Improvements in Blind Fixtures.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Blind Fixtures.
I, FRED SUCCIE, of South Brewer, Maine, U.S.A., Inventor, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows;-
The object of this invention is to provide simple and cheap means to enable a
blind to be applied to a window in such a way that it can be drawn down bodily
to exclude excessive light at any particular part of the window without darkening
the room to the same extent as when blinds are drawn down in the usual and well-
known manner.
By this invention, vertical guide rods are secured to the respective
sides of the window frame.
Flat strips of metal are bent and per-
forated near their ends in such manner that they can be passed
over and be adjusted upon the guides. Journal bearings are formed in the
upper portions of the strips of flat metal to support the spindles of a blind roller.
A spool is mounted on one end of the roller, and a peripherally grooved collar at
the other end. A spring has one end secured to one of the slidable strips and a
guide rod adjacent thereto and its free end is adapted to bear upon the grooved
collar. A pulley is mounted upon one of the vertical side frames of the window
adjacent to the spool on the roller, and a cord secured upon the spool is passed
over the pulley to rotate the roller and wind the blind onto the same when
said cord is pulled. The blind and roller may be drawn down the guides bodily
as will be understood.
Dated this 14th dor of Wah 1900.
P. R. J. WILLIS,
Agent for Applicant.
Improvements in Blind Fixtures,
I, FRED SUCCIE, of South Brewer, Maine, U.S.A., Inventor, 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 to improvements in blind fixtures, and has for its object
to provide an improved mechanism by means of which not only can the curtain
be raised by drawing upon a cord and retained in variable degrees of height, but
also the roller may be lowered to any intermediate transverse position upon the
window frame.
My device is simple, and of few parts, which are not likely to become discon
nected or otherwise out of order.

page_text: In the drawings herewith, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a front
elevation of a window, with blind and my improved fixtures attached thereto.
Fig. 2 is a similar view shewing the roller lowered upon the intermediate portion
of the frame. Fig. 3 is a vertical edge view of one side of the frame, shewing
the manner of mounting my improved mechanism. Fig. 4 is a similar view of
the opposite side of the frame, shewing the devices attached thereto. Fig. 5 is a
longitudinal central section of the rollers and spindles therefor.
In the construction of my improved blind fixture I provide a roller 1, having
spindles 2 projecting from each end thereof. Adjacent to the spindle upon one
end I mount a spool 3, and adjacent to the spindle upon the other end I mount
a collar 4, provided in its periphery with a groove 5. The spool 3 is provided with
a cord, which may be secured in place in any convenient manner. I next provide
upon each of the lateral portions of the window frame vertical guide rods 8, each
having their ends bent inwardly at right angles with the other portions of the
rod and secured upon the frame in any suitable manner by passing either entirely
through the same or socketed therein. The vertical portions of these rods 8 are
parallel with the surface of the frame, but not in immediate contact therewith.
I next provide two flexible metal strips 9, shaped as shewn in the edge views here-
with, each being provided at one end with an aperture 10, another aperture 11 in
its intermediate portion, and a slot 12 adjacent to the lower portion, these apertures
and slots being adapted to permit the passage through them of the guide rods 8,
upon which said strips 9 are vertically movable. Above and adjacent to the
slots 12 in each of the strips 9 I provide a small aperture 13, and at predetermined
points upon the surface of the frame I provide projecting pins 14, adapted to
enter said small apertures 13 when made to register therewith.
