US2538755A

US2538755A - Apparatus for traversing draperies and the like

Info

Publication number: US2538755A
Application number: US660926A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bradley Harold
Original assignee: BRADLEY ROTOR TRAVERSE CO Inc
Current assignee: BRADLEY ROTOR TRAVERSE CO Inc
Priority date: 1946-04-10
Filing date: 1946-04-10
Publication date: 1951-01-23
Anticipated expiration: 1968-01-23

Description

Jan. 23, 1951 H. BRADLEY 2,538,755

APPARATUS FOR TRAVERSING DRAPERIES AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 10, 1946 IN VEN TOR. -/%swm0 flmmwy Jan. 23, 1951 2,538,755

APPARATUS FOR TRAVERSING DRAPERIES AND THE LIKE H. BRADLEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 10, 1946 Patented Jan. 23, 1951 APPARATUSFOR TRAVERSING DRAPERIES AND: THE LIKE Harold Bradley, Staten Island, N. Y., assigncr to The BradleyRotor Traverse (30., Inc., Staten Island, N. Y'., a corporation of New York Application AprillO, 1946, Serial No. 660,926

This invention relates to the art of flexible and portable closures, partitions and panels, and has particular reference to the movement of draperies, such as curtains and the like, from a point of remote control.

Prior practice in this regard has usually depended upon curtain rings, other slidably mounted hangers, or roller equipped carriers, mounted'on a fixed-pole or track spanning the area to be draped or the path' to be traversed by the hangers; the lead' carrier foreach panel'or drape beingfastened to acablewhich is operated over a series of pulleys, said lead carrier moving at the same speed as the cable, pushing or pulling the drapery, and the other carriers attached to the drapery, to a desired position.- Such devices make no provision for preserving an equal'distribution of the fullness of the curtain, nor for automatically creating and maintainingpredetermined fold effects duringall stages of operation. vices anticipate usage in connect on with a curved path of travel as required for the treatment of curved panels and especiaily for travel around a path having a curved section of short radius,

as required'in the treatment of modern corner windows; the treatmentof both of these widely accepted and increasinglypopular creations of modern architectural design being in growing demand and popularity due to their pleasing lines and to their ability to provide wider vision with a minimum of undesirable reflection effects. Furthermore, devices known to the prior art are inadequate for use in association withwindows inclined from the vertical or other installations requiring curtains secured at the top andbottom as in-airplanes, railroad cars, busses, and the like. I

An object of this invention is to provide a meth- Neither do such de- 15 Glaims. (Cl: 16.0-.-343)- 0d and apparatus for traversing draperies, from a point of remote control in a manner to preserve automatically, during all stages of operation, the equal distribution of the fullness of the drapery in even folds according to a predetermined pleating or other hanging effect proportioned to the extent of the drapery movement across or'rel-ative to an area to be covered or exposed;

Another object is to provide a traversing mechanism operative to move draperies and the like in a-curved path of travel, including a curved path of travel of sufiiciently small-radius to permit traversing around squaredor other angled corners, without alteration of a prearranged hang.-

'- ersingamechan-ismthati-is selfeadjusting: with are- 2 gard to a plurality of hangers movable under-"the influence 01' an operating meanscominonto all. A still further object is to provide a drapery traversing mechanism having opposed sets of hangers movable concurrently in relativeop'po site directions through the agency of a single operating means common to the sets.

Astill further object is to provide a. drapery traversing mechanism having a plurality of sets of hangers movableconcurrently in likean'dopposite relative directions over unequal distances, through the agency of a single operating means common to all sets. This permits the treatment.

of a group of windows having unequal panels and separate drapery hangings; by means of 'a single operating unit.

A still further object is to provide-a traverse mechanism which, when employed to close-pairs of curtains, delivers to the point ofclosure any extra fullness of the curtain over and'beyond the fullness required to enable the closure-to'be made; thus eliminating the tendency-of hangings to gape at the point of' closure, said tendency to gape being due to the inability of prior devices to move this extra fullness to the point of closure.

Other objects will be'app'a'rent' to those-skilled in the art. In the ensuing specification and claims, the term draperies is employed ina generic sense to include all free-hanging curtains or the like, as well as those securedat both top and bottom edges for movement relative to-the supporting means.

Another object of the invention is to provide-'3' means for traversing material carrying hangers, said hangers being slidable relative to the hanger traversing mechanism when they are stoppedat theend thereof or positively at any other point.

The present disclosure comprises an embodiment by which the. invention is reduced to practice; It is to be understood, however, that-the structural details and arrangements of partsare illustrative and not restrictive, and that'variations. in the same may be made in any manner not inconsistent with the scope of the invention as claimed.

