US1886674A - Shade fixture - Google Patents

Description

Patented Nov. 8, 1932 ATENT OFFICE i STEWART HARTSHORN, F SHORT HILLS, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO STEWART HART- SHORN GOMANY, OF EAST NEW'ABK, NETJV JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY SHADE FIXTURE Application filed February 5, 1932. Serial No. 591,004.

" thereto.

One object of the invention is to provide means whereby a fabric may be quickly and easily attached to a roller and firmly held thereon against a pulling force or strain applied to the fabric during its use.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple and reliable means whereby a fabric may be quickly and easily attached to a roller which is capable of longitudinal adjustment, which will permitthe length of such roller to be adjusted without the necessity of removing the fabric.

Further objects will more fully appear in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which F l is side view of an adjustable shade roller constructed in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a fabric-fastening clamp which cooperates with a portion of the groove of the roller shown in Fig. l; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of the inner end of a shade fabric having a folded portion cooperating with said groove; F ig. .5 is a view in elevation showing a shade roller with the shade fabric thereon and a suit-able number of the securing devices; Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view on theline 6 6 of Fig 5; Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but with the shade fabric shown in its final position on the roller; and Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7.

rllhe invention offers particular advantages when using rollers the length of which may be adjusted, yand is therefore illustrated in he drawing and described herein in connection with such a roller. In the embodiment shown, the roller is of the type formed of sheet metal and generally refer red to in the trade as a. tin roller, but the invention is not limited to rollers of this kind as they may be made of any material.

Referring to Fig. l, part l of the extensible roller 2 consist-s of a sheet metal strip 4 which,

after beingcut to size and prior to its being coiled into cylindrical shape, is formed in a die press with a longitudinally depressed portion or groove 5. The width of this groove is compara-tively large, and in practice I find that approximately W8 inch width for a roller having an outer diameter of l inch is satisfactory. In Fig. 2, it will be seen that the groove 5 comprises two longitudinal portions 6 and 7 of different depths, the portion 6 of less depth being of relatively greater width than the other portion 7. The latter, having the greater depth, is of relatively smaller width and constitutes what may be considered a supplemental groove located within the main groove and at one side thereof. In thus forming the groove I have several purposes in mind. First I provide a shallow depression which is boardered by a narrow wall. This depression will accommodate a folded end on the shade and permits the fab-ric toabe rolled without the fold showing through the subsequent convolutions, while said wall or shoulder acts as a. stop by means of which the fabric may be aligned accurately with the axis of the roller. Secondly, the supplemental or deeper groove accommodates two thicknesses of the fabric with an interlying end of a fastening device. The formation of this groove further provides a substantially deep shoulder which acts as a stop in cooperation with the spring clips employed for detachably securing the fabric in place.

In the process of manufacturing the roller tubing the strip 4 in its flat form is first f stamped to provide the groove 5 and thereafter is fed to the forming rollers of a coiling machine which roll the strip 4 to a diameter smaller than the required diameter of the finished roller wit-hout altering the shape of the groove 5. After this coiling operation, a. suitable number of wooden cylindrical cores or blocks are positioned at intervals within the cylinder as indicated at 9 in Fig. l. The longitudinal margins or edge portions of the metallic strip 4, when the latter is assembled on the blocks, overlap one another, and require no seaming or soldering, the tension created by coiling the metal being sufiicient to maintain the circular form of the roller throughout its length. Pins 10 may be used to secure the tubular strip 4 to the enclosed blocks. The roller part 1 contains the usual shade rewindng spring and locking devices (not shown) comprising the usual flat end or key 11 on the spring spindle for engagement in the usual slotted supporting bracket.

Part 12 of the roller 2 consists of a separate metallic strip or end section 14 formed in the manner hereinbefore described. The groove 5 formed in its surface comprises two portions 6 and 7 corresponding identically in shape to the portions 6 and 7 of the groove 5 respectively, and, as will be under# stood, corresponding portions of the grooves 5 and 5 are caused to be maintained in longitudinal alignment with one another. The outer end of thesheath 14 encloses a 4 wooden block (not shownlwhich carries the usual supporting journal pin 15.

Lengthwise adjustment of the roller 2 is provided by a circular wooden core or rod 16, of suitable length, projecting from and secured to the sheath 4, and slidingly Vextending within the end sheath 14. This rod 16 is formed on its surface with a longitudinal groove 17 which accommodates the depressed portions of the tubes and maintains the grooves 5 and 5 in alignment' at all times. The overlapping margins of the sheath 14 require no seaming, the contractile tension being amply suficient to insure a sufiiciently tight grip of such sheath upon'the inner rod 16 to give the roller rigidity throughout its length and retain the twoV sections in their relative position of adjustment.

