IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDOW BLINDS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George John Newbery, of Straitsmouth, Greenwich,
in the County of Kent, Artist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WINDOW BLINDS."
Sealed the 1st January 1858, and dated the 20th July 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George John Newbery
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 20th July 1857.
I, GEORGE JOHN NEWBERY, of Straitsmouth, Greenwich, in the County of
Kent, Artist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN WINDOW BLINDS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in improvements on those manufactures now in use
as imitations of and substitutes for Venetian lath blinds, the object being to
render such blinds more suitable for warm countries, and more generally
useful.
I adopt, as one mode, the use of open lace or other texture as the ground-
work, with bands of cloth, paper, or other suitable material to form the
latitudinal lines, in imitation of the Venetian lath; the ladders to be imitated
by tapes of the same material, colored or plain.
Another plan is to enclose stiffening materials (such as paper, chip, or other
suitable media) between two surfaces of woven fabric, so as to resemble the

page_text: present Venetian blind (with or without ladder tapes), but so as to give stiff-
ness to the woven material, yet permitting air and light to permeate the
interstices to any desirable extent.
I produce the same effect by a woven texture, so constructed that the
latitudinal lines representing the laths shall be formed of thicker and closer
material than the spaces between, which are thinner and more open in the
meshes, for the purpose of air, vision, and contrast.
The tapes or ladders are wholly or partially woven in, and the material is
thus produced for window blinds better in general effect than those printed on
cotton or calico.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George John Newbery, in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 20th January 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
JOHN NEWBERY, of Straitsmouth, Greenwich, in the County of Kent, Artist,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George John Nowbery, Her special license that I, the said George
John Newbery, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said George John Newbery, my executors, administrators, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, slíould and lawfully might
make, usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDOW BLINDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said George John Newbery, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, 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 George John Newbery, 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

page_text: following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to certain improvements on those manufactures
now in use as imitations of and substitutes for Venetian Inth blinds, whereby
such blinds are rendered more suitable for warm climates, and more generally
useful, whilst the effect produced approaches nearer to the real Venetian blinds
than has hitherto been accomplished by the ordinary painted and printed
imitations now in use.
The principle or main features of my improvements, which may be modified
in a variety of ways, herein-after more particularly referred to, consists in the
manufacture or production of imitation Venetian blinds by combining an
open or light fabric (such as plain or ornamental net) constituting the ground-
work or main body of the blind, or the spaces between the laths, with a
thicker fabric, or with any suitable flexible and more substantial material for
the imitation laths, so that on rolling up the blind round its roller the imi-
tation laths will become curved or corrugated in the direction of their length,
thereby producing a better effect, and strengthening the blind so as to prevent
it from curling in at the sides and becoming creased or puckered when being
rolled up. If desired, the blind may be run up by means of draw-strings,
passed through the imitation laths, as in ordinary Venetian blinds, but I do
not confine or restrict myself to any particular mode of drawing up such
blinds.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall refer
to the several Figures on the Shect of Drawings hereunto annexed, the same
letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a front elevation of one form of imita-
tion Venetian blind, constructed according to my present Invention; and Figure
2 is a corresponding vertical section of the same, shewing the corrugations of
the laths. A is the groundwork of the blind, composed of net, open muslin,
or other fabric of a similar open texture capable of admitting light and air;
B, B, are the imitation laths, which consist of strips composed either of strong
woven fabric, or of paper, cardboard, chip, or other suitable flexible material.
These strips are connected on to the surface of the open groundwork fabric
across the breadth thereof, at suitable distances asunder. In applying theso
strips or laths it will be found convenient to stretch the groundwork fabric in
a frame, and slightly dress it with size or starch before laying on the strips.
The imitation ladders C, C, may consist of tapes, or ribbons, or strips of paper,
or other suitable material cemented on to the blind, or in some cases they may

