IMPROVEMENTS IN SHADES OR BLINDS FOR WINDOWS.
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to the Reverend George Scratton, of Stickney, in the
County of Lincoln, Clerk, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHADES
OR BLINDS FOR WINDOWS.'
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said the Reverend George
Scratton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 2nd April 1862.
I, the Reverend GEORGE SCRATTON, of Stickney, in the County of Lincoln,
Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SHADES OR BLINDS FOR WINDOWs," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in shades or blinds for keeping the
sun's direct rays off windows, the object being the obtainment of an improve-
ment in the appearance of such blinds, whilst they admit a great amount of
light through the windows, and permit of an agreeable prospect outwards.
The improved shade or blind is composed of a series of narrow frames covered
with any suitable blind or shade material, each frame being disposed vertically
and at a distance asunder somewhat less than the width of the frame, the
set forming a row in front of the window to be shaded. These shade or blind
frames are sustained in position by pairs of parallel horizontal bars into which
each frame hinges, one edge of each frame into one bar and the other into the
fellow bar. These bars are of equal length, and are fastened by turning pins
(except in cases where the edges of one of the shades at each side of the

page_text: window become the turning pins) to brackets or cross pieces fitted on to
perpendicular spindles, one spindle being placed on one side and one on the
other side of the window. The spindles are made to turn freely in irons made
to receive their ends or axle pins at the ends.
If the shades are to take down and up, the irons must be fastened to a
perpendicular piece one on each side, which pieces fasten and unfasten with
hand screws and studs to the window, ovolo, or otherwise, as the case may be.
In some cases where there are, no shutters or other impediment, the spindle
irons may be straight, parallel to the wall in which the window is; but in other
cases they must be parallel to the wall for a short distance, and thep bent at
right angles, straight or bent irons to be used according to circumstances.
Ordinarily the shades are fitted into two pairs of bars as aforesaid, one pair on
a level close to the lower ends of shades, and the other pair on a level more
than half way up the shades. The shades are opened and closed or set to
whatever inclination is required by turning the spindles on their axes; whatever
motion is given to one spindle is communicated to the other and. to all the
intermediate shades simultaneously. It is calculated that a small rod acting
upon a stud projecting from the lower bar next the apartment will be sufficient
for turning the shades, otherwise wheels and pullies may be employed.
The shade frame answers well when constructed of a pair of thin round rods
with tops or heads fastened on by tin tubing joints. In like manner the
bottoms are put on in cases where the shades pass the lower pair of bars.
The shades with slit tubular bars are preferable to any other plan of opening
the shades in most cases. Otherwise it is proposed to make the bars divide
and unfasten at half the distance between the opposite spindles, and open
like folding doors, the whole apparatus being properly braced for such
purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said the Reverend George Scratton in the Great Seal Patent
'Office on the 2nd October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, the Reverend
GEORGE SCRATTON, of Stickney, in the County of Lincoln, Clerk, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of April, in the year of our Lord One-
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,

page_text: did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
George Scratton, Her special license that I, the said George Scratton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Scratton, 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, 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 SHADES OR
BLINDS FOR WINDOWS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said George Scratton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them,
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 Scratton, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to improvements in shades or blinds for keeping
the sun's direct rays off windows, the objects being the obtainment of an
improvement in the appearance of such blinds, whilst they admit a great
amount of light through the windows; and permit of an agreeable prospect
outwards. The improved shade or blind is composed of a series of narrow
frames covered with any suitable blind or shade material, each frame being
disposed vertically, and at a distance asunder somewhat less than the width
of the frame, the set forming a row in front of the window to be shaded.
These shade or blind frames are sustained in position by pairs of parallel
horizontal bars, into which each frame hinges, one edge of each frame into one
bar, and the other into the fellow bar. These bars are of equal length, and
are fastened by turning pins (except in cases where the edges of one of the
shades at each side of the window become the turning pins) to brackets or
cross pieces fitted on to perpendicular spindles or side bars, one spindle or bar
being placed on one side, and one on the other side of the window. The
spindles or bars turn freely in fixed brackets made to receive their ends or
axle pins at the ends.
If the shades are intended to be removable the irons or brackets must be
fastened to a perpendicular piece, one on each side, which pieces fasten and

