CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WINDOW BLIND MOUNTINGS, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert Allman, of Mornington Place, Hampstead
Road, London, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WINDOW BLIND MOUNTINGS, AND IN
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH."
Sealed the 15th July 1859, and dated the 26th April 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert Allman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th April 1859.
I, HERBERT ALLMAN, of Mornington Place, Hampstead Road, London,
Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WINDOW BLIND MOUNTINGS, AND
IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
My Invention may be generally described as consisting of certain improve-
ments in the construction of window blind mountings, and in apparatus
connected therewith. These improvements relate to certain apparatus by
which the level of the blind roller may be regulated after the spindles on
which it revolves are in their places, so that the blind may hang perpen-
dicularly; also, to the governance of the movement of the roller in being caused
to rotate in either direction, or in holding the same stationary; and finally,
to au improved method of putting the roller in its "berth" in the fittings.
The level is regulated by an eccentric centre, in which one end of the roller
spindle works, so that when the roller is in its place, the level may be

page_text: found; this may be obtained by using an ordinary wood screw in the window
frame, and drilling an eccentric hole in the head of screw in which the spindle
of roller works; by turning the screw in the wood the eccentric centre may
be raised or lowered., The roller is caused to rotate by a string or weight of
the blind, and is held stationary by the spindle on one side of roller being in
a loose fitting, which enables the edge of flange wheel to be pressed by a
spring or weight against a fixed part of the frame by pulling the string; this
edge of roller is eased off, and the roller revolves on its spindle. I also employ
a brake applied to edge of flange of the roller, the action of which brake in
stopping the revolution of roller is regulated by a string. I also get the
roller in its berth at the side at which the regulating mechanism is employed,
doing away with the lock fastening at the left side of window. I claim an
eccentric movement to adjust the level of blind rollers. I claim the holding
the roller stationary by pressing the edge of the flange against frame of fitting.
I also claim the use of a "brake" revolving on a centre and applied to edge
of fitting to hold the roller stationary. The edge or surface of the pulley
flange by which the roller is held may be either plain or indented. In the first
arrangement the spindle being loose, it enables the edge of roller flange to be
thrust against frame, so fixing it. In the second, the spindle being a fixture
as regards lateral movement, a brake or stop falls against it. I claim locking
the roller in the fittings at the right side of window.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Herbert Allman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd October 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, HERBERT
ALLMAN, of Mornington Place, Hampstead Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Consulting Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of April, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Herbert Allman, Iler special license that I, the said Herbert Allman, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Herbert
Allman, my executors, administrators, and 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,

page_text: exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WINDOW BLIND MOUNTINGS, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED
THEREWITH," upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the said Herbert
Allman, by any instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, 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 Herbert Allman, 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
statement, that is to say :-
My Invention may be generally described as consisting of various forms
of apparatus or mechanism which I employ in governing the motion and
regulating the position of blinds, commonly so called, either Venetian blinds, or
those composed of woven fabrics. The several Figures in Sheets A and B
denote full-sized Drawings of the said apparatus. I wish it to be understood
that although I believe the forms and arrangements herein exhibited are the
best to answer the purposes set forth as regards the centres of motions and
acting surfaces, yet the forms and configuration may be in other respects
altered. I therefore do not claim the exact form or configuration exhibited
in the several Figures, only so far as may be necessary for the proper employ-
ment of the principle of construction involved in each arrangement. I shall
use the term blind fitting when I refer to any of the arrangements of said
apparatus.
Figs. 1 and 2 denote an end view and front view of blind fitting. The
same letters will refer to similar parts in each pair of Drawings. a, a, is the
frame of fitting; b, b, is the cord pully on end of roller, one flange of which d
is cut as a ratchett wheel; e is a piece of metal projecting from frame a, on
which the ratchett rest when stationery; f, f, is a lever, on which rests the
spindle of roller g, g. Now the apparatus and blind is stationery, as shewn in
Figures; but when the lever f is pulled by the string h (which passes through
lever f) in the position shewn by the dotted lines by moving on the centre i,
it lifts the cord pully out of gear with the ratchett stop e, and the weight of
the blind causes it to rotate. Thus as long as the string be held, the blind
can be raised or lowered, but when the string be let go, the ratchett falls and
catches on the stop e. I claim in this arrangement the combination of a
ratchett wheel, and lifting the spindle of the same in a vertical slot.

