US1528764A - Shade fixture - Google Patents

Description

March 1o, 1925.

H. K. HALL .SHADE FIXTURE Filed March -21, 1923 Patented: Mar. 10, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY K. HALL, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

snApn FIXTURE.

Application led March 21, 1923. Serial No. 626,465.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, I-In'NnY K. HALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockford. in the county of Winnebago and State ot Illinois7 have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shade Fixtures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relating in ygeneral to curtains, shades and screens, has more particu lar reference to shade fixtures, such as are supported fory vertical adjustment. This adjustment is for the purpose of positioning the shade to cover any desiredportion of the window., leaving a greater orless amount of the Ywindow exposed either at the top or bottom so that the desired lighting eti'ects and ventilation may be obtained according to weather Conditions and the room requirements.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved shade 'fixture ot this kind. with the'view to simplifying the construction so that it may be economically produced and will be thoroughly practical for the purposes in mind, and with the further view of easel and convenience ot installation and adjustment.

In furtherance of the foregoing, my invention contemplates the provision of novel means .tor supporting a shade characterizedy by suspension ot the shade at its center by means otl a fieXible element, such as a cord trained over a pulley, and novel means for balancing, adjusting and guiding the shade, so that it will be properly positioned at all times with relation to the window and may be easily raised and lowered.

Another object is to guide the; suspended shade at its center on a taut wire or the equivalent, which in connection with guide means which willy be more tully described` hereinafter, holds the shade at the proper level and prevents it from swinging from side to side. 'I

In Jfurther regard to the suspension. I have aimed to provide a means tor` obtaining an approximatebalanceof the shade comprising a weight positioned on the hanger at the end opposite from the roller spring,.this weight being preferably permanently embedded in the hangerbar, and to further provide an adjustingmeans by which the shade may be balanced to atine degree ofnicety and retained in such bah anced condition at any position to which it may be set.

Other objects and attendant advantages will be appreciated bythose skilled in this art as the invention becomes better under'- stood by reference to the following desc1ip tion when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a Jfront elevation of a window trame., window and shade fixture operatively associated therewith embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantiallvon thel line Qf-Zof Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front view of the shade hanger with the shade roller removed;

Figs. 4 and 5 are sections taken on-the lines :tl-fl and 5--5, resrectively,vot Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary rear View of the hanger; and

Fig'. 7 is a detail section taken on the line 7 7 ot Fig. 6.

The shade roller 11 on which the shade l2 is wound. may be ot any suitable or preferred construction. My invention. however, in certainrespects is intended tor application to shade rollers of the well known type having a spring in one end for windinfr the shade. My invention contemplates as mentioned above. the provision of means for suspending and guiding this unequally balanced shade roller .in a simple vand practical-manner and so that it may be easily and conveniently adjusted :tor service requirements. y

The shade roller will be supported on a suitable hanger 13 through the agency of the usual brackets 14. This hanger tor purpose ot economy in the cost ot'manutacture is preferably in the form of a wooden bar bored or otherwise shaped at one end for the reception of a metal weight 15. The purpose of this weight is to counterbalance the weight of the spring and appurtenant parts at the opposite end of the roller, this balance beingeii'ected with relation'to the central suspension ot the hanger by means of a cord or other flexible element 16. -It will be manifest that by lengthwise adjust ment ot the weight in the hanger bar, an approximate balane of the shade roller and hanger will vbe obtained. A plug 17 covers the end ot the weight hole in the hanger bar. In the present instance, the cord 16 is attached to the hanger bar through means ot a metal bracket I8. Any: suitable means of attachment may, however, be employed. The hanger suspending cord hul is trained over a stop pulley 19 of conventional construction, fixed to the top portion of the window frame 2l. By manipulation of the cord 1G t-he shade hanger may be raised and lowered as will be obvious, and supported at any elevation by locking the cord in the strop pulley.

In the preferred form of my invention, the ends of the hanger bar overreach the sides of the window frame, and each end is equipped on its inner face with a suit' able bumper or anti-friction device which will prevent such ends in their movement along the window frame from mari-ing the finish thereof, and will provide sliding contact with such frame, such as will not interfere with the balance and proper operation of the hanger. The bumper shown at present for illustrative purpose merely, is in the form of a felt pad 22 secured by a screw 23 at each end of the hanger bar at the rear side thereof. Any form of. bumper or the equivalent may, however, be employed.

For the purpose of guiding the shade hanger for holding it against swaying in any direct-ion and for maintaining a precise balance. so that it may be easily raised and lowered and will be held in the proper operative position, I have provided a central guide and adjusting means which will now be described. The guideway is preferably in the form of a wire 2l stretched taut between the top of the window frame and sill 25 at a central position thereon. The guide consists of a holder designated generally by 26, adjustably attached to the hanger bar as will be presently described, and carrying a guide element 27 which has an elongated hole through which the wire 24 passes. I prefer that the guide element shall be of wood, rubber or some material having a coefficient of friction so different from the wire as to revent s uealinef b f P s 5 sliding of the guide on the wire. The present guide has reduced ends 2S which fit in holes in the spaced arms 29 of the holder and are firmly held in position thereon. The guide holder is attached to the rear side of the hanger bar centrally between its ends by means of screws 31 and 32, the former of which provides a fixed fulcrum and the latter passes through an arcuate slot B3 in the upper end of the holder. It will be manifest viewing Fig. 6, that when these screws are loosened the hanger may be tilted about the` screw 3l as a fulcrum for the purpose of securing a fine adjustment or balance of the hanger and shade with respect to the guide wire, and that when this adjustment is obtained it may be made permanent by tightening both screws. Thus while an approximate balance is obtained by the balance weight in the end of the hanger bar, the precise and final balance is obtained relative adjustment of the hanger bar and guide. lVhen now the hanger is raised and lowered by means of the cord 16 it will be perfectly balanced and will slide freely and easily.

