Improvements in Rings for Holding or Carrying Curtains and other Objects.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 11th May, 1895-Accepted, 22nd June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rings for Holding or Carrying Curtains and
other Objects.
I, WILLIAM WOOLF, of 138 Green Lanes, Stoke Newington, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
This invention relates more especially to rings for holding or carrying curtains
and other objects, which consists of two halves or parts of rings, two of the adjacent
ends of which are hinged together, while the other two adjacent ends can be
separated to enable the curtain or other object to be passed between them.
One part of my invention consists in means for connecting together the two
parts of the ring in a more simple and economical manner than by hinging as
heretofore practised.
For the purpose I prefer to employ hollow or tubular metal rings of any suitable
section, and 'I divide the ring into two parts as heretofore, and flexibly connect the
parts together in the following manner :-
I insert into the ends of the half rings that are to be connected together a short
length of tube forming an internal hollow spigot or dowel of an external size and
shape corresponding, more or less, to the internal size and shape of the tube forming
the ring. One end of this spigot or dowel enters the end of one piece of the ring,
and may be secured therein by soldering or otherwise; the other end of the spigot
or dowel enters the end of the other piece of the ring but is preferably not secured
thereto. This internal spigot or dowel formos a guide which keeps the two adjacent
ends of the balf ring fair or flush with each other, while it allows sufficient play to
such half rings to enable their two free ends to be separated far enough to admit of
the insertion of the curtain or other object between them. To keep the two half
rings from being drawn asunder at the point of flexible connection, I pass through
the interior of the tubular ring a flexible strip of metal such as tinned sheet iron,
sheet brass, or wire for example. One end of this strip is secured, by soldering or
otherwise, to a suitable point in one of the halves of the ring, and the other end to
a suitable point in the other half, and strip itself passing through the junction of
the two half rings and forming a flexible connecting link between them.
The two free ends of the half rings are pressed together so as to hold the curtain
or other object between them by any suitable means such as a clamp, or by a
suitable bent spring or springs passed through the junction of the two half rings,
and bearing against the latter in such a manner as to press their free ends inwards
towards each other, and these free ends may be provided with teeth, dowels, or other
suitable devices for holding the curtain or other object securely.
In the case of rings made of wood or other solid material, the aforesaid con-
necting strip, and spring may be applied externally, and in this case the two half
rings may be guided fair to or flush with each other by means of a dowel, pin, or
otherwise.
In rings of this kind the free ends.thereof can only be separated to a sufficient,
distance to admit of the insertion between them of the curtain or other object; and
when such rings are required to be placed on a pole or rod in order to suspend
curtains for example thereto, they cannot be opened wide enough to pass over the
pole or rod, and they have therefore to be threaded on to the latter from the end
thereof. Sometimes however rings of the kind first above referred to are made
without springs so that they can be opened wide enough to pass over the pole or

page_text: rod without being threaded on to it; but in this case the means of securing the two-
free ends of the halves or parts of rings together when in the closed position have
been inconvenient to operate and otherwise unsatisfactory.
The object of another part of this invention is to provide a ring which can be
opened to any required extent and yet be secured firmly in the closed position by
simple and efficient means which can be easily and quickly operated.
For this purpose I make the ring in two halves or parts and hinge or otherwise
flexibly connect these halves or parts together at one point, somewhat in the usual
way, leaving the ends which are not hinged together free to be separated to any
extent necessary to enable the ring to be passed over or round a pole, rod, or other
point of attachment. In order to hold the free ends of the two halves or parts of
rings firmly together when in the closed position I provide a sliding bolt or keeper
at the point where the two halves are hinged together. This bolt or keeper is
preferably of segmental shape corresponding more or less nearly to the curvature
of the ring, and is adapted to slide back wholly into one of the half rings
when it is desired to open the ring, but when the ring is closed, and it is
desired to lock the two halves or parts together, the bolt or keeper is slid
forward so that one portion of it is situated in one half or part of the ring,
and the other portion in the other half or part of the ring, thus crossing the
junction of the hinged or otherwise flexible connected parts, and when the bolt or
keeper is so placed, the two parts of the ring cannot be turned on their hinge or
other flexible connection, and consequently the ring cannot be opened until the bolt
or keeper is slid back. The bolt or keeper may be moved by any suitable means,
as by the thumb-piece for example projecting through a slot in the ring. By
suitably shaping the bolt or keeper it may be made to exert, when in the lockel
position, a pressure on the two halves or parts of the ring which tends to force their
free ends into close contact.