page_text: Figs. 3 and 4 represent a similar arrangement to Figs. 1 and 2, except that
the lever is placed inside frame a, and the teeth of ratchett are longer. I
may here state that although the cord lever in many of the arrangements is
placed outside, it may with equal efficacy be placed inside as being more
compact, and rendering the fitting better for being screwed to frame k.
Figs. 5 and 6: a, a, is the frame; b, b, the cord pully, the spindle of
which moves in a vertical slot in frame, and rests on head of lever f, by
pulling the cord in lever f to position of dotted lines, the head of lever being
in the form of a cam, and turning on centre i, lifts the spindle g and pully b.
In the position shewn in Drawings, the edge of pully b, b, rests in and between
the angle pieces 1, 1, of frame, which are bent at right angles to pully b, holding
it fixed as in a "brake," but by the lifting action of lever f, as above described,
the pully is freed and enabled to run free on its spindle g, thus admitting
of the motion of blind, but when the cord is let go, the pully falls and
the blind roller is locked. In this arrangement I claim the action of a
"brake" on the plain edge of pully combined with a lift of spindle in a
vertical slot.
Figs. 8 and 9 exhibit another form of blind fitting in end view and front
view. k, k, is frame of window. a, a, is frame; d, d, the ratchet flange of
cord pully b, b; f, f, the "paul" lever, which is shewn in gear in Drawings,
and locking the pully, but when the lever fis pulled by string h into the
position shewn in dotted lines, it stands free of ratchett, and permits it to
rotate on the centre q, on the string h being released the "paul" lever
catches ratchett, and arrests the motion of pully b. In this arrangement I
claim the combination of a fixed spindle q with a paul lever f.
Figs. 9 and 10 exhibit end and front view of another form of blind fitting.
The Drawings shew the roller b, b, held between the part 1, 1, of frame a by
the upward pressure of the spring m, and which prevents the roller on pully
from revolving; but when the lever f is pulled by the cord in the position
marked by dotted lines, it presses the spindle down and enables it to run
freely. When the cord is let go, the spring m presses the edge of roller b
against the angle pieces 1, l. In this arrangement I claim the use of a spring
combined with the motion of the pully spindle in a vertical slot.
Sheet B Figures 11 and 12, are an end and front view of blind fitting.
In this arrangement the spindle q is fixed as regards vertical motion, but can
revolve freely when the lever f is in the position shewn in dotted lines as held
by the string h; but when the string his let go, the wedge o is thrust by the
fall of lever between the flanges of the pully b, and thus prevents it revolving.
The lever f turns on the centres p, p. I claim in this arrangement the use of

page_text: a wedge combined with the cord lever to regulate the motion of the blind
fitting.
Figs. 13 and 14 are an end view and front view. A left-handed screw q is
fixed in end of lever f, and screws through a nut in frame a; this screw q in
the position of parts shewn in Drawing is thrust against the pully b, so that
the roller or pully b is prevented from revolving, but when the cord lever fis
pulled in the position indicated by the dotted lines, the screw recedes from
the pully b, and permits it to revolve. In this case the weight of the lever
forces the screw, but a spring may be employed. In this arrangement I claim
the combination of a screw with the cord lever, to govern the motion of the
blind roller.
Figs. 15 and 16 are an end and front view of a blind fitting. The spindle
of roller b moves vertically in the slot in frame a, and in the position of parts
indicated. The pully 6, 6, is fixed between the slot in form of letter V in end
of lever fand the screw 7, and so kept stationery; but when the lever fis
pulled in the position of the dotted lines as indicated in Fig. 15, then the
pully 6 falls, and runs freely on its spindle g. In this arrangement the pully b
may revolve on a fixed centre, and the lever f be employed alone with a V cut
in it. When the cord is let go, the roller flange 6 falls into the V cut, and in
or by the act of revolving "brakes" the motion. In this arrangement I claim
a brake lever, with a v cut to act as a brake on edge of pully flange.
Figs. 17 and 18 denote an end and front view of blind fitting, in which the
spindle of roller lifts in a vertical slot. In the position of parts indicated in
the Drawings, the roller b is free to revolve. But on the cord n being let go,
and the leverf assuming the position shewn by the dotted lines, the pully b, b,
falls and becomes fixed upon the wedge S. When the cord is pulled, it lifts
off the roller from wedge S, and allows it to run on its spindle g. I claim in
this arrangement a fixed wedge and a roller or pully with a vertical
movement.
Figs. 19 and 20 are an end and front view of blind fitting. g is the
spindle lifting in a vertical slot. In the position of parts as in Drawing, the
spindle is lifted on the head of lever f, which enables the roller to run free,
but on the cord h being eased, the lever falls into the position of the dotted
lines, and the pully 6 falls into the V recess S, S, which prevents it from
revolving. When the roller b is lifted by the action of the cord lever f, it runs
freely on its spindle g, but when it falls in the slot it catches in the V brake
piece S, S. I claim in respect of this arrangement a moveable pully and
a V brake.
Now although I have exhibited several forms of blind fittings, I wish it to

page_text: be understood that I do not claim the form or configuration of parts of each
severally, as such forms may be indefinite, varied to suit circumstances.
By the term cord lever, I mean that part of the apparatus whereby motion
is given from the hand through the cord to the mechanism affecting the
movement of the blind roller. I claim the blind pully with a plain or indented
surface, and having a vertical motion as well as a revolving motion, when the
same is combined with the cord lever, is herein-before set forth; but I do not
claim a moveable spindle, but in such combinations.
I claim severally the use of a screw wedge or inclined plane as combined
with the cord lever, as herein defined and described. Such I hereby declare
to be the nature and construction of my said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert Allman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
HERBERT ALLMAN. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
above-named Herbert Allman in the
presence of
GEO. PARSONS,
5, Waterloo Street, Birmingham.