US623162A

US623162A - Curtain-fixture

Info

Publication number: US623162A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1899-04-18
Anticipated expiration: 1916-04-18

Description

v No. 623,!62. Patented Apr. l8," I899. n. E; JOHNSON.

CURTAIN FIXTURE,

(Application filed June 80, 1898.)

(No Model.)

Nrrnn STATES PATENT Orrrcs.

RALPH EUGENE JOHNSON, OF LAFAYETTE, INDIANA.

CURTAIN-FIXTU RE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,162, dated April 18, 1899.

Application filed June 30,1898. Serial No. 684,825. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom, it ntag concern.-

Be it known that I, RALPH EUGENE JOHN- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lafayette, in the county of Tippecanoe and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain -Fixtures; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Myinvention has relation to window shades or curtains and to mechanism for conveniently manipulating and controlling the same, the object being to provide two curtains adapted to shade the upper and lower parts of the window, respectively, and both adapted to be operated with one roller.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a window, showing my improved curtain applied to use. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of one end of the roller,showing the mechanism employed for manipulating the same. Fig. 4 shows an elevation of the same end of the roller. Fig. 5 illustrates the means I employ to obtain an equal pull upon the curtains when it is found desirable to attach both to the controlling-cord. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of one of the brackets, while Fig. 7 shows side elevations of the same bracket. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the other bracket. Fig. 9 is a bottom view of the bracket illustrated in Figs. (Band 7. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of one of the cord-pulleys and the means employed for mounting the same. Fig. 11- is a transverse section of Fig. 10.

For convenience of reference the same numerals will be employed to designate the same parts throughout the various figures of the drawings.

The curtains 1 and 2, designed to shade the upper and lower parts of the window, respectively, are laid side by side, and the two ends are then attached to the roller 3 in the usual manner, said roller being mounted, as is usual, in the brackets 4 and 5, which are preferably located at or just below the middle of the window-frame.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated the mechanism employed for controlling the roller, which is provided with the ordinary central bore 6, in

which is located the actuating-sprin g 7. The

bore 6 is enlarged at the outer end of the roller, so that it is funnel-shaped. The object of this enlargement of the bore is to make room to accommodate the thimble S. The end of the roller is received into the ferrule 9, which is provided with the inwardly-extending annular flange 10, against which the end of the roller abuts. The outer end of the ferrule receives the disk 11, provided with the central bore 12. The thimble S is provided with a flared month, which terminates in an annular flange, which is adapted to rotate freely between the disk 11 and the flange 10 of the ferrule.

to the outer end of the spring 7 in any suitable manner, as by brazing, soldering,or other preferred Way. It will be observed from Fig. 4 that the disk 11 carries upon the outer face thereof the pivoted gravity-dog 13, the inward movement of which is limited by the pin 14.

The supporting-stein 15 is pivotally attached at its inner end to the thimble 8, and, as will The thimble Sis connected appear from Figs. 3 and 4, sufficient room is provided for said stem to move entirely out of engagement with the gravity-pawl13 when need requires. From this explanation of my mechanism illustrated, in Figs. 3 and 4 it is apparent that a downward pull upon the controlling-cord 16 will lift or slightly elevate the roller 3, and inasmuch as the outer end of the supporting-stem 15 is held securely in the slot provided therefor in the bracket 5 this elevation will lift the gravity-dog 13 out of engagement with said supporting-stem, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, leaving the roller free to be manually rotated by a further downward pull upon the cord. When the cord is released, the weight of the roller and also that of the blinds or curtains supported thereby will cause said roller to drop down again, so that the top of the hole 12 will rest at the top of the supporting-stem 15, which brings said stem into engagement with the gravity-dog and prevents a backward rotation of the roller, which would otherwise be effected by the weight of the curtains.

In order that the operation of my mechanism may be fully understood, I will explain how it may be used to meet the requirements of such mechanism under varying conditions. Let us suppose in the first place that it is desired to shade the whole window. Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that a downward pull upon the operating-cord 16, as already explained, will permit the roller 3 to freelyrorate. This pull is continued until the upper blind is sufficiently elevated to shade the entire upper part of the window, and since both blinds are received side by side upon the same roller it is clearly apparent that when the free end of the upper blind is at the top of the window the lower blind will be at its bottom. The upper blind is supported in this position by the cord 16, which is suitably held by the bracket 4, as will be explained hereinafter. Again, let us suppose that it is desired to shade the lower part of the window while the upper part is left open. To do this, the lower blind is simply pulled down by the hand, which changes the upward tension upon the roller to a downward tension imparted from said lower blind, causing the stem 15 to come into engaging position with the gravitydog 13, which serves to prevent the blind from rolling backward when brought to the desired position. The upper blind will now hang in a loop over the lower blind and may be raised or lowered, as desired,by means of the cord 16 and supported in that position by attaching said cord to the bracket 4. When it is desired to roll-the lower blind up, the stem 15 may be released from the gravitydog by suddenly pulling the curtain down a short distance until the roller has made a partial revolution, which disengages the gravity-dog. The blind is then permitted to rise to any position desired at sufficient speed to centrifugally hold the gravity-catch outward from contact with the stem. In other words, when it is desired to operate the lower blind independently of the upper one the method of operating it in no way differs from that employed in manipulating the ordinary Hartshorn roller. If it is desired to shade only the portion of the window below the curtain-roller and the looping of the upper blind is for any reason objectionable, the latter may be unhooked from the supporting-cord at 21 and brought down over the lower blind and both blinds again operated together as a single blind, as referred to above; or suppose, again, that it is desired to shade the upper part of the window while the lower part is left unshaded. This is .easily and readily accomplished by attaching the free end of the lower blind also to the controllingcord and then pulling down, as usual, upon said cord, which causes the free ends of both blinds to move side by side to the top of the window, in which position they are supported bythe cord in the manner already stated in the other instances cited. It is in this instance that I employ my equalizing device illustrated in Fig. 5, which consists of the pulley 17, the cord 18, cooperating therewith, and the knobs 01'

balls

19 and 20, attached to athe two ends thereof. The pulley 17 is at ordinary screws.

