IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF ACTING WINDOW BLIND APPARATUS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Samuel Laycock of Sheffield in the County of
York, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF ACTING WINDOW BLIND
APPARATUS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Samuel Laycock at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th July 1882.
WILLIAM SAMUEL LAYCOCK of Sheffield in the County of York. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SELF ACTING WINDOW BLIND APPARATUS."
My Invention relates to improvements in the construction of selfacting Window
blind apparatus, being especially adapted to the blinds of Railway Carriages, the
object being to obtain certainty of action with simplicity of construction.
.
It consists chiefly in the combination of a roller to which is attached a coiled
spring or weight, which in either case is wound up by the action of drawing down
the blind; and a ratchet friction wheel and catch, connected with the roller by the
friction alone of two or more surfaces, caused by the adjustable pressure upon
them of a spiral or other shaped spring which prevents the weighted blind from
running down, but allows it to be drawn down by hand, or otherwise, when
sufficient power is applied to overcome the frictional resistance before mentioned.
When the weight of the metallic blind rod or other equivalent weight attached to
the blind is removed from the roller by placing the hand underneath it, or by other
means; the reaction of the wound up spring, or the power of the weight, at once
draws up the blind
In carrying out one arrangement of my invention, I make (by preference) the
blind roller of brass tubing, but it may be made of wood, or any other suitable
material, and I attach to it, at one end a suitable spring, either directly or by means
of a wheel and pinion. (or if preferred a weight may be used.)
The blind which is secured to the roller is provided with a metallic blind rod, or
other equivalent weight, sufficiently heavy to overcome the power of the spring.
To prevent the blind from running down I fix at the other end of the roller (as
being most convenient) a ratchet friction wheel and catch.

page_text: The Ratchet friction wheel is loose on the axle of the roller, but has sufficient
power to sustain the weighted blind due to the frictional pressure caused by the
action of a spiral spring provided with adjustable locknuts.
Thus when the blind is pulled down by hand, or otherwise, the frictional
pressure is overcome, the roller revolving and the ratchet wheel remaining
stationary. When the blind is to be raised, the weight of the blind rod, or its
equivalent, is relieved by the hand or otherwise, and the spring or weight comes
into action and winds up the roller-the ratchet friction wheel revolving with it.
Another arrangement of my invention with an inside spring is carried out
thus. A tubular metallic roller is made to revolve at one end on a stationary
shaft fixed to an outside bearing and passing down a considerable length of the
interior of the roller, and is there supported by and revolves in a bearing attached
to the roller.
A spiral spring is coiled round the said shaft, being secured at one end to the
bearing, (or to the roller) and at the other end to the fixed shaft. A short piece of
tube closed at both ends is made to fit tightly into the other end of the roller-a
small axle, or shaft, passes through both ends of the short tube, on one end of
which is fixed a ratchet friction wheel, or a ratchet wheel provided with one or
more loose friction plates bearing against the end plate of tube, and on the other
end a spiral or other shaped adjustable spring, to give the desired frictional
pressure.
The action of raising and lowering the blind is the same as in the arrangement
bereinbefore described.
"

