Improvements in or relating to Partitions, Doors, and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 21st Sept., 1896-Accepted, 31st Oct., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Partitions, Doors, and the like.
I, EDWIN JAMES SHERMAN of Rockburg, Bath Road, Felixstowe, in the
County of Suffolk, Retired Upholsterer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to partitions, doors and the like, its object being the
construction of devices the equivalent of a novel kind of collapsible door,
preferably provided with means for screening or covering the same in a manner
pleasing to the eye.
According to this invention a collapsible door is made of a number of slats, or
the equivalent connected by sheets of felt or textile fabric so as to be extensible or
collapsible. For example in a pair of such doors the innermost slat of each door
is secured to the wall of the opening to which the doors are to be applied; the
slats are preferably vertical and their upper ends are provided with flanged pins
T-headed arms or roller bearers or are otherwise adapted to travel on angle-iron
or other rails placed within the architrave of the casing. By extending these
collapsible doors they meet in the middle of the room or opening and can there be
secured to each other by any suitable means. In their movement the slots travel
upon the rails above them in the casing. The opening below the rails in the
architrave is preferably closed, when the doors are collapsed, by a board or plate
which is removed when the doors are to be expanded and is laid upon the floor to
receive the lower ends of the slats, which may be provided with ball casters or
other means to facilitate their movement. The portions of the casing in which
the collapsed doors are received, are provided with single or double doors or flaps
with bolts or catches.
Roller blinds, shutters or curtains are preferably provided within the architrave,
at one side or at both sides of the collapsible doors; they are employed to conceal
the expanded doors, and can be made to resemble, in appearance or to harmonize
with the walls of the apartment in which the apparatus is employed. A length of
skirting-board can be carried by the bottom edge of each blind; in such event the
aforesaid board or plate of the casing is preferably provided with ribs, the slats
travelling in the groove between the ribs and the skirting on the blind bearing
against the outer face of each rib.
Conveniently the collapsible door may be of bellows form, that is to say, it may
consist of two layers of fabric with the slats or equivalent inserted between them
at intervals and secured to the fabric.
Instead of a pair of collapsible doors as above described, a single door can be
used. Further, instead of two blinds or shutters, only one may be employed; and
the movable parts of the apparatus are not of necessity movable in a horizontal
direction, for they may be disposed so as to move vertically, or in a plane inclined
to the horizontal.
Dated this 10th don of Wah 1000
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Partitions, Doors, and the like.
I, EDWIN JAMES SHERMAN of Rockburg, Bath Road, Felixstowe, in the
County of Suffolk, Retired Upholsterer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to partitions, doors and the like, its object being. the
construction of a novel kind of collapsable door, preferably provided with means
for screening or covering the same in a manner pleasing to the eye.
According to this invention a collapsable door is made of a number of slats, or
the equivalent connected by sheets of felt or textile fabric so as to be extensible
or collapsable. For example in a pair of such doors the innermost slat of each
door is secured to the wall of the opening to which the doors are to be applied;
the slats are preferably vertical and their upper ends are provided with flanged
pins, T-beaded arms or roller bearers or are otherwise adapted to travel on angle-
iron or other rails placed within the architrave of the casing. By extending these
collapsable doors they meet in the middle of the opening and can there be secured
to each other by any suitable means. In their movement the slats travel upon the
rails above them in the casing. The opening below the rails in the architrave is
preferably closed, when the doors are collapsed, by a board or plate which is
removed when the doors are to be expanded and is laid upon the floor to receive
the lower end of the slats, which may be provided with ball casters or other means
to facilitate their movement. The portions of the casing in which the collapsed
doors are received, are provided with single or double doors or flaps, with bolts or
catches.
.Roller blinds, shutters or curtains are preferably provided within the architrave,
at one side or at both sides of the collapsable doors; they are employed to conceal
the expanded doors, and can be made to resemble, in appearance or to harmonize
with the walls of the apartment in which the apparatus is employed. A length of
skirting-board can be carried by the bottom edge of each blind; in such event the
aforesaid board or plate of the casing is preferably provided with ribs, the slats
travelling in the groove between the ribs and the skirting on the blind bearing
against the outer face of each rib.
Conveniently the collapsable door may be of bellows form, that is to say, it may
consist of two layers of fabric with the slats or equivalent inserted between them at
intervals and secured to the fabric. But if desired a single sheet of fabric suitably
connected to the slats can be used instead.