In thedrawings:

Figure I lean elevation, partlyin secti0n,.of-a traversing mechanism and associated=draperies constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure-2 is an auxiliary view of a portion of a shaft having a plurality of hanger; carriers:

mountedthereon for movementin differentxdiree etions and" for different distances-of travel,

Figures 3: is an elevation of. a? hanger: carrier mounted in service position showing its adaptability for use on shafts of varying diameters;

Figure 4 is a development of a top view of Figure 3 into a single plane showing the parallelism of the angularly disposed shafts;

Figure 5 is an elevation, partly in section, of a hanger carrier mounted in service position, showing the relative angular disposition of the roller shafts in a radial plane and disclosing a method and device for intermediate support of the rotatable shaft without interference with the rectilinear travel of the hanger carriers on said rotatable shaft;

Figure 6 is a top elevation, partly in section, of a traversing mechanism embodying both rigid and flexible shaft sections;

Figure '7 is a section showing the method of joining rigid and flexible sections one to another, including a detail of the non-rotatable internal support comprising a flexible member with a dowel-like end member which is journaled by an internal sleeve;

Figure 8 is a top elevation showing in detail the method of joining rigid and flexible sections one to another and the method of support of the non-rotatable, flexible, internal support member, as well as a detail of the means of maintaining positive contact of the cable with the rotatable shaft;

Figure 9 is an elevation similar to Figure 3 illustrating an alternative embodiment of a hanger carrier;

- Figure 10 is a fragmentary auxiliary view of a hanger carrier, as shown in Figure 9, showing that portion of the hanger carrier which houses the spherical roller and its shaft;

Figure 11 is an elevation of the channeled washer which supports the roller shaft as shown in Figure 9;

Figure 12 is an elevation similar to Figure 3, but illustrating an alternative embodiment of a hanger carrier;

Figure 18 is a side elevation of the hanger carrier as illustrated in Figure 12; and

Figure 14 is a top elevation of the hanger carrier as shown in Figure 12.

p In detail, the apparatus comprises a drive shaft l5 of a length requisite to span an area that is to be covered or exposed by drapery means l6, here shown as a flexible fabric curtain, suspended from the shaft by means of hanger carriers IT. The drive shaft, as one of its functions, serves in the manner of a conventional curtain rod or pole, and is .iournalled at each end for rotation in a fixed support I8 adapted to be rigidly attached to a wall or window frame, not shown.

As illustrated, the shaft I5 is hollow, with rigid tubular end sections 19 which are force fitted into a previously installed rubber-like sleeve 2 which is duly compressed between the outside diameter of the tubular end section 19 and the inside diameter of the shaft I 5 insuring a maximum of frictional contact and resistance against torque stresses to be applied. One end section has a heavier gauge rubber like sleeve 2| located between the end of the shaft I 5 and the end bracket [8 and separated from both by metal washers 22. This extra heavy rubber sleeve 2| and metal washers 22 are press fitted over the tubular end section [9 and serve jointly as a pulley for cable 25. Said cable 25 is positioned and kept in posi- "tive contact with rubber-like sleeve section 2! through the medium of a small grooved roller 23 which is supported in turn by a small bracket 24 mounted on end bracket l8. This operating cable 25 which is trained over rubber-like sleeve 2| provides the means by which the shaft l5 may be rotated from a point of remote control.

The drive shaft may be disposed as a straight shaft or, as shown in Figure 6, it may be curved by substituting a flexible drive shaft 25 in whole or in part, for rigid drive shaft [5, thereby conforming to the arc of curvature of an area to be covered or exposed, such as a curved window or the like, not shown. The degree of curvature is determined and maintained by the use of a curved guide member 21, either rigid or perfectly resilient in one plane and rigid in the other, disposed within the hollow flexible section 25 to provide a form on which the section is carried and held against sagging. The greatest width of the curved guide 2? is preferably only slightly less than the internal diameter of the flexible section 25, and is vertically disposed as shown in Figure '7. At each end, the curved guide is provided with a reduced rounded extension 28, such as a dowel pin, which projects axially into and through the adjacent tubular shaft coupling element 29 in loose rotatable engagement therewith so that rotation of the shaft sections is not imparted to the curved guide. Said shaft coupling element 29 is used in conjunction with rubber-like sleeve 30 to connect the ends of the rigid shaft sections l5 with the flexible section 25 for rotation as a unit, whereby rotation imparted through the manipulation of the operating cable 25 is transmitted throughout the entire length of the shaft with all sections rotating in unison. Where desired, the shaft sections may have one or more points of intermediate support as shown in Fi ure 6 on anti-friction roller bearings 3| rotating on their respective axial shafts 33 mounted in the U-shaped end of a wall or window attached bracket 32, as shown in Figure 5.

