US1008499A - Automatic screen. - Google Patents

Description

W. M. THOMPSON;

AUTOMATIC SCREEN.

I APPLICATION TILED 920.12, 1910 1,008,499; 11181161 Nov. 14, 1911.

L'OLUMI'IIA PLaNoonAPn 20.,WASI1INCI'DON, 11. c1

UNITED STATES PATENT O] FFICE.

WALTER M. THOMPSON, 0F GRANITE FALLS, MINNESOTA.

AUTOMATIC SCREEN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patente 1 Nov. 14, 1911.

Application filed. December 12, 1910. Serial No. 596,826.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER M. THoMrsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Granite Falls, in the county of Yellow Medicine and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Screens, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in stage appliances more particularly to an improved draw screen or curtain.

The object of the invention is to provide a screen which is so mounted that it may be readily drawn out of the way to one side of the stage or platform and which when released will be automatically stretched across the stage or platform.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of the novel features of construction and the combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, in which I have shown a' perspective view of my improved draw screen or curtain.

In the drawings 1 represents a proscenium arch of a stage or any other upright suphas atits topmetal ports between which a screen curtain or the like 2 may be hung. This screen is flexible so that it may be drawn to one side and, as illustrated, it is of rectangular shape and guide eyes 3 to slide upon a suspending wire or cable 4. The latter forms a supporting track or guide for the screen and has one end passed over a pulley in a double pulley block 5 hung from a hook 6 or otherwise suitably connected to the upper portion of the support 1. Said end of the wire 4 extends downwardly and is connected by a stretching device 7 to the lower portion of the support 1 or to the floor. The device 7 may be of any suitable form and construction but, as illustrated, it is in the form of a turn-buckle having one end connected to a stationary hook 8 and its other end rovided with an eye which is engaged wit a snap hook 9 on the end of the wire 4:- The other end of the wire 4 asses over one of three pulleys in a pulley block 10 hung from a hook 11 on the other side of the support 1 and the last mentioned end of the wire 1 extends downwardly and is connected to a stretching device 12, similar to the device 7. By the means of these snap hook 15 to the adja ent upper or right hand corner of the scresn 2 and its other end extends downwardl; and may be engaged with a cleat 1 1 s that the rope 13 will limit the movement )f the screen to the left. A second operatf ng and adjusting rope 16 is arranged upoii the other side of the device and passed an Pund the other pulley in the block 5. The upper end of the rope 16 is connected by a snap hook 17 to the upper left hand cor: 1G1 of the screen 2 and said rope extends d1 wnwardly and has secured 'to it a weight 15 which is sufficient to draw the screen to its stretched position. Said weight 18 is prefer ably hooked into a metal guide member 11 arranged at the lower end of the rope l6 and adapted to slide upon the vertical portion of the wire 41 which latter thereby s( rves as a guide for the weight. A cord 21 may be attached to the weight so that the latter may be pulled down should the screen become caught. A third operat .ng cord 21 is provided and has its upper ind passed over the third pulley in the bloc 10, then through the rings 3 at the top )f the curtain and connected by a'* snap ho )k 22 to the upper left hand corner of the :urtain. The other end of the rope 21 exten is downwardly and may be engaged with th: cleat 14 or with a si'mllar one, or it may oe fastened in any other manner.

23 denotes a weight attached to the center of the bottom edge of th a screen to hold the latter steady and 2 1 deni tes two coil sprin s suitably fixed at one e id and having the other end detachably eng aged with the lower corners of the screen.

In operation assumin g the screen to be in its stretched position shown in the drawings, when it is desired to draw the screen to one side of the stage and out of the way, the springs 24 are disco: mected from it and the lower end of the r0 e 21 is drawn upon so that the rings 3 at tl 1e top of the screen will be moved to the rig ht and toward each other to fold the screei and position it in a folded position at the right hand side of the stage. As the scre n is thus drawn or folded the weight 18 is elevated so that the instant the rope 21 is released the weight 18 will descend and automatically stretch the screen to its position shown in the drawing. By fastenlng the end of the rope 21 to the cleat 14 after the screen has been drawn over or folded the latter will be retained in such position, and by adjusting the cope 13 the screen may be positioned centrally between the supports 1.

While I have shown and described in detail the preferred embodiment of my invention, I- wish it understood that do not limit myself to theprecise construction set forth, and that various changes in the form and construction and minor details may be resorted to without departingfrom thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

An automatic screen comprising'in combination a' drawn screen, a plurality of rings disposed on the upper edge ofsaid screen, a wire track for said rings, a" wire rope for drawing said screen up, a hook disposed on said last mentioned rope, a rope secured to one of said rings disposed at the corner of said screen, a catch disposed on said rope, a turn-buckle disposed in said rope, a cleat for fastening said rope, another rope having a catch thereon secured in one of said rings disposed in the opposite cornerv of said screen, a weight disposed on the end of said "rope, a ring secured to said weight and arranged to engagegwith one of said ropes for guiding said weight, pulleys disposed atthe upper corners of saidscreen and arranged to guide the ropes, means for holding said pulleys,- springs disposed at the WALTER M. THOMPSON.

Witnesses OLE HARTWICK, H. L. GUNDERsoN.

Copies of this'patentniay be obtained' fo'r five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0."

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