A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING AND
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Fuller, of Longcrofts, New Shoreham,
in the County of Sussex, Doctor of Medicine, for the Invention
of "A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING AND
"
Sealed the 14th November 1873, and dated the 21st May 1873..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Fuller at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st May 1873.
I, THOMAS FULLER, of Longcrofts, New Shoreham, in the County of
Sussex, Doctor of Medicine, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING
AND ADJUSTING VENETIAN AND OTHER BLINDS," to be as follows:-
My improved apparatus will be composed essentially of a conical or
wedge shaped piece, upon which will traverse a ring or collar. The
cone or wedge will be carried by a plate or in any suitable manner, and
be fixed to the window frame or jamb, or in any convenient position.
The ring or collar will be kept upon the cone or wedge shaped piece by
a spring or stop, or otherwise, and I may use the spring to keep the

page_text: ring or collar up the cone or wedge shaped piece, unless drawn down to
release the blind cords.
The blind cords, which may be of any number, will pass between the
ring or collar and the cone or wedge shaped piece, and the action will
be as follows:-
When the cord or cords are pulled downward to raise the blind the ring
or collar will slightly come down the cone or wedge shaped piece, leaving
a free passage for the cord or cords, but directly the downward tension
upon the cord or cords is relaxed the friction of the cord or cords
drawn upward by the weight of the blind will carry the ring or collar
up again, lessening the width of the passage between it and the cone or
wedge shaped piece, and the greater the weight of the blind the firmer
the cord or cords will be nipped between the ring or collar and the cone
or piece upon which it travels.
To ensure the immediate rising of the ring or collar when the cord or
cords are released from the downward pull I may as above stated bring
it up by a spring of any kind.
I may find it desirable to use as many collars or rings as there are
separate blind cords.
5111
to meko my annexatio of less On and suitable motel on
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Fuller in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 19th November 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS 2
FULLER, of Longcrofts, New Shoreham, in the County of Sussex, Doctor
of Medicine, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty- 3
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Thomas Fuller, Her special licence
that I, the said Thomas Fuller, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Fuller, my executors,

page_text: 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, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR RAISING AND LOWERING AND ADJUSTING VENETIAN AND OTHER BLINDS," upon
the condition, (amongst others,) that I, the said Thomas Fuller, 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 Thomas Fuller, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawing and to the figures and letters of reference placed
thereon, similar letters denoting similar parts in each of the Figures
respectively.
My improved apparatus or cleat for raising, lowering, and adjusting
Venetian and other blinds is composed essentially of a conical or a
wedge shaped piece, upon which traverses a ring or collar, the raising,
lowering, and fixing of which, and consequent adjustment of the blind,
is operated by the movement of the blind cord or cords between the
ring or collar and the cone or wedge.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawing,―
Figure 1 is an elevation or front view of a cleat embodying my
Invention, fixed to window frame or jamb.
Figure 2 is a side view of Fig. 1.
Figure 3 represents a view of a Venetian blind, showing application
of my improved cleat for an endless cord.
Figure 4 is a view of cleat detached.
A, cone; B, sliding ring; C, cord; D (Fig. 3), guide pulley for cord;
E, top guide for cord; F, F¹, lugs for fixing cleat to jamb.

page_text: collar B slightly comes down the cone A, as shewn in dotted lines Fig. 1,
leaving a free passage for the cord, but directly the downward tension
upon the cord C is relaxed the friction of the said cord drawn upward
by the weight of the descending blind carries the ring B up again,
lessening the width of the passage between it and the cone, and the
greater the weight of the blind the firmer the cord will be nipped between
the ring or collar and the cone or piece upon which it travels.
It will be observed that in the arrangement illustrated, Figure 3,
the cone is reversed, and that the cord passing between cone and ring
is an endless cord carried over a guide pulley D and top guide E.
The endless cord is obtained by cutting the ordinary double cord,
passing one end under the pulley D between ring B and cone A over
the guide E, and refastening it at G.
Upon pulling the inner part of cord C to raise the blind the part C¹
slightly lifts the ring and the cord works freely, but immediately the
downward pull on cord C is relaxed C¹ comes down and the cord is nipped
between ring and cone. The conical piece shown on the accompanying
Drawing is attached to the window frame or jamb by the two lugs F, F',
of one piece with it, the piece F keeping the ring from falling to the
ground when loosened from the cord. The ring might, however, be
kept upon the cone by a spring, a stop, or in any convenient manner,
and the cone be carried by a plate, or in any suitable manner, and be
fixed to the window frame or jamb in any convenient position.
A wedge shaped piece with suitably shaped collar might be used in
lieu of the cone, but I give preference to this latter.
I find in practice that the ring is invariably carried up the cone by
the friction of the cord upon its being released from the hand, but in
some particular cases it may be found advisable to keep the ring or
collar up the cone or wedge shaped piece by means of an elastic cord or
spring, which will yield when the cord is pulled down to raise the blind,
and assist the friction in raising the ring to the nipping point when this
cord is released from the downward pull.
More than one cord may be passed between the ring or collar and
the cone or wedge shaped piece. When numerous cords are required
several cleats might be placed in contiguity, all operating together upon
the cords being pulled simultaneously (but this is not necessary).
I make the cone or wedge shaped piece of brass, of glass, of wood,
or of any suitable metal or material, or combination of materials, and

page_text: the ring or collar may be of metal or any material which may be found
more desirable.
My improved cleat is not only applicable to Venetian and other heavy
blinds but to blinds of almost every description.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is or may be performed, I would
have it understood that I do not confine myself to any precise dimen-
sions of apparatus or of its parts, nor to the particular arrangements in
relation to the blinds as shown on the accompanying Drawing, and
that what I claim as secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is, the use of the combination of a conical or of a wedge
shaped piece with a collar or ring when forming an apparatus for raising
and lowering and adjusting Venetian and other blinds, substantially as
herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Fuller, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.