IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FITTINGS OF SUN SHADES OR ROLLER BLINDS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FITTINGS OF SUN SHADES OR ROLLER
BLINDS. A communication from abroad by Valorus Drew, of New
York.
Sealed the 6th July 1860, and dated the 7th February 1860.
PROVISIONAL. SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 7th February 1860.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lanė,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FITTINGS OF SUN SHADES OB
ROLLER BLINDS," to be as follows:-
This Invention of improvements in the fittings of sun shades or roller blinds:
consists in a novel way of arranging the cords or bands by which the shade:
roller is turned, whereby the cords may be kept at a proper degree of tension,
in order to insure the rotation of the roller, and also readily slackened to:
facilitate the removal, when required, of the roller from the window casing.
To this end the elevating cord is passed round a groove made at one end of.:
the roller, and it also passes through a ring below, the latter being drawn
down by another cord fixed at one end to the window frame, and provided at

page_text: the other end with a friction bar or ring, whereby it may be retained at any
given point.
The Invention also consists in a novel way of securing the roller in the
window casing, whereby all metallic fixtures, except the journals, are dispensed
with, and the roller readily adjusted in and detached from the casing: One
end of the roller is provided with a fixed spindle, as usual, and the other end
with a moveable spindle, which is placed in a recess made in the roller, so that
it may be pushed in or out as may be required.
The Invention further consists in a novel way of attaching the shade or
blind to the roller by means of an elastic rod, which is passed through a hem
in one end of the blind, and fits snugly in a longitudinal groove made in the
roller, in which it is held by staples, and also by being tied or secured at the
middle. By this means the blind is not only firmly secured to the roller, but
is also rendered capable of being detached with facility for the purpose of
being washed when required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th August 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lone, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Willliam Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FITTINGS OF SUN SHADES OR ROLLER BLINDS," being a com-
munication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Edward Newton,, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-

page_text: tion, 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 William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
-
This Invention of improvements in the fittings of sun shades or roller blinds
consists in a novel way of arranging the cords or bands by which the shade
roller is turned, whereby the cords may be kept at a proper degree of tension
in order to insure the rotation of the roller, and also readily slackened to faci-
litate the removal, when required, of the roller from the window casing. To
this end the elevating cord is passed round a groove made at one end of the
roller, and it also passes through a ring below the latter, being drawn down by
another cord fixed at one end to the window frame, and provided at the other
end with a friction bar or ring, whereby it may be retained at any given point.
The Invention also consists in a novel way of securing the roller in the
window casing, whereby all metallic fixtures, except the journals, are dispensed
with, and the roller readily adjusted in and detached from the casing. One
end of the roller is provided with a fixed spindle, as usual, and the other end
with a moveable spindle, which is placed in a recess made in the roller, so that
it may be pushed in or out as may be required.
:
The Invention further consists in a novel way of attaching the shade or
blind to the roller by means of an elastic rod, which is passed through a horn
in one end of the blind, and fits snugly in a longitudinal groove made in the
roller; in which it is held by staples, and also by being tied or secured at the
middle. By this means the blind is not only firmly secured to the roller, but
is also rendered capable of being detached with facility for the purpose.of-being
washed when required.
In the accompanying Drawing, Figure 1 is a side sectional view of the
Invention, showing the means employed for turning the shade roller; Figure 2
is a detached view of the shade roller, partly bisected, showing the manner of
securing the roller in the window casing; Figure 3 is a detached view of the
shade roller, with the shade attached, showing the manner of attaching the
latter to the former; 'Figure 4. is a detached transverse view of ditto. Similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures."
A, Figure 1, represents one side of a window frame or casing, and B is a
shade roller, which is fitted in the upper part of the casing. In this roller,

page_text: near one end, a groove a is made circumferentially, as shown in Figures 2 and
3. C is a cord or band which passes around the roller, and is. fitted within
the groove a.
This cord at its lower part passes through a metal ring D,
through which also passes a cord or band E, which is permanently attached to
one end of the casing or frame A, as shown at b. The opposite end of the
cord E is attached to a metal eye F, which has a central cross bar c, and
through which eye the cord E also passes, as seen in Fig. 1. The eye F, it
will be seen, in consequence of having one end of the cord E attached to it,
and being fitted on the cord, will admit of being drawn down so as to strain or
tighten the cord C on the roller B, as may be desired, and by raising or shoving
up the eye the cord C may be slackened so as to admit of the ready removal
of the roller from the casing. The eye F is retained on the cord E by friction,
and the tighter the cords are strained the less liable the eye will be to slip, as
the cord E binds or bears on the cross bar c (Fig. 1). In one end. of the
roller B, which is of wood, as usual, a metal journal or pin d is fitted perma-
nently. The roller near its opposite end is slotted longitudinally a requisite
distance from its periphery to its centre, as shown at e (Figure 2), and a
journal or pin f is fitted in this end of the roller, and has its inner end passing
into the slot e, and bent upwards, as shown at g. This journal or pinfis
longer than the other d, so that it may better stand, the strain of the cord or
band C, and lessen the wear of its bearing. The journal f fits sufficiently
tight in the roller to prevent the former from becoming displaced by accident.
In order to adjust the roller B in the casing, all that is required is to shove
the journal or pin f into the roller, place the opposite journal or pin d in its
bearings, adjust the roller in proper position, and then shove outward the
journal or pin f in its bearing in the casing or framing A, by introducing a
rod into the slot e and pressing against the inner end g of the pin f. This pin
cannot be casually removed from its proper position when the cord C is on it,
for the pressure of the latter prevents such a result. By this arrangement the
usual metallic fixtures are dispensed with, and an exceedingly simple means
obtained for securing the roller in the casing' or framing, and one that will
admit of the ready adjustment of the roller in the framing, as well as its ready
removal therefrom; the ends of the rollers being bevilled to facilitate these
results. The hooked end g of the journal or pin f admits of a rod being
inserted behind it to draw inward the pin in order to detach the roller from
the casing or framing. The roller B has a longitudinal groove or recess g'
made in it, in which near each end a staple h, or its equivalent, is placed. In
this groove or recess near one end, and by the outer side of one of the
staples h, there is a stop i, as shown in Figure 3. G is the shade, the upper.

page_text: end of which has a hem in which the rod j is fitted. This rod j is a trifle longer
than the hem, and consequently projects from each side of the shade. The
rod is elastic, and is fitted in the groove or recess g, one end of the rod being
curved upward to form a head, and placed against the stop i, and fitted under
the eye adjoining it, and the opposite end sprung under the staple at the
opposite end of the roller. The upper end of the shade has a tape H, or its
equivalent, attached to it, which passes around the roller B, and the ends are
tied in a knot k, which is made to fit in a recess in the roller. This knot
fitting in the recess 7 prevents the shade from moving laterally on the rod j;
while the rod, in consequence of being secured snugly in the recess or groove g¹
by the staples h and tape H, connects the shade securely to the roller. By
this arrangement the shade may be readily detached from the roller B when
required to be washed, and may also be readily attached thereto, as the rod j
can be readily sprung in or sprung out from the recess g' as occasion requires.
Having now described this Invention of improvements in the fittings of
sun shades or roller blinds, and having explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I claim
as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the mode herein
set forth of constructing and mounting the rollers of sun shades or blinds, also
the mode of mounting or attaching the blinds or shades to the rollers.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)