US468637A - Picture-cord take-up - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

H. E. BILLINGS.

PIGTURE CORD TAKE-UP.

No. 468,637. Patented Feb. 9, 1892.,

- Jill/enmit- HEBiZZz' ,63 kz's ill 0772a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY E. BILLINGS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

PICTURE-CORD TAKE-UP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,637, dated February 9, 1892.

Application filed September 1, 1891. $erial No. 404,424. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY E. BILLINGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Picture-Cord Take- Ups, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to picture-cord takeups, the object being to provide a simple, strong, and effective device whereby the height of a picture, mirror, or other article suspended by a cord may be quioklyadjusted without detaching the cord therefrom.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, Figure 1, is a rear view of a portion of a picture-frame provided with one of my picture-cord take-ups. Fig. 2 is an edge View as seen from the left hand of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the frame in line a a of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view of the forward side of the take-up device, as seen from the left hand in Fig. 2.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures.

The improved picture-cord take-up herein described consists of a reel orbobbin mounted on a stud or pivot, which is fixed to the picture-frame and having means for engaging the cord for preventing the turning of the bobbin on its pivot.

The pivot 10 may properly consist of a screw inserted into the frame B, as will be understood from the dotted lines in Fig. 3, and having the head 10. The reel orbobbin on which the picture-cord 14 is to be wound for taking up the same consists of the sleeve or thimble 8, fitted to revolve freely on said pivot 10, and provided with means for attaching thereto one end of said picture-cord, and means for engaging said cord at a point beyond the bobbin to prevent the bobbin turning backward. For these purposes the bobbin 8 is provided at the outer end thereof with the disk 2, having therein a hole 12, through which the end of the cord 14 is inserted, and formed into a knot 15 in a Well-known manner, and on the outer edge of the disk 2 the takeup device is provided with one or more cord-engaging catches. The device shown in the drawings has two said catches, designated by 4 and 6, respectively, which constitute forwardly-=pro= jeoting portions of a rim 3, extending around the periphery of said disk 2, this rim being in practice for the purpose of stiffening the disk, and thus improving the character of the device.

For turning the reel to wind up the cord thereon, as indicated in the drawings, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, said disk 2 is or may be provided with the projecting thumb-pieces or wings 16, whereby the reel may be operated with the fingers after the manner of turning a thumbscrew.

The operation of the take-up device will, it is thought, be readily understood from the drawings in connection with the preceding description. When it is desired to shorten the cord 14, (which maybe any well-known form of cord, either of textile material or of Wire or the like,) and thus elevate the article suspended thereby, the user grasps the takeup by the thumb-pieces 16 16, and turns the take-up device toward the right hand in Fig. 1, at the close of the operation engaging the cord with one of the aforesaid peripheral catches, as illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. To lower the suspended article, the operator, seizing the cord immediately above the take-up device, disengages the same from the said peripheral catch and at the same time turns backward the reel to let off therefrom the desired length of cord, whereupon the cord isagain brought into engagement with oneof said catches, thus securely locking the reel against further backward movement and preventing any furth er unwinding of the cord therefrom.

By means of this device any suspended article of the class described may be readily and quickly adjusted without removing it from its supporting-hooks and without. detaching the cord from the article or requiring the use of any tools. The device being of the extremest simplicity, and consisting of but a single piece besides the necessary supportingpin or pivot, is adapted to be manufactured very cheaply.

In practice the take-up device may be used on one side of a picture-frame, While an ordinary screw-eye is used on the other side of the frame; but in some cases it may be neces sary or desirable to use one of the take-ups on each side of the frame, the opposite ends of the cord being attached to said take-ups, respectively.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The improved take-up reel herein described, consisting in the combination, with a bobbin adapted to be pivotally supported on a picture-frame, of adisk or plate on one end of the bobbin and one or more catches, substantially as described, on said plate and projecting laterally therefrom into the normal pathof the picture-cord beyond the bobbin, substantially as described.

2. In a picture-cord take-up, the combination, with the reel 0r bobbin and with. the attached cord extending therefrom, of a catch on the reel and extending into the path of the cord beyond the reel for locking the reel against rotation by engaging the cord, substantially as described.

HARRY E. BILLINGS.

. \Vitnesses:

HENRY L. RECKARD, I-I. MALLNER.

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