Improvements in Curtain Stretchers.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Oct., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 24th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 17th June, 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by ARON SILKMAN, of No. 82, Jane Street, New York
City, State of New York, United States of North America, Veterinary
Surgeon.]
Improvements in Curtain Stretchers.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 822, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6, Lord Street,
Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and
Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to curtain stretchers, and the object thereof is to provide
a curtain stretcher with movable pins, which may be adjusted so as to engage
the meshes of the curtain; and also to provide means to prevent the pins moving
when in engagement with the curtain; a further object being to provide a curtain
stretcher with all the bars in the same plane.
These objects are attained by rabbeting the upper, inner edge of each bar, and
forming in each bar a T-shaped groove, the stem of which communicates with
the rabbeted surface, and by providing a pin with a metal base, the pin pro-
jecting at an angle from the base, and being so constructed that it will slide in the
slot, but when in engagement with the curtain, will be drawn against the wall
of the slot and thereby prevented from sliding, it being understood that any
number of pins may be employed.
With such a construction it is very desirable that all the bars should lie in the
same plane; and to accomplish this object, one end of each bar is provided at
the top and bottom with a flexible strap which are connected at the outer end by
a bolt and nut, the next bar being adapted to slip between said straps, but are
prevented from doing so when the nut is tightened.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6, Lord Street,
30 Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and
Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil Engineer, do

page_text: 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 curtain stretchers, and the object thereof is to provide
a curtain stretcher with movable pins, which may be adjusted so as to engage
the meshes of a curtain and also to provide means to prevent the pins moving
when in engagement with the curtain; a further object being to provide a curtain
stretcher with all the bars in the same plane, so that all the pins will be acted on
evenly.
I attain the objects of my invention by the mechanism illustrated in the
accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a plan view of a curtain stretcher constructed according to my
improvement;
Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 1-1 of Figure 1-the view being on an
enlarged scale;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the pins; and,
Figure 4 is another view of a pin having a base of different shape.
In the practice of my invention, I provide a curtain stretcher bar 5, with a
rabbeted upper edge 6, and form in the bar a T-shaped slot 7, the stem 8, of which
is directed upwardly and communicates with the rabbeted edge 6 of the bar, as
clearly shown in Figure 2.
In the slot 7, I mount a plurality of pins 9, which are preferably formed out of
wire, and consist of a base 10, which may be round, or square, or any other desired
shape, and a pin projecting at right angles to said base 10, and indicated by 11,
and the pin 11, base 10 and groove 7 are so proportioned in size that when not
engaged by the curtain, the pin will be free to move in said slot; but when
engaged by the curtain, the pin and base will be drawn into the position shown in
Figure 2, at which time the upper side of the base at the rear will be drawn
against the upper wall of the T-shaped slot, while the lower side of the base at
the front will be drawn against the lower wall of the slot, and at the same time,
the pin 11 will be drawn against the wall of the stem of the slot, and will be
effectually prevented from moving in said slot.
When a movable pin of this kind is used, it is desirable that all the bars should
lie in the same plane so that equal stress may be laid upon each pin by the curtain,
and the curtain shall not be drawn off part of the pins where the bars meet;
and to accomplish this I mount on one end of each bar 5, an upper strap 12,
and a lower strap 13, both of which are flexible, and project beyond the ends of
the respective bars; and at a point on said straps from the ends of the bars equal
to the distance, or a little greater than the width of one of the bars, I provide
holes, in which I mount a bolt 14, provided with a winged nut 15, and by tight-
ening the nut 15, the straps 12 and 13 are drawn together, and bind the bar
between them, as will be clearly understood from Figure 2. As the straps are
mounted on only one end of each bar, it is very evident that when placed together
the bars, or frame, can be easily adjusted to curtains of different sizes. This
is the more easily accomplished by reason of the T-shaped slot communicating
with the rabbeted edge of the bar, as the pins are so proportioned in height that
they will easily pass under the strap 12. The construction of bar with the
rabbeted edge is also very advantageous where it is desired to construct the bars
in two parts, and hinge them together at the centre as is common in this art
for when folded together the pins will not be disturbed on account of not rising
above the plane of, the bar, as will be readily understood.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. A curtain stretcher bar provided with a rabbeted unner edre a T-shaned

page_text: slot formed in said bar, the stem of which communicates with the rabbeted edge,
substantially as herein specified.
2. The combination with a curtain stretcher of a movable pin having a metal
base, said pin standing at right angles, or substantially so, to said base, substan-
tially as herein specified.
3. In a curtain stretcher, a bar having a rabbeted upper edge, a T-shaped slot
formed in said bar, the stem of which communicates with said rabbeted edge,
and a pin having a metal base from which it projects substantially at right angles
from a point central thereof, mounted in said slot, the slot, pin and base being
so proportioned in size that when a curtain is stretched upon the frame the base
of said pin will be drawn against the top and bottom walls of the horizontal
part of said slot while the pin will be drawn against the side wall of the stem,
substantially as, and for the purpose herein specified.
4. A curtain stretcher_comprising bars, each of which is provided with a
rabbeted upper edge, a T-shaped slot formed in each of said bars the stem of
which communicates with said rabbeted edge of each bar, pins mounted in said
slots each of which is provided with a metal base from which the said pin projects
upwardly from a point centrally thereof, straps secured to the top and bottom of
one end of each of said bars, and projecting beyond the said ends, and bolts
mounted in said straps at a point from the end of said bars equal to, or slightly
greater than the width of the said bars, substantially as, and for the purpose herein
specified.
5. The improved curtain stretcher, constructed and operating substantially as
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
С A 1000
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham.