US3253645A

US3253645A - Pull cord lock

Info

Publication number: US3253645A
Application number: US295007A
Authority: US
Inventors: Orville T Stall
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-07-15
Filing date: 1963-07-15
Publication date: 1966-05-31
Anticipated expiration: 1983-05-31

Description

0. T. STALL PULL com) LOCK May 31, 1966 Filed July 15, 1963 INVENTOR. ORVILLE'. T. STALL BY AGENT United States Patent 0 3,253,645 PULL CORD LOCK Jr-ville T. Stall, 7908 Chatfield Ava, Whittier, Calif. Filed July 15, 1963, Ser. No. 295,007 4 Claims. (Cl. 160-344) This invention relates to a piece of drapery hardware, and is more particularly concerned with a novel pull cord lock.

In the drapery art, it is common practice to provide an elongate horizontally disposed traverse rod, mounting means to support the rod at its end and in fixed spaced relationship from a wall, and above a window opening therein, a plurality of glides slidably engaged in the rod and to which the upper edges of drapery panels are fixed so as to be supported by the rod and glides to depend therefrom and to occur across the window opening. It is further common practice to provide an elongate pull cord engaged about a sheave in one end of the traverse rod and extending longitudinally through the rod and over and downwardly from a roller at the other end of the rod. The two parallel lengths of cord within the rod are fixed to a master carrier related to one (the inner) end of the upper edge of each of the panels in such a manner that by pulling one or the other of the depending end portions of the cord, the drapery panels and their glides can be shifted longitudinally of the rod, into and out of engagement across the window opening. When the panels are positioned to overlie or cover the window opening, they are extended. When positioned to leave the window open or unobstructed, the panels are pleated and gathered at the ends of the rod.

The foregoing is typical ofmost present day drapery constructions and installations and is well known to all whom are at all familiar with this art.

In the drapery art, there are several special structures which are becoming widely used, which structures tend to load, by spring or Weight, the draperies and the pull cords so that the draperies to which these cords are related are normally yieldingly urged towards their opened (gathered) or closed (extended) positions.

One such structure consists of an elongate sinua'te drapery pleater spring, formed of ribbon steel stock. The pleater spring is engaged in an upper hem in a drapery panel in a tightly gathered or pleated condition. The spring ple-ater is provided with suitable means, such as poles, to facilitate engagement and fixing of the glides thereto.

In such a construction and in other constructions which tend to urge the draperies to one of their two positions (opened or closed), mean-s must be provided to releasably lock and hold the pull cords so that the draperies can be selectively shifted to a desired posit-ion, either opened, closed, or some intermediate position, by pulling the end portions of the cords and so that when the cords are released, they will be locked or held in such a manner that the forces normally yieldingly urging the draperies and the cords longitudinally of the traverse rods, will be stopped or effectively overcome.

Several such pull cord lock mean-s have been provided by the prior art. The most familiar of such means is the conventional pull cord lock that is provided on Venetian blind constructions, which serves to lock and hold the elevator cords thereof in any desired position and serves to prevent the blind construction from dropping, due to its own weight.

These Venetian blind pull cord or elevator cord lock constructions have been adopted for use in drapery constructions where it is desired to look the pull cords, with little or no changes.

A characteristic of pull cord locks provided by the prior 3,253,fi45 Patented May 31, 1966 art is that the portions of the cords that are engaged to operate the drapery or blind constructions must be drawn taut and pulled laterally in a pre-determiued manner and direction to release the lock means, and must be pulled laterally in another or opposite direction to lock the said locking means. This requirement is extremely unsatisfactory as it frequently happens that surrounding structures establish obstacles which prevent or make it extremely difiicult to pull the cords laterally to effect operation of the locking means.

An object of my invention is to provide a novel pull cord locking means which is such that the cord can the pulled from any angle to effect shifting of the cord and the structure related to it.

A further object of my invention is to provide a structure of the character referred to wherein the locking means includes a spring-loaded arm and is related to a roller, a guide and the cord in'such a manner that simple tensionin-g of the cord yieldingly releases the locking means and is not affected by the direction in which the manually engaged portions of the cord are pulled.

Another object of this invention is to provide a structure of the character referred to which is extremely easy and economical to manufacture, and is both highly eifective and dependable in operation.

The various objects and features of my invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description of a typical preferred form and application of my invention, throughout which description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 .is a perspective view of a drapery installation with a pull cord look as provided by the present invention related thereto;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of my new pull cord lock taken as indicated by line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view taken as indicated by line $3 on FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to a portion of the construction shown in FIG. 3, showing the parts thereof in another position;

FEG. 5 is a view taken as indicated by line 5-5 on FIG. 2.

