US284222A - Blind-slat operator - Google Patents

Description

(Model.)

F.NELSON.

BLIND SLAT OPERATOR.

Patented Sept. 4, 1883.

www m im l UNITED STATES.y

.PATENT- OFFICE.

FREDERICK NELSON, ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA. Y e

SPECIFICATION 'forming part of Letters Tatent No. esaaaanatod september 4, 1883. i Application tied March 5,1883. .(Modol.) i

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, FREDERICK NELSON, a subject of the King of Sweden and Norway, having declared my intention of becoming a citizen of the United States, and residing at St.e Paul, in the county of Ramsey, in the State of Minnesota, have invented` certain new and useful Improvements in Blind-Slat Operators, of which the following speoiiicationis a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being also had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to window-blinds Ahaving pivoted slats; and it consists in the method of opening, closing, and locking the slats in any desired position, as hereinafter described and shown, and then sought to be specifically defined by the claims. i

In the drawings, Figure 1 is aV front view, Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view, and Fig.` 3 is `a semi-sectional side view, of one section of -a i Window-blind, showing my improvements attaohed thereto. detached detail perspective views of portions of the working parts. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional front view, Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional side view, and Fig. 8 is a cross'secr` tional view, of the lower portions ofthe blindslat operating rods and their locks. Fig. 9 is an enlarged front view similar to Figa 6, showing the additional attachment to enable outside blinds tolbe operated from inside` the house without raising the sash. Fig. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of the lower end `of the key which is-used to operate the `additional attachmentshownin'Fig 9.` Fig. 11 is an enlarged detachedllperspective.view ofthe pinion and its slotted head. Figs. 12, 13, and

14 are views illustrating a slight variation in the means for operating the Slat-moving rods. Figs. 15 and 16 illustrate the manner of forniing and protecting the key-hole throughthe window sash or glass Whenthe additional feature shown in Fig. 9 is used..

A is the frame; B, the slats, and a ci the bars connecting the slats to each other, `ar` ranged as in` an ordinary Window-blind.

Lying upon one of the jambs of the blind is a rod, b', preferably of flat metal, and adapted `to be moved np and down a short distance `through guides or capsc c2, which hold it. in place loosely upon the jamb. i

Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged' arm, d', projecting outward and off toward the `upper section of slats B, as shown, `and adapted to be enclasped by the forked end e of an arm, C', and pivoted in said forked end by a rivet or pin, so that the arm Cf will be free to oscillate laterally upon the armd, but prevent-` ed from movingl perpendicular-ly by reason of the arm d being held in the fork e', as shown. The opposite end of the arm C is provided with oppositely-branching feet g', by `whiohit is connected to the slat-moving bar c. rigidly, and `both ends move up; and down simultaneously therewith. By this means the moving of the rod b up and down will cause the arm C to open and close the-slats B of theupper section of the blind, the lateral play of thefork con-the arm d permitting the slats to open and close Without cramping the parts.

b2 is a short dat metal rod, similar to the rod b', lying partially upontop of the lower part of the rod b and partially alongside of it, as shown, andprovided with an arm, d2, similar to the arm d on the rod b', and fitting into a fork, e2, on an arm, C2, having ifeet.` g2, by`

which it is rigidly connected to the bara2 .of the 'lower section of the slats Bin precisely the same manner as the arm C is attached to 4the bar c of the upper section' of slats. The upper end ofthe rod `b2 runs beneath a grooved cap, 1h, (see Fig. 5,) the rod b2 having a rib, fi., adapted to fit into the groove of the cap, while the lower ends of both the rods b b2 pass be neatha honsing7or guide-cap, E. Each of the rods b b2 is provided with teeth m of lthe,

same size and form, into whicha small lug, n,

on the inside of the housing E is adaptedto t,

as shown in Fig. 6'. Each ofthe rods b bAz is pro- Vided\inside the housing E with a small independent spring, il r2, by which the teeth m ofthe rods are held in contact with the lug a. These springs may be arranged and applied in any desired manner; `but forthe purpose of illustration I have shown them of different forms and lengths, so that the edge of one will always sition theymay be, so that one spring cannot get upon top of the other, but each will retain the same relative position upon its own rod b b2. The rod b will be longer than the rod band `overlap the edge of the other in whatever po- IOO VIO

will be provided with a separate knob, F F2,

by which the rods may be moved up and down vmore easily and independent of each other.

By forcing either one of the knobs F F2 inward toward the slats B until the teeth m are free from the lug u, either one of the rods b or b2 may be moved up or down to open or close the slats B to any desired extent, and then when the knobsY are released the springs r or r2 will throw the rods b or b2 outward again and cause the lug n to enter whichever one of the teeth m is opposite to it. the slats B may closed entirely or opened to any desired extent and locked by the lug n and teeth ym in any desired position. By this means the slats may be opened entirely and locked open, or closed entirely andlocked shut, or opened to any extent and locked in that position. I can thus regulate the amountof light admitted, prevent rattling or moving by the wind, and in outside blinds prevent the slats being turned by persons from the outside.

