IMPROVEMENTS IN HOLDFASTS AND GUIDE PULLEYS FOR THE CORDS OF VENETIAN BLINDS FOR WINDOWS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Morris, of Clapham, in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HOLDFASTS AND GUIDE
PULLEYS FOR THE CORDS OF VENETIAN BLINDS FOR WINDOWS."
Sealed the 2nd April 1861, and dated the 4th October 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Morris at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th October 1860.
I, JAMES MORRIS, of Clapham, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HOLD-
FASTS AND GUIDE PULLEYS FOR THE CORDS OP VENETIAN BLINDS FOR WINDOWS," to
be as follows:-
The first part of my Invention relates to the mode of holding the cords of
Venetian blinds, and consists of a holdfast to clip the cords and hold them in
the position required. For this purpose a suitable clip is hinged to a sole
plate which is fastened to the side of the window frame; the blind cords are
passed between the said clip and the said sole plate, so that when the said clip
is shut down the blind cords are gripped and held in position.
Another description of holdfast consists of a pair of plates, between which
the said blind cords are passed; the said plates are held together by set screws,

page_text: and by adjusting these the cords are gripped and held in position; one of the
said plates is furnished with a hook for attaching the holdfast to the side of
the window frame.
The second part of my Invention is intended to keep the cords by which
Venetian blinds are adjusted in their proper position and from twisting, which
is accomplished by forming guides or grooves in the pulley frames of each of
the pulleys over which the blind cords run; by these means each blind cord
passes through guides of its own, and twisting together of the several cords is
prevented.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Morris in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th April 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MORRIS, of Clapham, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Morris, Her special licence that I, the said James Morris,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Morris, 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, exer-
cise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN HOLDFASTS AND GUIDE PULLEYS FOR THE CORDS OF VENETIAN BLINDS FOR
WINDOWS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James
Morris, my 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 James Morris, 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

page_text: according to my Invention; and Figure 8 is a top plan view of the pulley bar
with cover removed to show the arrangement of the guide pulleys and cords;
letter (1) is an ordinary Venetian blind; (m) is the pulley bar; (n) are the
suspension cords; (o) are the guides and pulleys; (p) is the cover of the
pulley bar, and (2) is the holdfast for gripping the cords or down-hauls. The
pulley bars of blinds with three lines, as shown at Figure 7, require three
guide frames, each furnished with a single pulley, in addition to the guide
frame containing three pulleys which is fitted at the end of the said bar.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect,
I would observe in conclusion that what I consider novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the use of holdfasts for retaining Venetian blinds at any required
elevation, as herein-before described.
Second, the use of guides and pulleys for the cords of Venetian blinds, as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Morris, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
W. H. BATEMAN,
71, Fleet Street.
JAMES MOKKIS. (L.S.)