US1037938A

US1037938A - Folding blind.

Info

Publication number: US1037938A
Application number: US64588811A
Authority: US
Inventors: John F Lessing
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1911-08-24
Filing date: 1911-08-24
Publication date: 1912-09-10
Anticipated expiration: 1929-09-10

Description

FOLDING BLIND. `APPLIoAT1oNnL11D 11119.14, 1911.

Patented Sqpt. 10,1912.

UNITED STATES JOHN F. LESSING, 0F ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN.

FOLDING BLIND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led August 24, 1911.

Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

Serial No. 645,888.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. LEssING, a citizen of the United States of America, and residentof St. Joseph, Berrien county, Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Folding Blinds, of which the following is a specification.`

My invention relates to blinds ofthe kind in which a number of slats are flexibly connected together, to form a curtain, and in which means e' provided', such as cords, for tilting the s ats to form a series of openingsbetween them, as well as for drawing the slats close together to raise the blind, a curtain or window shade of this character being ordinarily known as a Venetian blind.

The 'object of my invention is' to provide improved means for connecting together the ends of the slats to keep them in proper relation to each other, and to insure the proper operation thereof when the blind is opened and closed, or raised and lowered, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a front elevation of a Venetian blind embodying the principles of` my invention. Fig. 2 1s a side elevation or edge view of a portion of said blind, on an enlarged scale, showing the links by4 which the slats are connected together. Fig. 3 is a vertical sec-y tional view, in the plane of the blind, of one side portion thereof. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the slats separated and'tilted to overlap. Fig. 5 is a detail section on line 5 5 in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a perspective of one of the links by which the slats are connected together.

As thus illustrated, my invention comprises a suitable number of slats A of wood or other material. The opposite ends of each slat are provided with pivots a, which may be ordinary flat headed nails driven into the ends of the wooden slats, and which are nearer the upper edges of the slats than the lower edges thereof. The bar B is adapted to be supported in any suit-v able manner, and has its ends provided with similar nails b. Each slat is provided at its lower edge with a screw eye a', and these eyes are connected together by a cord a2, which latter is threaded through screw eyes b and .b2 on the bar B and hangs down at the inner side of the blind. The lower edges of the slatsl A are also provided, at each side of the blind, withscrew eyes a, and

E opposite these the said slats have their upper edges provided with screw eyes at. Outg side cords a5 extend downward through the screw eyes a3 and are fastened to the last golnets on the lower edge of the lowermost s a through the screw eyes a* and are fastened g' to the last ones on the upper edges of the l said lowermost slat. through screw eyes b3 and b* on the bar B l and hang down outside of the blind. The 5 cords at run throuo'h screw eyes (not shown) Inside cords a6 extend downward The cords a's run on the bar B and xhang down inside of the blind. By the cord a2 the slats can be tilted to provide a series of wide openings between them, or to close the said o nin l in the well known mannery of Venetian blinds. By the cords a and a the slats can be drawn upward and thus packed closely and solidly to ether, to raise the blind.

The lin s C are employed for connecting together the ends of the slats. Each link has a slot c that engages the pivots on two of the slats, and a rectangular loop c at the lower end thereof. rIhe upper end c2 of each link is bent outward, and the middle portion c3 of each link has a bend, whereby the upper end of each link is in a. plane outside of the vertical plane ofthe lower end thereof. The loops c' extend outwardly, and each loop is adapted to receive the u per ends of several links below, when t e i blind is raised. When the blind is lowered, then each loop only contains the up r end of the next lower link; and at this tlme the blind as a Whole is slightly flexible, as the links are capable of slight, lateral deflection. This flexibility, however, decreases as the slats are drawn together, as atsuch time each link is embraced by a plurality of said loops. Thus these loops guide the overla ping links, and in one sense the links te escope, when the blind is raised, to permit the slats to come close together. The upper ends of the uppermost links engage the nails b, whereby the series of overlapping links support the blinds. In this way the cords a2, a and as do notl support the blind, but are simply used for manipulating the slats thereof-that is to say,` do not support the blind when lowered. When raised, then the weight of the blind is sustained by the cords a and a.

By thus vconnecting the slats at the ends thereof, the operation of the blind is much more certain,' as the slats are held at all times in proper relation to each other, and the blind is, therefore, much more satisfactory in use. By having the pivots q nearer the upper edges than the lower edges of the slats, the said slats gravitate to upright position when the cord a2 is released, thus causing the slats tooverlap Aand close the blind. As their upper ends are outturned, the links slide upward over the pivots without catching. Also', the blind can be raised only partially, ifasu'ch is desired.

