US2419486A

US2419486A - Drape fixture

Info

Publication number: US2419486A
Application number: US617092A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lewis M Dixon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1945-09-18
Filing date: 1945-09-18
Publication date: 1947-04-22
Anticipated expiration: 1964-04-22

Description

L. M. DIXON DRAPE FIXTURE April 22, 1947.

Filed Sept. 18, 1945 I I I l I I I I I I I I I I I I I I INVENTOR 5 Zea/115' AJ. alta/w ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 22, 1947 DRAPE FIXTURE Lewis M. Dixon, Sea Clii, N. Y.

Application September 18, 1945, Serial No. 617,092

`This invention relates to curtains, drapes, portieres and the like, and more particularly to opevi-ating means for the same, whereby they may be. drawn closed, or opened.

The invention is concerned especially with cur- .tain or ydrape fixtures wherein there is a hori- Zontal bar or rod, slidably carrying a plurality of hangers to which the curtain material is attached, the latter being supported so as to hang from the rod. Various devices have been proposed in the past for operating such curtains to draw or open the same, these devices including pull cords and pulleys, and also comparatively rigid operating poles or strips which are secured to the hangers, and hang pendant therefrom within reach of a person on the oor. These devices khave involved special fittings, some of which at times get out of ordei` or do not operate smoothly, all of the fittings generally complicating the curtain structure and increasing the cost of same substantially.

- An object of the present invention is to obviate these disadvantages and drawbacks of prior devices. This is accomplished by the provision, in a curtain or drape, of an improved, troublefree, simple and economically produceable operating means whereby the drape may be conveniently drawn closed, or opened. This operating means may be provided in combination with a set of drapes, or may be provided separately as an attachment, to be quickly conveniently incorporated in existing drapes, in either case its operation being extremely simple, and troubleproof over an extended period of time.

In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated herein as exemplary thereof the drape operating means comprises an extremely simple two-part structure comprising an apertured block adapted to be slidably carried on the drap-e rod, and an elongate handle secured to the block and hanging pendant therefrom within easy reachof a person standing on the iioor. The aperture or bore of the block which receives the drape rod has sufficient length to prevent the block from Cantin-g or binding on the rod, yet the overall size of the block is small enough so that it may be carried between a pair of adjacent or adjoining hangers. Preferably the handie is pivotally connected to the block, so that during its operation the possibility of binding of the block is further minimized.

According to the invention the operating means comprising the block and handle may be mounted in back of a drape at the leading edge thereof so as to be invisible to occupants of a 6 Claims. (Cl. 16B-341) room `and yet be conveniently accessible for use. No change is necessary in the hangers or rod of the drape, or inthe drape itself, and therefore the 'cost of incorporating the operating means with a set of drapes is kept to a minimum. Also, the installation of the operating means in an existing set of drapes is thereby simplified and made convenient.

Other features and advantages Willhereinafte'r appear.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a set of drapes having incorporated theoperating means of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail showing one drape operating means in fragmentary rear elevation, asinstalled, and

Fig. 3 is al fragmentary side elevation of the installed operating means.

Referring to the figures, the drape assembly and operating means of this invention comprises a horizontal rod IG which may be mounted in any suitable manner on the framework II of a window I2. Slid'ably carried on the 'rod I0 are rings or hangers I3 to which the drape material I4 is secured, as by sewing at spaced intervals.

According to the invention individual, novel operating means I5, identical with each other, are provided for each of the drapes I4, each of said means comprising a block I 3 having an aperture or opening I1 to slidably receive the rod IU. Theblocks IE5 may have any suitable shape, however, as shown they are substantially cylindrical, with their upper sides flatted at I8, as seen `in Figs. 2 and 3. The flats I8 of the blocks extend generally parallel with the axes of the apertures I'I, and the sizes of the blocks It are such that they may be carried on the rod II) each between a different pair 'of' adjoining hangers I3, preferably to extend in close proximity to the latter.

As shown in Fig, 3, the aperture vI1 of the block i6 is slightly larger than the diameter of the rod I0, so that the block may slide easily on the rod. Due to the lengths of the apertures I1 in the blocks, the latter cannot cant or tilt to any substantial degree and bind on the rod IU.

For the purpose of conveniently sliding the blocks I5 along the rod IIl to either close or open the drapes, elongate handles I9 are provided, extending downwardly from the blocks to within reach vof a person on the oor. The handles I9 may be secured to the blocks I6 in any suitable manner, either rigidly or flexibly, but preferably they are pivotally secured so that the 3 possibility of binding of the blocks is further minimized when they are being operated.

