Improvements in Cornice Poles and Supports for Curtains and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application 28th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 4th June, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cornice Poles and Supports for Curtains and
the like.
I, JOSEPH SNOWBALL, of 40, High Street, Spennymoor, in the County of Durham,
Printer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, a communication to me
from abroad by John William Watson and George Lindsay Watson, both of 251,
Eighty-first Street, South Chicago, State of Illinois, United States of America, and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This invention relates to improvements in cornice poles or supports for curtains,
draperies, canopies, portières and the like of that class in which the pole has the
form of a slotted tube, within which is located a spring and which is provided with
hangers or sliding supports for attachment to the curtain, which hangers extend
through the slot of the tube into the interior of the same and are engaged with the
coils of the spring, so that when the spring is compressed or expanded endwise the
said hangers and the draperies supported thereby are uniformly brought together
or spread apart.
The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in
the appended claims
The invention may be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a view from beneath of a slotted tube which forms the body of the
curtain-pole. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, showing the
operative parts therein. Figs. 3 and 4 show separately, the left and right hand
ends of the pole with the springs therein compressed. Fig. 5 is a face view of a
sliding washer or follower which acts against the right hand spring. Fig. 6 is a
view of a similar sliding follower for the left hand spring. Fig. 7 is a face view of
a casting which is inserted in the left hand end of the tube, together with a pulley
which is mounted in said casting. Fig. 8 is a similar view in elevation of a casting
for the right-hand end of the tube and a stop pulley which is mounted in said
casting. Fig. 9 is a view in side elevation of a bracket employed to support the
tubular pole. Fig. 10 is a side view of one of the pins by which the castings are
secured within the tube and on which the pulleys are mounted.
Now referring to the several features illustrated in the said drawings, it being
understood that similar letters refer to the same parts throughout the several
figures, the same are constructed as follows.
A indicates a tube which is provided with a longitudinal slot B extending
from end to end thereof, in its lower side, or that which faces downwardly when the
tube is in operative position. In one end of said tube A is inserted a block or
casting G, in which is mounted a pulley E, said casting being provided with a
recess (seen in Fig. 8) in which the said pulley is mounted, and having the cylin-
drical outer surface, by which it is adapted to fit within the end of the tube. Said
casting G is secured in the tube by means of a pin I which passes through
holes K, K, in the tube and through the said casting, said pin I also forming
the pivot or bearing for the pulley E. Within the opposite end of the said tube is
located a similar block or casting H which is also made cylindric on its exterior

page_text: surface to fit within the tube and is secured therein by means of a pin H¹ which
passes through holes K' K' in the tube and through said casting. In the casting H
is a central recess, within which is located a pulley F, the same being mounted on
the pin H which is suitably located to form the journal for the said pulley. Within
the tube A are located two spirally coiled springs CD of which the spring C is
located at the left hand end of the tube and the spring D is located at the right
hand end thereof. The spring C bears or rests at its onter end against the inuer
surface of the casting H while the spring D similarly bears or rests against the
inner surface of the casting G.
M and N are two sliding plates or followers which are interposed between the
inner or adjacent ends of the spring, the plate M being in contact with the inner
end of the spring D, while the follower N is in contact with the inner end of the
spring C. A series of hangers L, L, extend through the slot B of the tube and
are engaged at their upper ends, by means of suitable eyes or loops thereon, with
the coils or couvolutions of the springs C and D. Said hangers are spaced equally
on the springs and are adapted for attachment in any suitable manner to the
curtains or draperies which the pole is intended to support, and it follo vs that
when the springs are expanded or contracted within the tube the haugers will be
moved or slid along through the slot thereof and will be uniformly brought together
or spread apart as the springs are expanded or contracted. Obviously when the
springs are fully expanded the hangers will stand at uniform distances apart
throughout the entire length of the tube, and when the springs are contracted in
the outer ends of the tubes the said hangers will be closely grouped at such outer
ends.
Fig. 2 of the drawings shows the hangers uniformly spaced while Figs. 3 and 4
illustrate them as closely grouped at the opposite ends of the tube.
An actuating cord J serves to operate both springs C and D.
For this purpose
said cord is attached at its extremity to the follower N, passes therefrom to the left
hand end of the pole, where it is trained around the pulley F, then passes back-
wardly through a hole in the said follower N to the follower M, to which it is secured,
and from said follower M it is carried to the pulley E around which it is trained
and from which its free end hangs to a point within reach of a person standing on
the floor of the room in which the pole is located. The cord J is shown as attached
to the follower N by means of a knot at the end of the cord, arranged to bear
against the inner face of said follower, while attachment of said cord to the
follower M is similarly effected by the simple expedient of a knot in the portion of
said cord between the two followers. Obviously however, the same result would
be obtained by attaching the cord in other ways to said followers, and in practice
the cord need not be a continuous one, as the portion thereof which passes around
the pulley F may extend only from the follower N to the follower M and máy be
attached at its ends to the two followers, while the section of the cord which passes
over the pulley F may be attached to said follower M and extend from the same to
the said pulley E, from which its free end depends.
The tube A contains a space or opening O through which the cord J passes in
its descent from the pulley E, the casting G having an opening corresponding with
the said opening O for the passage of said cord. The pulley Fat the left hand end
of the tube is a plain pulley provided with the usual groove for the cord J. The
said pulley E at the right hand end of the tube is, however, differently constructed,
being provided with two spirally arranged or oblique grooves e e, so arranged
with respect to the casting G that when the cord is carried into either of said
oblique grooves it will be clamped against the adjacent surfaces of the casting,
the space between said casting and the outer ends of said grooves (which approach
the side edges of the pulley) being considerably narrower than the thickness of
the operating cord J. When said cord rests in the central part of the
pulley E, as is the case if strain be applied vertically thereto, it will run upon
the pulley in the usual manner; but if the depending part of said cord be moved
or shifted laterally it will be thrown out of the central groove, or away from the