Adjacent to the upper ends of each of the strips 9 are formed journals. 15,
adapted to receive the spindles 2. These journals are formed by bending together
those portions of the strips and rounding out in the end of the bending the circular
keepers constituting said journals, the said journals being maintained in form by
the contraction of the bent portion by means of brads passing through the aper-
tures in the strips and riveted together upon each side. This method however of
providing journals for the spindles is not especially a part of my invention as any
other suitable means may be used for forming said journals, or they may be con-
The free ends of said
structed separately and mounted upon said strips 9.
spindles 2 are projected beyond the journals 15 and provided with thumb nuts 16,
by means of which the spools 3 and the collar 4 may be tightened against the
inner edges of the strips 9 if desired. In connection with one of the strips 9,
mounted upon one of the vertical guide rods 8, I provide a spiral spring 17,
encircling said guide-rod, having its upper end projecting through a small aper-
ture through said strip, so as to prevent rotation of said spiral spring, and having
its lower end projected inwardly of the window frame and then upwardly and
curved outwardly, so as to form an arc portion adapted to rest within and bear
upon the peripheral groove 5 of collar 4, this pórtion of my device being provided
for the purpose of maintaining the roiler normally in a non-rotatable position. I
next provide the blind cord 7, having one end secured within the spool 3, as here-
inbefore described, and the other end passed over a pulley 19, journalled in a
bracket secured in a vertical position upon one of the upright surfaces of the
window frame, the cord, after being thus passed through the pulley, depending
from the same, the lower end being provided with a tassel, ball or other device.
The portions of my device being constructed as above, the operation of the same
is as follows:-The roller having been pushed to the highest attainable position
on the window frame will remain there, both because of the resiliency of the
bearing strips 9 against the vertical surfaces of the frame and for the further
reason that when in this position the projecting pins 14 engage with the small
apertures 13 in said strips. When it is desired to lower the roller 1, all that is
necessary is to press upon the lower portions of the strips 9, which will press
outwardly the portions of the strips containing the apertures 13 and disengage

page_text: them from the pins 14. At the same time the pressure upon the ends of the said
strips should be downwardly. By this action the entire mechanism for rotating
the blind, as well as their spindle bearings, will be drawn down to a point as low
as may be permitted by the extent of the guide rods 8.
The function of the pulley, 19 is to give proper direction to the cord after the
roller 1 has been drawn to a position lower than said pulley; but when said roller
is above the pulley the latter will achieve a lighter function as a keeper and
guide for the cord.'
By the use of my device the entire curtain and roller may be placed at any
vertical position upon the window frame and the use of a curtain or blind of super-
fluous length thereby obviated. It is frequently the case that only the lower
portion of a window is desired closed, and in many cases the upper glasses of the
sash are ground or otherwise rendered opaque. My improved device effectually
supplies these functions and uses, as well as furnishing a variation of attachments
not permitted by the ordinary construction of such devices, nor by the improved
construction in common use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:―
(1) The combination with a window frame, of vertical guide rods mounted upon
each side thereof, flexible strips slidably mounted upon each of said rods, spindle
bearings formed with said strips, a curtain roller provided with spindle ends
adapted to rest within the journals provided in said strips, a spool mounted
adjacent to one of said roller spindles, a collar mounted adjacent to the opposite
spindle, thumb nuts adapted to engage with the projecting screw-threaded ends
of said spindles, a friction spring mounted upon one of said guide rods in bearing
contact with the periphery of said collar, a pulley mounted upon one of the ver-
tical side portions of the frame, and a cord with means for connecting the same
with the spool mounted on the said roller.
(2) The combination with a window frame, of guide rods mounted upon the
vertical side portions thereof, slidable strips mounted upon each of said guide rods,
journal bearings formed in the upper portions of said strips, a blind roller pro-
vided with spindles adapted to be mounted within said journal bearings, a spool,
and a peripheral-grooved collar mounted rigidly upon the opposite ends respec-
tively of said roller, thumb nuts adapted to engage with the projected screw-
threaded ends of said spindles, a bearing-spring having one end secured upon
one of said strips and the guide rod adjacent thereto, and its other end adapted
to bear upon the peripheral-grooved surface of said collar, a pulley mounted upon
one of the vertical side portions of the window frame adjacent to said spool, and
a cord secured upon said spool and passed through said pulley, said cord adapted
to be drawn downwardly to rotate said roller, and the other portions adapted for
operation, substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this 14th day of November 1899.