page_text: unfasten with hand screws or studs and slots to the window, ovolo, or other-
wise, as the case may be; these perpendicular pieces may be joined at the
top and bottom, so as to form a light frame. In some cases where there are
no shutters or other impediment the irons or brackets may be straight and
parallel to the wall in which the window is placed; but in other cases they
must be parallel to the wall for a short distance and then bent at right angles,
straight or bent brackets being used according to circumstances. Ordinarily
the shades are fitted into two pairs of horizontal bars, as aforesaid, one pair
on a level close to the lower ends of the shades, and the other pair on a level
more than half way up the shades. The shades are opened and closed or set
to whatever inclination is required by turning the spindles or vertical side
bars on their axes. Whatever motion is given to one spindle or bar is com-
municated to the other and to all the intermediate shades simultaneously. It
is proposed to turn the blinds by means of a grooved quadrant or semicircle
attached to each of the two vertical spindles or bars, from which a cord passes
over a fixed guide pulley; these cords serve by pulling first one and then the
other to open or close the blinds, one drawing them open from the left and
shutting them on the right, and the other drawing them back again until
they are closed on the left. If desired, the pullies and quadrants may be
dispensed with, and the blinds may be made loose enough to turn by the hand
upon the pivots or centres of the two side vertical bars or spindles. Each
individual shade frame is simply constructed of a pair of thin round rods
connected by suitable end and intermediate cross pieces of wood or metal to
give stability to the frame. In constructing the shade frames in metal,
tubular or semi-cylindrical hollow rods might be employed, into which the
requisite number of stays of metal, such as wire bent into the desired form
may be soldered or rivetted.
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 Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
corresponding Figures.
Figure 1 of the annexed Sheet of Drawings represents a front elevation of
one form of constructing my improved sun shades or blinds as adapted to an
arched top window; Figure 2 is a sectional plan of the same corresponding ;
and the rest of the Figures are various details of the most important elements
in the construction. In Figures 1 and 2 one half (the left) of the blind or
shade is shewn open, and the other half closed. The same letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in all the Figures.

page_text: A is the window, ovolo, or sash frame, to which is attached by thumb
screws a secondary frame B carrying the sun shade or blind. Near the top
and bottom of the frame B are fitted the bracket irons or supports C, C,
shewn in detail, plan and elevation, half size at Figures 3 and 4. These
brackets are formed with tubular sockets at D, into which work freely the
pivots or axes E, upon which the two vertical side spindles or bars F, F, turn,
and by which they are held in position. A portion of one of these bars F
with one of its pivots or axes E attached, as shewn in Figures 5 and 6, (half
size) in elevation and plan; F is the bar, and G is a metal plate, one of
which is screwed to each end of the bar. This plate has formed upon it or
fitted thereto the central pin E, forming the pivot or axis of the bar, and
contains also two other pins H, H, one at each extremity of the plate,
forming the joint pins for the connection thereto of the horizontal pairs of
bars I, I, which support the shades K. The ends of the bars I have a metal
eye L screwed thereto, as shewn in the enlarged details of the end of one of
the bars I at Figures 7 and 8, the aperture in the eye fitting the pin H, and
being retained thereon by a small knob or nut secured on to the end of the
pin, as shewn in Figure 5.
•
Figure 9 represents a side elevation of a portion of one of the shades.
These shades may be of any desired shape, and composed of a pair of light
rods M, M, of wood, tubular or semicircular metal, or other suitable material,
united at the top and bottom and at one or more intermediate parts, if
desired, by cross pieces N, secured to the side rods in any convenient manner
so as to impart stability to the frame. The several frames are connected to
the horizontal bars I, I, by passing their sides M, M, through the metal
eyes O, O, let into the upper surfaces of the upper and lower pairs of bars I,
as shewn in the enlarged details, Figures 10 and 11, the frames being sup-
ported therein by small eyes a, a, embracing the edge of the larger eyes, and
driven into or otherwise secured to the sides M, M, of the frame. P, P, are
cords and tassels for opening and closing the blinds; these cords pass over
the guide pullies Q, Q, and are secured to the grooved segments or semi-
circles R, R, which are fitted to the vertical side spindles or bars F, F, as
shewn in the enlarged details, Figures 12 and 18. These blinds may be fitted
either to the outside or inside of the window frame, and in place of being
secured thereto by thumbscrews, as described, the frame B containing the
blind, and made larger with returned sides, cornice, &c., may be made to
slide laterally in grooves, so as to be pushed to one side when not required for
use. According to another modification the horizontal bars I, I, may be
grooved, or may consist of slit tubes either of metal or wood, and within these