The drive shaft I5 supports a plurality of hanger carriers I1. Each hanger comprises a hook-shaped body having a top portion 34 extending over and across the drive shaft and mounting a pair of anti-friction or slidable rollers 35 which contact the shaft rotatably and yet slidably at points spaced apart but within an arc of 135 degrees of its total periphery. The rollers, which may be hard surfaced and may take any desired form, are here shown as spherical bearings journalled on axes 36 angled with respect to the axis of the drive shaft. The angles of the axes of both bearing rollers are equal and in the same direction, as best shown in Figure 4. Due to this arrangement, when the shaft 15 is rotated, the bearings 35 will be correspondingly rotated by frictional contact with the shaft and will cause the hanger in which they are mounted to move axially along the shaft in a direction depending upon the direction of rotation of the drive shaft. Within limits, the greater the angle between the shaft and roller bearing axes, the greater will be the length of travel of the hangers per revolution of the drive shaft.

Each hanger IT is further provided at one side with a downwardly directed shank having an inclined portion 3? which terminates in a depending eye 38 disposed in vertical registry with the drive shaft axis. The drape I6 is provided at its upper edge portion with attached hooks 39 for engagement to the hanger eyes to suspend the drape vert cally beneath the shaft 5 with the load distributed equally to the rollers 35.

Individual hangers are mounted on the drive shaft simply by hooking them in the positions $51!??? Find they may readily be moved manually segments 8 :25 iron the shaftzorimay sbe adise'nga'ged with equal fifacility.

1Figure;'Qrillustrates-Ean alternative'embodiment -or :ha'nger carrier 11' formed (in .rzsheet :metal stampingszi34 which whenzassembledt resemble. in configuration v: and :perform in the same, manner i as= therhanger carrierbody ShOWIlF 'iIl 'Fi'gurezi3, having'rollersi35' on axes 36":a]nd.:iIIC1-ufling1a detpendingveye 38': for attachment ofdrapery l fiiby "means1offdraperyl'hooksiaez'or like means. rrFigure ll portrays the washer-like part i14l with ;its ochannellike recessto 'holdrroller axes1'36' .=and having 'fflat 'sections perpendicular :to athe .5 axis rrshaft ."channel :for the proper .centering :of athe "spherical' roller :35. "FigureL10=shows theiassemably of'rollerfi35' andaxis shaft :36'1byTtheiassem- -bly of: washer i I to the sheet:rmetalnhangerabody -asz=shown in Figure 9. :Fi'gures 12, 13 andr14 illustrate:a further alterfnativeremb'odiment .ofihanger I 1"? formed :of a :-single ilength of wire 534 :bent rat the desired gangles: at its upper.portionFtoiformfiaxles" 36 on .-which "substantially "cylindrical: rollers 35" with rounded end edges are mounted between re'tainers-rrswaged: from the avirersstock. These? hangers *are "similar in configuration :to the (hangers l1 -.withia downwardly :inclined shank :31" :termis-nating inva verticallyidepending;eye.:38'..

.JASshOWIl in Figure 2, individualihangers'may fzbezset to'move'differentirdistances and int'diflerentfdirections 1 on 2. the .same fdrive :shaft and .by *Ithe :same operation. 1 For :example, the "hangers -13; and JG 1 having their roller zaxes at equal and eopposite angles r-willi move in oppositeadirections .;either:to.ward or away fromeeach otheridepending vuponthe direction .ofrrotation- :of the 'drivezshaft.

The hanger A having its roller axes ata lesser angle twithirespectto the: .driveg'shaftr axis than the hanger :B, ibut in .the .same adirection, will move With=the1hanger B 'inpthe'isame "direction and for a. lesser distance perrevolutionpof the .fdriveshaft. :This method .of ioperationdsgparticularly advantageous in -.the case .of :center meeting icurtains' andI-in creating; and maintain- 'ing:.a predetermined fold .efiect'iproportionedtto .the extentuofitravel of: acurtain.