The present invention has to do with a pull cord lock A, adapted to engage and re'leasably :hold a pull cord B in fixed position. i

The pull cord lock A that I provide is particularly adapted for use in traverse rod drapery installations, especially where the cords are subject to forces which normally tend to shift the cords, independently of outside or manually applied forces.

In FIG. 1 of the'drawings, I have illustrated a portion of a typical traverse rod type drapery installation or construction, which installation includes, basically, a traverse rod R and mounting means M at the ends of the rod R and secured to a Wall structure W to hold the rod in fixed parallel spaced relationship with the Wall. In accordance with normal construction, the rod R is an elongate horizontally disposed steel member, substantially C- shaped in cross-section and opening downwardly.

The drapery installation illustrated further includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced glides G, slidably engaged in the rods R to depend therefrom, a pair of drapery panels D having hems H at or along their upper edges, and elongate sinuate drapery pleaters P of spring steel engaged in the hems H and normally yieldingly urging the drapery panels'into gathered pleated condition. The hems of the drapery panels and the pleaters related thereto are suitably engaged by the glides G, whereby the drapery panels are suspended from the drapery rods R.

The outer ends of the drapery panels and pleaters, at the ends of the rod, are suitably anchored to the ends of the rod (not shown) while the inner ends of the drapery panels and pleaters are fixed to master carriers E, which are in the nature of modified glides, slidably carried by the rod and provided with cord-engaging means (not shown). Since the master carriers can vary widely in construction and in no way affect the novelty of this invention, I have only indicated them (see FIG. 1 of the drawings) in a diagrammatic fashion.

The installation illustrated further includes a sheave S arranged within the rod R at one end thereof, the pull cord lock A, as provided by the present invention at the other end of the rod R, and the pull cord C, extending upwardly into the lock A, fits longitudinally through the rod R and about the sheave S, thence back to and through the pull cord lock A, and downwardly therefrom. The master carriers E are fixed to the cord, each being fixed to one longitudinally extending portion of the cord within the rod, and so that when the cord is pulled so as to shift the said longitudinal portions thereof, within the rod, the master carriers-E and the ends of the drapery panels are shifted longitudinally outwardly to an open position,

or longitudinally inwardly to a closed position, as circumstances require.

It will be apparent that the resilient pleater engaged in the drapery panels normally yieldingly urges the panels from their closed position, as shown inFIG. 1, to their open position, and so that the pull cord lock A serves to prevent the free shifting of the draper panels, by releasably holding or gripping the cord C.

The pull cord lock A includes an elongate sheet metal body having an inner end portion 10, substantially C- shaped in cross-section, opening downwardly and longitudinally inwardly and adapted to slidably engage in its related end of the drapery or traverse rod R as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5 of the drawings, a downwardly opening U-shaped outer portion 11 having a top wall 12 and downwardly projecting laterally spaced side plates 14 and an elongate end plate 15 depending from the outer end of the top wall 12 and provided with guide means G at its lower end.

The guide means G is shown as including a longitudinally inwardly projecting, transversely extending flange 16 on the lower end of the end plate. The flange 16 is provided with a pair of laterally spaced cord-engaging openings 17, which openings can, as illustrated, be dressed or finished with suitable grommets 18, to establish smooth, rounded surfaces on which the cord can run.

It will'be apparent that the outer end portion 11of the body is closed at its outer end by the end plate 15, is in open communication with the inner end portion 10 and with the traverse rod R and opens downwardly, towards the means G, which means is spaced below the body.

The side plates 14 are provided with a pair of axially aligned axle-receiving openings 19 at the forward lower corner portions thereof. An elongate axle pin 20 is engaged through the openings 19 to extend between the side plates 14 and to project laterally outwardly therefrom.

An elongate roller 21 is rotatably engaged on the axle pin to extend transverse the interior of the outer portion 11 of the body.

. The upper side of the roller 21 is substantially tangential with the central longitudinal axis of the rod R and the forward portion of the body, and the outer side thereof is above and is spaced slightly forward of the guide means G.

, The side plates 14 are further provided with a pair of axially aligned openings 25 in their lower rear portions and in which a portion of a suitable locking means L is engaged.

. The locking means 11 includes an elongate arm having inner and outer ends. The inner end of the arm 30 is provided with an elongate, fiat, transversely extending pivot bar 31 fixed to the arm as by spot welding. The pivot bar has end portions that project laterally from the arm and into and through the openings 25, to be rotatably or pivotally supported therein.

With the relationship of parts set forth above, it will be. apparent that the. arm 30 occurs between the side plates 14.

The arm 30 normally projects longitudinally inwardly and downwardly and is provided at its outer or free end with a downwardly and thence inwardly recurvent extension, which extension establishes a rounded, transversely extending cord-engaging cleat 32.

