IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING, LOWERING, AND FIXING VENETIAN BLINDS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Everard, of Stanwix, near Carlisle, Commercial
"
Traveller, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS
FOR RAISING, LOWERING, AND FIXING VENETIAN BLINDS."
Sealed the 18th January 1878, and dated the 8th August 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Everard at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th August 1877.
"
JOSEPH EVERARD, of Stanwix, near Carlisle, Commercial Traveller. IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING, LOWERING, AND FIXING
VENETIAN BLINDS."
My Invention consists of the arrangement or combination of the parts, herein-
after described, of mechanism or apparatus for raising, lowering, and fixing Venetian
blinds, whereby the parts of the said mechanism or apparatus are simple in
construction, efficient in action, and not liable to derangement.
The said mechanism or apparatus consists essentially of two independent cranked
levers situated side by side and turning on a common pin or centre carried by the
divided frame of the apparatus in which the said levers work. The said frame is
fixed to the top rail of the Venetian blind in the usual way. The arms of the
cranked levers are situated nearly at right angles to one another, the vertical
arms constituting the inner arms of the apparatus and the horizontal arms
the outer arms of the apparatus. The upper faces of the said horizontal or outer
arms are situated underneath a cross bar carried by the frame of the apparatus, and
the cords connected with the laths of the blind pass under the said cross bar and
between it and the upper faces of the outer arms of the levers.
The ends of each of the arms of the levers carry rollers over which the cords
pass.
The cords from the laths of the blind are conducted over rollers in the top rail of
the blind in the ordinary way; the cords are then passed over the rollers at the ends
of the vertical arms of the cranked levers under the cross bar of the frame, and
Dini S71

page_text: finally, over the rollers at the ends of the horizontal arms of the cranked levers,
from whence they pass and hang vertically at the side of the window frame. When
the two cords described are released the weight of the blind acting on the vertical
arms of the cranked levers pulls down the said arms, and the horizontal arms are
correspondingly raised or lifted. The cords between the outer faces of the horizontal
arms and the cross bar of the frame are thereby gripped between the said bar and
arms, and the motion of the blind is arrested and the cords held very firmly between
the gripping parts of the levers and the cross bar. When the cords are pulled down
for raising the blind the pressure of the cords on the outer or horizontal arms of the
gripping levers depresses the said arms and releases the cords from the gripping bar,
when the cords may be drawn in and the blind raised. On releasing the cords the
weight of the blind acting on the cranked arms of the levers depresses the said arms
and raises the horizontal arms, and the cords are again gripped and the blind
fixed.
In order to release the cords for lowering the blinds the tail or outer ends of the
two cranked levers are provided with a coupling piece or ring, to which a releasing
or check cord is attached. By pulling down this releasing or check cord both levers
are simultaneously acted upon, and their horizontal arms are depressed and the cords
between their upper faces and the gripping bar are released, and the cords may be
payed out for lowering the blind. On loosing the releasing or check cord the levers
again take their normal or gripping position, and the blind is fixed in the manner
before described.
When three or more cords are employed, a corresponding number of gripping
levers is used.
.
By my improvements the apparatus is self-fastening, the motion of the blind
being arrested and the blind fixed immediately the cords are released; there is
little or no strain upon the cords, and the lowering of the blind is very, readily
effected.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Everard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th January
1878.
"
IMPROVE-
JOSEPH EVERARD, of Stanwix, near Carlisle, Commercial Traveller.
MENTS IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS FOR RAISING, LOWERING, AND FIXING
VENETIAN BLINDS."
My Invention consists of the arrangement or combination of the parts, herein-
after described, of mechanism or apparatus for raising, lowering, and fixing Venetian
blinds, whereby the parts of the said mechanism or apparatus are simple in
construction, efficient in action, and not liable to derangement.
The said mechanism or apparatus consists essentially of two independent cranked
or bent levers, situated side by side and turning on a cominon pin or centre carried
by the divided frame of the apparatus in which the said levers work. The said
frame is fixed to the top rail of the Venetian blind in the usual way. The arms of
the cranked levers are situated nearly at right angles to one another, the vertical
arms constituting the inner arms of the apparatus and the horizontal arms the outer
arms of the apparatus. The upper faces of the said horizontal or outer arms are
situated underneath a cross bar carried by the frame of the apparatus, and the cords
connected with the laths of the blind pass under the said cross bar and between it
and the upper faces of the outer arms of the levers.
The ends of each of the arms of the levers carry rollers over which the cords
pass. The cords from the laths of the blind are conducted over rollers in the top
rail of the blind in the ordinary way; the cords are then passed over the rollers at
the ends of the vertical arms of the cranked levers under the cross bar of the frame,
and finally over the rollers at the ends of the horizontal arins of the cranked levers,
from whence they pass and hang vertically at the side of the window frame. When
the two cords described are released the weight of the blind acting on the vertical
arms of the cranked levers pulls down the said arms, and the horizontal arms are
correspondingly raised or lifted. The cords between the outer faces of the horizontal
arms and the cross bar of the frame are thereby gripped between the said bar and
arms, and the motion of the blind is arrested and the cords held very firmly between
When the cords are pulled down
the gripping parts of the levers and the cross bar.
for raising the blind the pressure of the cords on the outer or horizontal arms of the
gripping levers depresses the said arms and releases the cords from the gripping bar,
when the cords may be drawn in and the blind raised. On releasing the cords the
weight of the blind acting on the cranked arms of the levers depresses the said arms
and raises the horizontal arms, and the cords are again gripped and the blind
fixed.
In order to release the cords for lowering the blind the tail or outer ends of the
two cranked levers are provided with a coupling piece or ring to which a releasing
or check cord is attached. By pulling down this releasing or check cord both levers
are simultaneously acted upon, and their horizontal arms are depressed and the
cords between their upper faces and the gripping bar are released, and the cords may
be payed out for lowering the blind. On loosing the releasing or check cord the
levers again take their normal or gripping positions, and the blind is fixed in the
manner before described.
I will now proceed to describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawing,
the manner in which my Invention may be performed,-
Figure 1 represents in side elevation, and Figures 2 and 3 in section, mechanism
or apparatus constructed according to my Invention for raising, lowering, and fixing
Venetion blinds, the cords of the said blind being represented fixed in Figures 1 and
2, and released in Figure 3; Figure 4 is a plan of the said mechanism, and Figure 5
an end elevation of the same; Figure 6 represents in plan and elevation one of the
lovers of the mechanism detached.

