Roller device for a flexible sheet

Claim 1

A roller device for a flexible sheet comprising a. a rotary unit including 1. means forming a cylindrical winding core for the flexible sheet, and 2. means forming a drum co-axial with and connected to one end portion of said core, said drum having an inner end, a free outer end and a diameter smaller than that of said core, b. a string having its one end attached to said rotary unit adjacent the inner end of said drum and a portion of its length available for manual control, said string being adapted to be wound up around said drum in a helical fAshion, when said unit is rotated in one direction, and to be unwound therefrom, when pulled to thereby cause said unit to rotate in the opposite direction, c. means for rotatably mounting said unit on a supporting structure and d. string guiding means forming an opening for the string to pass when entering and leaving the drum, said string guiding means comprising 1. a plate-like end member facing said free outer end of the drum and extending, at least partially, radially beyond said drum end, and 2. means preventing said plate-like end member from partaking in the rotation of said rotary unit, wherein said string guiding means further comprise means restricting and locating said opening for the string to pass to a region adjacent the outer end of the drum and, hence, axially remote from the inner end of the drum, wherein said plate-like end member is operative to cause the loops or coils successively formed by the string, when the latter is entering the drum, to move axially inwards over the drum towards the inner end thereof, and wherein said means for rotatably mounting said rotary unit and said means preventing rotation of said plate-like end member extend axially outside said rotary unit whereby the flexible sheet may extend a considerable distance axially beyond said inner end of the drum and, when wound up, enclose a considerable part of the total length of the drum without in any way interfering with the string.