IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDOW BLINDS AND SCREENS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ballard, of the Patent Galvanized Iron and
Zinc Works, Buckland, Dover, in the County of Kent, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDOW BLINDS AND SCREENS."
3.
Sealed the 10th April 1866, and dated the 19th October 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ballard at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
October 1865.
I, JOHN BALLARD, of the Patent Galvanized Iron and Zinc Works, Buck-
land, Dover, in the County of Kent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDOW BLINDS AND SCREENS," to be as
follows:
This Invention relates to the construction of window blinds or screens,
whereby economy of production and facility for changing the blind or material
forming the sereen are obtained.
According to this Invention it is proposed to make the frames of window
binds and screens in such a manner as to admit of a moveable stretcher frame
being introduced therein, such stretcher frame or slide having stretched upon
it the material intended to form the body of the blind or screen. The main
or outer frame is provided with a removable top or end, which is held in its

page_text: place by spring or other fastenings when the stretcher frame is inserted. A
groove is made on the inner sides of the inner frame, along which the stretcher
frame is slid in or drawn out as required, and which serve when the moveable
top or end is adjusted to secure and hold the stretcher frame in its place. The
main frame may be made of wood, metal, or other suitable material best
for cheap blinds, I prefer to make it of drawn sheet metal.
The material I propose to use for the body of the blind or screen may be
any open or diaphanous textile fabric, such as muslin, gauze, net, lace, or
crochet work, or it may consist of perforated metal, woven wire, or ornamented
glass, according to taste.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Ballard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
April 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BALLARD, of the Patent Galvanized Iron and Zinc Works, Buckland, Dover,
in the County of Kent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the 29th year of Her reign
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Ballard, Her special license that I, the said John Ballard, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Ballard, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise; and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN. WINDOW
BLINDS AND SCREENS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Ballard, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Ballard, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following

page_text: statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to the construction of window blinds and screens,
whereby economy of production and facility for changing the blind or material
forming the screen are obtained.
screen.
According to this Invention it is proposed to make the frames of window
blinds and screens in such a manner as to admit of a moveable stretcher
frame being introduced therein, such stretcher frame or slide having
stretched upon it the material intended to form the body of the blind or
The main or outer frame is provided with a removeable top or end,
which is held in its place by spring or other fastenings when the stretcher
frame is inserted. A groove is made on the inner sides of the main frame
along which the stretcher frame is slid in or drawn out as required, and which
serve. when the moveable top or end is adjusted to secure and hold the
stretcher frame in its place. The main frame may be made of metal or other
suitable material, but for cheap blinds I prefer to make it of drawn sheet
metal. The material I propose to use for the body of the blind or screen may
be any open or diaphanous textile fabric, such as muslin, gauze, net, lace, or
crotchet work, or it may consist of perforated metal, woven wire, or ornamented
glass, according to taste.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall
refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same
letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents one form of my improved window
blind, half in elevation and half in section. Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8,
are enlarged details which I shall herein-after fully describe and refer to, and
Figures 9 and 10 are elevational details showing two constructions of stretcher
frames for carrying the material composing the blind or screen.
In Figure 1 I have represented a blind having a curved top rail, but if
preferred this rail may be made straight or otherwise, curved or shaped,
according to taste. A, A, is the frame of the window blind, which may be
made of sheet metal, bronzed, painted, or otherwise ornamented, and drawn
or bent to a tubular form with a slit or opening a on one side for the
reception of the stretcher frame B, as shewn clearly in the full-sized trans-
verse section, Figure 8. 6 represents a strip of wood which may be inserted
into the metal frame with a view to strengthening the same, but in some cases
the wooden strips may be dispensed with. The stretcher frame B, upon
which is to be mounted the muslin wire gauze or other diaphanous or

