GB2225927A - Corded tape for vertical movement curtains - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for making a corded tape for ventical movement curtains comprises making the cord in a chain-stitch and associating it with the tape during the weaving of the tape on a weaving loom, crochet loom, or other machine for forming tapes; the tape obtained is then sewn on to the curtain material, and, by applying a pulling force to the cord, the chain stitching becomes undone thereby freeing a length of cord greater than the length of tape. <IMAGE>

Description

"Corded Tape for Vertical Movement Curtains and a Method for Makinq said Tape" This invention relates to a corded tape for vertical movement curtains and a method for making said tape.

At present vertical movement curtains have, in relation to their size, a preset number of tapes, which extend vertically and are equidistantly spaced, and which have sliding fixing elements, such as rings, pockets, or loops, each adapted to retain slidably a control cord for raising and lowering the curtain.

Such cords, which are knotted to the lowest last ring, pocket, or loop, are at their upper end inserted in respective eyelets, corresponding to each tape, associated with a support pole of the curtain to be led and brought into correspondence with control means for raising and lowering of the curtain and placed at the end of the support pole.

In certain cases, in place of the control means for raising and lowering of the curtain, the cords, after having been led through horizontally along the support pole, are arranged to run vertically and to be attached to the lower hem of the curtain allow easy control of the curtain by the user.

Consequently, in the case of curtains which are very wide horizontally, as well as high vertically, for each metre of tape sewn vertically on the curtain there can be necessary up to four metres of cord.

As a result, it can be seen that to have lengths of cord for a vertical movement curtain, greater than the length of the tape, it is necessary, after having manufactured the tapes and the associated sliding fixing elements of the cord on a weaving loom, crochet loom or other tape-forming machine, to insert by hand in each tape, in accordance with requirements, a cord of predetermined length.

This inconvenience results in high labour costs and the consequent increased losses in time which have effect on the cost of manufacturing the finished curtain.

Accordingly, the technical problem underlying the present invention is to mitigate the above set-out disadvantages of known technology.

Within the ambit of this technical problem it is an important object of the present invention to provide a process for the manufacture of a corded tape for vertical movement curtains and a tape formed in accordance with said method which permits association of the cord with a desired length of tape during the manufacture of the tape itself on a weaving loom, crochet loom, or other machinery for forming tapes.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a process for the manufacture of a corded tape for vertical movement curtains and a tape formed in accordance with said method which can be carried out using existing apparatus for making traditional tapes.

According to the present invention there is provided a method for making a corded tape for vertical movement curtains, comprising the steps of: manufacturing the cord using a chain-stitch, associating said chain-stitched cord to said tape during manufacture and applying to one end of said chain-stitched cord a traction force to undo said chain-stitch of said cord.

Further according to the present invention there is provided a corded tape for vertical movement curtains comprising a number of sliding fixing elements for the cord, wherein said cord is formed using chain-stitches.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of a tape according to the invention associated with a chain-stitched cord; Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of a tape according to the invention associated with a chain-stitched cord partially undone to extend its length; and Fig. 3 is a front elevational schematic view of a curtain assembled with the tape of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, a method according to the invention comprises the following succession of steps.

Initially there is provided a cord for the vertical movement control of a curtain and manufactured in a manner known per se in a chain-stitch of the type which can be undone from one end.

Thereafter, the cord 2 formed in a chain-stitch is associated with the tape 3, during the manufacture of the tape and to elements 4 for slidably fixing the cord itself.

This is effected on a weaving loom, crochet loom, or other machinery for making the tapes, not shown in the drawings.

More particularly an end of the chain-stitched cord is fixed, for example, to an end portion of the tape and, for example, to the first fixing element formed on the tape and gradually, as the tape is formed on the weaving loom, crochet loom, or other machinery for making tapes, the chain-stitched cord is automatically incorporated within the fixing elements.

Thereafter, after having sewn the tape to the vertical movement curtain material, in order to obtain a length of cord greater than the length of tape, it is sufficient for the user to apply a pulling force, to one end of the chainstitched cord.

The chain-stitched cord will become undone freeing a length of cord greater than the length of tape.

The tape 3, obtained using the above-described method can be used in vertical movement curtains, comprising a number of sliding fixing elements for the cord, and more specifically a plurality of loops 4 formed by a warp yarn or a weft yarn simultaneously on the formation of the tape itself.

In more detail the cord associated with the tape has a chain-stitched form of the type which may be undone from one end and the length of which is substantially equal to the length of the tape itself.

As can be seen in Fig. 3 the vertical movement curtain, generally indicated by 8, has a number of tapes 3 formed by the above method and, as a function of the width and height of the curtain, cords 2 formed of a chain-stitch of the type which may be undone from one end such that these, once undone, have a length greater than the length of the tapes and can be thereafter cut to a desired length as a function of their distance from the point of operation of the curtain.

The putting into operation of the curtain with associated tape formed in accordance with the method of the invention will be apparent from that described and illustrated; in particular during assembly of the curtain one can extend, through simple longitudinal traction, each cord by undoing the chain-stitch such as to have lengths of cord greater than the tape in which they have been inserted automatically during manufacture of the tape on the weaving loom, crpchet loom, or other machinery for forming tapes.

Thereafter, as required, the cords may be cut to different lengths as a function of their distance from the point of operation of the curtain and finally, in a known manner, are connected to the operation means, after having passed through respective eyelets 10 present in the support pole of the curtain, to permit raising and lowering of the vertical movement curtain itself.

There has therefore been described how it is possible, with the process for the formation of a corded tape for vertical movement curtains, to avoid the later insertion of cords of length greater than the tape within the fixing elements present on the tape which are associated with a curtain, thus avoiding an expensive use of labour for the preparation and/or putting into operation of the curtain.

Modifications and improvements may be incorporated without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (9)

1. A method for making a corded tape for vertical movement curtains, comprising the steps of: manufacturing the cord using a chain-stitch, associating said chain-stitched cord to said tape during manufacture and applying to one end of said chain-stitched cord a traction force to undo said chain-stitch of said cord.

2. A method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said chainstitched cord has its end opposite the end where said force is applied fixedly attached to an end zone of said tape.

3. A method as claimed in either preceding claim, wherein said cord is formed using a chain-stitch of the type which may be undone from one end.

4. A corded tape for vertical movement curtains comprising a number of sliding fixing elements for the cord, wherein said cord is formed using chain-stitches.

5. A corded tape according to Claim 4, wherein said chainstitch is of the type which may be undone from one end.

6. A corded tape as claimed in either Claim 4 or 5, wherein said chain-stitched cord has an initial length substantially equal to the length of said tape.

7. A corded tape as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 6, wherein said fixing elements comprise a number of loops formed by a warp thread or weft thread simultaneously on formation of said tape.

8. A method for the formation of a corded tape for vertical movement curtains substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A corded tape for vertical movement curtains substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.