page_text: 'bars are fitted to slide freely longitudinally a number of sliding pieces, which
'carry the eyes O for supporting the frames of the shades. The shades in this
case are connected together, at equal intervals apart, by cords or chains at or
'near the bottom and top ends thereof, which will admit of their being drawn
across the window or close together on one side by strings passing along the
slit tubes. It is also proposed in some cases to make the blinds double, that
is, to employ two secondary frames B, hinged to the sides of the window
frame, and made to open in the centre similar to a French window, each
frame containing its own set of shades; or the horizontal bars may be made
'to divide in the centre, and admit of the blinds opening, the top and bottom
bars being braced together or so contrived that jagging or straining of the
blind by its own weight will be prevented.
Figure 14 represents an elevation of a slightly modified form of sun shade,
wherein only one pair of parallel adjusting bars are used, adapted to a
rectangular window, and Figure 15 is a sectional plan of the same." In these
two Figures A, A, represent a pair of uprights temporarily fitted in any
convenient manner to the side of the window, so as to be capable of being
readily removable at pleasure, and provided with metal brackets B, B, carrying
the spindles C, C, the uprights, brackets, and spindles being all removable
together. D, D, are the adjustable parallel bars, which open and close the
shade; these bars are supported on the upper brackets B, B, and are capable
of being lifted off their centres or turning pins when desired. In this example
the lower ends of the shades are provided with central pins or pivots E, E,
which work in a bar F, this bar serving to keep the shades at the proper
distance apart; it may either be fixed to the window frame, or left free; in
the latter case (as shewn) it is sustained by nuts on the bottoms of the pivots.
If desired, a similar bar may be applied to the upper ends of the shades; or
holes may be made in some projecting part of the window, above or below,
to receive the pivots, in lieu of having a separate bar. The shades are
connected with the parallel bars D, D, by hooks and eyes, so that on lifting
any one shade it may be removed from the rest by slipping its pivot at the
lower end out of the lever F, the nut on the pivot being previously removed.
If desired; the metal eyes herein-before referred to may be fitted to a pair of
subordinate lengths of parallel bars, so as to admit of two or more shades
being put up or taken out together, these subordinate bars being laid on the
main bars D, D, and kept in their places by studs and holes or otherwise.
It may also be desirable to place the same kind of central bars herein-before
mentioned as placed at the top or bottom, and marked F; at intermediate
levels, the shades pivoting on them, by providing their intermediate stays

page_text: with pivots or pins; in such case the covering material of the shades must be
perforated to allow of the bars to pass centrally through them. If one such
bar were set between opposite upper brackets B, B, Figure 14, the other
parallel bars D, D, would be relieved of the weight of the shades, and so
might be of lighter construction, or in some cases dispensed with, and in their
places cords or chains substituted to turn the shades by. This central bar
may be grooved or in the form of a slit tube, enclosing blocks or sliding-
pieces, one to each shade, in which blocks the central pins before mentioned
would pivot. By having two cords fastened to the last right or left block,
and passing over a pulley at either end of this grooved central bar, the shades
would be readily drawn close together on one side of the window, or drawn
out into their position for use at pleasure.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used, or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that 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 Patent is, the general construction and
arrangement of sun shades arranged to turn on vertical axes, substantially as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the Reverend George Scratton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of September, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
GEORGE SCRATTON. (L.S.)