The arm 30 is of suflicient longitudinal extend so that when the arm is in its up or normal longitudinally inwardly and downwardly extending position, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 of the drawings, the cleat 32 is longitudinally inward of and below the roller 21 and the arm 30 acts on the roller, through the cord C engaged therebetween, and as will be hereinafter described.

The lock means L further includes a spring means to normally yieldingly urge the arm to its normal position and towards the roller 21. The spring means include rat-trap type torsion spring 35 engaged about one end portion of the pivot bar 31 to occur adjacent the exterior of the side plate 14 related thereto. The spring 35 has one end bent to establish hooked engagement with the bar and has an extension 36 at its other end, which extention projects longitudinally outwardly across or along the surface of the side plate 14 and is engaged on or bears against the outwardly projecting end of the axle 20 projecting from that side of the body.

The cord C is threaded upwardly through one of the openings 18 of the means G, across the top of the roller 21, longitudinally through the rod R, about the sheave S, and then back through the rod R over the roller 21 and down through the other opening 18 of the means G. The lock means L occurs longitudinally outwardly of the two portions of the cord C that depend from the roller and enter the openings 18. The cleat 32 on the outer end of the arm 30 engages the portions of the cord extending between the roller and the guide means and, by or through the action of the spring 35, normally yieldingly urges the said portions of the cord longitudinally inwardly about the roller, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5 of the drawings, and so that the said portions of the cord are yieldingly held in pressure engagement on the roller by the arm 30. It will be apparent that the said portions of the cord extending between the roller and the guide means travel in opposite directions-when the construction is operated, that is, when one of said portions moves upwardly, the other moves downwardly.

As a result of the above, the roller 21, when acted upon uniformly by the means L and through the said portions of the pull cord, does not turn, but rather is stationary. When, however, one portion of the cord is pulled and moved, the other portion thereof is completely unstressed, as a result of the inherent elasticity in or of the cord, and the roller does turn with the portion of the cord being urged to move.

As a result of the above, and since the roller does not normally rotate, but is held against rotation by the two portions of the cord C engaged about it and by the arm 30 urging the cords into engagement with the roller, it will be apparent that the roller normally is in the nature of a cleat and that the portions of the cord C, when held against and about the roller are-suitably locked and held against undesired shifting.

When one of the end portions of the cord C, below and depending from the pull cord lock, is tensioned and pulled, the portion of the cord extending between the roller and guide means is straightened and yieldingly urges the cleat 32 and the arm 30 of the means L downwardly and longitudinally upwardly against the resistance of the spring 36, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 4 0f the drawings.

When the means L is thus shifted, the two portions of the cord C are no longer held in pressure-engagement against the roller, so as to lock or hold the roller against rotation, and the roller is free to rotate with that portion 5. of the cord being moved and relative to the other portion of the cord not being acted upon.

The only resistance afforded to the movement of the cord, when the construction is being operated and as illustrated in FIG. 4 of the drawings, is the frictional resistance between the portion of the cord being directly acted upon and moved tangentially across the surface of the cleat 32.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that with the pull cord lock construction that I provide, the portions of the pull cord which depend from the guide means G can be pulled downwardly and laterally in any direction and that the operation of the locking means is in no way affected by the direction in which the cord is pulled.

Having described only a typical preferred form and application of my invention, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any modifications and/or variations that may appear to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A drapery pull cord lock engageable with a traverse rod to guide and releasably hold parallel end portions of a pull cord extending longitudinally outwardly from one end of the rod and in engagementabout a sheave within the rod, remote from said one end thereof including, an elongate body engageable with the end of a traverse rod, a transversely extending roller carried by the body to occur below and to engage parallel end portions of a pull cord extending from within the traverse rod, guide means carried by the body in fixed spaced relationship below the roller and guiding the said end portions of the cord longitudinally outwardly and downwardly about the upper and outer quadrant of the roller, and locking means including an elongate normally longitudinally inwardly and downwardly inclined spring-loaded arm having an upper end pivotally connected to the body longitudinally outward of the roller and a lower end portion normally extending longitudinally inwardly between the roller and the guide means to frictionally engage and to urge the'portions of the cord related thereto into engagement about the outer lower quadrant of the roller.

2. A drapery pull cord lock engageable with a traverse rod to guide and releasably hold parallel end portions of a pull cord extending longitudinally from one end of the rod and in engagement about a sheave within the rod remote from said one end including, an elongate body engageable with the end of a traverse rod, a transversely extending roller carried by the body to occur below and to engage parallel end portions of a pull cord extending from within the traverse rod, guide means defining cord receiving apertures carried by the body in fixed spaced relationship below the roller and receiving and guiding the said end portions of the cord downwardly about the upper outer quadrant of the roller, and locking means including an elongate normally longitudinally inwardly and downwardly inclined spring-loaded arm having an upper end pivotally connected to the body longitudinally outward of the roller and lower end portion extending longitudinally inwardly below the roller to slidably frictionally engage and urge the portions of the cord related thereto into engagement about the outer lower quadrant of the roller outer end portion of the arm being turned downwardly and longitudinally outwardly to establish a round cord-engaging cleat.

