IMPROVED GUARDS AND SHADES FOR WINDOWS, WHEREBY SECURITY IS OBTAINED, AND THE SUN AND WEATHER MORE CERTAINLY KEPT OFF, THAN HAS HITHERTO BEEN EFFECTED BY ANY OTHER SHADE OR BLIND
Year: 1812

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
SALMON, of Woburn, in the County of Bedford, Surveyor, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Thirty-first day of
October, in the fifty-third year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the
said Robert Salmon, my exors, admors, and assigns, His especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Robert Salmon, my
exors, admors, and assigns, should and lawfully might, during the term of
years therein mentioned, make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVED
GUARDS AND SHADES FOR WINDOWS, WHEREBY SECURITY IS OBTAINED, AND THE SUN
AND WEATHER MORE CERTAINLY KEPT OFF, THAN HAS HITHERTO BEEN EFFECTED BY
ANY OTHER SHADE OR BLIND;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained
a proviso that if I, the said Robert Salmon, shall not particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and cause
the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages
whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease, determine, and become void,
as in and by the same (relation being thereunto had) may more fully and at
large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that my Invention consists in considerable improvements
in the construction of blinds for windows or other openings, commonly called
Venetian blinds, and in the application of such blinds and improvements so as to
answer other purposes, and to be more useful than they have heretofore been
made, namely,
First, as window blinds, to keep out the sun or rain.
Secondly, as guards to windows or other openings, in which case, whilst
serving the uses before described, they may be set to guard against persons from
turning or setting the boards so as to look into the appartments.
They also admit of the sashes being set open, and, whilst admitting any
quantity of air or light required, they are secure from persons from without
altering them, and being so set and locked the prevent persons, dogs, &c. from
entering the appartments; and further, at night or other times, when so
wanted, the boards may be instantly closed, and so locked and fastened as to
secure the appartment, protect the glass, and prevent persons from looking
or entering, as securely as a common shutter. And with all these peculiar
advantages they may as readily be drawn up as any common blind.
"
The manner of constructing these my blinds and guards I describe as
follows:-
1.
First, as Window Blinds. Instead of the common way of hanging the
boards that form the blind, I do at each end of the boards affix pins of metal,
rivetted in a plate which clasps the end of the board, which pins rise and
fall in a groove in jamb linings made to fix round the window or other
opening, and at the ends of one or more of these boards the pins are made
hooked so as to work in a rebate behind the groove, and prevent the pins from
coming out of the grooves. Next, I do suspend and keep all the boards
at regular distances by means of tapes, with holes at certain distances, into
which holes the pins at each end of the boards are inserted before they are put
into the groove of the lining. Or, instead of tapes, I do, where more security
is wanted, make use of metal links or chains. By means of these the boards
are suspended at their proper distances from each other, whilst on their pins
they turn and set to their required angle, and act as when suspended by the
tapes; and. being thus particularly made and suspended they are connected and
regulated by a tape, chain, or line, fixed by staples to the edge of each board.
By these the boards are moved and set to their angle, and, being hung with
lines passing over pullies, they are thereby drawn up occasionally.
In fixing these hanging lines, I do claim the following particular way
as my Invention, namely: Instead of having a double line hanging
down within reach of the hand when the blind is down, I do only let

page_text: to
I
the line be of such length as to pass over the pullies and come
the side of the windows, without hanging down any below the head.
do then insert a smooth round fring of metal in the double of the line, and to
this ring fasten another line, so as to come down within reach. By means
of this the equal drawing up of the blind on each side is secured. The
peculiar advantages of, this Invention, when acting as blinds, consist in the
board being liung by pins in the center of the width at each end of the boards,,
and the pins going into grooves, and some of the pins being hooked, hereby,
the parallel distance of the boards is more accurately kept. When set to any
angle they will so keep steady against wind or rain, and not make any ratling
or noise, nor be so liable to be out of order, as common blinds..
Secondly, as window guards, I do make the following additions:-To the
bottom board of the sett to any window I do fix a metal asp or, chain, which,.
when the blind is down, and wanted to be secured, is by a lock fastened.down
to the sill, and being so locked the sashes of the ground floor or other windows
may be left open,. the sun and rain kept out, the air admitted, and all persons,
dogs, &c., kept out.
Further, 'a part of the lining. round the window being made to turn on
hinges, it occasionally acts as a bolt to every board, so that they may be set
and affixed at any angle réquired, and persons from without cannot remove
them so as 'to lock into the appartments; and further, at night, the same bolt
which fixes the boards to any requisite angle by day will close and fasten all
the boards close home to each other, so as completely to close the whole window,
and answer the purpose of a shutter, when no person can look in or enter
without breaking the boards and lock at the bottom.
And I do further claim as part of my Invention the manner of constructing
and applying blinds to circular or curvelinear-headed windows, as particularly
described in Fig. 9.
And further I do claini the Invention of applying the piece to turn out and
fix the moving boards to any angle, or to close the same, not only to my
improved blinds, but also to all other moving boards or blinds, where the pivots
are firmly fixed in a frame, and made in the way of what are commonly called
shutter blinds.
:
:.
And I do also claim the particular. way of making and fixing the pivots with
plates to clasp the ends of boards forming blinds, thereby rendering the boards
secure from splitting, and more sécurely fixing the pivots than has hitherto
been done.
Having thus generally described by Invention, for the better understanding
thereof I have hereto subjoined Drawings and references, shewing the principle
t

