IMPROVEMENTS IN CORD AND ROPE HOLDING OR GRIPPING APPARATUS
Year: 1885

page_text: I HENRY PHILIP HOGHTON of 40 William Street, Cheetham Hill, Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CORD AND ROPE HOLDING OR GRIPPING
APPARATUS" to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to apparatus used to hold or make fast cords or ropes and
whilst particularly adapted for use in holding the cords of venetian or other blinds
can be made to hold larger cords or ropes the gripping parts being suitably pro-
portioned. The said apparatus consists of two gripping levers which are mounted
upon separate fulcra carried by a suitable plate or foundation. The said levers are
formed or provided with gripping jaws and are so arranged as that when moved
upon their fulcra in one direction these jaws approach each other and when moved
in the contrary direction the jaws will open or move apart. The levers are either
of the same length or one is shorter than the other both fulcra being on the same
side with relation to the gripping jaws. According to the distance apart of the two
fulcra or to their angular positions with relation to the faces of the gripping jawa
the cord can be held with more or less of gripping force. To facilitate the insertion
of the cord within the jaws I form them to splay or widen outward and in some
cases to increase the grip I serrate the faces which hold the cord. To fix a cord
say for example a blind cord it is only necessary to push it into the space between
the jaws at the same time lifting the levers by an upward movement of the hand
if necessary until the jaws grip when the cord will be securely held the holding
force increasing with an increased strain upon the cord. The cord can be quickly
released by simply pulling it downward or outward or downward and outward.
The terms upward and downward relate to the example of the use that is to say
to the use of the apparatus as a blind cord holder. The levers are coupled together
by a projection on one entering a slot in the other or by suitable means.
In some
cases the aforesaid foundation plate may be dispensed with.

page_text: Improvements in Cord and Rope Holding or Gripping Apparatus.
°
I HENRY PHILIP HOGHTON of 40 William Street, Cheetham Hill, Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said
'Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN CORD AND ROPE HOLDING OR GRIPPING
APPARATUS" and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying
drawings:
My Invention relates to apparatus used to hold or make fast cords or ropes and
whilst particularly adapted for use in holding the cords of venetian or other blinds
can be made, to hold larger cords or ropes the gripping parts being suitably pro-
portioned. The said apparatus consists of two gripping levers which are mounted
upon separate fulcra carried by a suitable plate or foundation. The said levers are
formed or provided with gripping jaws and are so-arranged as that when moved
upon their fulera in one direction these jaws approach each other so as to grip and
hold an interposed cord or rope and when moved in the contrary direction the jaws
will open or move apart so as to disengage the said cord or rope.
Each
My Invention will be more readily understood when described with reference to
the accompanying sheet of drawings wherein Figs. 1 and 2 represent front views
of my cord holder Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is an end view of the
holder when the parts are in the positions indicated in Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 illustrates
a modification in the form of the apparatus. In the said Figs. a and b. are the two
gripping levers which are mounted upon pins which are fixed in a foundation plate c.
the fulcrum of the lever a being at d. and the fulcrum of the lever b. at e.
lever is formed with a gripping jaw a b¹ respectively which projects at right
angles from the lever and has its outer end splayed outward so that a wide and
curved entrance to the space between the two jaws is provided in order to facilitate
the introduction of the cord into the said space. The parallel or nearly parallel opposed
faces of the jaws form the gripping surfaces and these may be smooth or be toothed,
serrated or roughened to increase their grip as preferred. In Fig. 5 the gripping
jaws which are in section are represented as being serrated. The lever b. terminates
in a bolt or pin bª which enters a hole in the lever a and is free to slide in such
hole the use of the bolt or pin 62 being to connect the levers together so that they
move in concert. When the levers are turned upon their fulcra in the direction
indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2 the gripping jaws move apart and on the contrary
when the levers are moved in the reverse direction the said jaws approach each
other. This action of the jaws is illustrated by the diagram Fig. 6 wherein the
curved lines a. b. indicate the paths of motion of the two jaw faces. From this it
will be apparent that when the levers are moved in one direction that is to say in
an upward direction in the case of the example selected for illustration the two jaws
will approach each other whilst if moved downward the jaws will open or separate
for the release or admission of the cord as represented in Fig. 1. In the latter
Figure the parts are drawn in the positions which they assume when the cord is
being released from the holder or is being introduced into position between the
jaws. Taking for example the case of a venetian blind which has been drawn up

page_text: it would be only necessary to so move the hand which holds the cords as to bring
the cords into position between the jaws as represented in Fig. 1 and to release the
cord at the same time raising the levers or allowing the friction of the cords to do
so until the cord is gripped. When introduced between the jaws the cords may
be allowed to touch one of the arms so that when released the friction of the cords
will raise the jaws and cause them to close without its being necessary to touch
them with the hand. To release the cords it is only necessary to pull them out or
outward and downward from the jaws. In Fig. 5 the form of the plate c. is varied
and the fulcra of the levers are differently placed. The details of the apparatus
may be greatly varied so long as two grippers or gripping levers are used mounted
upon separate fulcra and so arranged as that the gripping faces converge or diverge
according to the direction in which the levers move upon their fulcra. The levers
may have the same length of radius measured from the axis of motion to the
gripping face or may have different lengths the relative positions of the fulcra
being arranged accordingly. I may in some cases apply a spring of any suitable
form to sustain the gripping levers and to give them a slight or suitable closing
tendency. Such a spring appears in dotted lines at f. in Fig. 5. Instead of limiting
the downward play of the levers by bringing them into contact with each other as
in Figs. 1 and 2 or by providing a stop or abutment g. as in Fig. 5 the said
limitation may be effected by providing the pin 62 with a stop or shoulder as shown
in dotted lines at Fig. 5. It will be evident that although I have in the foregoing
specification described and illustrated my improved gripper as applicable to the
gripping and holding of window blind cords similar apparatus might be employed
to grip and hold ropes bands, cords, chains or other attachments used for other
purposes.
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. The cord holder constructed and acting substantially as and for the purposes
set forth and indicated hereinbefore and in and by the accompanying drawings.
2. In a cord, rope or band holder the levers or grippers mounted on separate
fulcra and arranged so that their gripping faces move in converging curves as in
the case of the example illustrated by the diagram Fig. 6.
3. In a cord, rope or band holder the levers a, b. mounted and acting with relation
to each other substantially as and for the purposes set forth and indicated.
Dated this 13th day of March 1886.
DUTTON & FULTON,
Agents.