US3151857A - Pulley holddown - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 6, 1964 D. R. FALKENBERG 3,151,857

PULLEY HOLDDOWN Filed Oct. 5, 1962 l, ll"

INVENTOR. l4 DoueLnss E. FALKENBERG BY M, M *W ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,151,257 FULLEY HQLBDQWN Bouglass Falkenherg, 20927 Westlalre Road, Rocky River, Ohio Filed Oct. 5, 1962, Ser. No. 228,6il? 9 Claims. (Cl. 267-71) This invention relates, as indicated, to a pulley holddown for use particularly with endless drapery cords, and adapted to maintain under tension the control loop of draw-draperies. More particularly, this invention relates to an adjustable pulley-type drapery cord holddown, the cord being operatively disposed in the groove of the pulley.

In the installation of draperies, particularly those designed to cover windows or wall surfaces of considerable horizontal dimension, it has become common practice to utilize an endless drapery pull cord. Such a cord avoids the problem of excess cord randomly coiling on the floor which is unsightly. Moreover, the gripping portion of the cord is always presented to the operator at a convenient place instead of near the upper margin of the window or wall surface, for example. Unless the control loop of an endless cord is maintained under tension and in an untwisted condition, operation of the drape becomes increasingly difrlcult with the result that the support means or brackets are loosened and undue wear of the cord is promoted.

Holddowns designed to apply tension to the drapery operating loop have been produced heretofore including means to resist twisting of the cord and the attendant operat ng difiiculty. The present invention provides an improved and simplified structure for a pulley tensioning device or holddown including means for setting the pulley in a predetermined plane for guiding the cord and resisting displacement, as by twisting, out of such plane.

Briefly stated, then, the present invention is in the provision of an improved pulley holddown or anchoring assembly. This assembly includes an abutment member having an aperture therein and an elongated pulley carrier extending therethrough and rotatable therein. Resilient means, such as a coil Spring, are provided which coact compressively between the inserted extremity of the pulley carrier and the apertured wall of the abutment to urge the carrier into retracted position within the abutment. A plurality of cam surfaces on the adjacent wall of the abutment form key ways disposed in circumferentially spaced relation about the aperture to provide an indexing guide for the carrier. The resilient means has an integral portion forming a key which is adapted to extend into resilient coacting engagement with the key ways on the abutment wall to normally restrain rotation of the pulley carrier and thus releasably secure the carrier in preselected rotated positions. An added feature of this inven tion is the provision of an improved closure for a cord receiving space on the pulley carrier and includes an improved arrangement for releasably securing the closure in closed position.

The present invention will be better understood by having reference to the annexed drawings wherein there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and wherein FIG. 1 is a front elevation, partially in section, of a pulley holddown in accordance herewith.

FIG. 2 is an axial cross-sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a top elevation of the spring shown in FIG. 5, and showing the detail of the cam rider which is integral therewith.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the spring which coacts in f ce the devices of the present invention to maintain the op erating cord under tension.

FIG. 6 is a top elevation of a nut for holding this spring in position on a pulley carrier.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary elevation of the inside face of a pivoted closure for the cord receiving opening on the pulley carrier.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, there is here shown an abutment in the form of an elongated tubular member 1t) pivotally secured at its lower extremity, generally indicated at 11, to a pedestal 12 which is adapted to be secured to a wall or floor, or other such rigid support. Pedestal 12 is provided with a relatively thin web portion 13 having at its lower marginal edge a flange 14- which is adapted to be secured as by screws, for example to the main support body, e.g. a wall or a floor. The upper end of web 13 is provided with a. hub 15 adapted to be disposed within the tubular body 1% and secured therein for rotation by pin 16 which extends through the hub 15 and the walls of tube 10. Tube 10 is provided with slots 17 and 18 diametrically opposed to each other and adapted to permit passage of the web 13 therethrough to allow for angular disposition of the pedestal 12 with respect to the tube 10.

The upper extremity of tube 14), as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is provided with a flange 2t? forming an abutment having an aperture 21 therethrough. Aperture 21 and flange 29 form, therefore, a radially inwardly directed an nulus which serves as a stop for one end of a spring member 22 to be hereinafter described in greater detail. The length of the tubular member 10 is not critical, and may be conveniently a tube 4" to 5" long by 0.75 0D.