tached to the end of the supporting-cord 16, and the cord 18 is passed over this pulley, and the two knobs are then secured on its ends. The hook 2], attached to the upper blind at its center, is hooked around the cord 18 at its point of union with the knob 19. As it pulls downward upon said cord 18 the knob 20 will pass upward until its further movement is prevented by the pulley 17, as is clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, in which case the equalizing mechanism forms the connectinglink between the supporting-cord and the upper shade 1; but when it is desired to elevate both curtains, as in the last instance cited, the hook 22, attached to the lower curtain at its center, is hooked around the cord 18 at its point of union with the knob 20, as illustrated in Fig. 5, from which illustrationit is clearly apparent that an upward pull upon the cord 16 will elevate both curtains,as already stated.

The bracket 4 is provided in its bottom with the longitudinal groove 23, and located in this groove at suitable intervals apart are the transverse ribs 24. The object of this groove is to receive the end of the supporting-cord,

which is placed in the groove just before the bracket is secured in its operative position by v The ribs bite the cord, as it were, so that when the bracket is secured in proper position the end of the cord is firmly held, as illustrated in Fig. l. The brackets 4 are further adapted to carry the corrugated pulleys 25,which are suitablymounted. These pulleys are provided near their inner ends with the deep grooves or recesses 26, in which the cord can pass freely. They are further provided with the spiral grooves or corrugations 27, which serve to cause the windowcord to move toward the outer ends of said pulley, when an upward motion of said cord is effected, at which point the cord is clamped between the roller and the bottom section 28 of the bracket, the diameters of said pulleys increasing as their outer ends are approached. To render this clamping process still more certain, the bracket is further provided with the inclined flange 29,which cooperates with the corrugations 27 in giving the cord a tend-- ency to pass from the groove 26 toward the outer end of the pulley, where it is clamped. This construction is especially valuable when by accident the hold upon the cord has been suddenly lost, as it operates to quickly grasp the cord and prevent the jerk which would be consequent upon the sudden falling of the upper blind, which would probably result in the breaking of the cord. It will, however, be observed, on the other hand, that when the cord is pulled downward these spiral corrugations tend to draw it-inwardly into the groove 26, where it can move freely, so that while the pulley 25 is adapted to check the upward movement of the cord when said cord is not manually held within the groove 26 it ofiers no obstruction to a downward pull thereof.

The method of passing the cords over the pulleys in operative position is so clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 that a description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus fully described the operation and construction of myinvention and shown means by which it may be applied to use, I yet do not wish to be limited to the exact showing made, but desire protection in all that comes clearly within the spirit and scope of my invention.

lVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a curtain-roller having a spiral spring mounted therein, of a thimble rotatably mounted in the end' of said roller and suitably connected with said spring; a supporting-stem pivotally mounted in said thimble and means carried by said roller to engage said stem when the roller is moved in a vertical plane, as specified and for the purpose set forth. 2. The combination with a pair of curtains and a suitable roller therefor, of the hereindescribed curtain attachment consisting of a flexible cord, a pulley over which said cord may pass, a ball secured to each end of said flexible cord and a hook carried by each curtain designed to cooperate with said cord and balls, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A curtain-roller having a pivoted stem extending beyond the end thereof,- a spiral spring mounted within the roller and suitable means to connect said spring and stem whereby the roller may be freely rotated and at the same time moved in a vertical plane, and a pawl carried by the end of the roller designed to engage said stem and thereby hold the roller against further rot'ation until disengaged, as specified and for the purpose set forth.

4.. A curtain-roller having a spiral spring mounted therein an operating-cord designed to control said roller; a thimble or bell-shaped housing 8 connected at its tapered end to said spring androtatably mounted in the end of the roller; a stem extending beyond the end of the roller and pivotally connected at its inner end to the interior of the inner end of said thimble, and a pivoted keeper carried by the roller adapted to engage said stem when the cord controlling the curtain is released, as and for the purpose specified.

5. A curtain-roller having a spiral spring mounted therein; a thimble 8 connected at its inner tapered end to said spring and rotatably mounted in the end of the roller; a stem extending beyond the end of the roller and pivotally connected at its inner end to the interior of the inner end of said thimble; a plate attached to the end of the roller and having an aperture to receive the free'end of said stem whereby said stem or the roller may move in a vertical plane when said slot is in a vertical position, and suitable means carried by said plate to engage said stem and hold the roller against further rotation until the stem is released, as specified and for the purpose set forth.

6. A curtain-roller bracket having a standard and base and further provided upon the lower face of said base with a longitudinallydisposed groove having cross-ribs disposed at intervals, as specified and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

RALPH EUGENE JOHNSON.

lVitnesses:

ALEXANDER A. RICE, W. S. POTTER.