The guide wire 24 may be tightened by any suitable means, and I prefer to attach it at its ripper end to a screw eye 3st fastened to the window frame and at its lower end to a threaded element 35 which is threadedly engaged in a plate 36 fastened to the window sill and has a flattened thumbpiece head 87 provided with a hole for attachment to the wire. It will be manifest that by turning the thumb piece 15?, the member may be screwed into the plate for tightening the wire to the necessary degree, and that by this simple means or the equivalent, the wire may be easily kept taut.

My improved shade fixture may be made in various sizes and applied to windows of any kind. .lt should be understood, therefore. that the example disclosed herein is for illustrative purpose merely and that changes might be made in the size, shape and arrangement of parts and of materials used without departing from the. spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the :ip-- pended claims.

I claim:

l. A shade fixture comprising a shade roller hanger, means for suspending he hanger at a central position thereon, a verti` cal guide element at said cental position. a guide slidable on said element.y a holder for attaching said guide to the hanger, and means connecting the holder to the hanger comprising a fulcrum screw and a screw passing througl an arcuate slot in the hang er, whereby the hanger may be tilted on said fuleruin screw for balancing adjustment on said guide without sidewise displacement and whereby the hanger may be secured in the adjusted position by said second mentioned screw.

2. The combination of a window frame, of a shade fixture comprising a spring shade roller, a hanger therefor overreaching the sides of the window frame, aI bumper on each end portion of the hanger at the side adjacent to the window frame, a cord attached to the hanger at a central position thereon, a stop pulley on the top portion of the window frame over which said cord is trained for suspending the hanger and adjusting it vertically, a weight on the end portion of the hanger opposite from the roller spring for securing an approximate balance of the hanger, a wire guide attached to the top and bottom portions of the window frame medially between its sides and adapted to be drawn taut, and a guide slidable on said wire and pivotally attached tol the hanger on a horizontal axis so that said hanger is adjustable about said pivot for accurate ballOO ance, and means for fixedly securing the hanger in any adjusted relation to the guide means.

3. A shade fixture of the character described comprising, in combination, `a spring-operated shade roller, a hanger bar, a bracket on each end of the hanger bar between and upon which the roller is mounted, a hanger-suspending cord attached to said bar centrally between the ends thereof, a Vertical guide wire disposed centrally between the ends of said hanger bar adjacent thereto, guide means on the hanger bar slidable on said guide wire, and a pivotal connection on a horizontal axis between the hanger bar and guide means, whereby the hanger bar may be tilted on said guide means for securing balancing adjustment without sidewise displacement of the hanger bar.

4. A shade fixture of the character' described comprising, in combination, a spring-operated shade roller, a hanger bar, means supporting the roller on the hanger bar, av hanger-suspending cord attached to said bar centrally between the ends thereof, a vertical guide wire disposed centrally between the ends of said hanger bar adjacent thereto, guide means on the hanger bar slidable on said guide wire, a weight on the end oi' the hanger bar opposite from the spring-carrying end of the roller adjustable lengthwise on said bar for securing approximate balance of the suspended part, a pivotal connection on a horizontal axis between the hanger bar and guide means, whereby the hanger bar may be tilted on said guide means to secure accurate balance of the suspended part, and means for securing the hanger bar to the guide means in any tilted position.

5. A shade fixture of the character described comprising, in combination, a spring-operated shade roller, a hanger bar of wood, a bracket on each end of the hanger bar between and upon which the roller is mounted, a hanger-suspending cord attached to said bar centrally between the ends thereof, a vertical guide wire disposed centrally between the ends of said hanger bar adjacent thereto, guide means slidable on said guide wire, and pivotally attached to the hanger bar for adjustment and adapted to be iixedly connected thereto after adjustment, the hanger bar being bored longitudinally inwardly from its end opposite from the spring-carrying end of the shade roller, and a weight inserted into the bored hole for securing approximate balance of the hanger and roller 0n the guide wire.

6. A shade fixture comprising, in combination, a hanger bar, a shade roller supported on the front of said bar, a cord Jfor suspending the hanger bar from a central point thereon, a Vertical guide wire at the back of the hanger bar, and means for guiding the hanger bar upon said wire comprising vertically spaced arms extending rearwardly from the hanger bar and a wireengaging guide means attached to each of F said arms and being of a non-metallic material, and means for effecting balancing adjustment between the guide means and hanger bar.

HENRY K. HALL,

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