US2012034A

US2012034A - Venetian blind

Info

Publication number: US2012034A
Application number: US745859A
Authority: US
Inventors: George F Brent
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1934-09-28
Filing date: 1934-09-28
Publication date: 1935-08-20
Anticipated expiration: 1952-08-20

Description

G. F. BRENT VENETIAN BLIND Filed Sep.l 28, 1954 INVENTOR g, are supported by flexible hangers.

Patented Aug. 20, 1935 vUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENETIAN BLIND George F. Brent, Pittsburgh, Pa. Application september 2s, 1934, serial No. 145,859

3 Claims.

4 My invention relates to window blinds o r shades of the Venetian type. -f

A Venetian blind, characteristically, comprises a vertically disposed series of thin slats which The slats of the structure are angularly adjustable; they may be adjusted to lie in spaced-apart horizontal planes, and, alternately, they may be tilted into positions in which the successive slats overlap to provide a closed screen. Between these two extreme positions of adjustment, the slats may be adjusted to any desired angularity, and the spaces between the slats are greater or less, according to the degree of the adjustment. In consequence, the air and light-admitting spaces between the slats may be regulated as desired.`

Additionally, the blind structure includes means for drawing the slats vertically together, whereby. they may be nestedat the top of the window or other opening in which the blind is installed.

A Venetian blind oifers many advantages over the usual cloth window shade, and, while a Venetian blind is the more costly to install, the objection to its use is not initial cost. The problem is found in maintenancethe cost and diiculties encountered in maintaining the blind in t condition are relatively great. .In service the slats of a Venetian blind become coated with dust and dirt, and from time to time require cleansing. The' cleansing process, as practiced hitherto, involves the complete dismantling of the blind structure, and the independent cleansing of the slats in a suitable scouring solution. Manifestly, this is a relatively laborious and expensive procedure. To the further annoyance of the user it has been found that, after two or three of such cleansings, the enamel, or other finishing material with which( the slats are coated, cracks and spalls, thus destroying the appearance of the blind.

The object of my invention is to overcome these objections, and to render the use of Venetian blinds more practical. I aim to provide a blind of a Venetian type in which the slats are each covered with an inexpensive jacket, and to provide such organization of the jacketed slats that the jackets, becoming soiled in service, may

be readily removed and replaced without taking the blind structure from the window, or without requiring that the structure be dismantled.

' In the accompanying drawing, Fig. I is a. View in front elevation of a Venetian blind embodying the invention; Fig. II is a view to larger scale, showing the structure on the plane II--II of Fig. I; andFig. III is an isometric view of a slat,

' of the cord. Each cord `removed from the blind structure and in course of receiving a protecting jacket. Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral 2 indicates a window easement in which a w Venetain blind -is installed. 'I'he vertical series 5 of slats 3 of the structure are supported by means of two` spaced-apart flexible supports l. Each support 4 comprises a pair of

ilexible bands

4a, 4b (Fig. II), secured at their upper ends to a rocker bar 5,.and extending downward there- 10 from in parallelism, and secured at their lower ends to a relatively heavy cross bar 6. The

bands

4a, 4b are ordinarily fabric tapes, and at equal intervals of their common extent, the bandscarry cross straps 1, which likewise may u comprise fabric tape, tacked by stitching to the bands 4a., 4b.. The slats 3, spanning the two supports li (Fig. I), are supported near their opposite ends by the cross straps 1 (Fig. II) embodied in such supports, and, save as hereinafter 2,0 explained, the slats lie freely upon the cross straps 1.' y

By means of a w rm-gear mechanism 8, subject to a pulley 8a whose rotation is effected by a. pull cord 9, the rocker bar 5 may be tilted in 25 well-known manner to one side or the other,

whereby, the bands la are moved vertically upis detachably secured at its lower end to the cross bar vi5, say by means of a knot Illa tied in the end 40 I0 is threaded through the orifices or passages ii which are provided in the slats; the orifices are relatively large, and advantageously are of ovate shape (Fig. III) so that the contact of cords i0 with the edges of the orifices does not interfere with the angular adjustment of the slats. The cords I0 in such organization afford means for holding the slats in lateral alignment as viewed in Fig. 1. Additionally, the cords I0 provide the above-mentioned. 50 means for drawing the slats togethervertically, the cords being trained over suitable pulleys (not shown) in a head bar I2 and continued downward in a pull-cord Ilia. By drawing the pullcord Illa downward, the 'cords I0 are elevated in .55

40 `on the slats.

unison, raising the cross bar 6 against the bottom of the lowermost slat 3, and in such manner progressively bringing the slats together one after another until all are nested at the top of the window frame 2.

In accordance with my invention each of the slats 3 is covered with a protecting jacket 30. The jackets 30 are formed of sheet material, such as tough thin paper, which may be readily appliedV l to the slats.

15 and, advantageously, the paper is opaque, or of dull finish, or is so processed or treated that it will not glare, or reflect light in objectionable manner. I contemplate that the paper (the cloth, or other suitable material of which the 20 jackets 30 may be made) may conveniently be fashioned in the form of an open tube, as shown in Fig. III; the tube is a little larger in cross section that the slats, so that it may be readilyslipped over a slat, and removed therefrom. But the ,2? diil'erence in size is not so great as to produce sags or wrinkles in the tube upon the slat--the tubular jacket snugly and smoothly engages the slat. The tube 30 includes two pairs I3, I3 of opposed oriflces or passages so located as to register 3Q,-. above and below with the orifices II in the slat upon which it is fitted. Alternately, I contemplate forming the tube plain, and providing the oritlces I3, I3 after assembly.

.'Ihus, each slat 3 of the blind lies within an in- 3@` dependent, readily Ainterchangeable jacket 30; the

mjackets 30 do not interfere with the flexible supports I-or the adjusting cords III, and manifestly the cords I0 serve to prevent the jackets from sliding longitudinally from positions of adjustment When in service the slats become dirty, the knots IIIa at the bottom of the cords I0 are united, and the cords are withdrawn from the slats 3 while the blind structure as a whole remains in the window casement. Without further 45 ado the slats 3 are slidl one at a time, from their positions of rest upon straps 1, and the soiled jackets are quickly removed and replaced with new ones. Then the cords I0 are rethreaded through the reassembled slats, and again knotted below the cross bar 6. The job is quickly done.

It will be understood, therefore, that, at the cost of a few cents and little effort, the Venetian blind may be cleansed, and given the appearance of 'a new blind.l The field of the artist is widened, inasmuch as the jackets of the blind may be changed from time to time, and the color scheme altered, to harmonize with changes in draperies and other interior decorations of a room.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a blind structure including a vertical series of slats supported in spaced-apart, horizontally extending relation, a passage formed in the body of each slat, and a flexible` Slat-adjusting cord extending through the passages in the slats, together with means'for effecting the common angular adjustment of the slats; the combination of relatively inexpensive, independently applicable and removable jackets severally covering said slats, said jackets comprising deciduous elementsprotecting the otherwise normally effective surrfaces of the slats against soiling, each of said jackets including two passages, one opening above and the other below the passage in the slat within such jacket and admitting of free passage therethrough of said adjusting cord.

2. The structure of the next preceding claim, in which said adjusting cord serves as means for staying said deciduous jackets in proper longitudinal position upon said slats, and in which, by untlireading said cord from said passages, said jackets may be removed lwithout dismantling the blind structure, substantially as described.

3. In a blind structure including a plurality of slats, the combination of relatively inexpensive, independently applicable and'removable jackets severally covering said slats and providing deciduous elements protecting the otherwise normally effective surfaces of the slats against soiling.

GEORGE F. BRENT.