Year: 1887

page_text: I, JOSEPH AULD, of Burlington, in the County of Chittenden, and State of Vermont,
United States of America, 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 :-
My invention relates to an improvement in inside window blinds, wherein the slats
are respectively connected with and supported from a top-bar by means of flexible
tapes or bands, the blind being raised from the bottom or lowered from the top by
operating cords and the objects of my improvements are first, to so suspend the upper
or supporting bar, that the surfaces of the respective slats may be readily made to
assume either a horizontal or a diagonal position without interfering with the suspending
device; second, to so control the vertical movement of the blind as to prevent its
lateral or swinging movement especially occasioned by the passage of air-currents
through the open window; third, to afford facilities for enabling the blind to be readily
lowered or raised or to occupy any section of the window; fourth, to so construct and
arrange the operating mechanism of the blind, that its slats shall be automatically and
securely held in any of the positions in which they are placed without the inconvenience
of belaying or otherwise securing the operating cords.
I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in
which similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
In the drawing, Figure 1, is a front view of a blind embodying my invention.
Figure 2, is a vertical section of the same. Figures 3 and 4, are detail views:
A, is the window frame, B the lintel, C the sill, D, D the side-jambs, EE the several
slats of the window blind W, F, the top or supporting bar, the bottom bar. The
slats E, E, are horizontally suspended from the top-bar F, by means of the flexible
tapes or bands oo which are connected together at regular intervals by cross-tapes
upon which the slatst, in the ordinary manner of venetian blinds.
The top-bar F, of the series of slats E, E, is of sufficient thickness to sustain the
weight of the blind W, and to allow for the firm attachment to it of the hanging bent-
hooks, The lower end of these books is hinged or otherwise loosely connected
at c, to the under face of the bar F.
They are made to extend forward from the hinges c, & sufficiently far to allow the
inder face or side of the bar to rest easily upon them when it lies in a plane parallel

page_text: with that of the sill C, thence they are made to bend or curve upwards and backwards
in the forni of an are of sufficient size to avoid interfering with the front edge of the
bar F, when it is tilted upward.
The hooks, b, terminate in eyes e, e, directly over the centre of the bar F, when it
is in a horizontal position, for the attachment of the suspension cords a, a, the width
of the recesses d, d, in the ends of the top-bar and slats, is sufficient to allow them to
be tilted upwards or downwards for the purpose of more or less excluding the passage
of light or air through the blind. Their side edges are suitably beveled to allow them
to lie practically flat against the sides of the guide strips G, G, when desired to close
the blind (see Fig. 4). The bottom slat F is also sufficiently heavy in order to
afford a substantial support to the slats which rest upon it, as the blind is raised from
the sill C, and their weight consequently increased.
To operate the blind, the cords a, a, are respectively attached to the eyes e, e, of the
hanging hooks,, b, by which the blind is suspended. One of them a, is designed to
run across the top of the window, within a suitable space in the frame of the window
or blind, as preferred, where it meets the cord a', and thence both pass together down
one side of the window frame within a suitably recessed strip or moulding, which for
reasons of convenience of access and ornamental finish, I prefer to removably attach
to either front or side faces of the jamb D. The recess within this strip is made to
receive the metallic counterbalance friction weight H, designed to slide vertically within
it against the face of the jamb. This weight is preferably made flat and of sufficient
size to counterbalance, with the assistance of the friction of the cords, or its frictional
contact with the interior faces of the recess within which it slides, the weight of the
blind to which it is connected by the cords a, a!. It may be provided also with
friction-bearing springs h, arranged to press against the corresponding sides of the
weight recess, to assist in regulating and controlling its vertical movement.
pensate for the increasing weight of the blind necessary to be overcome as it is drawn
to the top of the window, additional frictional surface in the recess is provided by
lining such portion of it as may be found necessary, with felt or other suitable material
possessing a frictional surface, sufficient to automatically retain the weight at the
bottom of the recess when the blind W, is elevated to its extreme height. Through the
face of the recessed strip is a rectangular groove, cut lengthwise of the strip to allow
for the projection through it of the knob or handle J, which is rigidly attached to the
weight H, for the purpose of sliding the weight vertically, as desired, and thereby
lower or raise the top of the blind.
To com-
The cords m, m, designed to raise the blind from the bottom, are connected with
the bottom-slat F, near its extremities, thence passing upwards through suitable slots
in the several slats E, E, and the top-bar F, they enter the open space in the top of the
window or blind franie occupied by the cords a, a¹. One of the cords m, passes across
the frame till it meets the cord m', thence both cords are carried to, and together pass
a short distance down a suitably recessed or grooved strip or moulding, preferably
attached to either the front or side faces of the jamb in the same manner as is
provided for the cords a, a', on the opposite side of the window, where they are
attached to a similar counterbalance friction weight H, designed to slide vertically
within the recess thus provided.. This weight is also operated by a handle 1', attached
to and projecting from the weight H, similar to the landle J.
As these recessed and grooved weight strips are attached to either the front or
interior faces of the jamb, as is most convenient, the handles J, J', may be arranged
to project through vertical grooves cut either in the face of the strips or their front
edges so that they may be operated on either face as preferred.
It is obvious that without affecting the spirit of my invention, the jambs D, D, may
he so constructed as to afford sufficient space within them for the sliding of the
counter-balance weights, suitable grooves being made through either face of the jambs
for the passage of the operating handles J, J, instead of attaching recessed weight
strips or mouldings to the faces of the jambs as above described.
:
By this simple arrangement of suspension hooks, operating cords, counter-balance
weights, and handles, the blind can be inade to cover any portion or all of the window;

