US2279046A

US2279046A - Window shade trimmer

Info

Publication number: US2279046A
Application number: US361031A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kearney Edward
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1940-10-14
Filing date: 1940-10-14
Publication date: 1942-04-07
Anticipated expiration: 1959-04-07

Description

April 7, 1942* E. KEARNEY 2,279,046

WINDOW SHADE TRIMMER Filed Oct. 14; 1940 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 9 142.: E. KEARNEY 2,279,046

WINDOW SHADE TRIMMER Filed Oct. 14, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w 5, Q I

1.2 I 0 I j 45 70 6Q 62. I 66 66 I I I 3 l I l I I I i 52..- I I I l I I I l l I l I l I Patented Apr. 7, 1942 I UNITED. STATES. e;

6 Claims.

This invention relates to window shade trimmers. and is more particularly concerned with the provision of an improved device for trimming the edges of. roll-type window shades after these shades have been attached to their rolls.

Generally, the device of the present invention consists of a head mounted to rotate about a rolled window shade with a means on the head to trim the edge of the window shade as the head is rotated.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide a novel and improved window shade trim.- ming device that can be held in the hand of the operator during the trimming operation.-

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved window shade trimmer which accurately and automatically centersthe rolled shade relative to the cutting head.

An additional object of my invention is to provide a novel arrangement for automatically centering and holding a rolled window shade relative to a revolving cutting head.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of my invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of. a device embody.- ing the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionalview taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an edge view of a portion of the device.

taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

The device of the present invention comprises front and rear annular discs and I2, respectively. The apertures through the center of the discs are considerably larger in diameter than a.

roller shade to be trimmed by this device. Surrounding its aperture, the rearward disc 12 is.

provided with a sleeve M, which extends through a similar aperture in an annular plate It secured to the rearward surface of the forward disc ID. The outward end of the sleeve i4 carries a removable ring I8 which permits the plate Hi to rotate relative to the sleeve l4, but prevents the platev 1.6 from moving longitudinally relative to this sleeve. Thus, the two discs are mounted to rotate relative to each other for apurpose which will appear presently. In order to prevent the forward disc from wobbling relative to the rearward disc, the rearward disc is provided with circumferentially spaced blocks 20, the outward faces of which bear against the inner surface of the forward disc. A knob 22 attached to the outward end of acrank arm 2.4, securedin turn to the forward face of the disc 1 0, enables the forward disc to be rotated manually relative to the rearward disc.

As may best be seen in Fig. 1, the forward disc lilis provided with a radial reciprocable slide 28 adapted to move inwardly and outwardly toward the center of they disc in guides 30. At its out-. ward end the slide 28' is. provided with a knob 32. The same. screw 34 which secures the knob 32 to the slide 23 also secures a pivoted latching finger 3t which when swung into latching position with the slide in its outward position, rests against the edge of the forward disc and prevents the slide moving inwardly. A bar 38' secured to they slide and extending transversely thereof, is attached at its ends to a pair of coil springs 40, the opposite ends of which are attached to anchoring members 42 secured to the face of the disc near its opposite edge." These springs resiliently urge the slide toward the center of the disc, so that when the latching finger 3,6 is released. the slide will move inwardly under the influence of these springs. At its, inner edge, the slide 28 is provided with a sharp cutting edge which in the present embodiment is formed by a'razor blade 4'4, secured to the slide by a pair of screws 46. thus providing a low cost, easily replaceable cutting edge for the slide. In the interest of safety a guard member 41 is secured to the guides and" covers the edge of the blade when the slide is retracted.

The rearward disc I2 is provided on its rearward face with a pair of slides 48 adapted to move radially in guides 50. The guides 50 are all arranged parallel to each other and thus the two slides 4j8 willmove inwardly and outwardly parallel to each other. Each of theseslides carries a rearwardly extending bent sheet metal member 52 that together act as V-blocks to grip a roller shade 54 to be trimmed. Each of the V-blocks 52 is secured to itsslide in such a position that a line passing through the center of the .two V-blocks will ,bi-sect the annular discs and thus a roller shade gripped between these two V-blocks will automatically be centered relative to the discs along a line passing through the centers of the two V-blocks. In order automaticallyto center a shade in the direction at right angles to the line passing through the two V-'.blocks, I have provided a novel linkage which prevents the inwardor outward movement of one of the slides .48 without alike movement by the other.

similar slide.