For securing the fabric to the roller 2, I provide a suitable number of clamps 19, onel of which is illustrated in perspective in Fig. 3. These clamps 19 are formed of thin spring metal strips which are rolled or coiled to such a diameter that they retain a set or given curvature normally smaller than that of the roller 2. The strips 19 are of suitable length and their width is preferably such that,vafterv being coiled and when positioned on the roller, they extend more than half way around its circumference. Subsequent to coiling these strips, one of the longitudinal edges is bent to form an inwardly directed flange 20 which is of such size that, when it is in operative position, said flange will eX# tend within the deeper or supplemental groove 7 or 7. Vhen thus positioned, the flange of the clamp serves to engage and direct inwardly a portion of the shade fabric. It will be noted that the flangesr20-terminate short of and taper off toward the ends of the respective clamps so as to relieve sharp corners and thereby obviate accidental tearing of the fabric as will hereinafter more clearly appear.

As shown in Fig. 4, the inner longitudinal margin of the fabric 21 to be secured on the roller 2 is folded prior to assembly of said fabric on said roller to provide an inner folded end portion 22 of about the same width as the distance between the two shoulders formed by the main and supplemental grooves. This folding operation is preferably performed by machine at the time of cutting the fabric to size, so that the outer line of fold will present a straight edge parallel to the inner longitudinal edge 24 of the fabric and perpendicular to the marginal edges of the fabric.

In positioning the fabric on the roller, the folded over portion is unfolded and laid in the shallow portion 6-6 of the groove with its extremity 24 in engagement with the shoulder 25-25, or the crease of the fold may be inserted in the deeper part -7 of the groove. The clamps 19 are then applied byl crowding their flanges 2O into the deeper or supplemental groove 7 and forcing them into a position to grip the roller with the narrow end of the shade fabric underlying said springs, as shown in Figs. 5 and 8. Preferably, to insure the proper positioning of the fabric intermediate the ends of the roller, the two clamps closest to the ends of the roller are first positioned thereon and tnefin termediate clamps thereafter applied. However, any inaccuracy in the position of the fabric relative to the ends of the roller, after the clamps have been positioned on the roller, may be readily corrected by sliding the fabric 21 in one direction or the other along the roller beneath the clamps 19. It should also be observed that the posi tion of the clamps 19 on the roller may be adjusted by likewise sliding them along the surface of the roller. In these adjustments of the fabric 21 and clamps 19 on the roller 2, any tendency to tear the fabric is entirely avoided by reason of the rounded or beveled edges of the clamp flanges 20.

The iinalposition of the fabric on the roller as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 is caused by rotating the roller to wind the fabric in such a direction that the portion immediately ad jacent its extremity `overlies the spring clamps.y In this way, the bight of the fabric with the clamp flanges 2O is effective in firmly holding the attached fabric in place against the usual pulling force applied to the fabric during its use.

As a feature of my present construction 1t should be observed that the grooved portion is so positioned with reference to the overlapping edges of the curved sheet that, when the spring clamps are applied, their free ends 26 will lie in proximity to the overlying edge lof the tube sheath and form virtually 'a continuation thereof. Y

The fabric fastening` means described herein permits the assembly of the shades on the rollers in the workshop and their transport thereafter in finished condition to theV windows of rooms in which the shades are to be hung. If, as frequently occurs, t-here has been a slight error in the specified length of a roller, it may be readily extended or contracted to comply with the actual measurements of a window casing without the necessity of removing the shade from its roller.

It is understood that the par icular embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing and described herein is merely illustrative of the invention, and that various other embodiments are possible without departing from its spirit. F or example, the grooves 5 and 5 need not extend along the entire length of the roller. Ailse, a single clamp extending the entire length of the roller may be employed.

lhat l claim is:

l. A roller shade comprising a roller having a groove extending lengthwise thereof forming two longitudinal shoulders of different depths, a fabric sheet on said roller having an inner end portion located within said groove and abutting the shoulder having the lesser depth, and a curved strip of thin material on said roller having an inwardly directed flange extending into the deep portion of said groove located adjacent the shoulder having the greater depth and clamping said inner end portion of the fabric in said groove against the shoulder having the lesser depth.