page_text: desired, and the slats opened or closed and there held automatically. All lateral or
transverse motion of the blind is effectually prevented by the side guide-strips G, G',
and instead of the vertical movement of the blind being limited to its elevation froni
the bottom, it may be readily made to cover any part as well as the whole of the entire
window and there at once held by means of the counter-balance friction weights, the
movement of which is simultaneous with that of the blind, without requiring any
additional fastening; the whole mechanism being under the ready and complete control
of the operator, and easily attached to the window.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is,
1. In a slat window-blind, the combination of the top-bar F with the bent hooks b
which are loosely connected at their lower ends to the under side of the bar, and the
operating cords, which are connected to the upper ends of the hooks, substantially
as shown.
2. The combination of the top-bar F, the slats E, having recesses with beveled edges
in their ends, with the side strips G, G¹, arranged in opposite sides of the frame,
substantially as set forth.
3. In a slat window-blind, the slats E, in combination with the top-bar F, the
cords a, a, attached to the top-bar F, by means of the hanging bent hooks b, b, which
are connected to the cords at their upper ends, and pivoted at their lower ends to the
inner side of the top-bar, and the counter friction weight H, running in a suitable
recess on the window jamb, substantially as set forth and for the purpose described.
4. In a slat window-blind the cords m, m³, attached to the bottom bar F, and passing
up suitable slots in the slats E, and top-bar F, and connected to the counter friction
weight H, running in a suitable recess on the window jamb, in combination with the
cords a, a, connected to the top-bar F, by the bent looks b, b, and to the counter-
balance weight H, running in a recess on the window jamb, substantially as and for
the purpose described.
5. The combination of the flexible-blind, composed of slats, and which is adapted to
be raised and lowered at its top, the hanging hooks b, the lower ends of which are
pivoted to the under face of the bar F, and which extend forward and curve upward
around the front edge of the bar F, and thence back over the upper face of the bar,
where it terminates in eyes e, e, the cords a, a, and the counter-balance friction
weights H, substantially as described.
6. The side-weights H, H', arranged to slide vertically along the jambs of a window
and so connected with the operating cords of a venetian blind as to control and
regulate its movement and position, as well as the portion of the window to be
covered by the blind, being operated by the handles J, J, substantially as herein
shown and described.
7. In a slat window-blind the combination of the slats E, top and bottom bars F, F1,
the cords m, m', connected to the bottom bar, and which pass up and are connected
with the counter-weight H', the cords a, a, which are attached to the top-bar by
means of the bent books b, 6, and are connected to the counter-weight H, sliding in a
frictional recess, substantially as set forth.
8. In a slat window-blind the grooved recess for the passage of the counter-balance
weight H, provided with a lining of felt or other frictional material at its lower
extremity, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.