As may most clearly beseen in Fig. 2, this link lel to the direction of movement of the slides. A second identical bar 56 is likewise secured to the other of the slides 48 at one end and extends parallel to the direction of movement of the slides. These two bars 56 are arranged. upon opposite sides of the V-blocks 52 and are spaced an equal distance outwardly therefrom. Near their mid points, the bars 56 pass through guide members 58, which prevent the bars 56 from wobbling from side to side as the slides48 move inwardly and outwardly toward and away from each other. With the slides 48 retracted to the most outward position they normally assume, the free ends of the bars 56 are approximately opposite the centers of the slides. In this posi tion the slides are prevented against further outward movement by stop members 60 which, as shown, may be screws threaded into the rearward surface of the disc I2 and against which the outward edges of the slides 48 abut when the slides have been moved outwardly to their desired retracted position. The freeends ofthe bars '56 bear against one end each of a pair of rocker arms 62 which are pivoted at their mid points about screws 64 threaded into the adjacent guide members 56. The opposite ends of these rocker arms 62 similarly bear against upstanding abutment members 66 secured to the slides 48 a distance from the pivot screws 64 equal to the distance between the pivot screws and the free ends, of the bars 55. In order to prevent the ends of the rocker arms 62 slipping over the tops of the abutment members 66, keepers 68 are'secured to the tops of these members and extend outwardly and overlie the ends of the rocker arms 62. Thus, the ends of the rocker arms 62 resting against the abutment members 66 are prevented against upward movement by the keepers 68 and against downwa'rdward movementv by the body of the slides48; Likewise similar keepers 10 are secured to the ends of the bars 56 to insure the" outward ends of the rocker arms'always bearing against the ends of these bars.

Referring to Fig. 2, if it is considered that th left hand slide 48 is moved inwardly as shown,

the bar 56 carried by this slide will be urged toward the right. The free end of this bar, therefore, will push the end of the rocker arm which bears thereagainst to the right and rock the opposite end of the rocker arm toward the left about the pivot screw 64. This opposite end of the rocker arm bearing against the abutmentrnember 66 will urge the right hand slide inwardly, and since the distance between the abutment member 66 and the pivot screw 64 is the same as the similar distance between the pivot screw and the free end of the bar 66, the outward movement of the free end of the bar 56 beyond the pivot screw 64 will be exactly the same as theinward movement of the abutment member 66 away from the pivot screw 64.

Since the linkage arrangement is symmetrical, that is, since the right hand slide 48 similarly carries a bar 56 which rocks a rocker arm 62 bearing against an abutment member 66 on the left hand slide 48, it will be seen that, if the right hand slide 48 had been moved inwardly, exactly the same type of linkage arrangement would cause the left hand slide 48 to move inwardly a similar amount. Likewise if considering the parts tobe in the position shown in Fig. 2, one of the slides 48 is moved outwardly, the abutment member 66- carried by that slide will rock the;

end" of the rocker arm 62 bearing against that wise, it isnot necessary that the inward ends of the rocker arms 62' be pivoted to the abutment members 66, but that rather the abutment members 66 and the free ends of the bars 56 merely bear against the edges of the rocker arms 62. This novel linkage arrangement, which obviates the use of pivots at these points, also avoids the mechanical difiiculty which arises from the fact that as the rocker arms are rocked from a position at right angles to the direction of movement of the slides to a position inclined thereto, as shown in Fig. 2, it is necessary not only that the ends of the rocker arms pivot about these abutment points, but that the ends of the rocker arms slide somewhat relative to these ends. This sliding movement, of course, in the arrangement shown is automatically taken care of, whereas, if pivots were used, the system would lock and it would be necessary, therefore, to use some type of complicated slotted arrangement in order to prevent locking of the linkage system, j

