Improvements in and connected with Automatic Fixing Devices for the Cords of Roll Shutters or Blinds.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Dec., 1896-Accepted, 20th Feb., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Automatic Fixing Devices for
the Cords of Roll Shutters or Blinds.
I, OTTO BAYER of Esslingen on the Neckar, Wurtemberg in the Empire of
Germany, Manufacturer, 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 has for its object a device for the draw-up cords of roll shutters,
whereby the roll shutters are fixed in any position automatically on the releasing
of the draw-up cord, the unused part of the cord being also automatically wound
up, and any springing off of the wound up part of the cord from the winding-up
roller being rendered impossible.
Automatic fixing devices for draw-up cords of roll shutters and blinds indeed
already exist, and devices for automatically winding up the unused part of the cord
are in themselves also not new, but these parts are always so arranged that the
cord must, always on the drawing-up or letting down of the roll shutter or blind,
be manipulated between the devices for fixing the cord and the winding up of the
loose part of. the cord. It is thus necessary to devote attention both to the
winding-up roller and the fixing device, or, in other words, to take care that
the operation of the cord always takes place in exactly the same vertical plane
between these parts, and a frequent result of this is that either the automatically
wound-up part of the cord springs off the roller or an overturning and unintentional
jamming of the cord in the fixing fastener takes place. Both of these are very
troublesome, and the putting to rights of the cord, more particularly in the case
where it has sprung off the automatic winding-up part, consumes a deal of time,
and can generally only be done by means of a skilled workman.
This improved winding-up and fixing device for roll shutters, blinds and the
like avoids all these drawbacks, as both devices are at one place, and the cord for
drawing-up the shutter or blind is not operated between the winding-up and the
clamping places but above both these devices. Of course, only such clamping
devices are here taken into consideration which automatically fix the drawing-up
cord gripped or taken hold of above the fixing device.
This improved automatic fixing and winding-up device is shown in: the accom-
panying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a view of the mode of using the cord, whilst
Figures 2-11 show various side and end views of various kinds of fixing
devices.
A hollow disc a is revolubly mounted in a preferably cylindrical hollow
casing A, and in this disc a spring C is arranged in the ordinary way, which
spring is firmly connected, on the one hand, with a pin 6 fixed in the casing A,
and, on the other hand, with the revoluble hollow disc a. One end of the drawing-
up cord D is also attached to this hollow disc a, and the other end of the cord is
fixed on the winding-up roller G. An automatic fixing device for the drawing-up
cord is arranged at the top of the casing A, and Figures 2, 6, 8 and 10 show four
different forms of construction of this arrangement. In the ordinary fixing device,
as shown in Figure 10, the drawing-up cord is passed through a slit in the casing A,
and a slit e in the fastener E of the fixing device, which fastener is pivotted at f.
If the cord D be released, it stretches itself and presses the part E against the

page_text: inclined face of the part F, and thereby clamps the cord fast. No springing-
off of the cord D can take place in the casing A. as the cord D is conducted by the
cord fixer E and is automatically wound upon the disc or roller a by means of the
spring C. The person drawing up or letting down the shutter or blind, or fixing
the same in any desired position, has only to look at the fixing device F, and no
mishap or jamming of the cord can take place even with the most unskilful
handling. If the cord D, as shown in Figure 1, by the sketch of a hand, be drawn
outwards, there is only required to draw up or let down the blind a moderate pull
on the cord in such a way that the clamp lever F may descend, in order to effect
in the most convenient manner the letting down and drawing up. On the releasing
of the cord, it raises the clamp part E, and the cord is clamped fast and the roller
blind or shutter fixed. The loose part of the cord D lying beneath the fixing
device is at once wound up on the winding roller a by means of the spring C.
In the improved winding-up device shown in Figures 2, 6 and 8, rounded or
fluted clamp pieces e¹, f¹, e, f are employed in place of the straight clamp
parts E and The drawing-up cord D is also not passed through a slit in a
clamp piece but carried over the rectangular guide pin e of a clamp lever E
which is mounted on a pivot f in the clamp support F. If the cord D be released,
it engages the lever E by the pine and turns the said lever, whereby the movable
rounded clamp jaws are pressed against fixed concave or fluted clamp jaws f¹,
and the cord D lying between the two is held fast.
It is advantageous to make the pressure of the movable clamp piece on the
fixed piece as great as possible. This is obtained to a greater extent than is the
case in Figure 2 in the clamp device of Figures 6 and 7 by the pivot fof
the lever E being removed as far as possible from the engaging pin e of the cord D.
The movable clamp jaw e here lies between the pin e and the pivot f of the
lever E.
In the further arrangement of the fixing device for the cord, shown in Figures 8
and 9, two clamp pieces e' e' are provided on both sides of the pivot on the
lever E, which clamp pieces press the cord D into two fixed clamp pieces ff. In
this kind of fixing device the cord is less damaged, as it does not require to be
clamped so tightly.
B is a stiffening bar of any suitable kind and connected to the casing A. by bolts
or the like.
It is evident that a whole series of fixing devices may also be employed without
obtaining any other action thereby than that obtained by the fixing devices herein-
before described in combination with the automatically acting winding-up device
for the unused part of the cord.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improvement in and connected with automatic fixing devices for the
cords (D) of roll-shutters or blinds having an automatic arrangement for winding
up the unused part of the said cord, characterised by the winding-up roller (a)
combined in the ordinary manner with a spiral spring (C) being mounted in a
hollow casing (A) on which the fixing device (F) is also fixed in such a way that
for drawing up or letting down the blind or shutter the cord is not operated
between the fixing and winding-up devices but above both these arrangements, so
that the handling of the cord is more simple, more convenient and more certain,
and any springing off of the wound up part of the cord or tangling of the same
in the fixing device is avoided, substantially as herein before set forth.
2. The forms of construction of the herein described automatic fixing device for
the cords of roll-shutters or blinds, characterised by the automatic fixing of the
drawing-up cord being effected by means of a fixing lever (E) pivotted on the
fixing support (F), and adapted on the releasing of the cord (D), to be caught and
raised by the cord engaging a pin (e) on said lever, whereby a clamp piece or clamp

page_text: pieces (el or el and e) provided on said lever are forced into suitably shaped hollow
clamp pieces (for fi and f) of the fixing support, and the cord (D) lying
between the same is fixed substantially as herein before described and illustrated.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1896.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.