What I claiin as my invention is: f.

1. In a Venetian blind, a series of slats havin their ends provided with pivots, slotte links engaging said ivots to connect the said slats, means slats about their pivots, and means for drawing the slats close together, said links being arranged to overlap.

2. In a Venetian blind, a series of slats 'having -their ends provided with pivots,

slotted 4links engaging said ivots to connect the said slats, means or tilting the slats about their pivots, and means for drawing the slats close together, said links being arranged to overlap, and one or more of said links being provided with guides, each guide adapted to receive the upper ends of the plurality of said links when the slats are drawn together.

3. In a Venetian blind, a series of slats havin their ends provided with pivots, slotte links engaging said ivots to connect the said slats, means orptilting the ,slats about their pivots, means for drawing the slats close together, said links being arranged to overlap, andthe said pivots being nearer the upper edges of said slats than the lower edges thereof, whereby said slats rotate by gravity on the lower ends of the links, to close the spaces between the slats.

4. In a Venetian blind, Va series of slats having their ends .provided with pivots, slotted'links engaging said ivots to con-v nect the said slats, means or tilting the slats about their pivots, means for drawing the slats close together. said links being arranged to overlap, and the slots of said links being of such length that the links overlap more than two deep when the slats are drawn together. l

Y 5. In a Venetian blind, a series of slats having their ends provided with pivots, slotted links engaging said ivots to connect the said slats, means or tilting-the slats about their pivots, means for rawing'the slats close together, said links being arranged to overlap, and each link being provided with means for holding the links in alinement when. the slats are drawn together.

6. In a Venetian blind, a series of slats having their ends provided with pivots,

or tilting the l slotted links engaging said pivots. to connect the said slats, means for 'tilting the l slats about their pivots, means for drawing the slats close together, said links being arranged to overlap, and a plurality of said links being each provided at its lower end with a rectangular loop for receiving the upper ends of a pluralit' of links, which loops permit the series o links to contract endwise, but hold the sainer against lateral movement.

'7. In a Venetian blind, a series of slats havin their ends Aprovided with pivots, slotte links engaging said ivots to connect the said slats, means or tilting the slats about their pivots, means for drawing the slats close together, said links being arranged to overlap, each link engagin two of said pivots, and the upper end o each link being out-turned to slide upward over the links above.

8. A Venetian blind having the slats thereof connected together at their ends-by a link mechanism, and means for rotating the slats, said slats overlapping at their edges when the blind is down and fully closed.

9. The improved Venetian blind, substantially as shown and described, comprising slats pivoted at their ends, whereby each'slat is rotatable about a horizontal and longitudinal axis, said slats overlapping at their edges when the blind is down and y fully closed.

v 10. A Venetian blind having the' slats thereof lconnected together at their ends by a link mechanism, said mechanism comprising links which overlap each other.

` 11. A Venetian blind having the slats thereof connected together at their ends by a link mechanism, said mechanism comprisipg slotted links, and pivots movable in said s ots.

12. A l Venetian blind having the slats thereof connected together at their ends by a link mechanism, said mechanism comprising links, and each slat being pivoted at each end in only a single link, whereby each slat is capable of rotation about a longitudinal axis to open and close the blind.

13.- A Venetian blind having the slats thereof connected together at their ends by a link mechanism, said mechanism comprising links upon which the ends of the slats are pivoted, whereby each slat is capable of rotation about a longitudinal axis to open and close the blind.

14. A Venetian blind having the slats thereof connected together at their ends by a link mechanism, said mechanism comprising links which telescope with each other when the blind is raised.

15. A Venetian blind having the slats4 ing links which interlock to st'iien the blind as a whole.4

16. A Venetian blind having the overlapping slats thereof connected together at.

'maintain the overlapping relation thereof.

17. A Venetian blind .havingl the slats thereof connected together at their ends by a link mechanism, sald mechanism comprising links, and each Slat being pivoted at each end in only a single link, said slats overlapping a t ,thein edges when the blind is down and closed, and said mechanism preventing separation of said slats beyond thel distance necessary to maintain the over-` lapping relation thereof.

18. A Venetian blind having theL slats thereof connected ytogether at their ends by a link mechanism, said mechanism comprising links uponwhich the ends of the slats are pivoted, said slats overlapping at.

their edges when the blind is down and closed, and said mechanism preventing separation of said slats beyond the distance necessary to maintain the overlapping relationthereof.

i `Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, 'this 16th' day of August, 1911.

l JOHN E. LE'ssING. A

` Witnesses: GEO; SCHMIDT, S. LEWIS.