Improved Appliances for Attaching or Hanging Curtains to their Poles or Rods.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1889;
Complete Specification Left, 18th Feb., 1890-Accepted, 22nd Mar., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Appliances for Attaching or Hanging Curtains to
their Poles or Rods.
I, ERNEST AUGUSTUS BARBER BEAUMONT, of 32 Egremont Place, Brighton, in
the County of Sussex, Retired Army Officer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
invention to be as follows:-
Heretofore it has been customary to attach or hang curtains to their poles or rods
by means of a number of separate rings free to slide on the said poles or rods.
Sometimes these rings and with them the curtain suspended to them and moved
along the pole or rod by means of cords passing over pulleys, but more frequently
they are not provided with any means for moving them other than the curtain itself.
In either case the drawing or undrawing of the curtain is generally attended with
some difficulty or inconvenience because if, on the one hand, cords are provided for
sliding the rings along the pole or rod, they tend to tilt the ring to one side or
other and so prevent its sliding freely, or if, on the other hand, no cords are provided
the curtain can only be drawn or undrawn by jerking or flicking the rings along the
pole or rod by means of the curtain itself, which often causes the curtain to be
torn.
The object of my invention is to produce an appliance by which the above described
inconveniences are avoided, and for this purpose I employ, instead of a number of
separate rings threaded on to the pole or rod, a spiral spring the convolutions of
which either surround the pole or rod externally, or are contained within the same.
The curtain is suspended at suitable points to the lower side of the convolutions of
the spring by means of hooks or otherwise, and the spring may be made so as to be
closed or collapsed when in its normal condition, or to be open or extended when in
such normal condition. A cord is attached to one end of the spring and carried
over guide pulleys to a suitable point within easy reach, so that on pulling the said
cord the spring is either stretched or compressed in opposition to its normal
tendency so as to close or open the curtain as the case may be. On releasing the
cord the spring returns automatically to its normal condition and opens or closes
the curtain, as the case may be, without any assistance or effort on the part of the
person releasing the cord.
When the pole or rod is hollow, as when it is composed of a metal tube for
example, the spring may be placed inside it, a narrow slot being in that case formed
along the underside of the said tube through which slot the curtain may be attached
to the convolutions of the spring. Or the convolutions of the spring may remain
outside the pole or rod the latter being provided with the longitudinal slot in any
suitable position to enable the cord to work inside the pole or rod although attached
to the spring outside the same.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Appliances for Attaching or Hanging Curtains to
their Poles or Rods.
I, ERNEST AUGUSTUS BARBER BEAUMONT, of 32 Egremont Place, Brighton, in
the County of Sussex, Retired Army Officer, do hereby declare the nature of the 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 drawings and to the letters and Figures marked
thereon, that is to say:
Heretofore it has been customary to attach or hang curtains to their poles or rods
by means of a number of separate rings free to slide on the said poles or rods.
Sometimes these rings, and with them the curtain suspended to them, are moved
along the pole or rod by means of cords passing over pulleys, but more frequently
they are not provided with any means for moving them other than the curtain itself.
In either case the drawing or undrawing of the curtain is generally attended with
some difficulty or inconvenience, because if, on the one hand, cords are provided for
sliding the rings along the pole or rod, they tend to tilt the ring to one side or
other and so prevent its sliding freely or if, on the other hand, no cords are provided
the curtain can only be drawn or undrawn by jerking or flicking the rings along
the pole or rod by means of the curtain itself, which often causes the curtain to be
torn.
The object of my invention is to produce an appliance by which the above
described inconveniences are avoided, and for this purpose I employ, instead of a
number of separate rings threaded on to the pole or rod, a spiral spring the
convolutions of which either surround the pole or rod externally, or are contained
within the same.
The curtain is suspended at suitable points to the lower side
of the convolutions of the spring by means of hooks or otherwise, and the
spring may be made so as to be closed or collapsed when in its normal condition,
or to be open or extended when in such normal condition. A cord is attached to
one end of the spring and carried over guide pulleys to a suitable point within easy
reach, so that on pulling the said cord, the spring is either stretched or compressed
in opposition to its normal tendency so as to close or open the curtain as the case
may be. On releasing the cord, the spring returns automatically to its normal
condition and opens or closes the curtain, as the case may be, without any assistance
or effort on the part of the person releasing the cord.
In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation and Figure 2 a section
of a curtain pole or rod, fitted as above described, and Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 illustrate
in similar views, modifications thereof. Similar letters relate to like parts in all of
the Figures. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, A is the curtain pole or rod which may
be supported in any suitable or convenient manner. B is a spiral spring threaded
thereon, and so made that when in its normal condition it is open or extended. C is
the curtain suspended at C from the convolutions of the spiral spring B, by means
of hooks or otherwise. D is a sleeve arranged to slide freely on the pole or rod A
and provided with a flange D' which forms a stop at one end for the spiral spring B.
To this flange or stop is attached at one or more points of its circumference, a cord E
which passes as shewn over one or more suitable guide pullies to a convenient point
within easy reach. The flange or collar G on the pole or rod A forms a stop at the
other end of the spiral spring B. When it is desired to open the curtain the cord E
is pulled, the sleeve D is caused to slide along the pole or rod A in the direction of
the arrow, the spiral spring B is compressed the convolutions to which the curtain C
is attached are caused to approach one another and the curtain is thereby opened.
The curtain may be retained in this position by passing the cord round a cleat or
other holding or retaining device. When it is required to close the curtain the
cord E is released and the spiral spring B automatically returns to its normal open o

page_text: extended condition, carrying with it the curtain C, the outer end being prevented if
necessary from going beyond a certain distance by means of the stop H fixed on the
pole or rod A. The spring B may be secured in any position between complete
collapse, and completo extension, by means of the cord E, and the curtain C thereby
held in a more or less open or closed position as may be desired.
When the pole or rod A is hollow, as for example when it is composed of a metal
tube, the spiral spring B may be placed inside it, a narrow slot being in that case
formed along the under side of the said tube through which slot the curtain may be
attached to the convolutions of the spiral.spring. Figures and 4 illustrate this
arrangement the spiral spring B being shewn inside the pole or rod A which is
slotted at A through which slots pass the hooks or other means of attachment of
the curtain C to the convolutions of the spiral spring B. D2 is a sliding plug which
lits loosely in the pole or rod A and through which passes the cord E. G' is a screw
cap which forms a stop for the outer end of the spiral spring B.
Figures 5 and 6 illustrate a modification in which the spiral spring B is arranged
outside the pole or rod A, but is actuated by a sliding plug D2 inside thereof, the
said plug having a lug D³ projecting through the slot A of the pole or rod by
which the spiral spring B is compressed.
In the arrangements illustrated the spiral spring B is represented as being open
or extended when in its normal condition, but it will be readily understood that by
slight modifications of the parts, springs which are closed or collapsed when in their
normal condition may be employed, the pull on the cord acting in that case to open
the spring and thus close the curtain.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
The improved appliances for attaching or hanging curtains to their poles or rods
consisting of spiral springs surrounding the said poles or rods or enclosed therein,
arranged and actuated substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the
drawings hereto annexed.
Dated this 18th day of February 1890.
E. A. B. BEAUMONT.
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.