Improvements in or relating to Roller Blinds, Roller Shutters, and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 1st Feb., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Roller Blinds, Roller Shutters,
and the like.
I, OTTO BAYER of Esslingen, Würtemberg 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 relates to roller blinds, roller shutters, or the like and has for its
object a very convenient and easily releasable device for holding the bands or wires
on the springs which serve for tightening and maintaining close to one another the
bars or slats of roller shutters or the like.
As is well known owing to changes of weather the wood is subject to variations
of form either by contraction or expansion so that between the bars or slats for
instance, in dry warm weather cracks or interstices which admit air are formed,
whilst in damp weather, the bars or slats are pressed too close against one
another.
This drawback is removed by pressing the bars or slats against one another by
means of suitably shaped springs so that they are held together elastically.
A drawback has however become apparent even in this mode of fastening,
namely, that when it became necessary to adjust the slats of the roller partition or
the like by shitting certain of them relatively to certain others, this could only
hitherto be done by bending the ends of the holding wires of the bars or slats.
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The result of the frequent bending of the ends of these wires was to cause
them to break, thereby rendering new wires a necessity, by which means
inconsiderable costs and trouble were incurred, and moreover the repairs could
generally only be attended to in a factory.
The consequence of this is therefore that roller shutters or the like having spring
tightening devices have not been hitherto adopted so freely as might have been
expected from the advantages herein before mentioned.
By my improved method of fastening the bands or wires on the tightening or
holding springs, this drawback is entirely removed, and the removal of the separate
bars or slats as well as their replacement is a very simple operation and can be
done by any unskilled person.
In the accompanying drawing, this improved fastening arrangement is shown in
details in Figures 1 to 6 whilst Figures 7 and 8 show the arrangement as connected
to a roller shutter or partition.
A double armed spring F having one or more spiral coils, is provided for
tightening the bars or slats the said spring lying in recesses arranged in the
end or middle bars A A¹ which are made somewhat stouter or thicker, than the
shutter itself.
The spring is inserted in the recesses by means of its two ends f¹ and has at
the end of the longer arm, a. tightening wire H, or band D, arranged in such a
way that the hand or wire may be easily and conveniently released from the spring,
and in an equally simple manner may be again connected therewith.
Flat bands or round wires may be employed for tightening up the wood bars
or slats.
Where tightening bands (Figures 1 and 3) are used, the tightening band D has
an oblique notch d in which the free or loose end f of the spring is engaged.
If the band. D is to be released from the spring F a cover plate a is first removed
from the end bar A'. The band D is then gripped by means of a hook, inserted

page_text: in the hole e in the same, and is drawn obliquely towards the spiral of the spring F,
until the spring end has come out of the slot d of the band, whereupon the spring
automatically slips over the band, and the connection is released.
If instead of tightening bands D, wires H be employed, Figures 4 to 6^, these
have at their ends, clamp jaws G in which by the clamping together of two
spring tongues by means of screws g, the wires which lie between them are retained
or held fast.
Inclined notches or indentations g³ are also arranged in these clamp jaws G in
which the loose ends of the springs F are inserted.
When the tightening wires H are to be released to allow of the wood bars or
slats being drawn out therefrom, the springs F, are first disengaged and then the
screws of the clamp jaws G are loosened, and the latter removed, whereupon the
ends of the wires are free.
The separate wood bars or slats A B C etcetera may then be conveniently drawn
out and any desired one of the bars or slats repaired, or replaced by another,
without any deformation of the tightening band or displacement of the ends of
the wires being necessary, when taking apart or putting together the roller
shutters or the like.
Instead of clamp jaws G in the case of round tightening wires H, the ends of
the wires may be screw-threaded, and a nut K screwed thereon, which is flattened
at one end and has an inclined notch or indentation k in which the spring F or its
arm f, engages, Figure 6".
In the stouter central bars or slats A¹ of the roller shutter, shown in the
drawing, two tightening bands D, or wires H, may be arranged side by side; the
springs F being so arranged that both springs are formed of one piece of wire,
no special fastening of the same to the centre bars or slat being necessary.
Of course instead of this double spring, two single springs may be employed in
the same way, attached to the end bars and each separately fixed to the wood.
Figure 7 shows a shutter with a tightening baud D on the left, and a
tightening wire H on the right. In both cases it is also necessary to have a
wire J or a band Dt.
The tightening band D is in fact not in a position to prevent a slight side
displacement of the wood bars or slats B C as the openings for the passage of the
band formed by means of small circular saws, cannot be made to exactly fit the
size of the band.
In this case a further separate guide wire J Figure 7 on the left is required,
the holes for the passage of which in the wood bars or slats are exactly the same
size as the wire. If however a round wire be employed for tightening the bars
or slats, side displacement of the same is thereby avoided, but on the other hand in
order to maintain the elasticity of the roller shutters, that is to say to allow of
the same being drawn up, a spring band D' running through them becomes necessary,
as shown on the right in Figure 7.
It is evident that without departing from the spirit of the invention, other
suitably shaped springs may be employed than those shown in the drawing.
The engagement of the springs with the tightening band or with the clamp jaws
of the tightening wire, may also be effected in some other suitable manner to that
shown in Figures 1 and 5 where notches or indentations are employed. For
instance removable pins may be inserted so as to pass through the band D, by
which pins the spring F holds or retains the band.
Instead of attaching the tightening band directly to the spring, the same may
be connected, by means of an intermediate piece with the spring, in such a manner
as to be easily releasable.
Having new 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. In a roller blind, roller shutter, or the like, a tightening or fastening device

page_text: for the bars or slats, which device enables said bars or slats to be removed and
replaced as desired without causing deformation of the ends of the said tightening
device, said tightening device consisting of a spring, the free ends of which
preferably engage in inclined notches or indentations in the tightening bands,.
substantially as hereinbefore described and shown on the accompanying drawing.
2. In a tightening device for the bars or slats of roller blinds or the like such
as described in Claim 1, the arrangement of a spring engaging with its free end in
the inclined notches or indentations of clamp jaws or screw nuts, or removable-
intermediary pieces, of tightening wires in such a way as to cause no deformation
of the ends of the wires, and also to admit of the removal and replacement of the
separate bars or slats, substantially as herein before described and shown on the:
accompanying drawing.
Dated this 24th day of December 1895.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.