page_text: The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the
Drawing.
a, a, a, a, are the two independent gripping and guiding levers of the apparatus,
situated side by side and turning on the common pin or centre b, carried by the
divided frame c, the said levers working under a cross bar d on the frame c.
The
said frame c is fixed to the top rail d of the Venetian blind in the usual way. The
two arms a, a², of each of the levers are situated nearly at right angles to one another,
a being the inner or nearly vertical arm, and a² the outer or nearly horizontal arm
of the lever.
In the upper faces of the outer arms a², a², of the levers and under the cross bar d
recesses e, e, are made into which the blind cords are pressed, as herein-after
explained. The levers a, a, a, a, are hollow or of an inverted trough form, as
represented, and in the trough near the end of the inner arm a is a roller f, and in
trough near the end of the outer arm a² is a larger roller g. Each lever a, a², works
independently of the other, but the two levers may be acted upon simultaneously
for releasing the blind cords when the blind is to be lowered. This is effected by
connecting the tail or outer arms a², a², of the two levers together by means of the
coupling link h (see Figures 4 and 5), to which link a releasing or check cord iis,
attached; k, k, are the cords which are connected with the laths of the blind in the
usual way.
The said cords h, k, are conducted over rollers in the top rail d of the
blind, and are passed over the rollers f, f, at the ends of the inner arms a, a, of the
levers. The said cords are then passed under the cross bar d of the fixed frame c,.
and finally, over the rollers g, g, on the outer arms a², a², of the said levers, from
which they hang vertically at the side of the window frame, as shown at k², k².
When the apparatus is in its normal position the parts occupy the respective
positions represented in Figures 1 and 2, and the cords k, l, passing to the laths of
the blind are securely gripped and the blind is fixed, that is to say, when the pull
on the cords at 2, k², is relaxed, the weight of the blind acting on the outer arms
a, a, of the guiding and gripping levers a, a, a, a, of the apparatus pulls down the
said arms a, a, and the opposite or outer arms a², a², are correspondingly raised.
The cords k, k, between the outer faces of the said outer arms a², a², and the cross,
bar d are thereby gripped between the said bar d and, arms a², a³, and the motion
of the cords is arrested, the said cords being held very firmly between the gripping
parts of the said levers and cross bar d, as seen in Figures 1 and 2.
In order to prevent the slipping of the cords from between the gripping parts of
the levers, and the cutting and wearing of the cords, the depressions or recesses e, e,
are made in the levers under the gripping cross bar d. When the cords are gripped
between the levers and cross bar, the said cords are pressed into the said depressions
or recesses e, e, as represented in Figure 2. The parts of the cords which are thus
gripped are bent out of the plane of the parts on either side of the said recesses, and
hence the secure fixing of the cords is obtained with little or no strain upon
them.
When the hanging cords 12, 2, of the blind are pulled down for raising the blind,
the pressure of the cords on the outer arms a², a², of the gripping levers depresses
the said arms a², a², and releases the cords k, k, from the gripping bar d, and the
said cords are now free to move, the parts occupying the positions represented in
Figure 3. The cords k, k, may now be drawn in and the blind raised to the required
height. On releasing the hanging cords 2, k2, the weight of the blind acting on the
inner arms a, a, of the gripping levers depresses the said arms and raises the
opposite arms a², a², and the cords are again gripped and the blind fixed, as
illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.
When it is wished to release the cords k, k, for lowering the blind the releasing
or check cord i is pulled down by one hand, the cords at *, k, being held by the
other hand. By acting on the check cord i the tail ends a³, a³, of the two gripping
levers are simultaneously pulled down and the cords k, k, are released, as illustrated
in Figure 3, and may be payed out for lowering the blind. On loosing the releasing.
or check cord i the gripping levers a, a², a, a², again take their normal or gripping

page_text: positions and the blind is fixed in the manner before described, and illustrated in
Figures 1 and 2.
When three or more cords are employed, a corresponding number of gripping
levers is used.
By my improvements the apparatus is made self-fastening, the motion of the
blind being arrested and the blind fixed immediately the blind cords are released;
there is little or no strain upon the cords, and by the action of the check or releasing
cord the lowering of the blind is very readily effected.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention
the improvements in mechanism or apparatus for raising, lowering, and fixing
Venetian blinds, herein-before described, and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing, that is to say, mechanism or apparatus consisting essentially of two (or
more) independent gripping and guiding levers used in combination with a gripping
cross bar on the fixed frame of the apparatus, the said levers being so connected with
the check or releasing cord as to be capable of being moved simultaneously for
releasing the blind cords for lowering the blind, the said gripping and guiding
levers and parts connected with them being constructed, arranged, and working
substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Everard, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-second day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
JAMES ROSS,
93, Grey Street,
Newcastle-on-Tyne.
JOSEPH EVERARD. (L.s.)