In accomplishing this the blocks i6 are provided with slots 20 and the upper ends of the handles I9 with flats 2I, so that the said ends may be loosely received in the slots. The blocks I6 and the upper ends of the handles I9 are provided with aligned apertures to receive pivot pins 22 by which the handles are pivotly secured to the blocks.

The blocks I3 and handles I9 may be of any suitable material such as wood or plastic, which may be economically fabricated in large quantitles.

To insure easy sliding of the blocks on the rod I0, the apertures I'I are made with smooth surfaces, and if wood is employed for the material of the blocks, the walls of the apertures l1 may be waxed or otherwise treated to enable them to slide easily on the drape rod.

Referring to Fig. 1, the blocks I6 may be carried by the rod Il) between adjoining pairs of hangers I3 located adjacent the inner edges of the drapes I4. When so mounted the blocks I6 V'and handles I 9 are normally hidden from view are not readily distinguishable from the outside of the window.

` In operation, to draw back the drapes the handles I9 are merely grasped at their lower ends and manipulated to move the blocks I6 toward the sides of the window. This will cause the hangers and drapes to likewise move aside, the latter becoming folded as the hangers are brought together. In a similar manner, the drapes may be extended or drawn over the window.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides an extremely simple and foolproof operating means for drapes and the like, which does not require modification of the drape rod I0, hangers I3 or of the drape material I4. This is an extremely advantageous feature, since it enables the operating means to be incorporated in sets of drapes at extremely low cost, and also enables the operating means to be distributed as an attachment for existing drapes. An attachment such as this is extremely easy and convenient toinstall, since it is merely necessary to mount the blocks in the proper places on the drape rods between adjoining end han-gers.

Variations and modiiication may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements'may be used without others.

Iclaim:

1. For-use with a drape xture having a horizontal rod and drape material suspended by hangers slidable on said rod, a member apertured to slidably receive and be carried by the rod, said member being positioned between adjacent hangers, the extent of engagement of said member Von the rod preventing its canting and binding on the rod; and an elongate handle secured to the member for extending from the latter to within reach of a person on the floor whereby the member may be slid along the rod to move the hangers and drape material carried thereby.

2. For use with a drape fixture having a horizontal rod and drape material suspended by hangers slidable on said rod, a substantially hat member having an aperture extending between opposite end faces for slidably receiving the rod, the width of the member between said faces preventing canting and binding on the rod, and the member being carried by the rod between a pair of adjoining hangers; and an elongate handle secured to the member for extending from the latter to within reach of a person on the floor whereby the member may be slid along the drape rod to move the hangers and drape material carried thereby.

3. For use with a drape fixture having a horizontal rod and drape material suspended by hangers slidable on said rod, a block'having an aperture for slidably receiving the rod, said block being adapted to be carried by the rod between a pair of adjoining hangers; and an elongate handle secured to the block, for extending from the latter to within reach of a person on the oor whereby the block may be slid along the curtain rod to move the hangers and drape material carried thereby.

4. For use with a drape fixture having a` horizontal rod and drape material suspended by hangers slidable on said rod, a collar having a bore for slidably receiving the rod, said collar being.

adapted to be carried by the rod between a pair or" adjoining hangers, and the bore being elongate to prevent canting` and binding of the collar on the rod; and an elongate handle secured to the collar for extending laterally from the latter to within reach of a person on the floor whereby the collar may be slid along the drape rod to move the hangers and drape material carried thereby.

5. For use with a drape fixture having a horizontal rod and drape material suspended by hangers slidable on said rod, a block having a slot in one face, and having an opening extending through it for slidably receiving the rod, said block being adapted to be carried by the rod between a pair of adjoining hangers; an elongate handle adapted at one end to fit into the slot of the block, said end and block having aligned apertures; and a pin extending throughV the aligned apertures of the block and handle to pivotally connect the same together, the handle extending from the block to within reach of a person on the floor lwhereby the block may be slid along the drape rod to move theV hangers'and drape 'material carried thereby.

Y 6. In a drape ixtu're having a horizontal rod and drape material suspended by hangers slidable on said rod, the combination with a pair of adjoining hangers adjacent the edge of the drape of an apertured block slidably carried by the rod and extending between the adjoining hangers; and an elongate handle pivotally connected to the block and extending to within reach of a personon the floor whereby the block may be slid along the drape rod to move the hangers and drape material carried thereby.-

LEWIS M. DIXON REFERENCES CITED FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date German Oct. 16, 1930 Number