Improvements in Window Blind Apparatus.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 16th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 16th Feb., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Window Blind Apparatus.
I, GEORGE PILL, of 4 Sankey Cottages, Earlestown, in the County of
Lancaster, Fitter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to window blind apparatus of the kind in which
the blind roller to which the apparatus is applied, is released and' a blind attached
thereto, allowed to descend upon pulling a cord attached to a movable part of
the apparatus, and is arrested upon releasing the said cord, and the blind is raised
by pulling and unwinding another cord that is wound upon the blind roller, or
upon an attachment thereto, during the lowering of the blind, and it has for
object to provide an apparatus of the kind referred to that shall be simpler,
more efficient in action, and working less noisily than such apparatus as heretofore
usually constructed.
Apparatus for this purpose according to this invention comprises a bracket
adapted to serve as a bearing for one end of the blind roller, and to be secured
to a window frame, a friction ring or disc of suitable material, such as india-
rubber or leather, a part upon which the winding-up cord will be wound as the
blind is lowered, and a friction catch or holder adapted to normally bear against
the said friction ring or disc and hold the roller and blind in position, but
capable of being moved away from the said friction ring or disc, so as to release
the same, by pulling on a cord connected with it. This friction catch or holder
may advantageously consist of a curved lever or spring bar hinged jointed or
connected to the said bracket and so arranged that it partially surrounds the
friction ring or disc and will, when in its normal position, bear against the
periphery of the same so as to prevent the blind roller from rotating and thus
lowering the blind but will, nevertheless, offer practically no resistance to the
roller being rotated by means of the above mentioned raising cord in the opposite
direction for the purpose of raising the blind.
To enable the lever or bar to be moved away from the ring or disc for the
purpose of lowering the blind it is provided at its free end with a cord, the
arrangement being such that upon pulling this cord the said lever or bar will
be caused to release the ring or disc and attached roller and allowing the blind
to descend by its own weight.
According to one construction, the blind roller is provided at each end, with an
axially arranged pin or stud which works in a bearing formed in the corresponding
supporting brackets. To one of these pins or studs which may be longer than the
other, is secured, at a point that will be at the inner side of the corresponding
bracket when the apparatus is in use, a collar having its periphery covered with
india rubber, against which the curved holding lever, which is or may be detachably
pivotted to the said bracket normally bears at a point above the plane containing
the axes about which the roller and lever turn, there being sufficient space left
between the collar and the end of the blind roller to receive the cord for raising
the blind. In some cases the releasing cord attached to the free end of the
curved lever may be passed through a guide eye to facilitate its action on the said
levar

page_text: With apparatus constructed as described the blind cau be easily and quietly
adjusted and after adjustment will be held very firmly in the adjusted position.
Moreover, when the cords are released the greater the downward pull of the blind
the more tightly will the curved lever grip the friction ring or disc.
Dated this 16th day of March 1894.
Improvements in Window Blind Apparatus.
I, GEORGE PILL, of Sankey Cottages, Earlestown, in the County of Lancaster,
Fitter, 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 window blind. rollers, and the object of this invention
is to facilitate the raising and lowering of window blinds.
I effect this by the means that are hereinafter described and as represented
on the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a side view, and Fig. 2 a front view of a blind roller bracket
constructed according to my invention:
Fig. 3 is a side view of a lever for use in combination therewith, forming a
part of the same invention, and shown applied in Figs. 4 and 5 which are
respectively side and front views of the combined bracket and lever before
named.
Fig. 6 is a front view showing my invention applied.
Fig. 7 represents a modification of my said invention.
In the several views shown on the drawing similar letters refer to similar parts.
In this invention I construct a bracket such as a on the accompanying drawing
and fit said bracket to a window frame on the cord side of a window blind
roller. In combination with said bracket I employ a bent lever constructed of a
horse shoe form as 6 Fig. 3. The upper end of this lever is intended to fit on
to a stud as a¹ by which means said lever is suspended therefrom.
The pin c on the end of the blind roller d is inserted in the hole a in the
bracket a, the opposite end of the blind roller being supported bracket as e of ordinary
construction. place a friction roller or pulley f on the end of the blind roller d
near the bracket a and between the upper and lower portions of the lever b, said friction
roller being formed of, or covered with, india rubber, leather, or other material
that is non-slipping. By the force of gravitation the aforesaid lever b will rest on
the friction roller f. I attach a cord g to the blind roller d, and pass said cord
through a hole in the lower end of the lever b. By these means when the cord g
is pulled, in order either to raise or lower the blind, said cord will have a tendency
to assume a straight line from g¹ thereby drawing back the end of the lever,
and releasing the pulley from contact with said lever as shown by dotted lines on
Fig. 4, on the drawing.
When the cord g is released the lever b again falls and rests on the friction
roller thereby preventing the blind roller rotating. By these means the blind
may instantly be placed at any height that may be required.
In a modification of my invention shown in Fig. 7, I extend the tail piece of the
lever b in a forward direction the bow of said lever being shortened. The action
of the lever on the pulley fand the action of the cord y being the same as herein-
before described.

page_text: 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 :-
1st. In blind roller brackets, the combination therewith of a stud as a¹ and a
lever as for the purpose and in the manner substantially as hereinbefore
described.
.
2nd. In combination with a pulley on the end of a blind roller, the use of a
lever as 6 in the manner and for the purpose substantially as is hereinbefore
described.
Dated this 15th day of January 1893
THOMAS PRESCOTT,
53, Arcade Chambers, St. Mary's Gate, Manchester,
Agent for Applicant.