AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING FAST AND LETTING GO THE CORDS OF WINDOW BLINDS, WHICH SAID IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO THE FASTENING AND LETTING GO OF ROPES, CORDS, LINES, WIRES, AND CHAINS FOR VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Martin Saxby, of South Lambeth, in the
County of Surrey, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR
IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING FAST AND LETTING GO THE CORDS OF WINDOW
BLINDS, WHICH SAID IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO
THE FASTENING AND LETTING GO OF ROPES, CORDS, LINES, WIRES, AND CHAINS
FOR VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES."
Scaled the 22nd September 1854, and dated the 10th July 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by 'the said Stephen Martin Saxby
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th July 1854.
I, STEPHEN MARTIN SAXBY, of South Lambeth, in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING FAST AND LETTING GO THE CORDS OP
WINDOW BLINDS, WHICH SAID IMPROVEMENT OF IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED
TO THE FASTENING AND LETTING GO OF ROPES, CORDS, LINES, WIRES, AND CHAINS
FOR VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention is represented in vertical section in the accompanying
Drawing. The said Drawing represents my Invention applied to the fastening

page_text: and letting go of the cord of a window blind. a is a plate attached to the
window frame by screws at b, or otherwise; c is a plate turning upon an
axis d, the said axis working in bearings e on the plate a. The curved edge
of the plate c is excentric to the axis d, as represented. f is the blind cord (or
cords), which, when the plate c is in the position represented, has free play in
the space between its curved edge and the plate a; but when the plate c is
depressed, so that its curved face occupies the position indicated by the dotted
line, the cord f is wedged between the said curved surface and the fixed
plate a. By pulling the lower end of the cord downwards the said cord
becomes released, and by pulling the upper end of the cord upwards the said
cord becomes fastened. When it is wished to permit an ascending motion in
the cord, the plate c is raised by the thumb plate or button g, or otherwise.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said. Stephen Martin Saxby in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 8th January 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, STEPHEN
MARTIN SAXBY, of South Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Stephen Martin Saxby, Her special licence that I, the said
Stephen Martin Saxby, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Stephen Martin Saxby, my executors, admi-
nistrators, 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING FAST
AND LETTING GO THE CORDS OF WINDOW BLINDS, WHICH SAID IMPROVEMENT OR
IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO THE FASTENING AND LETTING GO OF ROPES,
CORDS, LINES, WIRES, AND CHAINS FOR VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Stephen Martin Saxby, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, 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 tho said Letters Patent.
· NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Stephen Martin Saxby, 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
following statement thereof (that is to say):-
My said Invention consists of a method or methods of making. fast and
letting go the cords of window blinds and other cords, ropes, lines, wires, and
chains by means of a wedging action, as berein-after particularly explained.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in elevation a blind roller,
the cord of which is secured according to my Invention. a is a curved plate
turning upon the axis b, the said axis working in bearings in the framing d;
the said framing d is attached at e to the bracket f, in which one end of the

page_text: I
blind roller works, as represented: The curved edge of the plate a is excentric
to the axis b, as represented. 7 is the blind cord, which said cord passes
between the edge of the plate a and the back of the framing d. When the
plate a is in the position represented in Figure 1, the said cord g moves freely
between the curved plate a and the back of the framing d; but when the
plate a is depressed, so that its curved edge occupies the position indicated by
the dotted lines in Figure 1, the cord g is wedged between the curved edge of
the said plate a and the back of the framing d. Instead of connecting the
plate a and its appendages to the bracket f, the said plate a and its appendages
may be placed on the window frame within reach of the hand, as represented
in Figure 2. The action of my said Invention is as follows:-When the
cord g is pulled downwards, so as to raise the blind, the said cord, bearing
against the edge of the plate a brings the said plate into the position repre-
sented in Figure 1, and also represented in section in Figure 3. When the
said cord g is loosed, the blind commences momentarily to descend, and the
cord g is drawn upwards; the said cord bearing against the edge of the plate
a brings the said plate into the position represented in the section, Figure 4,
the said plate wedging the said cord between its curved edge, and the back of
the framing d; the descent of the said blind is thereby immediately arrested.
When, therefore, it is wished to raise the blind, it is only necessary to pull
down the cord until the blind is raised to the requisite height, and then to let go
the said cord, when the blind becomes fixed in its place, as described. When
it is wished to lower the blind, the cord g is pulled downwards for a short
distance, so as to bring the plate a from the position represented in Figure 4
to the position represented in Figure 3; the said cord becomes thereby released.
By letting go the said cord slowly, the said cord will ascend and the blind
descend without the said cord moving the plate a from the position, Figure 3,
to the position, Figure 4; and the said cord will not become wedged between
the plate a and the framing d, the said plate taking by its own weight a
position intermediate between the positions, Figures 3 and 4, during the slow
ascent of the said cord.
When the said blind has descended to the required
extent, it is only necessary to loose the said cord in order to fix it for the rapid
ascending motion, which momentarily takes place in the said cord, brings the
plate a into the position represented in Figure 4, and fixes the said cord.
When the plate a and its appendages are in easy reach of the hand, the
plate a may be raised or depressed by taking hold of the knob h by the hand..
When I carry my Invention into effect, in the manner illustrated in Figure 2,
I prefer to place the plate a and its appendages on the window frame in the
position where the ordinary blind pulley is commonly placed; one side of the

page_text: frame d may be open, as in the sections, Figures 3 and 4, so as to "snatch"
the cord in or out, as required. Although I have only described my Inven-
tion in connection with an ordinary roller blind, yet my said Invention is
applicable to Venetian blinds, skylights, and to the fastening and letting go
of ropes, cords, lines, wires, and chains for various other purposes, which I do
not think it necessary to enumerate.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise methods herein described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my said Invention; but I claim as my
Invention, the construction of an apparatus for making fast and letting go
cords, ropes, lines, wires, and chains used for raising and lowering window
blinds, and for other purposes, by the use of a curved plate or roller mounted
excentrically upon an axis, between the edge of which said plate and a fixed
portion of the apparatus the cord, rope, wire, or chain may be wedged and
disengaged in the manner herein described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Stephen Martin Saxby, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
ELIZABETH HALLOAD,
Maentwrog,
Merionethshire.
S. M. SAXBY. (L.S.)