page_text: be woven into the groundwork fabric, as herein-after mentioned. The blind
being now complete may be removed when thoroughly dry, and if desired
passed through a plain embossing or corrugating callender, to finish it for
market. The corrugations of the laths, shown in Figure 2, are produced by
the rolling of the blind round its roller D, and add greatly to the appearance
of the blind. If found requisite a slight set or curve may be imparted to
the laths by passing them between pressing rollers for that purpose.
Figure 3 represents a vertical section of another modification, wherein the
laths B, 13, in place of having their entire surface cemented on to the ground-
work fabric A, are cemented thereto at the upper edge only, as shewn, the
lower portion of the laths being free to stand out at an angle from the ground-
work, thereby greatly improving the effect of the blind, and producing a better
imitation of the real Venetian. These same effects may also be entirely pro-
duced in the loom, the groundwork fabric with the imitation laths and ladders
being wholly composed of textile fabric, the spaces between the lathis being of a
lighter texture, whilst the laths themselves are of a more substantial nature.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 represent various modifications, the effects being pro-
duced in the loom during the weaving process. Figure 4 represents a blind
with the laths A produced by throwing in at those parts thicker shouts of weft,
as is well understood by the practical weaver, the laths being thereby rendered
thicker, and of any desired color, according to the taste of the manufacturer.
Figure 5 represents a similar blind of a similar construction, but having those
portions which are intended to represent the laths woven double in place of
single, so as to enable a strip of paper, cardboard, or other strengthening
material E to be inserted therein, between the folds, as shewn in red color onl
the Drawing, whereby the corrugated effect may be more readily produced
than when a woven fabric alone is employed. Figure 6 represents a blind of
a similar appearance to that shewn at Figure 3, but in place of the edges of
the laths being cemented to the groundwork or body fabric, they are woven in
the loom in the form of tucks, such tucks being either woven stouter than the
intervening portions of the groundwork fabric, or woven uniform therewith,
and strengthened by passing a strip of any suitable stout material E, colored
red on the Drawing, capable of corrugation in the interior of each tuck, as
described in reference to Figure 5, for the purpose of giving increased stability
to the blind breadthwise, and of causing the laths to stand out slightly from
the groundwork. When transparency is required, the fabric between the
tucks may be of an open texture, but when this is not requisite the ground-
work and tucks may be of an even texture, as the doubling of the fabric at
the tucks, and the insertion therein of strips of paper or other sin:ilar material

page_text: gives the required amount of substance for the laths. When these blinds
are produced wholly in the loom, the ladders or tapes may be also produced
therein by the aid of the ordinary loom, or by the jacquard, if found desirable.
The laths may also be sewed to the groundwork fabric, if found desirable, in
place of cementing them therein, or of weaving them in the piece.
Figure 7 of my Drawings represents a vertical section of one of my im-
proved imitation Venetian blinds, constructed so as to be capable of running
up by means of draw-strings F, in the ordinary manner adopted for Venetian
blinds, in place of being wound round a roller. The draw-strings are passed
through the back and front of cach lath alternately, and the holes may be
strengthened by means of metal eyelets, or other appliances; or, in place of
passing the draw-strings through the laths they may be passed through rings
or loops secured to the back of the laths, so as to cause the laths to be elevated
on pulling the draw-strings, which are to be passed over pullies at the upper
en:l of the blind. An advantage will thus be gained over the real wood lath
Venetian blind, inasmuch as the laths of the imitation blind being much
thinner than those of the real Venetian will pack closer at the top of the
window when run up, and will thereby afford more light to the apartment.
In those imitations where the laths stand out at an angle from the ground-
work fabric, as represented in Figures 3 and 6 of my Drawings, suitable
strings passing through the laths may be employed, if found desirable, for
raising or lowering the edges of the laths, so as to allow more or less light to
enter the room.
Blinds of the description herein-before enumerated, but composed of stouter
materials, and made water and weather proof by means of oils, varnishes, or
other suitable materials, will be found serviceable as external sun blinds, or as
window protectors or guards:
If found desirable, pigments may be employed for ornamenting and giving
increased substance to the laths, whether such laths be composed of woven
fabric or of other materials, cemented or otherwise attached thereto. The
Indders may also be painted on, if desired, in place of being woven in or
cemented on to the groundwork fabric.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the saine is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion
to describe or refer to, as variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my said Invention; but

page_text: what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein before in part recited Letters l'atent, is,―
First, the general constructions and arrangements of window blinds, as
:herein-before described.
Second, the constructing of imitation Venetian blinds by increasing the
thickness of those parts of the blinds forming the laths, the fabric forming the
groundwork of the blind being of a comparatively light or open texture.
Third, the constructing of imitation Venetian blinds by attaching to or
forming on the groundwork fabric of the blind, laths or strips of paper, woven
fabric, or other suitable material, in such a manner that the said laths or
strips will stand out at an angle therefrom, as shown in Figures 3 and 5 of my
Drawings.
Fourth, the constructing of the ladders of imitation Venetian blinds by
cementing or sewing tapes, ribbons, or strips of paper or other material on
to the groundwork, or by producing such ladders wholly or partially in the
loom.
In witness whereof, I, the said George John Newbery, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this 20th day of January, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-eight.
GEORGE JOHN NEWBERY.
L.S.)
GEORGE JOHN NEWBERY. L.S.