The parts will be reversed for right and left hand blinds, and will be formed to project as little as possible from the face of the blind, .so as not to interfere with the window-sash..

The two rods b b2 may be arranged entirely independent of each other at the bottom, if desired; but by arranging them as shown one cap, E, and lug n can be made to do duty for both, and the parts made to occupy less room on the blind. I

The arms G C2 may be forked, as shown by dotted lines C3 in Fig. 1, to add strengthto the arm.

This device may be used on either inside or outside blinds, the parts simply requiring requiring slight changes of proportions and positionsto adapt them to different kinds and sizes of blinds.

The extensions on the small arms d di, which project into the forks e e2 of the arms C C2,

l may be dispensed with in some cases without detracting from the perfect operation of my invention, the additional length of these arms d d2 giving greater stiffness to the connection between the arms C C2 and d d2.

When used as shown in Fig. 1 on outside blinds, the lower sash will have to be raised a short distance to venable the knobs F/ F2 to be reached, and to enable the slats to be operated from the inside of the window and without raising the sash.

I form gear-teeth m2 upon the same side of the rods b b2 as the teeth m', and below them, as shown in Fig. 9, and mounta pinion, t', in a hanger, t2, and arranged to mesh into the teeth m2. rlhe width of the faces of the teeth of the pinion is the same -as the faces of the teeth m2, and the space below the hanger t2 is large enough to permit the pinion to be pulled outward to engage with the teeth m2 on the rod b2,

or be pushed inward to engage with the teeth m2 on the rod b', so that each rod may be operated separately. 'Ilhe hole in the hanger t2,

By this means l through which the shaft t3 of the pinion t passes, is slotted, so that the pinion may be moved to one side to force the rods b b2 inward and disconnect the teeth` m from the lug n when the pinion is to be used, the pinion thus acting in the same manner as the knobs F F2, as far as unlocking the rods is concerned. 1A peculiarshaped head is formed upon the shaft of the pinion t', outside the hangertg, consisting of a T-slot, t4, formed crosswise through the head, and with the shank part t5 of the T- slot opening out through the face of the head. t is another small slot opening out through the end of the head, so that aT-head onakey, G, (see Fig. 10,) may be set into the slots t4 and t, and then pushed in to force the pinion t inward and be turned by the key to move the rod b', or pulled outward and turned by the same key to move the rod b2. By this means the pinion may be made to act upon either set of the teeth m2 on the rods b b2'. A hole will be made in thelower part of the sash, through which the key G may be inserted to operate the pinion, and the hole adapted to be covered to keep out the cold when not in use. In some cases it will be necessary to form this key-hole for the key G through the glass itself. In this event Iwill use the device illus'- l trated in Figs. 15 and 16, consisting in cutting a hole, o', inthe glass somewhat larger in diameter than the width across the T-head of the key G. A strip of soft rubber, o2, is then folded over the edge of the glass to completely cover the hole fo on both sides of the glass, and secured in that position on the glass in any suitable manner, either by a rivet, v3, as shown, or in any other manner. Small holes the same size as the shank of the key G will be formed through therubber piece t2, opposite the centers of the hole o in the glass. By this means the soft rubber will stretch and permit the larger head of the key to be passed through the hole v and then close around the shank of the key and prevent cold air from entering.

A hard rubber or metal flap or cover v4 will be arranged to cover the key-hole when not in use, and may be provided with a spring, o5, to

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cause it to be self-closing, and remain closed when not pushed one side to insert the key. When the key-hole is formed through the sash, only one single piece of the soft rubber v2 and the iiap v4 will be used on one side of the sash.

When the additional feature shown in Fig. 9 is used on blinds with narrow j ambs, thehousing E and springs r r2 will be reversed and the teeth m m2 formed on the inner edges of l. In a blind-Slat fastener, the combination, with the pivoted slats B B and their connecting-bars et a2, of actuating-rods b b2, sliding in guide-caps on the blind-frame7 and provided With locking-teeth fm m', oonneetingarms C G2, rigidly attached to the Slat-bars a d, and pivoted laterally to the actuating-roda the y looking lug or stop n, and springs 1 r2, substanl tially as and for the. purpose herein specified.

2. The combination of the sliding actuatingrods b b2, provided With" looking-teeth m m', the stop n, springs 1J r2, andthe pinion t,`hav

ing a lateral movement in its bearings, Whereby it is adapted to unlock the said actuating- Vitnesses:

` C. AN. WOODWARD, LOUIS FEESER, Sr.

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