A pulley carrier 23 extends through the aperture 21, and has secured to its outer extremity a pulley-block assembly generally indicated at 24 through which the drapery operating cord 25 is threaded. The opposite extremity of pulley carrier 23 is provided with suitable means against which the spring 22 may be biased such as, for example, expansibly locking washer 26 (FIG. 6) engaged by notches 27 and 28, and resting on lands 29, 3t) and 31, respectively, which define a pointed tip of carrier rod 23.

As indicated above, spring 22 is biased against the washer 26 at one end and against the flange 20 at the other end, operating resiliently in compression therebetween and tending to urge the carrier stem 23 downwardly through the aperture 21.

FIG. 3 is a view taken on the plane indicated by the lines 33 of FIG. 1 and in the direction indicated by the arrows. As shown, the inner wall of tube 10 has cam surfaces forming axially extending key-way grooves 32 which are disposed in circumferentially spaced relation about the aperture 21, and provide an indexing guide for the pulley carrier 23. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, there are four key-way grooves 32 disposed at intervals about the circumference of the inner wall of tube 19.

Also shown in FIG. 3, one end of spring 22 forms an integral key 35 which is adapted to extend into resilient coacting engagement with the key ways 32 between the raised cam surfaces to normally restrain rotation of the pulley carrier 23 and thus releasably secure the carrier at preselected positions. The key portion 35 is generally of J -shape to conform with and engage the cross-sectional configuration of the pulley carrier 23. Thus, when the pulley carrier 23 is rotated, the key 35 is forced to ride over the raised cam surfaces and into selective engagement with one of the key way grooves. This eifects a new indexing of the rotated position of the pulley carrier 23 with respect to the base pedestal 12, for example.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show respectively an end view and an elevation of spring 22 to more clearly illustrate the integral ensues? i9 key 35, as above described. The lower extremity of the spring 22 may also he contoured in such fashion as to come into gripping relationship with the pulley carrier 23 to aid in applying torque to the spring 22 on rotating the carrier 23, thereby facilitating the action of the key 35 in overriding the cam surfaces between the key way grooves 32. However, it has been found from actual experience that this is not necessary, the required torque being transmited to the key 35 through the portion 37 adapted to-be disposed adjacent one of the surfaces of the carrier 23.

in the embodiment shown in the annexed drawings, it will be observed that the fluted extremity of the carrier 23 desirably includes only three lands 29, 3-9 and 31. By leaving the fourth quadrant free of projections, the portion 3'7 of spring 22, and the short return portion 33 of key 35 are so proportioned and disposed as to permit easy insertion of the carrier body into the spring 22 without interference from the lands 2?, 3t) and 31. Thus, the por tion 37 will pass along the side of carrier 23 opposite to land Ell, and the return portion 38 completing the J-shape for the key 35 is short enough not to interfere with the terminal structure of carrier 23.

While any suitable pulley-block structure may be associated with pulley carrier 23, the structure shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 7 is a preferred embodiment. When the device of the present invention is formed from a relatively stifif plastic material such as filled nylon or polyethylene, the pulley block assembly 23 may be conveniently cast in a single piece, integral with the pulley carrier 23, as best shown in FIG. 2. Accordingly, the upper end of pulley carrier 23 is provided with a laterally extending web portion 4-6 which in turn is conveniently provided with a transverse integral rib portion 41 which forms a stop. The web portion 413 is extended to form a pulley block side wall 42 having integrally cast therewith pulley axle 43 normal to the plane of the side wall 42. The outer extremity of side wall 42 is formed to provide a bridging portion 44 for the reversely extending portion 45 which forms the opposite pulley block side wall. Bridging portion 44 is conveniently provided with a notch 46 to reduce the resistance to reverse bending in a direction away from side wall 42 for the purpose of permitting the hub 47 of pulley 48 to be put in proper position on axle 43 for rotation thereabout.

Side wall 45 is conveniently provided with a bearing portion 49 through which axle ,43 extends. In order to secure side wall 45 to axle 43, an enlarged head portion 54) having a diameter slightly larger than the journal diameter may be formed on the axle. Because of the resilient nature of the plastic material, the head 59 may be forced through the bearing 49. Head 50 in combination with the lateral extension of hub 47 coacts to retain side wall 45 in proper position.