In operation,v a requisite num-ber of hangers is :mounted on the drive 'shaftand a drapery hung by engagement-of its attached "hooks with the hanger 7 eyes. The non-traveling edge 7 of 'the I drape is anchored by hooking a 'pinin a retainer '40 carried "by the adjacent support I8. Upon :rotation of the'drive shaft by appropriate mam-p.-

ulation of 'the actuating cable 25, the hangers will be caused to travel along the shaft to open .oruclose 'the.drapedepending upon the direction of rotation of the drive shaft. With the hangers arranged in proper sequence, as indicated in Figured, they-will. be moved; individually and in unison. For any given number of revolutions of the drive-shaft, eachhanger will move in proportion to the total distance itis required to travel whenthe drape is fully opened. By this arrangement, drapes -may -be partially opened orclosed 'yet .will I automatically retain, in proportion, a prearranged proportionate fold pattern.

A feature of the invention-resides in the point contact of the bearing rollers. on the drive shaft. This enables the rollerstogslip on the drive shaft j when the hanger on which they are mounted has reached-the limit'of its travel "and is restrained hy the holdingsection pf the 'drape.

Another feature of the invention resides in'a hanger carrier which does not completely encompass the periphery of the rotating shaft, but

6 :lrathernlprovi'des sufficientopeningieto allowsinter- .zmediate support of'zsaid-"shafti at any point,.without interference with the traversing .-.funct ion.

Although the present inventionzhas'z-been-idescribedfin.:conjunctionwith preferred embodL ments, it is to :be understood that modifications .-;and variations may "ibe resorted to .withoutzdeaparting: from the spirit of the: inventiom-as those skilledin the artpwill readily understand. Thus,

"? for example-my hangers or 'carriersccan be used fin itandem within a single *frame or as'units coupled by rigidconnecting means.

'I claim: :1. Traverse mechanism for draperies compris- 15 :1 ing, :in combination, a rotatable shaft, drapery 'hanger "carriers "freely suspended therefrom,

rotatable bearings in said carriers on axes angled frelativeto the "shaft: axis said angle being selected wto give the desired movement of the carrier? longietudinally on said. shaft and being "less than 90" i'relativeito'the shaft'axis, and supporting-said 'carrierson' the shaft, and means fOr rotating said =1 shaft wherebyito cause rectilinear movementiof the 'carriersalongithe shaft.

'2. Traversemechanism for draperies comprising, in combination a rotatable: shaft including rigid' sections and .a'ihollow "flexible .Lsection .coninecte'd for rotation'as a unit, a form in said'iflexible sectionfor imparting adesired 'bend thereto,

hanger carrierson saidshaft, anti friction'rollers zin-said carriers .and bearing on said shaftwith their axes angled relative toithe: shaft :axissaid .tangle *.being selected 1 to give the ides-ired: movement of the carrier longitudinally-'on'saidshaft,

:andzbeing less'than 90 andrn'ore than 0. and

- means" for rotatingsai'd shaft'androllers whereby to move said carriers therealong.

3.' I-n.a drapery traverse mechanismhaving a rotatable shaft and hangers :suspende'd there- 40 from, hard-surfaced roller bearings in said hangers and in point contact with said shaft to support the hangers thereon, .'.and the axes of said rollers beingangled lessthan90 relative to 'the axis of the-shaftso that: said "hangers will move along saidshaft.upon'rotation oftheshaft. 4.1m a drapery :traverse'mechanism having a rotatable shaft :and -a plurality of traveling :hangers thereon, apair of rollers in each hanger "contact with the shaft and supporting the 1Lhanger thereon, said rollersbeing angled less ithan and morethan 0 relative :to' the shaft Luponwhich it is supported and being spaced apart and makingcontact with the shaft- Within .an4arcof substantially degrees of'the'total '2Tperiphery .of the shaft.

5. In-a drap ery traverse mechanism 'having: a rotatable shaft and a p'lurality of traveling hangers thereon, a pair of rollers-in each' hanger tiin contact-wi'th the shaft and supporting the go-ihanger thereon, and. the axes of'theroll rs in. any individual -hanger i being equally Jangled :relative to'i the-shaft axisand disposed in thelsame direction said angles" being less thani90 relativetothe eaxis ofithe: shaft-and:selectedi'to give thezdesired -travel =toeach of Yathe hangers as 'ithershafti'is irotate'd.

=6 In %a drapery traverse .m'echanismmaving a rotatable shaft "and :a plurality -of utraveling '"hangersithereonpapair'jof rollers in eachf hanger To -in :ccontactxwith .:the shaft and supporting the i'hanger thereon, zxthexaxes of i the -'iro1lers in any iin'dividual i:han'ger sbeing t'd-isposed 1.111 'rthe ame direction less than 90 relative to the axis} of said shaft and at equal angles to the axis of said 75 shaft, and the angle of the roller axes inat least one hanger being different from the angle of the roller axes in the other hangers so that said hangers will travel at different speeds as the shaft is turned.