3. A drapery pull cord lock including, an elongate body having a substantially C-shaped longitudinally inwardly and downwardly opening inner portion adapted to be slidably engaged in one end of a traverse rod substantially C-shaped in cross-setcion, a downwardly opening U-shaped outer section having a top wall, downwardly extending, laterally spaced side plates depending from the side edges of the top wall, and an elongate vertically disposed end plate depending from the outer end of the top wall, an elongate roller pivotally carried by and extending between the inner lower portions of the side plates to occur below and to support the end portions of a pull cord continuing longitudinally outward from within the traverse rod, guide means including a longitudinally inwardly projecting horizontal tab with cord receiving apertures carried by the lower end of the end plate in fixed spaced relationship below the roller to receive and guide the said end portions of the pull cord about the upper outer quadrant of the roller and thence downwardly, and locking means carried by the outer portion of the body longitudinally outward of the roller and yieldingly urging the portions of the cord extending between the roller and the guide means axially inwardly into pressure engagement with the outer lower quadrant of the roller and out of alignment with the apertures'of the guide means.

4. A drapery pull cord lock including, an elongate body having a substantially C-shaped longitudinally inwardly and downwardly opening inner portion adapted to be slidably engaged in the end of a C-shaped traverse rod, a downwardly opening U-shaped outer section having a top wall, downwardly extending laterally spaced side plates depending from the side edges of the top wall, and an elongate vertically disposed end plate depending from the outer end of the top wall, an elongate roller pivotally carried by and extending between the inner lower portions of the side plates to engage below and to support the end portions of a pull cord continuing longitudinally outward from within the transverse rod, guide means including a horizontally disposed member with cord receiving apertures carried by the lower end of the end plate in fixed spaced relationship below the roller to guide the said end portions of the pull cord downwardly about the upper outer quadrant of the roller and thence downwardly, and locking means including a pivot bar pivotally carried by and extending between the side plates longitudinally outward and below the axis of the roller, a longitudinally inwardly and downwardly inclined arm fixed to the bar, and spring means between the body and the bar to normally rotate the bar and pivot the arm longitudinally inwardly and upwardly into frictionally engagement with the portions of the cord extending between the roller and the guide means to urge said portions of the cord longitudinally inwardly into pressure engagement about the outer lower quadrant of the roller and out of alignment with the apertures of the guide means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 20,133 10/1936 Kuyper. 358,125 2/1887 Pittman. 2,041,892 5/1936 Wiener et a1. 2,901,037 8/1959 Yohner et a1. 348 X 2,989,120 6/1961 Judkins 160126 X 3,111,163 11/1963 Nelson 160-115 X r CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Examiner.

P. C. KANNAN, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A DRAPERY PULL CORD LOCK ENGAGEABLE WITH A TRAVERSE ROD TO GUIDE AND RELEASABLY HOLD PARALLEL END PORTIONS OF A PULL CORD EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OUTWARDLY FROM ONE END OF THE ROD AND IN ENGAGEMENT ABOUT A SHEAVE WITHIN THE ROD, REMOTE FROM SAID ONE END THEREOF INCLUDING, AN ELONGATE BODY ENGAGEABLE WITH THE END OF A TRAVERSE ROD, A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING ROLLER CARRIED BY THE BODY TO OCCUR BELOW AND TO ENGAGE PARALLEL END PORTIONS OF A PULL CORD EXTENDING FROM WITHIN THE TRAVERSE ROD, GUIDE MEANS CARRIED BY THE BODY IN FIXED SPACED RELATIONSHIP BELOW THE ROLLER AND GUIDING THE SAID END PORTIONS TO THE CORD LONGITUDINALLY OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY ABOUT THE UPPER AND OUTER QUADRANT OF THE ROLLER, AND LOCKING MEANS INCLUDING AN ELONGATE NORMALLY LONGITUDINALLY INWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY INCLINED SPRING-LOADED ARM HAVING AN UPPER END PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE BODY LONGITUDINALLY OUTWARD OF THE ROLLER AND A LOWER END PORTION NORMALLY EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY INWARDLY BETWEEN THE ROLLER AND THE GUIDE MEANS TO FRICTIONALLY ENGAGE AND TO URGE THE PORTIONS OF THE CORD RELATED THERETO INTO ENGAGEMENT ABOUT THE OUTER LOWER QUADRANT OF THE ROLLER.