The reversely extending portion of the pulley carrier which forms sidewall 45 has a free extremity which is spaced from the main stem of pulley carrier 23 to provide operating cord access to the pulley 48. As best shown in FIGURES l, 2 and 7, a protective closure plate 51 is pivotally mounted on a pin 52 which is integrally cast in the sidewall 45 in spaced parallel relation from the sheave axle 43. When in closed position, the closure plate 51 closes the operating cord access space and confines the cord in the pulley block assembly. The provision and location of pivot pin 52 avoids interference with the pulley axle 43 and provides increased leverage for pivotal positioning of the closure plate Sl. The free extremity of the closeure plate 51 terminates at the same level as the rib 41 and coacts with the rib 41 as a limiting stop for retraction of the pulley carrier 23 into the tube ill.

Further in accordance with the preferred embodiment of this invention, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, there is provided an improved interlocking arrangement for releasably securing the closure plate 51 in closed position to prevent inadvertant opening and resulting escape of the cord from the pulley block assembly. At the juncture of the web portion 4% with the top of the stern of pulley carrier 23 there is formed a downwardly facing channel 53 which projects outwardly toward the free ext emity of closure plate 51. A complementary upwardly facing channel 54 is formed on the inner face of the free extremity of closure plate 51 for interlocking coaction with channel 53 as best shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings. A head 55 is formed on the inner face of closure plate 51 in spaced vertical relation from the channel 54 and coacts against the base of channel 53 to further enhance the interlock between channels 53 and 5 The interlock between the channels 53 and 54 is still further enhanced by the seating of a depending teat 5'6, formed on the inside base of channel 53, in a groove 57 formed in the adjacent edge of the short leg of channel 54 A depending projection 53 formed on the head 55 coacts against the outer base of channel 53 during closing movement as a cam surface to seat the teat 56 in the groove 57. An additional interlock is provided between the closure plate 51 and side wall 45 by forming an arcuate channel so on the inside face of the closure plate which channel receives and engages the free extremity of side wall 45. The short leg 61 of the channel 69 coacts with the teat 62 formed on the inside face of side wall 42 to prevent the cord from slipping between the pulley 4-8 and either of the side walls 42 or 45. The external face of the closure plate 51 may be designed in a decorative manner to complete the external appearance of the pulley block assembly.

There has thus been provided an improved extensible pulley anchoring assembly having simplified and highly efiicient rotation indexing arrangement and an improved closure for the operating cord access space in the pulley block assembly.

Other modes of applying the principle of this invention may be employe instead of those specifically set forth above, changes being made as regards the details herein disclosed provided the elements set forth in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such be employed.

It is, therefore, particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed as the invention:

1. An extensible pulley anchoring assembly comprising, an apertured abutment having an inwardly directed flange portion defining an aperture at one end thereof, an elongated pulley carrier extending through the abutment aperture and rotatable therein, resilient means adapted to be compressed between the inserted extremity of the pulley carrier and the flange portion of the abutment to bias the carrier in retracted position within the abutment aperture, means coacting between the carrier and said resilient means to cause the resilient means to rotate with the carrier, rotation indexing guide means for said carrier including a plurality of key-ways axially disposed along the abutment wall and in circumfer ntially spaced relation about the aperture, said resilient means having an integral key member selectively extending into resiliently coacting engagement with said key-ways to releasably secure the pulley carrier in preselected rotated positions.

2. The extensible pulley anchoring assembly of claim 1 wherein said means coacting between the carrier and said resilient means extends from said integral key member and includes a reversely bent return portion of said key member partially encircling and engaging the pulley carrier to cause rotation of said resilient means and extension therewith.

3. The extensible pulley anchoring assembly of claim 1 wherein said resilient means includes a coiled spring encircling the said inwardly extended end of the pulley carrier and means coacting at said inwardly extended end between said carrier and said spring to cause the spring to rotate with said carrier.

4. The extensible pulley anchoring assembly of claim 1 wherein said elongated pulley carrier has its outer extremity reversely bent to form leg portions for rotatably supporting a pulley between the legs thus formed, the reversely extending extremity thereof being spaced from the remainder of the carrier to pass a pulley cord loop onto the pulley Wheel, and a closure pivotally supported on the reversely bent leg portion on an axis disposed is spaced parallel relation from the pulley axis of rotation and extending across the pulley cord receiving space thereby to prevent release of the pulley cord from the pulley, zmd interlocking means releasably coacting between said closure extension and said carrier to secure the closure in closed position.