The bolt or keeper may be placed inside the ring when the latter is tubular or
hollow as above described, or it may be arranged outside the same, and I do not
confine myself to the curved form of the bolt or keeper, as it may be of any suitable
shape and arranged in any suitable way that will admit of its being placed across
the junction of the two halves or parts of the ring so as to prevent them from being
turned on their hinge or other flexible connection. Instead of a sliding bolt or
keeper, a pivoted catch or hook may be employed to hold the two parts of the ring
in their closed position.
It is obvious that rings constructed in the manner above described may be
employed for other purposes besides the holding or carrying of curtains, as for key
rings for example, and generally for holding or carrying any object or objects to
which they may be applicable.
Dated this 30th day of January 1895.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rings for Holding or Carrying Curtains and
other Objects.
I, WILLIAM WOOLF, of 138, Green Lanes, Stoke Newington, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, 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 more especially to rings for holding or carrying curtains
1

page_text: and other objects, which consist of two halves or parts of rings, two or the
adjacent ends of which are hinged together, while the other two adjacent ends can
he separated to enable the curtain or other object to be passed between them.
And in order that the said invention may be fully understood I will now proceed
to describe the same with the aid of the accompanying sheet of drawings in
which
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a ring constructed in accordance with one
part of my invention, when in its opened position,
Figure 2 a sectional elevation taken on line X-X of Figures 1 and 3,
Figure 3 an elevation showing the same ring in its closed position and
Figure 4 an elevation of a ring similar to that shown in Figures 1 to 3 but with
its free ends somewhat modified.
Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of a ring constructed in accordance with another
part of my invention, and
Figure 6 an elevation of part of a ring with a somewhat different locking
arrangement.
One part of my invention consists in means for connecting together the two parts
of the ring in a more simple and economical manner than by hingeing as heretofore
practised.
For this purpose I prefer to employ hollow or tubular metal rings of any suitable
section, such as oval, as shown in Figure 2, for example, and I divide the ring into
two parts as heretofore, and flexibly connect the parts together in the following
manner:―
I insert into the ends of the half rings A, A* that are to be connected together
a short length of tube B¹ forming an internal hollow spigot or dowel of an external
size and shape corresponding, more or less, to the internal size and shape of the
tube forming the ring. One end of this spigot or dowel B' enters the end of one
piece A of the ring, and may be secured therein by soldering or otherwise; the
other end of the spigot or dowel enters the end of the other piece A* of the ring
but is preferably not secured thereto. This internal spigot or dowel B₁ forms a guide
which keeps the two adjacent ends of the half ring fair or flush with each other,
while it allows sufficient play to such half rings to enable their two free ends to be
separated, as shown in Figure 1, far enough to admit of the insertion of the
curtain F or other object between them. To keep the two half rings A A* from
being drawn asunder at the point of flexible connection, I pass through the interior
of the tubular ring a flexible strip K of metal such as tinned sheet iron, sheet brass,
or any other suitable material. One end of this strip K is secured, by soldering or
otherwise, to a suitable point as at A³, for example, in one of the halves of the
ring, and the other end to a suitable point A', for example, in the other half, the
strip itself passing through the junction of the two half rings and forming a flexible
connecting link between them.
The two free ends of the half rings may be pressed together so as to hold the
curtain or other object between them by any suitable means such as a clamp or
hook, or by a suitable bent spring or springs D passed through the junction of the
two half rings, and hearing against the latter in such a manner as to press their free
ends inwards towards each other into the position shown in Figure 3, and these
free ends may be provided with teeth, dowels, or other suitable devices for holding
the curtain For other object securely, such as the pin G for example fixed in the
free end of the half ring A and entering, when the two half rings are closed
together, as in Figure 3, a hole G¹ in the free end of the other half ring A*.
In the drawings the free ends of the half rings are shown provided with thumb
pieces or palins E, E', by means of which the pin G may be more readily forced
through the curtain, but when desired these thumb pieces or palms may be
dispensed with as shown in Figure 4 for example, in which the free end of one of
the half rings is pointed, and enters the free end of the other half ring when the
two halves are closed together.
In rings of this kind the free ends thereof can, in most cases, only be separated

page_text: to a sufficient distance to admit of the insertion between them of the curtain or
other object; and when such rings are required to be placed on.a pole or rod in
order to suspend curtains for example thereto, they cannot generally be opened
wide enough to pass over the pole or rod, and they have therefore to be threaded
on to the latter from the end thereof. Sometimes however rings the parts of which
are binged together are made without springs so that they can be opened wide
enough to pass over the pole or rod without being threaded on to it; but in this
case the means of securing the two free ends of the halves or parts of rings
together when in the closed position have been inconvenient to operate and
otherwise unsatisfactory.