page_text: of the Invention; on which principle I claim all the variation in sizes and
shapes that may be required for different windows or circumstances, as also the
right of using every sort of materials proper for constructing blinds or guards
on my principles.
Fig. 1, front elevation of a blind or guard. A, tape or metal chain, by
which the pins at ends of the boards are suspended, and which folds in
between the boards when they are drawn up. B, boards or laths, with pins
at each end, running into a groove in the linings. C, setting tape, fixed to
the edges of the boards with staples. E, lines for raising or falling, having
a loop and a second line to secure regular drawing up. F, pannel to cover
the blind when drawn up out of use.
Fig. 2, section of a blind keeping out wind and rain only. A, tape or
chain, as before described. B, boards or laths, as before described. C, setting
tape, as before described.
Fig. 3, section of a window guard by day. A, the tape, as before. B,
boards, as before. C, setting tape, as before. D, hasp fixed to bottom board,
and locked down to the sill. G, a part of the jamb lining, turned out and
bolted by a small bolt into any one of several holes at bottom of the sill, so as
to prevent the blinds being opened or set to a greater angle than required.
Fig. 4, section of window guard by night, all parts as in Figure 3, but
with the part of the lining G turned quite out, whereby all the boards are forced
close together, and this piece, being fastened by the screw at H, secures the
boards from being turned or removed.
Fig. 5, plan of jamb lining, and end of boards at large, shewing the blind
day, guarded so as not to be opened from without. A, tape or chain
of suspension. B, board. G, part of the lining turned out and bolted
into a hole at bottom, so as to prevent the boards being opened more than
fixed at.
Fig. 6, plan of same, shewing the guard by night quite closed, the parts
being as before, but with the pieces G quite turned out and screwed fast by
the screw H, so as to confine all the boards, and close the window or other
opening:
Fig. 7, shewing the construction of pivots for all sorts of turning boards, so
as to make the pin or pins perfectly steady and secure, and prevent the end of
the board from splitting or warping. A, the end of the board. B, a thin
metal plate, doubled, so as to clasp the end of the board.
where two are required,) passing through a hole in the fold
also rivetted between the double plate-by a small rivet at D.
the plate to the end of the board.
C, pin (or pins,
of the plate, and
E, a rivet to fix

page_text: Fig. 8, shewing the manner of fixing the adjusting loop to draw up the
blind by. A, the metal loop in the fold of the drawing-up line. B, another
line fixed in the loop, so as to come within reach of the hand.
Fig. 9, shewing the manner of constructing and applying blinds to circular
or curvelinear-headed windows. A, circular laffit lining, to fit the head of the
window, and correspond with the jamb lining under it (if there be blinds to
the lower part of the window). B, boards, radiating to the center, of any
required size and number, to close the head of the window when turned flat-
ways. These boards, at the wide end, turn on pivots in holes in the circular fit,
and at the narrow end turn in the piece C. C, piece of wood, fixed on top of
the head lining that runs across the springing of the arch. In this piece
are holes to receive the pins at the small ends of the boards. D, connecting and
setting lines or wires, connected to the outer corner of the board in half the
round, and then crossing over and connnecting with the inner corner of
the other half of the boards. The ends of this line is then conducted and
continued to any convenient place, so as to be reached by the hand; and the.
whole of the boards may by these lines be instantly opened or closed as may
be required.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Salmon, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twelve.