Instead of a pair of collapsable doors as above described, a single door can be
used. Further, instead of two blinds or shutters, only one may be employed; and
the movable parts of the apparatus are not of necessity movable in a horizontal
direction, for they may be disposed so as to move vertically, or in a plane inclined
to the horizontal.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a perspective view partly broken away showing partially expanded
one door of a pair constructed according to this invention, together with the casing,
blinds, and other appurtenances.
Figure 2 is a sectional plan of the apparatus, one door being shown collapsed and
the other.extended..
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
A are the slats and B the sheets of felt or textile fabric, each sheet being attached
to the edges of the adjacent slats so that the sheets form a flexible connection
between the several slats. The innermost slat A' is secured to the wall of the
opening to which the door is applied. The slats are vertical and have attached to

page_text: their upper ends, by screws or otherwise, T-headed arms A³. C are angle-iron
rails within the architrave D, and having a space between them through which the
stem As of each T-headed arm passes so that the arms A³ can travel on the angle-
iron rails C which support the weight of the slats and felt when the door is being
opened or shut. The ends of the angle-iron rails C rest on blocks in the wall, and
suitably shaped metal pieces C₁ placed at intervals hold the rails at a uniform
distance apart. The opening D' below the rails C in the architrave has to be
opened as shown in Figure 1 when the door is extended, but when the doors are
collapsed this opening should be closed by a board or plate D' which in Figure 1
is seen resting upon the floor. This board is of such dimensions that it will enter
and close the opening D¹ when the door is collapsed; it is held in place in. that
opening by turn-buttons D', bolts or equivalent devices carried on the architrave.
A is a ball caster one of these being fixed in the bottom of each slat so as to
travel, when the door is extended, upon the board D', whereby the extension of
the door is facilitated, and wear of the carpet or floor in the opening is prevented.
Conveniently the board D is provided with ribs or flanges D³ to guide the
casters.
The employment of the casters is not however essential the ends of the slats
being guided by the ribs D³ and the whole weight being supported by the T-heads
upon the rails C. The felt is made sufficiently long to hang down outside the
ribs Da, being consequently unattached to the slats just at their bottom ends to
allow of this.
E are roller blinds provided within the architrave D at both sides of the
collapsable doors in the example illustrated. E is a length of skirting-board, secured
to the bottom edge of each blind. When the blind is up as seen at the left-hand
side of Figure 1, the skirting-board rises within and is concealed by the architrave;
but when either blind is down as seen at the right-hand side of Figure 1 the
skirting-board rests upon the board D' and against the bottom edge of the felt
which hangs just outside the ribs D. In addition to the architrave D there is a
casing Fat each side of the room to receive each door when it is collapsed. Small
doors or flaps F are hinged to the casing F to close the opening in the latter
through which the door passes. These flaps may be provided with bolts or catches
and be so formed or painted as not to appear conspicuous when the door is extended.
The slat which forms the outer end of the door is made somewhat stouter than the
others and its outer side is rabbetted, the edges of the flaps F1 being correspondingly
shaped to make a neat juncture when the door is pushed back. The felt is extended
on one side of the door at its outer edge to form a flap B¹ which is nipped between
the edges of the two doors when they are brought together, and so excludes all
possibility of sound passing through.
The blinds E are preferably spring operated but cords may be employed if
desired.
The architrave D is provided with a hinged flap E to enable access to be had
to the blinds and other apparatus within the architrave, oue of these flaps being
shown open.
The blinds need not be within the architrave but can be outside if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what
I claim is :-
1. A collapsable door or partition of slats A and flexible fabric B.
2. The combination with a collapsable door or partition of the kind described,
of a guide or support such as C for the upper ends of the slats, and a roller or other
device on a slat to travel in or upon the guide or support.
3. In a collapsable door or partition of the kind described, the combination with
a slat of a caster or equivalent at its lower end for the purpose described.
4. The combination with the upper casing D screening the supports or guides C
of a board or plate D2 for the purposes specified.

page_text: .
5. The combination with a collapsable door or partition of, the kind described,
a casing such as F with or without hinged Aaps or the like, for the purpose
specified.
6. The combination with a collapsable door or partition of the kind described, of
a blind or shutter such as E, for the purpose specified.
7. The combination with a collapsable door or partition of the kind described of
a hollow architrave or casing D with or without a hinged flap.
8. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting a complete collapsable
door or partition substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of
the accompanying drawings.
E. J. SHERMAN.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.