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Samuel Laycock in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th January 1883.
:
WILLIAM SAMUEL LAYCOCK of Sheffield in the County of York, "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SELFACTING WINDOW-BLIND APPARATUS
"
My Invention relates to the construction of selfacting window blind apparatus,
being especially applicable to the windows of railway carriages; the object of my
invention being to obtain certainty of action, with increased simplicity of
construction.
And in order that my invention may be fully understood, I shall in describing
the particulars of it, refer to the annexed sheet of drawings, in which the same
letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts, in all the figures.
:
My Invention refers to the class of selfacting blind apparatus, that will allow a
weighted blind to be drawn down and retained in any desired position, until the
weight being relieved by the hand or otherwise, the spring has sufficient power to
automatically roll up the blind.
In carrying out one arrangement of my improved apparatus, illustrated in
Figures 1, 2, 3, Fig 1, being a front elevation, and Fig. 2 and 3 end views, I
connect to one end of the blind roller A, (which may be of wood, brass tube, or
other material) a winding up spring or weight, but by preference a coiled spring B,
such connection being made preferably through the medium of a wheel C to which
the spring is attached, and a pinion D secured to the roller axle E, as by this
arrangement, the power of the spring is more uniform during the action of winding
up the blind, than it otherwise would be.
To prevent the blind, curtain, or shade (which is weighted above the power of
the spring B, from running down by its own weight; I place on the other end of
the axle of the roller, a ratchet wheel F, free to revolve in one direction only, &
pawl or catch G preventing it moving in the contrary direction.
To enable this ratchet wheel to control the roller, its flat surface is pressed by
means of the adjustable spiral spring H, against the corresponding surface of a disc
or friction plate I, secured to the axle; the pressure of the spring being so adjusted
by means of the locknuts J, that the frictional contact between the ratchet wheel
and the disc or friction-plate before mentioned, is sufficient to support the weighted
blind. Thus it will be understood that to draw down the rolled up blind, it is
only necessary to overcome the frictional resistance of the ratchet wheel F, which
is nevertheless strong enough to support the blind when released; and to raise
the blind, all that is required is to relieve the roller from the load of the weighted
blind, which at once enables the spring B to wind it up.
In the second arrangement of my improved apparatus as shown in Figures 4, 5
and 6, I use a hollow roller A actuated by an internal spring K, and supported by
two separate axles, one of which L is held securely by the bracket M, but has
bearings provided in the roller. To this axle I attach one end of the spiral winding
up spring K the other end being secured to the roller, thus when the blind is
being drawn down, the revolving roller coils up the spring K, its reaction when
released being sufficient to wind it up again. The retaining mechanism is fixed at
the opposite end of the roller; a short piece of tube closed at both ends N, is driven
tightly into, and forms one end of the roller A. A short axle passes through both
ends of the tube, its outer projecting end supported by and free to revolve in the
bracket O. Between the bracket and the end of the roller a ratchet plate wheel F
is securely fixed on the axle, its flat side being drawn against the end of the roller,

page_text: or against one or more intervening friction plates I, by the action of an adjustable
spring H but in some cases instead of the ratchet wheel F being drawn against
the end of the roller, I fix a friction plate upon the axle inside the short tube, so
that it will be drawn by the action of the spring H against the inside face of
end plate N. Fig. 7, 8 and 9 represent a modification of my retaining mechanism.
I make one end of the short tube N, with a waved or notched surface, and fix a
loose friction plate I having a correspondingly waved or notched surface, on the
projecting portion of the axle, the two parts being pressed together by the spiral
spring H. The opposite or outer end of the axle, may first pass through the sup-
porting bracket O, and a ratchet wheel F be secured on the end, as shown, the
pawl G and spring P being carried on the face of the bracket Q, and protected
from dust by the removeable cap R. The waved friction plate is shown distinctly
in fig. 9. The blind, curtain, or shade that I prefer to use, with my improved
roller is made of a fine quality of woven horsehair this material besides being
cleaner to handle than other fabrics, is also more durable, and its tendency is to roll
up square at the edges, and in compact form.
Having now described and fully ascertained the object and nature of my
invention, I wish it to be understood that what I claim as the invention secured to
me, by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is :-
First, In selfacting blind apparatus, the combination of the roller A, the
winding up spring B, (or an equivalent weight) the wheel and pinion C & D, and
the retaining gear consisting of the ratchet wheel F, the friction-plate I, with the
spring H, substantially as described and shown in Fig 1, 2 and 3 of the
drawings.
Second, In selfacting blind apparatus, the combination of the various parts
marked, A, K, L, F, N and H, substantially as described, and shown in Fig 4. 5
and 6, of the drawings.
Third, In selfacting blind rollers, the modification of the retaining apparatus,
consisting of the parts marked L, N, I, H or a notched or waved friction plate
being an equivalent to I, substantially as described and as illustrated in Fig“ 7, 8,
and 9 of the drawings.
"
In Witness whereof, I the said William Samuel Laycock have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of January, in the year of our Lord,
One thousand Eight hundred and Eighty three.
1.7
STAVK
Gal