IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO ROLLER BLINDS
Year: 1858

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 APPLICABLE TO ROLLER BLINDS." -A com-
munication.
Sealed the 31st December 1858, and dated the 6th July 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th July 1858.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO ROLLER BLINDS," to be
as follows:-
. In the use of window blind rollers for raising and lowering the blinds, by
winding and unwinding them, the use of a lower bracket attached to the
window casing for straining the cord to give it sufficient friction upon the
roller or roller pulley to turn it is inconvenient, and the constant strain on the
cord caused thereby causes it to separate and soon wear out. It is important,
therefore, to obviate these objections, and various devices have been proposed
for the purpose of avoiding the necessity of straining the cord between two points,
and at the same time to secure sufficient friction between the cord or band
and the pulley on the roller, or the end of the roller or part in connection with

page_text: which the cord or band acts to cause the roller to be turned by pulling the
cord, and more or less success has been attained.
The nature of the present Invention consists in the application of india-
rubber, or its equivalent substance, to the pulley or other convenient part of
the window rollers over which the endless cord or band for turning the roller
is to pass, by which (and a light pressure from a spring, or its equivalent, to
prevent the latter from too easily turning) sufficient friction is given to the
cord to cause the roller to rotate. Instead of mounting the roller upon pins
or centres it is simply cut to the right length, and the ends of the roller are
received in curved or semicircular sockets which are screwed or otherwise
fastened to the window frame. The roller is kept down at one end by the
endless band or cord, whereby the roller is rotated, and which band passes
through a slot or hole made in the lower part of the socket. The other end
of the roller is kept down by means of a spring or other suitable contrivance
which will prevent it from accidentally jumping out of its place.
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 5th January 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William 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 APPLICABLE TO 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
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
In the usual construction of window blind rollers the raising and lowering
the blinds by winding and unwinding them from the rollers is effected by
means of a cord passed round a pulley mounted in a bracket attached to the
window casing, and by means of which pulley the cord is strained to give it
sufficient friction upon the roller or roller pulley for the purpose of turning
the latter. This arrangement is found to be inconvenient, and the constant
strain on the cord causes it to separate and soon wear out. It is important,
therefore, to obviate these objections, and various devices have been proposed
for the purpose of avoiding the necessity of straining the cord between two
points; but at the same time to ensure sufficient friction between the cord or
band and the pulley on the roller, or the end of the roller or part in con-
nection with which the cord or band acts so as to cause the roller to be turned
by pulling the cord.
The nature of the present Invention consists in the application of india-
rubber or its equivalent substance to the pulley or other convenient part of
the window blind roller over which the endless cord or band for turning the
roller is to pass, by which (and a light pressure from a spring or its equivalent
to prevent the latter from too easily turning) sufficient friction is given to the
cord to make it bind on the roller and cause the same to rotate, but at the
same time to prevent the blind from accidentally unwinding. This arrange-
ment admits of dispensing with the lower bracket for straining the cord, and
thereby allows the cord to hang loosely or with only a tassel suspended to it for
ornament or to keep it straight. Instead of mounting the roller upon pins
or centres, as is usual, the roller, which should be perfectly cylindrical, is
simply to be cut to the right length, and the ends of the roller are received
in curved or semicircular sockets, which are screwed or otherwise fastened
to the window frame. The roller is kept down at one end by an endless band
or cord, whereby it is also rotated, and which band passes through a slot or
hole made in the lower part of the socket. The other end of the roller is:
kept down by means of a spring or other suitable contrivance, which will
prevent it from accidentally unwinding or jumping out of its place..

page_text: In the accompanying Drawings I have shewn various views, showing the
improved modes of mounting and actuating roller blinds. Fig. 1 is a front
elevation of one form of socket; Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section taken-
through the blind roller, and shewing the construction of the left-hand socket;
Fig. 3 is a similar view, shewing the right-hand socket and the friction pulley,
round which is passed the band whereby the roller is rotated when required;
Fig. 4 is a section taken through the pulley and right-hand socket in the line
1, 2, of Fig. 1. a and a are the brackets or sockets for supporting the
roller b, on which the blind is secured in the ordinary manner; these brackets
or sockets are attached to the window frame by means of screws c, c, as seen.
in the Figures. On one end of the roller b is fixed the grooved pulley d, the
periphery of which is covered with an india-rubber band e, Fig. 4. In the
instance shewn in the Figures the groove of the pulley d is flat, but a
V-groove may be employed if preferred. A flat woven or other endless band'
or cord is passed round the pulley d, and hangs down through a hole or
opening g made at the lower side of the socket. This band passes through
a ring provided with a tassel f*, which serves as a slight weight, and also
as a handle to keep the band extended when it is desired to raise or lower
the blind. The band f is made to bind on the india-rubber covered surface
of the grooved pulley d, and therefore the roller 6 may be rotated in either
direction by pulling the corresponding end of the band f, as will be easily
understood upon inspecting the Drawings. Instead of constructing the
grooved pulley d with a flat groove and band, as shewn in Fig. 1, it will be
sometimes found convenient to construct it with a V-groove, in which case, in
place of having a flat band f, as shewn in the Drawings, a round cord must
be employed. The roller bis kept down in the socket at the other end by
means of a metal spring h, which is made to press on its periphery, as shewn
in Fig. 2, and also serves to keep the blind suspended at any required point,
and remain in any desired position. A modification of this is shown at
Fig. 4, in which a piece of solid vulcanized india-rubber h is used in place
of the metal spring, the roller itself being confined in its socket by means of
the forked metal piece h**. In the above Figures the sockets are represented
as being screwed or fastened vertically against the window frame, but there
are some situations in which it would be impossible to fix the sockets or
brackets in this manner, and the most convenient way would be to attach or
fix them to a cross piece above. This mode of fixing the sockets or brackets
is shewn at Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8. The principle of construction is, how-
ever, the same as in the former Figures. The extra screw holes c*, c*, in
Figures 6 and 7, and also in Figures 1, 2, and 3, are provided for the purpose

page_text: of allowing the sockets to be fixed to the sides of the window, should that
mode of fixing be preferred or found more convenient than either of the
others. It will be therefore understood that the sockets shewn in Figures 6
and 7 may be fixed either to a vertical or to a horizontal part of the window
frame as may be found most convenient. The left-hand socket a is shewn in
side and front elevations at Figures 5 and 6 with the metal holding spring h
adapted thereto. Figures 7 and 8 are front and side elevations of the right-
hand socket a*, shewing the hole i for receiving the end of the roller and the
opening g for the passage of the flat woven band or cord, whereby the roller
is rotated in either direction when required.
Having now described this Invention of "Improvements applicable to
Roller Blinds," and having explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I would observe
that I do not mean or intend to confine myself rigidly to the precise arrange-
ment or construction of parts herein shewn and described, as they may
perhaps be varied in some particulars without departing from the nature and
object of the present Invention; in conclusion, I claim as the Invention
secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the mode or modes, herein
shewn and described, of mounting and rotating the rollers of window blinds.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Fifth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)