7. In a drapery traverse mechanism having a plurality of traveling hangers with hanger driving means, a rotatable shaft supporting said hangers on said driving means and in driving engagement said hanger driving means being in frictional engagement with said shaft, said shaft comprising rigid straight sections and at least one curved section maintained in a predetermined contour and connected for rotation as a unit, with said straight portions, the exterior face of said curved section being flexible and means for rotating said shaft to move said hangers therealong.

8. In a drapery traverse mechanism having a plurality of traveling hangers with hanger moving means, a rotatable shaft having an exterior surface supporting said hangers and in driving engagement with said moving means, said shaft comprising rigid straight sections and at least one hollow curved section with a flexible exterior surface connected end to end for rotation as a unit, a shaped guide extending through and supporting said hollow flexible section against deformation as the shafts are rotated, support means in the rigid straight sections, and the ends of said shaped guide having rotatable bearing engagement in said support means and means connected to at least one of said shafts for rotating the shafts as a unit for traversing said hangers supported thereby.

9. Traverse mechanism for draperies including a hollow, rotatable shaft having a flexible exterior surface, a support for each end thereof, a curved guide extending through said shaft and supporting the same against deformation, the ends of said guide having freely rotatable engagement in said supports, driven hangers having hanger moving means supported on and in frictional operative connection with the surface of said shaft, and means for rotating said shaft to effect longitudinal movement of the hangers.

10. In a drapery traverse mechanism, a rotatable shaft, a hanger having a shank disposed at one side of the shaft, 2, portion of said shank being extended transversely over the shaft, roller bearings in said extended portion and contacting the shaft on axes equally angled with respect to the shaft axis and at angles less than 90 relative to said shaft axis, said shank further having a depending portion inclined beneath the shaft, and the terminal of said inclined portion having a depending drapery engageable portion in registry with the shaft axis.

11. In a material traversing apparatus for drapery or the like, a rotatable shaft, a plurality of material supporting hangers having rotatable hanger driving means on axes less than 90 and greater than relative to the shaft axis, and means for rotating the shaft carrying said hangers, said driving means being in frictional engagement with said shaft and rotatable thereby as the shaft rotates to traverse said hangers along the shaft, said hangers slipping relative to said shaft when positively stopped.

12. In a material traversing apparatus for drapery or the like, a rotatable shaft, a plurality of material supporting hangers having rotatable hanger driving means on axes less than 90 and greater than 0 relative to the shaft axis, each of the hangers having the axis of the driving means therefore at different angles relative to said rotatable shaft so that said hangers will move different distances on said shaft as said shaft is rotated, and means for rotating the shaft carrying said hangers, said driving means being in frictional engagement with said shaft and rotatable thereby as the shaft rotates to traverse said hangers along the shaft, said hangers slipping relative to said shaft when positively stopped.

13. In a material traversing apparatus, a rotatable shaft, material suspending hangers carried by said shaft, and hang-er driving means on said hangers moving said hangers along said shaft in unison as said shaft is rotated, the axis of each of said hanger driving means being preset at angles less than and more than 0 relative to the axis of said shaft maintaining said hangers the same proportional distance apart at all times between a fully extended relationship and a contracted relationship, said hangers being adapted to slip relative to said shaft when positively stopped.

14. In a material traversing apparatus, a rotatable shaft, a plurality of material supporting hangers having hanger driving means frictionally contactable with said shaft, said driving means being rotatably mounted on axes on said hangers, said axes being less than 90 and greater than 0 relative to the shaft axis, and shaft rotating means, said driving means being in frictional engagement with said shaft and rotatable thereby as the shaft rotates to traverse said hangers and materials carried thereby along the shaft, said hangers slipping relative to said shaft when positively stopped.

15. In a material traversing apparatus, a rotatable shaft means, a plurality of material supporting hangers suspended from said shaft means, said hangers having frame means passable by supporting arrangements for said rotatable shaft means, hanger driving means on said material supporting hangers frictionally contactable with the rotatable shaft means, said driving means being rotatably mounted on axes on said hangers, said axes being less than 90 and greater than 0 relative to the axis of the rotatable shaft means, and shaft rotating means, said driving means being in frictional engagement with said shaft and rotatable thereby as the shaft rotates to traverse said hangers and materials carried thereby along the shaft, said hangers slipping relative to said shaft when positively stopped.

HAROLD BRADLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Germany v 1908