5. The extensible pulley anchoring assembly of claim 4 wherein the pivotal support for said closure includes a pin projecting from the reversely extending leg portion of said carrier and having an enlarged extremity adapted to restrain removal of the cover therefrom, and wherein said closure has a pin-receiving aperture with flexible marginal edges for receivin said pin therethrough.

6. An extensible pulley anchoring assembly comprising a tubular member adapted to be secured at one end to a support, an elongated pulley carrier extending axially into the other end of the tubular member, resilient means coacting in compression between such other end of the tubular member and the inwardly extended end of the pulley carrier to bias the pulley carrier in retracted position therein, means coacting between the carrier and said resilient means to cause the resilient means to rotate with the carrier, rotation indexing guide means including a plurality of key-Ways disposed axially and in fixed circumferentially spaced relation about the inner wall of said tubular member, said resilient means having an integral key member selectively extending into resilient engagement with said keyways to releasably secure the pulley carrier in preselected rotated positions.

7. A pulley carrier comprising an elongated member adapted to extensibly coact with an anchoring assembly, one end of said elongated member having a reversely bent portion, a pulley rotatably supported between said elongated members and said reversely bent portion, means for rotatably supporting said pulley, the extremity of said reversely bent portion being spaced from said elongated member to pass a pulley cord loop onto said pulley, a pin projecting from said reversely bent portion adjacent its base and in spaced parallel relation from the pulley axis, a closure pivotally mounted on said pin and adapted to span the cord passing space in one pivoted position to close said space and prevent release of the pulley cord therefrom, and means coacting in releasable interlocking engagement between said elongated member and the extremity of said reversely bent portion to maintain the closure in closed position.

8. The pulley carrier of claim 7 wherein said interlocking means include complementary surfaces on the extremity of said reversely bent portion and on said elon gated member, each of said surfaces having a portion adapted to overhang the other in interlocking relation to restrain separation in a plane parallel to the pin axis and slidably coacting transversely to the pin axis to permit separation in the plane of rotation of the cover.

9. The pulley carrier of claim 8 wherein said complementary surfaces include a mating projection and groove respectively adapted to restrain separation transversely to the pin axis and wherein a cam surface on one complementary surface coacts with the other complementary surface during closing movement to seat the projection in the groove.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 90,213 Winsor May 18, 1869 611,076 Nies et a1. Sept. 20, 1898 1,173,949 Galliland Feb. 29, 1916 1,332,611 Cundari Mar. 2, 1920 1,753,084 Kappel Apr. 1, 1930 1,955,091 Raney Apr. 17, 1934 2,382,049 Frankhouser Apr. 14, 1945 2,650,087 Vaia et al. Apr. 25, 1953 2,830,808 Graber Apr. 15, 1958 2,982,539 Cameron et a1. May 2, 1961

Claims (1)

1. AN EXTENSIBLE PULLEY ANCHORING ASSEMBLY COMPRISING, AN APERTURED ABUTMENT HAVING AN INWARDLY DIRECTED FLANGE PORTION DEFINING AN APERTURE AT ONE END THEREOF, AN ELONGATED PULLEY CARRIER EXTENDING THROUGH THE ABUTMENT APERTURE AND ROTATABLE THEREIN, RESILIENT MEANS ADAPTED TO BE COMPRESSED BETWEEN THE INSERTED EXTREMITY OF THE PULLEY CARRIER AND THE FLANGE PORTION OF THE ABUTMENT TO BIAS THE CARRIER IN RETRACTED POSITION WITHIN THE ABUTMENT APERTURE, MEANS COACTING BETWEEN THE CARRIER AND SAID RESILIENT MEANS TO CAUSE THE RESILIENT MEANS TO ROTATE WITH THE CARRIER, ROTATION INDEXING GUIDE MEANS FOR SAID CARRIER INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF KEY-WAYS AXIALLY DISPOSED ALONG THE ABUTMENT WALL AND IN CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED RELATION ABOUT THE APERTURE, SAID RESILIENT MEANS HAVING AN INTEGRAL KEY MEMBER SELECTIVELY EXTENDING INTO RESILIENTLY COACTING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID KEY-WAYS TO RELEASABLY SECURE THE PULLEY CARRIER IN PRESELECTED ROTATED POSITIONS.

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