Motorized Device for Opening and Closing Curtains

A device for automatically opening and closing a pair of curtains comprising:

• a rod comprising a longitudinal hollow space and a midpoint where a leading edge of a first curtain of the pair of curtains and a leading edge of a second curtain of the pair of curtains meet when closed;
• a first threaded shaft having a thread pitch and housed within the hollow space, the first threaded shaft extending from a point near one end of the curtain rod to a first point past the midpoint;
• a second threaded shaft having the same or different thread pitch as the first threaded shaft and housed within the hollow space, the second threaded shaft extending from a point near an opposite end of the curtain rod to a second point past the midpoint;
• a first gear attached to the first threaded shaft and configured to rotate axially with the first threaded shaft;
• a second gear attached to the second threaded shaft and configured to rotate axially with the second threaded shaft, and wherein the first and second gear intermesh, whereby, when the first threaded shaft rotates in a first angular direction, the second threaded shaft rotates in an opposite second angular direction;
• a first threaded nut, threaded onto the first threaded shaft and configured to translate in a first direction toward the midpoint as the first threaded shaft is rotated in the first angular direction and to translate in an opposite second direction away from the midpoint as the first threaded shaft is rotated in the second angular direction;
• a second threaded nut, threaded onto the second threaded shaft and configured to translate in the first direction as the second threaded shaft is rotated in the first angular direction and to translate in the opposite second direction as the second threaded shaft is rotated in the second angular direction;
• a first curtain linker attached to the first threaded nut and attached near the leading edge of the first curtain;
• a second curtain linker attached to the second threaded nut and attached near the leading edge of the second curtain;
• a motor configured to rotate the first threaded shaft in the first angular direction and simultaneously rotate the second the shaft in the opposite second angular direction;
• whereby, the device operates to close the pair of curtains when the first threaded shaft is rotated in the first angular direction and to open the pair of curtains when the first threaded shaft is rotated in the opposite second angular direction.