The object of another part of this invention is to provide a ring which can be
opened to any required extent and yet be secured firmly in the closed position by
simple and efficient means which can be easily and quickly operated.
For this purpose I make the ring in two halves or parts A and A*, see Figure 5,
and hinge or otherwise flexibly connect these halves or parts together at one point,
as at B for example, somewhat in the usual way, leaving the ends which are not
hinged together free to be separated to any extent necessary to enable the ring to
be passed over or round a pole, rod, or other point of attachment. In order to hold
the free ends of the two halves or parts of rings A A* firmly together when in the
closed position I provide a sliding bolt or keeper L at the point where the two
halves are hinged together. This bolt or keeper is preferably of segmental shape
corresponding more or less nearly to the curvature of the ring, and is adapted to
slide back, more or less completely into one of the half rings, A* for example as
shown in dotted lines in Figure 5, when it is desired to open the ring; but when
the ring is closed, and it is desired to lock the two halves or parts together so that
the free ends cannot separate, the bolt or keeper L is slid forward so that one
portion of it is situated in one half or part of the ring and the other portion in the other
half or part of the ring, thus crossing the junction of the hinged or otherwise flexible
connected parts, as shown in full lines in Figure 5 and when the bolt or keeper L
is so placed, the two parts of the ring cannot be turned on their hinge B or other
flexible connection, and consequently the ring cannot be opened until the bolt or
keeper L is slid back. The bolt or keeper L may be moved by any suitable means,
as by the thumb-piece M for example projecting through a slot N in the ring.
By suitably shaping the bolt or keeper L it may be made to exert, when in the
locked position, a pressure or wedging action on the two halves or parts of the ring
which tends to force their free ends into close contact.
In Figure 5 the curvature of the inner edge of the bolt or keeper L is shown to
be of a slightly smaller radius than the part of the ring against which it acts,
whereby the front and back parts L' and L2 only of the bolt or keeper are pressed
against the parts of the ring by the action of the wedge-shaped part L3 of the
bolt or keeper against the part A of the ring, and the parts are thereby held
steadily together.
The bolt or keeper L may be placed inside the ring when the latter is tubular or
hollow as shown in the drawing or it may be arranged to slide in suitable guides
outside the same, especially when the ring is solid.
. I do not confine myself to the curved form of the bolt or keeper, as it may be of
any suitable shape and arranged in any suitable way that will admit of its being
placed across the junction of the two halves or parts of the ring so as to prevent
them from being turned on their hinge or other flexible connection.
Instead of a sliding bolt or keeper a catch or hook P (see Figure 6) pivotted
at Q to one half or part A of the ring and adapted to take over a stud R or other
suitable device fixed to the other half or part A of the ring in order to hold the
two parts of the ring in their closed position.
It is obvions that rings constructed in the manner above described may be
employed for other purposes besides the holding or carrying of curtains; for
example they may be used for holding or carrying keys by passing the bows
thereof between the separated free ends of the half rings, and then threading them

page_text: on to the ring, so that when the free ends are closed together the keys are securely
held on the ring; (the ring shown in Figure 4 is well suited for this purpose) and
generally the rings may be used for holding or carrying any object or objects to
which they may be applicable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. In a divided ring for holding or carrying curtains and other objects, the
improved flexible connection for holding the two half rings A A* together, which
consists of a spigot or dowel B', and a flexible strip K of metal or other suitable
material connected to the two half rings, and passing through the junction thereof,
substantially as described with reference to Figures 1, 2 3 and 4 of the
drawings.
Second. In combination with the flexible connection forming the subject of the
first claiming clause hereof, the use of a spring D for pressing the free ends of the
two half rings together, or of a clamp or hook for holding the said ends together,
substantially as described.
Third. In a ring for holding or carrying curtains and other objects, made in two
parts hinged, or otherwise flexibly connected together, the locking device which
consists of a sliding bolt or keeper L adapted to be passed across the point of
junction of the two parts when they are to be held in the closed position, and to be
withdrawn into one of the parts when it is desired to open the ring, substantially as
described with reference to Figure 5 of the drawings.
Fourth. In a ring for holding or carrying curtains and other objects, made in
two parts, hinged, or otherwise flexibly connected together, the locking device
which consists of a catch or hook P pivoted to one of the halves or parts of the
ring, and engaging with a stud or other suitable device on the other half or part of
the ring, the said catch or hook crossing the point of junction of the two halves or
parts in order to hold them in the closed position, substantially as described with
reference to Figure 6 of the drawings.
Dated this 27th March 1895.