AN IMPROVED DEVICE FOR GUIDING AND HOLDING OR RETAINING THE CORDS USED FOR RAISING AND LOWERING VENETIAN AND OTHER BLINDS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Shirley, of Newington Causeway, in the County
of Surrey, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED DEVICE FOR GUIDING AND
HOLDING OR RETAINING THE CORDS USED FOR RAISING AND LOWERING
VENETIAN AND OTHER BLINDS."
Sealed the 5th March 1878, and dated the 22nd December 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Shirley at the Office
" AN
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd December 1877.
WILLIAM SHIRLEY, of Newington Causeway, in the County of Surrey.
IMPROVED DEVICE FOR GUIDING AND HOLDING OR RETAINING THE CORDS USED
FOR RAISING AND LOWERING VENETIAN AND OTHER BLINDS."
My Invention relates to Venetian and other window blinds, and consists of an
improved device which automatically grips the cord by which the blind is raised
when the said cord is released, and thus retains the blind at any height desired.
This improved device is so constructed that it is equally adapted for right or left
hand blinds indifferently, and with it is combined (besides a roller working in a
wedge-shaped case for gripping or checking the blind, as above mentioned) a guide
pulley or pulleys for the blind cords to run upon in lieu of the usual end pulleys,
which in Venetian blinds as now made work in mortises in the upper surface of the
pulley head, and are not only troublesome to fix in position, but are liable to get
out of order by the blind cord running off them, and becoming jammed between
the pulley and the side of the mortise, which necessitates the entire blind being
taken down in order to replace the cord on the pulley. The device of my Invention
thus consists of a metal box or case, which is fixed to or in a mortise at the end of
the pulley head, and which encloses a wedge-shaped opening or mortise that is
wider at the bottom than at the top, and which contains a roller of corresponding

page_text: length working loosely within it, and of such a diameter that the blind cords, which,
after passing along to the end of the pulley head in the usual way, pass down
between the periphery of the roller and one of the inclined sides of the mortise will
be jammed tightly and securely gripped between the periphery of the roller and the
said inclined side when the roller has been carried about half-way up the mortise,
which takes place by the contact and upward movement of the blind cord as it is
drawn up by the weight of the blind immediately the cord is released. The periphery
of the roller is preferably roughened to ensure this action. Above the wedge-shaped
opening or mortise before mentioned are mounted two guide pulleys (or a single
double pulley) on a pin or axis supported in ears formed on the metal case for the 1
purpose, the said pulley or pulleys serving in lieu of the ordinary end pulleys for the
blind cords to run upon.
With the device of this Invention it is not necessary to employ any hooks or knobs
to wind the cord upon, nor is an extra cord required, as with blinds provided with
the so-called "Patent actions."
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Shirley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd
June 1878.
"AN-
WILLIAM SHIRLEY, of Newington Causeway, in the County of Surrey.
IMPROVED DEVICE FOR GUIDING AND HOLDING OR RETAINING THE CORDS USED
FOR RAISING AND LOWERING VENETIAN AND OTHER BLINDS."
•
My Invention relates to a device for automatically gripping the cords by which
Venetian blinds are raised when the cords are released to retain the blind at the
desired height. With the device is combined a guide pulley or guide pulleys for the
blind cords to run upon in lieu of the usual end pulleys, which, in Venetian blinds
as at present made, work in moitices in the upper surface of the "pulley head," and
are not only troublesome to fix in position, but render the blind liable to get out of
order by the cords running off the pulleys and becoming jammed between them and
the sides of the mortise, necessitating the removal of the blind in order to replace
the cords on the pulleys.
By the device of my Invention the liability of the cords to run off the pulleys is
obviated, the device possessing the further advantage of being equally well adapted
for right and left hand blinds indifferently
The device consists of a metal box or case which is fixed to or in a mortise at the
end of the "pulley head," and has a wedge-shaped opening that is wider at the
bottom than at the top, and which contains a roller for gripping the cords, the guide
pulleys being mounted above the wedge-shaped opening on a pin or axis carried in
ears formed on the metal case, and serving in lieu of the end pulleys for the cords to
run upon, as before mentioned. The gripping -roller corresponds in length to the

page_text: width of the opening, and works loosely within the box or case, the said roller being
of such a diameter that the blind cords (which pass over the guide pulleys down
between the periphery of the roller and an inclined side of the case) will be jammed
and securely gripped between the periphery of the roller and the said inclined side
when the roller has been carried about half-way up the opening, which takes place
by the contact and upward movement of the blind cords as they are drawn up by
the weight of the blind immediately the cords are released.
To prevent cords from slipping when held between the roller and the inclined
side of the box or case, the periphery of the roller is provided with fine grooves or
channels, preferably running parallel with one another and in the direction of the
roller axis. The roller may however be otherwise grooved or roughened with the
same object. The box or case is open at the bottom for the introduction of the
roller, and is provided with a cross rod or pin, on which the roller rests when out of
action, the said pin being rivetted in the sides of the case and doubled at the centre,
and bent upwards to keep the cords separate.
In order that my Invention may be better understood I have illustrated it in the
accompanying Drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a side view, Figure 2 a plan, and
Figure 3 an back view of the device attached to the "pulley head."
Figure 4 shows a section of the device on line 1-1, Figure 2; and Figure 5
shows the gripping roller separately.
Figure 6 shows a Venetian blind fitted in a window frame with the device
applied.
A-is the metal box or case enclosing the wedge-shaped opening formed by the
inclined side or back a of the case, and the vertical side b, by which the device is
secured to the "pulley head," as seen; B is the roller, which works loosely within
the opening; and C, the guide pulleys, which are mounted on a horizontal pin or
axis c, supported in ears e, e, at the upper part of the case A.
Instead of a pair of pulleys a single double pulley may be employed, and for large
blinds three or more pulleys might be used.
The case is screwed to the end of the "pulley head "D, or it may be fitted in a
mortise therein. The Drawings show the device applied to a left-hand blind, but it
is evident that the same device may be used either for a left or for a right hand
blind. The cords pass along the "pulley head," as shown, and over the guide pulleys
C, down through the box A between roller B and the inclined side a
The box is
open at bottom, in order that the roller may be placed in the opening and for
the passage of the cords, and is provided with a guard consisting of a piece of wire g,
which is rivetted in the sides of the case and doubled at the centre, and bent upwards,
as seen in Figure 3, to form divisions for keeping the cords separate.
In Figure 1 the roller is shown in dotted lines out of action, and resting on the
guard g, to which position it falls when the blind is being drawn up. When the
cords are released the roller is carried up by the contact and upward movement of
the cords, and firmly gripped between the sides a and b of the box or case, as in
Figure 4.
In Figure 6 I have shown in dotted lines the position in which the cords must be
held when lowering the blind, that is, clear of the roller B. This position is also
shown by the dotted lines in Figure 1.
The device may be applied to either inside or outside Venetian blinds, spring, or
drop blinds.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing the
same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is, the combination with a wedge-shaped box
or case, in which works a loose roller, of a guide pulley or guide pulleys mounted
upon said box, the whole forming an improved device for guiding and holding or

page_text: retaining the cords of Venetian and other blinds, substantially as herein shown and
descrihed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Shirley, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-second day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
AHIT ny
GATITIS TATT M
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