In operation, a tightly rolled shade to be trimmed is held in one hand and the device of the present invention in the other hand. With the two slides '48 pulled apart, the end of the roller shade is inserted between the V-

blocks

52 ,4 to approximately the position desired. The two "V-blocks are then lightly gripped in one hand and squeezed toward each other about the shade 54 to center the shade relative to the discs l0 and I2. The shade 54 is then moved axially slightly until it is in the desired final position relative'tothe razor blade 44. With the shade in this'position, the 'V-blocks are tightly squeezed together to prevent further relative movement between the trimming device and the shade, while with the other hand, the latch 36 is released from the edge of the disc In so that the springs 40 will urge the slide 28 toward the center of the disc and bring the edge of the razor blade 44 againstthe roller shade to be trimmed. With the-razor blade thus resiliently urged against the roller shade, the crank 22 is swung around to revolve the disc I 8 and razor blade 44 carried thereby 'relative to the disc l2 and the roller shade carried by this latter disc, and as the razor V blade 44 revolves around the roller shade and is resiliently urged thereagainst by the springs 40,

theblade will cut through the roller shade.

After the cut through the shade has been completed; the blade 44 will continue to cut slightly into the wooden arbor upon which the shade is wound. This can immediately be detected throughthe. increased resistance to rotation of the disc ID. "This is brought about by the factthat the razor blade does not bind as it cuts through the roller shade material, but does bind as soon as it cuts slightly into thewood of the arbor. At this' point the rotation of the disc I0 is stopped and the knob 32 seized to pull the slide 28 outwardlyto its retracted position where it is secured by means of thelatch 36. The grip upon theV-blocks 52 is then released and the shade slid endwise from the shade trimming device.

It will be seen that the device above described accomplishes the objectives of the present inven tion and that this device need not be secured to a bench or table, but may be carried in a toolbox or may be kept in a drawer and that the operation of bringing it from the box or drawer and putting it to use to accomplish its purpose, I

is an operation which can be accomplished in a very short time without the necessity for first securing the device to a table or bench and with- V out the necessity of adjusting various members in order to center the shade to be trimmed relative to the cutting head.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a roller shade trimmer, a pair of roller shade gripping members, a cutting head mounted to rotate relative to said members, said gripping,

members adapted for movement inwardly and outwardly toward and away from the center of rotation of said cutting head, linkage means connected between said gripping members to cause inward or outward movement of one of said gripping members to produce similar movement of the other of said grippingmembers, said linkage means including a pivoted member, means actuated by inward movement of one of said gripping members for rocking said pivoted member in one direction, and means actuated by the movement of said pivoted member in one direction to produce inward movement of the other of said gripping members, and resilient means to urge said cutting head toward its center of rotation.

2. In a device of the class described, a pairof roller shade gripping members, a cutting head mounted to rotate relative to said members, slide means to permit inward and outward movement 7 of said cutting head, said gripping members adapted for movement inwardly and outwardly toward and away from the center of rotation of said cutting head, linkage means connected between said gripping members to cause inward or outward movement of one of said gripping members to produce similar movement of the other of said gripping members, said linkage means including a pivoted member, means actuated by inward movement of one of said gripping members for rocking said pivoted member in one direction, and means actuated by the movement of said pivoted member in one direction to produce inward movement of the other of said gripping members, and resilient means to urge said cutting head along the slide means and toward its center of rotation.

3. A roll trimming device comprising, a pair of slidable roll gripping members adapted to be held in. the hand of an operatorand squeezed together against a roll to be trimmed, said gripping members constituting a handle by which the/device is held, means to cause inward or outward movementof one of said members to produce similar movement of the other of said members, a slidable cutting head and means by which said cutting head can be rotated relative to said gripping members.

4. A roll trimming device comprising a. pair of roll gripping members adapted to be held in the hand of an operator and squeezed together against a roll to be trimmed, said gripping members constituting a handle by which the device 1 is held, a cutting head mounted to rotate relative to said members, cutting means on said cutting 7 head adapted to be moved inwardly into roll cutting position and resilient means to urge said cutting head toward its center of rotation.

5. In a. device for trimming roller shades, a handle by means of which the device canbe held in the hand of an operator, saidv handle being adapted to embrace a roll to be trimmed in a position substantially co-axial with the handle, a cutting head rotatable relative to said handle, means to support a roll in cutting relation with respect to said cutting head, means to rotate said cutting head around said roll, and resilient means to urge said cutting head toward its center of rotation.

6. A roll trimming device adapted to be held together with a roll to be trimmed in the hand EDWARD KEARNEY. V