IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO BLINDS, SHADES, OR SIMILAR APPLIANCES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Owen Williams, junior, of Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
APPLICABLE TO BLINDS, SHADES, OR SIMILAR APPLIANCES."

page_text: operation. To carry the above part of my Invention into practice I
prefer to proceed as follows:-I operate the roller from a vertical
revolving shaft or shafts by worm and wheel gearing, the said vertical
shaft or shafts serves or serve to give a rising and falling motion to the
inner end of the stays or stretchers by means of a nut and screw or
similar device. The vertical shaft is caused to revolve by means of a
handle, or any convenient means may be employed. More than one
blind, shade, or similar appliance may be operated from the vertical
shaft.
Second. Where side blinds are used in combination with the blinds,
shades, or appliances above mentioned, I fold the said side blind under
or over the said blind, shade, or appliance and roll and unroll them
together, the roller being preferably turned smaller at the ends to allow
for the extra thickness of material.
SPECIFICATION. in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Owen Williams in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 9th December 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, OWEN
WILLIAMS, junior, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Owen Williams, junior, Her special
licence that I, the said Owen Williams, junior, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Owen Williams, junior,
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 Chaunel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO BLINDS, SHADES, OR SIMILAR APPLIANCES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Owen Williams, junior, my

page_text: executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Owen Williams, junior, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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 accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to such blinds, shades, and similar appliances,
mostly for outdoor use, as are attached to a roller and supported by stays:
or stretchers, has for its object to provide means for taking up and letting
out the blind, shade, or similar appliance with small expenditure of time
and labour, and consists,―
First. In giving motion to the roller and stays or stretchers at ono
operation. To carry the above part of my Invention into practice I prefer
to proceed as follows :— -I operate the roller from a vertical revolving shaft
or shafts by worm and wheel gearing, the said vertical shaft or shafts
serves or serve to give a rising and falling motion to the inner end of
the stays or stretchers by means of a nut and screw or similar device
The vertical shaft is caused to revolve by means of a handle, or any
convenient means may be employed. More than one blind, shade, or
appliance may be operated from the vertical shaft.
Second. Where side blinds are used in combination with the blinds,
shades, or appliances above mentioned, I fold the said side blind under or
over the said blind, shade, or appliance, and roll and unroll them together,
the roller being preferably turned smaller at the ends to allow for the
extra thickness of material.
:

page_text: the bevel gearing h. The shafts g in their turn give an up-and-down
motion to the stays or stretchers i by means of the screws and nuts j.
The nuts j rise as the blind is lowered, and fall as the blind is wrapped
around the roller. It will be evident that the driving gear c, d, e, and f
can be employed to give motion to more than one blind roller.
Fig. 4 is a front elevation, Fig. 5 and 6 are side elevations, and Fig. 7
is a sectional plan illustrative of the second part of my Iuvention. k is
the gear for operating the roller 1; m, front blind; n, side blind;
o, stretchers or stays for front blind; p, stretcher for side blind. When
it is desired to roll up the blinds, the side blind stretcher p is drawn
from the position shown in Fig. 6 to that shown in Figs. 4 and 7, by
means of the cord q, which passes over the pulley r in the blind roller,
see Fig. 8, and both blinds are rolled up together. The side blind
stretcher is pivotted at 8.
It will be obvious that two side blinds can be used. I prefer, that 1
when side blinds are used, the ends of the blind roller should be made
thinner than the centre.
Having now particularly described and illustrated my said Invention
so that others will be enabled to carry the said improvements into
effect, I claim,-
First. The improvements, substantially as and for the purposes set
forth under the first part.
Second. The improvements, substantially and for the purposes set
forth under the second head.
Jn witness whereof, I, the said Owen Williams, junior, have here- 2
unto set my hand and seal, the Seventh day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
In the presence of—
JAMES JOHNSON,
Patent Office,
Clayton Square,
Liverpool.
OWEN WILLIAMS, JUNIOR. (L.S.)
Witness.