Improvements in Portière Rods and Fittings.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 29th July, 1890-Accepted, 6th Sept., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Portière Rods and Fittings.
I, WILLIAM HITCHMAN of Olton Villa, Chestnut Road Moseley, in the County of
Worcester, Commercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My invention relates to door curtain rods and fittings for the same known generally
as portière rods and has for its object to raise the curtain during the opening of the
door, and to lower it again when the door is closed.
My invention is designed to give a silent action and at the same time to produce a
simpler arrangement than now exists, while I also introduce an interchangeable
bracket or fitting which permits of the portière rod being attached to either side of
the door.
In carrying my invention into effect I construct a bracket or attaching arm to carry
the portière rod which bracket I secure to one or other of the sides of the door frame.
The bracket I prefer to form with a projecting arm or plate and through this plate I
pass a screwed spindle or centre which however is formed as a square at one part to
fit a square hole which I pierce or form in the plate. Thus the spindle or curtain pin
does not itself rotate; but is secured to the bracket by means of an ornamental globe
or other shaped nut or fastening which engages by its thread with the projecting screw
of the spindle beneath the bracket. The part of the spindle standing above the
bracket plate I form as a square corresponding with the part which enters the bracket
plate and upon this squared portion I attach a small length of rod which forms the
projecting end of the portière rod, which length does not move; but remains a fixture
upon the square portion of the spindle. The attaching end of this short length of
rod I form with a square hole to fit on to the spindle, this hole at its upper surface
terminating in a larger recess to receive a projection formed upon the spindle, which
projection serves as a collar or shoulder against which the lower part of the attaching
end of the long portière rod rests. This attaching end upon the long portière rod I
fashion similarly to the other attaching end of the small length of rod.
The part of the spindle which carries the long portière rod is circular, so that the
rod can move freely upon it, and the portion projecting above the attaching end of
the rod is screwed to receive a globe or other ornamental shaped nut to keep it
correctly in position. The portière rod is thus carried by the bracket in a manner
which admits of free movement being given to it upon its spindle, the other end of
the rod is carried by a forked lever or arm, one end of which is fixed or secured to
the rod and the other end to a spindle or bracket attached to the door. I also adopt
another arrangement for attaching the rod to the fixed bracket on the frame by
forming the projection upon the bracket with a rectangular or other shaped hole into
which I cause a projecting piece upon the small end of the rod to fit and I pass a
pin or screw through the centre of the connected pieces and upon the part of the
screw or pin standing above the projecting surface of the brackets carrying the end
of the curtain rod which end is suitably shaped to rest upon the bracket.
The forked arm or lever I form by carrying up a plain or ornamental plate, and
passing a pin through one end to connect it to the rod, while the other end is free
to move upon the spindle or bracket secured to the door, or by carrying up a lever
and bending or forming it so that it may embrace the rod and have pins connecting
it to each side of the rod. The end also I sometimes cause to pass through a slot
cut in the underside of the rod and to raise the rod by simply pressing against its
interior.
The lever I cause to be bent back from the centre of the rod and to be attached
to a vin secured to a bracket which I fix in a suitable position upon the door. or I

page_text: carry it straight down and allow the pin or spindle from the door bracket to stand
out far enough to meet it. I keep this lever in position by means of a washer, pin,
or nut, or by means of any ordinary device, and the curtain I attach to the portièr
rod by rings in the usual ordinary manner.
Thus when the door is pushed open the movement of the lever (which I fix incline!
to the rod) upon its centre causes the position or angle to be altered; and as the door
opens it tends to assume a vertical position thus raising the rod and with it the curtain
carried by it.
Dated this 28th day of October 1889.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Portière Rods and Fittings.
I, WILLIAM HITCHMAN of Olton Villa, Chestnut Road, Moseley, in the County of
Worcester Commercial Traveller, 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 :-
My invention relates to door curtain rods and fittings for the same, known generally
as portière rods and has for its object to raise the curtain during the opening of the
door, and to lower it again when the door is closed.
My invention is designed to give a silent action and at the same time to produce
a simpler arrangement than now exists; while I also introduce an interchangeable
bracket or fitting which permits of the portière rod being attached to either side of
the door.
I
In carrying my invention into effect I construct a bracket or attaching arm to
carry the portière rod which bracket I secure to one or other of the sides of the door
frame. The bracket I prefer to form with a projecting arm or plate and through
this plate 1 pass a screwed spindle or centre which however is formed as a square at
one part to fit a square hole which I pierce or form in the plate. Thus the spindle
or curtain pin does not itself rotate; but is secured to the bracket by means of au
ornamental globe or other shaped nut or fastening which engages by its thread with
the projecting screw of the spindle beneath the bracket. The part of the spindle
standing above the bracket plate I form as a square corresponding with the part which
enters the bracket plate and upon this squared portion I attach a small length of rod
which forms the projecting end of the portière rod which length does not move, but
remains a fixture upon the square portion of the spindle.
The attaching end of this short length of rod I form with a square hole to fit on to
the spindle, this hole at its upper surface terminating in a larger recess to receive a
projection formed upon the spindle, which projection serves as a collar or shoulder
against which the lower part of the attaching end of the long portière rod rests. This
attaching end upon the long portière rod we fashion similarly to the other attaching
end of the small length of rod."
The part of the spindle which carries the long portière rod is circular so that the
rod can move freely upon it, and the portion projecting above the attaching end of the
rod is screwed to receive a globe or other ornamental shaped nut to keep it correctly
in position. The portière rod is thus carried by the bracket in a manner which admits
of free movement being given to it upon its spindle, the other end of the rod is carried
by a forked lever or arm one end of which is fixed or secured to the rod and the other
end to a spindle or bracket attached to the door.
I also adopt another arrangement for attaching the rod to the fixed bracket on the
frame by forming the projection upon the bracket with a rectangular or other shaped
hole into which I cause a projecting piece upon the small end of the rod to fit, and I
pass a pin or screw through the centre of the connected pieces and upon the part of

