Improvements in and relating to Rollers for Window Blinds and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Rollers for Window Blinds and
the like.
GEORGE ALEXANDER, of Penybryn, Cardiff, in the County of Glamorgan, Estate
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The roller which may be any size is split through centre longitudinally for the
length needed and the split halves are grooved square or wedge shaped the
groove being sufficiently large to receive and hold when closed a rod which passes
through a hem in the blind. The halves are hinged at the top and clasped at the
ends by a ring, bolt or button the hinges bolts ring or button being sunk below
the surface of roller so as not to interfere with even winding.
To remove the blind the split halves of roller are simply opened sufficiently
to release rod running through the hem and on being released,, the rod which
loosely fits the hem in blind is removed and the blind can be washed or otherwise
dealt with, and by replacing the rod and closing the roller it can be refixed with-
out ever removing the roller from its position in window or other place where it
may be fixed.
The roller is applicaple to theatrical drop scenes mud guards and carriage blinds.
Dated this 12th day of August 1898.
Improvements in and relating to Rollers for Window Blinds and
the like.
I, GEORGE ALEXANDER, of Penybryn, Cardiff, in the County of Glamorgan, Estate
Agent, 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 rollers for window blinds, and to rollers of a like kind
as, for example, rollers for cycle mud-guards made on the roller blind principle.
Also rollers for theatrical drop scenes and the like.
According to this invention, as applied in one of its forms, the roller consists,
except as respects its ends which are undivided and fitted with the usual spindles,
of two equal or approximately equal sections such as would result from dividing
a roller fongitudinally through the centre. A groove is cut centrally in the flat
face of each section. The sections are hinged together so that, when they are thus
PPrice 8d.1

page_text: connected and closed on one another, they form a hollow roller of box-like
description.
A locking appliance is provided, capable of ready operation to lock or hold the
sections together when the roller is closed, and to unlock or free them when it is
required to open the roller, as hereinafter set forth.
The blind is secured in position in the manner following. At the upper end
the blind has a hem or loop extending throughout it for its full breadth. Into
this loop or hem is passed a bar, preferably of wood. The bar, thus enveloped,
is placed in the groove in one of the sections of the roller.
The bar being deeper than the groove is only partially contained therein.
After the bar has been so placed in the groove of one of the sections, the other
section is closed upon it and so much of the blind-enveloped bar as is not con-
tained in the groove of the section in which it lies is received into the groove of the
other section. By the locking appliance above referred to, the sections are, after
having been closed, locked together. The blind now depending from the roller
may be wound and unwound by means of cords, or by springs, as ordinarily.
When it is required to remove the blind for washing or other purpose, the
roller is opened, the blind is taken out, and, if required, the bar can be withdrawn
from the hem or loop.
Instead of providing a hem or loop in the blind and passing the bar through
it, the blind may be made without such hem or loop, and, after the top of the
blind has been laid in the groove of one of the sections, the bar is placed upon it
so that the blind is, when the roller is closed, held by the bar placed, as aforesaid,
between the closed sections.
The blind may be fixed in the roller or removed therefrom without necessitat-
ing removal of the roller from its bearings or supports.
According to a modification, the sections of which the roller consists are not
of equal size, and the groove for the bar for holding the blind is made in the
larger of them only.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 represents in elevation a blind
roller made in accordance with one form comprised in this invention. Part of
a blind is also shown. The roller is shown open. Fig. 2 is a transverse section
on the line a, a, Fig. 1. The view is, for the purpose of preserving greater
clearness in the drawing, confined to the plane of section, except as regards one
of the hinges; that is to say, no end parts are shown. The blind is not shown.
Fig. 3 is an elevation of the roller as closed and locked. Part of a blind is also
shown. Fig. 4 is a section on the line y, y, Fig. 3. The view is confined to the
plane of section, except as regards one of the hinges.
The roller, in this arrangement, consists of two sections a, a, equal or approxi-
mately equal in size. Each section is grooved centrally on
The sections
the inside.
are connected together by hinges b.
blind is formed a hem or loop extending the full breadth of the blind.
At the top of the
Into this hem or loop is inserted the bar d, preferably of wood. The bar d, thus
enveloped in the blind hem or loop, is placed in the groove of one of the sections
of the opened-out roller. The two sections are then closed together, as seen at 4
Fig. 4. The bar may vary in shape, the groove being kept in agreement there-
with or suitably shaped therefor. After the roller has been closed, it is held so
by a locking device which, previously out of action, is operated accordingly to
keep the roller closed after the blind top has been placed in it as described.
In the example illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the locking device 5
consists of a tongue or button e which is free to be turned on the pin e--seen more
clearly in the plan, Fig. 5-driven into the undivided part of the roller. The
tongue e is countersunk so as not to cause unevenness in the winding of the blind.
As is obvious other locking, clasping or holding devices may be employed in lieu
of the tongue e. When it is required to remove the blind from the roller, the 5
latter is opened out and the blind withdrawn, bringing out with it the bar d.
The roller illustrated in the accompanying drawings is fitted at the ends with

page_text: the usual discs and spindles. It is adapted for winding by a cord, but the mode of
actuation of the blind may be either this or of any other suitable kind, such as
by the use of springs.
At Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawings is shown in elevation a modification
comprised in this invention. Part of a blind is shown. The roller is shown open.
According to this modification, the roller sections are not of equal size. The
section is smaller than the section f' but when the sections are closed upon one
another they constitute a roller of circular cross section. Fig. 7 is a section on
the line, z, Fig. 6. The view is confined to the plane of section, except as
regards one of the hinges, that is to say, no end part is shown. Fig. 8 is an eleva-
tion of the roller as closed and locked. Part of a blind is also shown.
The groove for the bar g is made only in the section f¹ and it is preferred in
this arrangement that the bar 9 shall be superposed on the upper part of the
blind as seen more particularly at Fig. 7, rather than be passed through a loop
or hem as in the arrangement first above described and illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5
inclusive of the drawings.
In order to enable the blind to extend more nearly at each side to the roller
ends, the end discs i, which are usual in some forms of roller blinds, are fitted with
sockets which fit on the ends of the roller section f' and are secured by screws.
An inner end view of one of the end discs and its socket is shown at Fig. 9.
A convenient form of locking device for holding the sections f, f¹ in the closed
position consists of the lever pivotted on the roller spindle and having a tongue j
projecting inwards. The sockets of the end dises i are slotted at to allow the
lever j to be drawn down to the position shown in dotted lines at Fig. 9 for open-
ing the roller. A small bead is provided on the outer side of each lever j
and this bead takes, when in the raised position, into a hole provided for it in the
disc i, the lever being slightly sprung to produce this effect.
In the accompanying drawings my invention is shown as applied to window-
blind rollers. It is obvious, however, that it is not restricted to such, but is
equally applicable to rollers for cycle mud-guards made on the roller-blind principle.
Also to rollers for theatrical drop scenes, curtains and the like, and to rollers for
like or analogous purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A roller for window blinds and the like, consisting of two sections such as
are obtainable from dividing a roller longitudinally, the said sections being hinged
together box-wise and either one or both being grooved in such manner as to be
adapted to receive a bar or wedge, and a portion of the upper part of the blind,
and to bind the same, the arrangement being such that when the sections are
closed on one another the bar or wedge and the blind are held between them,
substantially as hereinabove described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
2. The combination, with a divided roller for window blinds and the like, such
as is set forth in the preceding claim, of a catch or a locking or clasping device
for retaining the sections of the roller in the closed position and for release.
Dated this 3rd day of May 1899.
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Chartered Patent Agent, Bristol.