US746178A

US746178A - Cord-shortening device.

Info

Publication number: US746178A
Application number: US13310602A
Authority: US
Inventors: John H Seaman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1902-11-28
Filing date: 1902-11-28
Publication date: 1903-12-08
Anticipated expiration: 1920-12-08

Description

No. 746,178. PATENTED-DEO. 8, 1903.

J. H. SEAMAN. CORD SHORTENING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 28, 1902.

NO MODEL.

ozwweamav.

THE wmus PETERS c0 mowumo, msmno'row. a. c

UNITED STATEs Patented December 8, 1903.

JOHN H. SEAMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CORD-SHORTENING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 746,178, dated December 8, 1903.

Application filed November 28,1902. Serial No. 133.106. (No model.)

and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cord-Shortening Devices; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a cord-shortener or take-up for flexible connections or supports of any kind, and is shown more particularly in relation with the cord for an electrical droplight.

The object of the invention is to provide a cheap, simple, and durable device readily operated and adapted to positively grip and hold the cord in adjusted position.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and more fully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of a device embodying my invention, showing the cord in position therein. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a slightly-modified construction. Fig. 3 is a front end elevation of either form.

As shown in said drawings, said shortening device embraces a shell A, constructed of wood, papier-mach, hard rubber, or other desired material, and which in the form shown is smaller at one end than at the other. The shell, as shown in Fig. 1, is of approximately uniform thickness. The length of the shell, as shown, is approximately equal to the larger diameter; but it may be made of any desired length. The diameter of the aperture in the smaller end is such as to cause the cord to jam therein, as shown in Fig. 1, when the bight is passed therethrough, thus presenting frictional resistance to its withdrawal. In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 3 a bushing B, of soft rubber or other insulating material, is secured in the smaller end of the shell, provided with a comparatively small central aperture extending therethrough and through which the bight of the cord is passed in shortening the same. The large end of the shell is provided with a plurality of notches arranged around the same of such size as to a-iford a slight compression of the cord when" forced therein, as shown in Fig. 1. The construction illustrated in Fig. 2 is provided with such notches at each end of the device, so that when the bight of the cord is passed inwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, the outer ends of the, cord maybe forced into the notches at the large end of the device, while the loop or bight of the cord engages on opposite sides in the notches on the smaller end, thus affording a positive engagement of the cord at a pluralityof points on the device and affording very strong support.

The operation is obvious from the preceding statement. The bight of the cord being passed into the device at the large end and drawn through the aperture at the small end, the strain on the cord tends to draw the ends more firmly into the notches at the large end and to cause the parts of the cord within the device to cross and jam each other in the aperture. The resistance is obviously increased should soft rubber or the like be secured in the small end of the shell. Obviously, if preferred, soft rubber or other bushing may be used with the device, as illustrated in Fig. 2, in which case the bushing is sprung into the end of the shell and the parts of the cord at each end of the shell jam in said notches, affording very positive support. The tapered shape of the device is such as to afford most convenient manual engagement in adjusting the cord therein, it being obvious that to adjust the cord all that is necessary is to pass the bight through the shell and pull the device along the cord.

While I have shown and described a construction conical in form, it is obvious that the external conformation is unimportant except to afford more convenient manual engagement therewith and also that materials and dimensions and other details of construction may be varied without departing from the principle of my invention.

1 claim as my invention 1. A cord-shortener comprising a shell having a tapered aperture therethrough, a bushing at the smaller end of the aperture of ma terial adapted to afford frictional resistance.

2. A cord-shortener device comprising a shell having a tapered aperture extending therethrough, resilient means at the smaller end of the aperture adapted to grip the bightof a cord when passed therethrough, and a corrugated part on the shell acting also to grip the cord.

3. As an article of manufacture a cordshortening device comprising atapered shell of approximately uniform thickness, a resilient insulating bushing in the small end of the same acting to grip the bight of the cord when passed therethrough, and one or more notches in the large end of the shell adapted also to grip the cord when engaged in the shell.

4. An article of manufacture comprising a tapered shell of approximately uniform thickness, resilient gripping means in one end of the shell, the other end of the shell being shaped to grip a cord when the bight thereof is passed through the shell.

5. An article of manufacture comprising a shell of insulating material through which the bight of a cord to be shortened is passed, resilient means in one end of the shell restricting the size of the aperture and acting to grip the bight of the cord and notches at the other to receive the ends of the cord whereby strain at the ends of the cord serves to more rigidly engage the cord in the shell.

6. An article of manufacture comprisinga tapered shell of insulating material, the ap erture therethrough being also tapered to correspond With the taper of the shell, notches at each end of the shell of a size each to engage a given size of cord, a bushing of soft rubber or the like in the smaller end of the aperture which also serves as a lining for the notches therein whereby when the bight of a cord is passed through said shell from the larger end strain on the ends of the cord serves to bind the cord rigidly in the shell by engagement thereof in the notches.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN H. SEAMAN. \Vitnesses:

C. W. HILLS, A. O. ODELL.