curtain. Thus when the door is closed, the lever
is forced back (against the spring) as seen in Fig. 2, so that the curtain rests upon
the ground, but when the door opens, the spring immediately moves the lever, and
the cord 17 is pulled up, and the curtain is instantly raised, and remains so, as long
as the door is open.
In Figs. 4 to 8 inclusive, I have shown a modification of my invention, in which
the lever 14, is parallel with the door 13ª, and supplied with a counterweight 20,
instead of a spring. In this case a bracket 21, is placed upon the door frame
having the inclined surface 22. The cord 17, is as before attached to the
end of the lever 14°. Hence, as the door opens, and the lever drawn away from
the bracket 21, the weight raises the cord 17, and with it of course the curtain,
while upon closing the door, the lever is brought in contact with the bracket 21,
and thereby its front end and the cord 17ª, are lowered and thereby the curtain is
also lowered.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In combination with portière rods or curtain suspenders, the employment of a
counter-balanced lever and cord or chain, constructed and operating substantially
as herein described and shown upon the drawings.
Datod this 23rd day of November 1804
CHARLES T. POWELL,
Applicant's Agent.