A lifting device for raising and lowering a load comprises in a known manner a lifting drum that can be driven in both directions of rotation, as well as at least one belt serving as traction mechanism that is secured to one end of the lifting drum and carries at the other end a holding device for the load. The belt can be wound on the lifting drum by rotation of the latter, in such a way that the windings come to lie on top of one another. In order to reduce repeated mechanical stress reversals at the step that is formed by the end of the belt secured to the circumferential wall of the lifting drum, at least one spacing element is arranged on the circumferential wall of the lifting drum, against which element rests the first winding of the belt.

The invention includes apparatus for controlling the lift and tilt of a horizontal window blind. A tilting drum, conic cord-gathering shaft, torsion spring and support cradle may be combined to provide lift and tilt adjustment with a single rotational control. An angular surface near one end of the cord-gathering shaft deflects winding coils of a lifting cord down the length of the cone. The torsion spring and spring stops in the device allow tilt adjustment to take place in conjunction with the rotation of the cord-gathering shaft. The preferred embodiment includes a cord cover to guide the coils as the diameter of the cord-gathering shaft decreases.