page_text: reticulated material C intended to form the blind may be made by simply
soldering or otherwise firmly securing together 4 strips of sheet metal to
form a rectangular frame, upon which frame the material of the blind or
screen may be strained flat, as in Figure 1, or be pulled or gathered thereon
in folds or pleats, as shown in the fire screen (Figure 11) herein-after
described; but when the material of the blind is intended to be frequently
changed for the purpose of washing, as would be the case with muslin blinds,
such as are usually employed in bed rooms, then I prefer to construct the
stretcher frame as shown in Figures 9 and 10. In Figure 9 the frame is
composed of a top and a bottom flat bar c and d respectively, to one end
of each of which is jointed by means of a pin or rivet e a link f, capable of
being. straightened out in a line with the bar, to which it is jointed, as shown
by the dotted lines in. Figure 9, and if being turned at right angles. (as shown
by the full lines) and secured by a screw and slot fi to the end of the second
bar, thereby forming a rectangular frame. When in the position shown by
dotted. lines the bars c and d may be readily passed through or along the.
interior of a broad hem made at the top and bottom of a muslin or other
similar blind, and when the blind has been properly adjusted on the bars o
and d the end pieces or limbs f are turned at right angles and secured to the
corresponding ends of the top and bottom bars, thereby completing the
stretcher frame stretching the fabric. In Figure. 10, in lieu of jointing
the ends to the top and bottom bars, and making the parts of flat metal, I
have shown the application of stout wire or round rods to the making of the
stretcher frame. The top and bottom bars or rods c, d, fit at, their extremities
into tubular sockets g, g', soldered. or otherwise secured to the bent ends of
the side or end bars f of the frame. The stretcher frame, for the, fire screen
(Figure 11) herein-after described may be constructed in any, or either of the
methods above mentioned, or may be otherwise put together, and made of
wood or other material than metal, if preferred. The stretcher frame with
the material mounted upon it is then to be slid or dropped into the slit, or in
the outside frame A of the blind, the top moveable rail. E having been
removed to admit of such introduction. This rail E may consist of a plain,
round, oval, flat, or other shaped tubular metal bar,, either of the same
design as the rest of the frame A, or of a more ornamental character. In
the blind shown by my Drawing the rail E consists of, a polished, brass rod
provided with a socket piece F, shown in full-sized detail in Figures, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, and 7, which fits on to or over the ends of the vertical sides of the main
frame A, so as to keep the stretcher frame in its place. A tongue piece h,
whether forming a continuation of the wooden strip 6 (see Figure 2) or made

page_text: of thin metal (as in Figure 3), passes through the socket F and enters a cap F¹,
a screw pin G passing transversely through the cap F. and tongue h serves
not only to bold the socket in its place but by protruding through the cap F
it enters the window frame, and serves to secure the blind in position. When
a metal tongue is used then the interior of the cap F is partly filled in with
wood, as shown in Figure 3, which affords a hold for the piece G, even
when sufficiently unscrewed to release the parts, and thus prevents the
losing or misplacing of such pins, which so frequently occurs when they are
loose.
l
In applying my Invention to a fire screen I prefer to make the hollow
frame A to open in the centre, as shown by the full-sized detail Figure 12,
and to attach a projection i carrying a cork k to one of the valves of the top
and bottom rails of the said frame, as shown more clearly in the transverse
sectional detail, Figure 18, and sectional plan, Figure 14. This cork fits with
a sufficient amount of friction inside the vertical tubular standard H (Figures
11, 14, and 15) to support the weight of the screen when adjusted to any
desired beight along such standard, a slit or opening (Figure 15) made in
one side of the tubular standard for the projection i to slide along. A projecting
tongue m (Figure 12) is made in one-half of the top and bottom rails of the
frame, and enters a corresponding socket n in the opposite half when closed.
Two pins o are also fitted into the opposite halves which enter corresponding
sockets p, p, (Figure 13) of the first half, and thus the two halves of the
frame are held together and may be secured by inserting a pin or screw
through the metal of the top and bottom rails into the tongues m. When the
frame A is open the stretcher frame B with the material C is slid in sideways,
and the frame on being closed again will form a perfect fire screen. The
standard or upright H is intended to be provided at its lower end with a
suitable stand or with feet or claws to support the screen..
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the general construction and arrangement of window blinds and
5 screens, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated by my
Drawings.
Second, the so constructing window blinds and screens that the material com-
posing the same may be readily removed from and replaced in the outer frame,
substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described.

page_text: Third, the application and use of a tubular or hollow frame A and remove-
able stretcher frame B constructed and combined together; substantially
as and for the purpose herein-before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
In. witness whereof, I, the said John Ballard, have to this my Specifica-
tion set my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
JOHN BALLARD. (L.S.)