page_text: the screw or pin standing above the projecting surface of the brackets carrying the
end of the curtain rod which end is suitably shaped to rest upon the bracket.
The forked arm or lever I form by carrying up a plain or ornamental plate, and
passing a pin through one end to connect it to the rod, while the other end is free
to move upon the spindle or bracket secured to the door or by carrying up a lever
and bending or forming it so that it may embrace the rod and have pins connecting
it to each side of the rod. The end also I sometimes cause to pass through a slot
cut in the underside of the rod and to raise the rod by simply pressing against its
interior.
The lever cause to be bent back from the centre of the rod and to be attached to
a pin secured to a bracket which I fix in a suitable position upon the door, or I carry
it straight down and allow the pin or spindle from the door bracket to stand out far
enough to meet it. I keep this lever in position by means of a washer pin or nut, or
by means of any ordinary device, and the curtain I attach to the portière rod by rings
in the usual ordinary manner.
Thus when the door is pushed open the movement of the lever (which I fix inclined
to the roil) upon its centre causes the position or angle to be altered; and as the door
opens it tends to assume a vertical position thus raising the rod and with it the curtain
carried by it.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the end of my
portière rod showing one method I employ for attaching it to the bracket or sup-
porting arm A carried upon the frame or lintel of the door. B is the circular rod
for carrying the curtain rings b. B is the solid plug end which I secure to the
hollow end of the rod, and which I cut away to form a half lap form of attachment B²
for engaging with the circular end of the stud or pin C. The stud C I carry upon the
bracket A by means of a screw and nut C2, and I secure the rod end B2 in position
by the nut 3; the fixed rod D which I employ to carry the end of the curtain so that
it may not be drawn away from the side of the door, I attach to the pin C by forming
the plug end D' with a half lap attachment D², to fit ou to a square neck C₁ formed
upon the bracket stud or pin C. The square C prevents the end rod D from
turning, while the portière roi B moves freely upon the same circular portion C of
the bracket pin.
Instead of employing a projecting pin C to hold the ends of the curtain rods B, D,
I sometimes pass the pin through the bracket A in a horizontal direction as shown
in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. The end of the rod B I plug as shown in sectional elevation
in Fig. 3, and allow the plug E to receive the projecting end F of the horizontal
bracket pin G; I cause the portière rod B to turn freely upon the pin F¹ which
secures the jaw end plug E to the bracket pin head F; and the end rod D remains
stationary upon the screwed end G₁ of the pin G, by means of the nut H which I
secure or rivet into the end of the rod D.
In order to enable my improved portière rod to be employed upon either the left
hand or
right hand side of the door I plug up the outer end of the rod D with a nut
plug H' similar in construction to the nut H on the other end, so that there may be
no difficulty in screwing the parts together in the first instance when erecting the
rod upon the door; and I cause the pin G to be turned in its position so that the
end F may project the opposite side as shown in Fig. 2. By this system I am enabled
to interchange my rods and fittings to suit either handed door. Similarly I reverse
the projecting end D shown in Fig. 1 standing on the left hand side, so that it may
be moved round upon the square neck and caused to fall or stand upon the right-
side when so desired.
f
Fig. is a part elevation of a door with my improved portière rod and fittings
attached, Fig. 5 is an elevation with the door partly open and the rod B raised; and
Fig 6 is a diagramatic plan of the movement of the door and rod.
In Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 the rod B which is carried in the manner hereinbefore
described is connected to the door N, by the lever K and the bracket L; the lover K
being connected to the rod B by a forked end or open jaw and pin connection con-
structed in any ordinary manner, or attached to the rod by means of a stud plate M

page_text: and pin K2 which connects the lever and stud plate together at the one end; while a
pin K connects the opposite end to the lever bracket L secured in any ordinary
manner to the door N. When the door N is opened the lever K is pushed from its
inclined position as shown in Fig. 4; until it occupies when fully open the vertical
position shown in Fig. 5; and in moving in this manner the curtain carried upon
the rod rings bb is raised from the floor to the extent of the lifting action of the rod
and lever.
The door when closed has the lever and bracket in positions M'L' shown in Fig. 6;
but when the door is opened the positions are identical in plan at M and L2, while
the bracket A' is stationary.
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
1. The construction of portière rods having a lever such as K attached to a bracket
such as L carried upon a door whereby the rod is raised, substantially as and for the
purposes herein before described and as set forth.
2. The combination and arrangement of a portière rod such as B with a fixed
bracket such as A, moving lever such as K and fixed door bracket such as L, with a
reversible attachment by means of a pin such as G in Fig. 3, and such as C in
Fig. 1 substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 28th day of July 1890.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for Applicant.