2. A roller shade comprising a roller having a groove formed on its surface comprising two longitudinal areas of different depths, the portion of less depth being of relatively larger width and the portion of greater depth being of relatively smaller width, a fabric having an inner folded edge portion positioned within said groove with the extremity of the fabric adjacent the shoulder formed by said groove portion of less depth, and a curved strip on said roller having an inware ly directed flange cooperating with said deeper groove portion to clamp the fold line of the fabric therein and extending in a direction to overlie the fabric extremity beyond the line, said fabric being subsequently wound on the roller in a. direction to overlie the curved strip.

3. An extensible roller shade comprising a roller consisting of two metallic sheaths longitudinally movable relatively7 to one another, each having depressed portions forming aligned grooves formino' two spaced longitudinal shoulders of did'erent depths, the portion of the groove adjacent the shoulder of lesser depth being of relatively larger width and the portion of the groove acent the other shoulder being of relatively smaller' width, a` fabric having an underlying folded end portion lying within said grooves in contact with the smaller shoulders, a .L urality of spring strips embracing the roller having inwardly directed extremities cooperating with the deeper portions of the grooves and serving to clamp portions, ofthe fabric adjae cent its fold line, said strips extending in a direction to overlie said folded end portion.

4. ln a shade roller, the combination with a roller having a longitudinal groove form.-I ing parallel front and rear walls, the front wall serving as an abutment parallel to the axis of the roller, of a sheet of fabric placed with its end in engagement with said front wall, and a spring clamp frictionally ens gaging the roller having an end extending over said front wall and provided with an inwardly extending extremity engaging over the fabric and forcing the latter into the groove and into clamping engagement withl the rear wall of said groove.

5. A roller shade comprising a roller having a longitudinal groove formed on it-s surface, said groove including a longitudinal portion of greater depth relatively to its remaining portion, a fabric having an inner end portion lying in said groove which provides a shoulder for alining said end portion on said roller, and a curved strip on said roller having an inwardly extending flange cooperating with said deep groove portion to clamp said fabric on said roller.

6. A roller shade comprising a roller having a longitudinal groove formed on its surface, said groove including a longitudinal portion of greater depth relatively to its remaining portion, a fabric having an inner end portion lying in said groove which provides abutting means for alining said end portion on said roller, and a curved strip on said roller having an inwardly extending flange forming one of its longitudinal edges, said flange cooperating with said deep groove portion to clamp said fabric on said roller and being rounded off at its ends to facilitate lengthwise adjustment of said fabric on said roller.

7. A roller shade comprising a roller having a longitudinal groove forming two longitudinal portions of different depth, a fabric sheet having an inner end portion disposed in said groove the lesser depth portion of which provides a wall for alining the fabric extremity on said roller, and a curved strip embracing said roller having an inwardly directed flange cooperating with the greater depth portion of said groove to clamp the fabric on said roller, said strip extending in a direction to overlie said inner end portion of said fabric.

8. A roller shade comprising a roller having a longitudinal groove forming two longitudinal portions of different depth, a fabric sheet having an inner folded edge portion lying in said groove which provides spaced shoulders for alining said inner edge portion on the roller, and a curved strip adapted to embrace said roller having a longitudinal edge portion iianging inwardly to cooperate with the greater depth portion of said groove to clamp said fabric on said roller, said strip extending in a directionto overlie said inner edge portion of said fabric which is subsequently wound on the roller in a direction to overlie said strip.

9. An extensible roller shade comprising a roller consisting of two longitudinally movable parts, each of said parts being formed on their surfaces with alined longitudinal grooves, each of said grooves including a longitudinal portion of greater depth relatively to its remaining portion, a fabric having an inner end portion lying in said grooves which provides abutting means for alining said end portion on said roller, and a curved strip on said roller having a longitudinal edge flanging inwardly to extend into said deep groove portion to clamp said fabric on said roller.

10. A roller shade comprising a roller formed of metal sheet curved into a cylinder with the edges of said sheet overlapping each other, said roller having a longitudinal groove spaced from the overlying edge of said sheet, said groove including a longitudinal portion of greater depth than its remaining portion, a fabric having an inner edge portion lying in said groove which provides an abutment for alining said fabric on said roller, and a curved strip in said roller having an inwardly flanged edge cooperating with said deep groove portion to clamp said fabric on said roller, said strip extending in such a direction as to form a circle with said overlying sheet edge.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

STEWART HARTSHORN.

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