page_text: entre of the pulley, into one of the oblique grooves, whereupon in the turning
the pulley it will be clamped between the same and the casting G. The oblique
rooves are so arranged or directed however that the cord will be thus caught
r clamped only when the cord is pulled or drawn upwardly by the action of the
prings in expanding, and it follows that when the operator has contracted the
prings by pulling downwardly on the cord he may at any time clamp the cord
nd prevent any further movement thereof by throwing said cord into one of the
blique grooves in the manner above described.
By reason of the construction described of the two pulleys, the followers, and the
ord it will be clear that when the depending end of the cord is pulled downwardly
he follower N will be moved toward the left, while the follower M is moved toward
he right, the end portion of the cord acting outwardly on the follower N as said
cord is drawn around the pulley Fat that end of the tube and the follower M being
also moved outwardly as the cord is drawn around the pulley E at the opposite end
of the tube. A downward pull on the said cord therefore serves to compress the
two springs in opposite directions and to carry their inner ends toward the outer
ends of the tube. The compression of the springs in opposite directions of course
results from the use of the pulley F as a means of giving reverse movement to the
parts of the cord which operate upon the two springs.
The device described therefore affords a simple and convenient means of operating
two curtains which are supported on the hangers L beneath the pole, it being
obvious that when the cord J pulled downwardly one curtain will be drawn to
Moreover the springs serve to
the right and the other simultaneously to the left.
maintain the curtains normally closed or drawn together, so that by pulling
downwardly on the operating cord, the curtains are spread apart, and the cord may
be locked or clamped to hold the curtains at any desired point in their movement by
shifting the depending end of the cord, so that it may engage one of the oblique
As the hangers are uniformly
grooves on the pulley E as hereinbefore described.
spaced and will be attached at uniform intervals to the curtain suspended therefrom,
the curtains will always hang uniformly and will be contracted or expanded to a
uniform extent. If the curtains be open and it be shall desired to close them, a slight
downward pull on the cord J will release the same from the pulley E and the springs
may then be allowed to expand, thereby permitting the curtains to be closed to
their full or any desired extent.
In order to provide a means for supporting a slotted tube or pulley of the
character described, I have provided a special form of bracket, such as is seen at Q
in Fig. 9. The said bracket is provided at its outer end with a ring shaped part Q¹,
which embraces the opposite sides of the tube, but which is provided with an
opening P, corresponding in position with the slot B in the tube A. Said opening P
obviously permits the free passage past said bracket of the hangers L. The said
bracket is shown as made or bent from a single strip of metal and having double
end portions S, in which will be found holes (not shown) for nails or screws, by
which the bracket may be attached to a window-frame or wall. The upwardly bent
end portion of the strip forming said bracket is secured to the horizontal part of
5 the downwardly-bent portion by means of a holding screw or bolt R, while the
extremities of the said upwardly and downwardly bent parts embrace, respectively,
the inner and outer portions of the tube. The employment of a bracket made with
an opening P, as above described, is of great advantage, because it enables the
brackets to be located at any desired points lengthwise of the pole without
0 preventing the proper operation of the curtain supporting and moving devices.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. The combination with a longitudinally slotted tube, of two spiral springs
55 arranged therein in alinement with each other, a sliding follower in contact with the
inner end of each of said springs, pulleys at the opposite ends of the tube adjacent

page_text: to the outer ends of said springs and a single operating-cord for both springs which
is attached at one end to one of the followers, passed through the spring engaged
by said follower and around the pulley adjacent to the outer end thereof, returned
through said spring, passed through an aperture in said follower and attached to
the follower of the other spring and passed through the last mentioned spring with
the free end thereof drawn around the pulley at the opposite end of said last men-
tioned spring, said first mentioned pulley being of less diameter than the internal
diameter of the adjacent spring whereby the cord extending around the same and
the adjacent pulley may be passed freely through said spring.
2. The combination with a slotted tube, of two spiral springs therein arranged in
alinement with each other, hangers engaging the springs, pulleys at opposite ends
of the tube, and a single operating-cord for both springs passing over both pulleys:
that one of the pulleys from which the free end of the cord hangs having a spiral
groove and the tube baving a clamping surface opposite the groove, whereby the
cord may be clamped and held from movement under the action of the spring.
3. The combination with a slotted tube, of two spiral springs therein arranged in
alinement with each other, sliding apertured followers in contact with the inner ends
of the springs, pulleys at the opposite ends of the tube, a single operating-cord
attached at one of its extremities to one of said followers and between its ends to
the other follower, said cord passing around the pulley at one end of the tube and
being inserted through a hole in the follower to which its extremity is attached and
then carried over the pulley at the opposite end of the tube; the pulley with which
the free end of the cord is engaged having a spiral groove, and the tube having a
clamping surface opposite said groove whereby the cord may be clamped to hold
the cord from movement under the action of said springs.
15
L
" 1000
R. HADDAN,
Of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co.,
Agent to Applicants, 18, Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C., London.