US766681A

US766681A - Shade or curtain holder.

Info

Publication number: US766681A
Application number: US13781103A
Authority: US
Inventors: Henry H Forsyth
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1903-01-05
Filing date: 1903-01-05
Publication date: 1904-08-02
Anticipated expiration: 1921-08-02

Description

PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.

H. H. FORSYTH.

SHADE 0B. CURTAIN HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H0 MODEL.

My M Ii z d wz PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.

H. H. PORSYTH.

SHADE 0R CURTAIN HOLDER.

APPLIOATIOK FILED JAN. 5, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H0 MODEL.

PAT'ENTED AUG. 2, 1904.

H. H. FORSYTH.

SHADE OR CURTAIN HOLDER.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 5, 1903.

a sums-sum: 3.

N0 MODEL.

W-qfigggg 5,

UNITED STATES Patented August 2, 1904.

HENRY H. FORSYTH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHADE OR CURTAIN HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,681, dated August 2, 1904.

Application filed January 5, 1903. Serial No. 137,811. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY H. FORSY'IH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain or Shade Holders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for frictionally retaining a shade or curtain in any desired position against the tendency of its actuating means to withdraw the same by rolling it up on the usual roller or otherwise.

More particularly my invention relates to that class of shade-holding devices in which the shade is mounted upon a spring-actuated retracting device, such as a roller, at one end and is provided with friction devices at its other end or intermediate its ends adapted to engage grooves in the window or other frame, which friction devices are normally maintained in frictional contact with one or more walls of said grooves when the curtain is at rest, and slide in and longitudinally of said grooves when the curtain is being adjusted from one position to another.

My invention has for its object to improve upon known devices of this class more particularly in the direction of providing a more efficient holding device having a greater area of frictional contact with the grooves and also in the way of providing a device not requiring any special operating devices external of the shade and which may be released from frictional contact with the grooves for the purpose of adjusting the curtain by manipulating the same at any point along the lower margin of the curtain.

To these and other ends my invention consists in a new and improved shade-holder possessing the characteristics of structure and function substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention in its preferred form, Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in vertical section, of the lower end of a shade or curtain and its containing-frame, showing my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the curtain and its frame, taken in two different horizontal planes. Flg. 3 1s a view generally simllar to Fig. 1, illustrating a slight modification. Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical transverse sectional views through two forms of holding devices, both embodying the principle of my invention; and Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are views corresponding with Figs. 3, at, and 5, respectively. and illustrating additional modifications of the underlying principle of the invention.

Shade-holders of this general type have hitherto been provided with friction-heads having stems mounted'in the lower margin of the shade, which stems have been provided with springs tending to separate them endwise, and thus force the friction-heads against the bottom Walls of their respective grooves. In some other constructions the friction-heads have been provided with devices for effecting a torsion or canting of each head in its respective groove, thereby producing a friction effect between the head and the side walls of the groove.

My present invention belongs to that variety of such devices wherein the friction effect is produced between the head and the side walls of the grooves primarily, although it may in one or more forms be provided with means for effecting an additional frictional engagement with the base of the grooves. It is a desideratum, however, to obtain a friction effect coextensive with the entire length and width of the friction-head; and it is also a desideratum to provide a device wherein the friction devices may be released upon grasping the lower margin of the shade and compressing or otherwise manipulating the supporting and actuating devices of the friction-heads at any point along the entire width of the curtain. Both of these desiderata I have secured in the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a shade or curtain in the lower margin of which is mounted a shade-stick adapted to receive and support the stems of the friction-heads. In the usual form of these devices this shadestick has consisted simply of a tubular rod in which was housed at opposite ends the stems of the friction heads and their actuating springs. In accordance with my present in- I vention this shade-stick is preferably made in' the form of a pair of comparatively thin flat bars 11 12, disposed side by side and united along their upper margins by hinges 13. These bars may each preferably be formed of a thin strip of sheet metal doubled upon itself and at the line of bend being circularly enlarged to form a tube or sleeve 1l and 12 to receive the stems 14: and 15 of

frictionheads

14 and 15, respectively. The

heads

14 and 15 on each side of the curtain are vertically-extending members disposed side by side, each having a flat outer surface or wall which is normally maintained pressed into frictional contact with the adjacent side wall of the groove through the action of a spring 16, interposed between the inner opposed faces of the

hinged bars

11 and 12 of the shade-stick, it being understood that for the purpose of enabling the friction-heads to automatically adjust themselves to a frictional contact with the side walls of their containing-grooves throughout their entire extent the stems of the friction-heads are so mounted in the sleeves of the shade-stick as to be capable of turning therein. 7

The operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description. When the shade is normally occupying any position to which it may have been adjusted, the spring 16 forces apart the two hinged members of the shade-stick, thereby pressing the outer faces of the friction-heads on both sides of the shade into frictional or holding contact with the side walls of their containinggrooves, thereby producing sufiicient friction to withstand and overcome the tendency of the spring of the winding-roller to elevate the shade. When, however, the shade is to be adjusted, it is necessary only to grasp and compress the two hinged members of the shade-stick sufficiently to withdraw the friction-heads from contact with the walls of the groove or, at least, to overcome the frictional hold which said shoes have to enable the actuating-spring to raise the shade or to enable the operator to lower the shade against the actuating-spring, and it will be observed as constituting an important feature of my invention that this release of the friction-heads may be effected by grasping and compressing the members of the shade-stick at any point along the entire width of the shade. I In some cases I deem it desirable to provide for a frictional engagement of the heads with the bottom walls of the grooves as well as with their side walls, and this' may be readily effected by simply interposing between the adjacent ends of the stems of the heads a spring. (Shown at 17 in Fig. 3.)

In order to simplify the construction of the two-part shade-stick, the latter may be so constructed as to combine in a single element the functions of the hinge and of the separating-spring, and such a construction is illustrated in Fig. 4:, wherein the two members 11 and12'of the shade-stick are united along their upper margins by a spring-hinge 18, the normal tendency of which is to separate the. lower ends or margins of the members in the same manner as is done by the spring 16.

Figs. 6, 7, and 8 illustrate, further, permissible variations of the structure hereinabove particularly described and shown. As shown in these figures, the heads 14: and 15 which project into the grooves, are formed integral with their respective bars 11 and l2 ,.and the latter are loosely connected along their upper margins by loops 19. WVhere the heads are thus made integral with the bars, they are preferably, though not necessarily, formed to occupy planes slightly oblique to the planes of their respective bars, as clearly shown in Fig. 8, and are also preferably slightly rounded or conveXed on their outer faces for more perfect adjustment into effective frictional contact with the walls of the grooves. From this it will be understood that in the broad aspect of my invention the spring 17 is not essential, nor the manner of hinging or distending the twin elements of the shade-stick.

The underlying principle of my invention is embodied in a laterally-expansible elastic holding device which is capable of release by compression and may of course be constructed and mounted on or connected to the shade in various ways and rendered elastic by the selection and form of the materials of which the parts are composed or by the aid of independent or supplementary means, such as coiled or leaf springs or a rubber or other elastic means.

I claim I 1. A holdingfixture for spring-actuated shades comprising laterally-movable frictionholding heads, two stick members carrying the heads movable transversely relative to each other, means for loosely uniting the stick members and a spring for forcing the stick members apart to set the heads into holding position.

2. A curtain-fixture comprising a transverselyelastic curtain stick, heads carried thereby, said heads being adapted to engage the side walls of grooves in a Window-frame and capable of release by compression of the stick, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a shade-stick comprising two longitudinallyextending members, friction-heads carried by said members and adapted to engage the side walls of grooves of the frame, and means normally tending to separate said members and permitting their compression to release the heads, substantially as described.

4:. In a shade-holder adapted to cooperatewith a grooved frame, the combination with a spring-actuated shade, of a two-part curtain-stick, the parts of which are connected at one edge to the shade, their opposite edges IIO being laterally separated, heads carried by the parts of the curtain-stiek and adapted to contact the side walls of the grooves of the frame, and springs normally tending to separate said parts, substantially as described.

5. In a shade-holder adapted to cooperate with a grooved frame, the combination with a two-part curtain-stick, the parts whereof lie side by side, of, friction-heads carried by the respective parts of said curtain stick, and elastic means normally tending to spread apart said parts of the curtain-stick and thereby force said friction-heads into holding engagement with the side walls of the groove of the frame, substantially as described.

6. In a shade-holder adapted to cooperate with a grooved frame, the combination with a two-part curtain-stick, the parts of which are hinged together along one edge, of frictionheads carried by the respective parts of said cu rtain-stick, and elastic means normally tending to spread and separate said parts of the curtainstick and thereby force said frictionheads into holding engagement with the side walls of the grooves of the frame, substantially as described.

'7. In a shade-holder adapted to cooperate with a grooved frame, the combination with a two-part curtain-stick, the parts of which are hinged together along one edge, of frictionheads rotatably supported in the respective parts of said curtain-stick, and elastic means normally tending to spread and separate said parts of the curtain-stick and thereby force said friction-heads into holding engagement with the side walls of the groove of the frame, substantially as described.

8. In a shade-holder adapted to cooperate with a grooved frame, the combination with a two-part curtain-stick, the parts of which are hinged together along one edge, of frictionheads having stems slidably supported in the free margins of the curtain-stick, elastic means normally tending to spread and separate said free margins of the curtain-stick thereby forcing said friction-heads into holding engagement with the side walls of the groove of the frame, and other elastic means interposed between the opposed ends of said stems of the friction-heads normally tending to force the latter also into holding engagement with the bottom wall of the groove, substantially as described.

9. In a shade-holder adapted to cooperate with a grooved frame, the combination with a two-part curtain-stick, the parts of which are hinged together along one edge, of frictionheads having stems slidably and rotatably supported in the free margins of said curtainstick, elastic means normally tending to spread and separate said free margins of the curtainstick thereby forcing said friction-heads into holding engagement with the side walls of the groove of the frame, and other elastic means interposed between the opposed ends of said stems of the friction-heads normally tending to force the latter also into holding engagement with the bottom wall of the groove, substantially as described.

10. A transversely-compressible curtainstick friction-heads mounted on said stick and adapted to engage the walls of a guide-groove, said heads being releasable by the transverse compression of said stick, substantially as described.

11. A transverselycompressible curtainstick, friction-heads mounted on the stick and means for moving the heads outward longitudinally of the stick.

HENRY H. FORSYTH.

\Vitnesses:

SAMUEL N. PoNn, FREDERICK C. Goonwm.