US2761499A

US2761499A - Traverse rods

Info

Publication number: US2761499A
Application number: US548674A
Authority: US
Inventors: Martin A Ohlander
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1955-11-23
Filing date: 1955-11-23
Publication date: 1956-09-04
Anticipated expiration: 1973-09-04

Description

Sept- 4, 1956 M. A. OHLANDER 2,761,499

TRAVERSE RODS m g) '0 I mf my am 3 I IN V EN TOR. Y {Lit} /I//ART//v A, Off/ANDER Q BY a f 4M 9S W s "Q n? y/ m ATTORNEYS Sept. 4, 1956 M. A. OHLANDER TRAVERSE RODS Filed NOV. 23, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /f 56 /a 36 20 /Z 56 52 50 56 'ATTGRNE YS nited States Patent O 'IRAVERSE RODS Martin A. Ohlander, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Application November 23, 1955, Serial No. 548,674

8 Claims. (Cl. 160 126) This invention relates to curtain rods; and more particularly, to a rod for use with traverse drapes or the like.

In recent years the use of draw drapes as window and wall coverings has become more and rnore common. The Vprivacy aorded by draw drapes made of the heavier drapery materials is much to be desired especially in the modern homes where large areas of glass are often used. Also, draw drapes add much to the warmth and pleasant decor of a room.

In many instances, however, the present traverse rods, even of the heavy duty type, are inadequate for use with draw drapes of considerable width which are often required to cover the contemporary window stylings that frequently include a whole wall or more of glass. Furthermore, many of the conventional traverse rod constructions preclude the use of more than one set of drapes or curtains on a given wall area.

Another annoying feature of the conventional traverse rods is the fact that the pull cords which hang down from one end of the rod and are used to actuate the mechanism for opening and closing the drapes are quite unsightly and often hang down so far as to pile up on the oor in installations requiring rods of eXtra length. The cords sometimes become tangled and it is often difcult to determine which cord to pull in order to accomplish the desired movement of the drapes.

In the conventional draw drape installation in which only one pair of drapes is used, the drapes must usually be lined if they are to block out the light effectively and not fade. This, however, increases the expense of the drapes several times over that of unlined drapes; and, in some instances, the cost becomes prohibitive if large Wall areas are to be covered. The heavy duty traverse rod of the present invention is, however, ideally suited for use with multiple draw drape installations in which two or more overlapping sets of drapes are used on the same wall surface. In this manner it is possible to eliminate the necessity for lined drapes by merely using two or more drapes which overlie one another when drawn. Also, multiple installations of this type are .especially effective in Varying the color decor of a given wall area. Each set of drapes may be of a different color, texture and material so that the eect created by the draperies can be changed at Will.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to provide a heavy duty traverse rod for use with draw drapes and the like which is ideally suited for use with drapes of considerable width.

A second object of the invention is the provision of a mechanism for accomplishing movement of the drapes which eliminates the conventional pull cord arrangement.

Another object of the invention is the provision of ya traverse rod which is ideally suited for use with multiple drapery installations.

Further objects of the invention are the provision of a rod for draw drapes which is decorative in appearance; a rod which is simple to install; and, a rod which .is lightweight although rugged.

"ice

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out specifically hereinafter in connection with the description of the drawing which follows, and in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the traverse rod of the present invention with portions thereof broken away to conserve space and to show the details of construction more clearly;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of the actuators looking in the .direction of arrow 2 Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section taken along line 3 3 of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a view showing oiie of the hangers with a portion thereof broken away to expose the operating cable;

Figure 5 is a section taken along line 5 5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a section taken along line 6 6 of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a section taken along 'line 7 7 of Figure l;

Figure 8 is a 'section 'taken along line 8 8 of Figure 6;

Figure 9 is a side elevation showing a multiple installation of the traverse rods of the present invention; and,

Figure 10 is a front elevation showing a slightly modied form of the traverse rod of the present invention which is used with a single panel draw drape.

Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that the rod 12 acts as the supporting member for the draw drape panels, not shown, which are suspended therefrom on a plurality of hangers 14 and two actuators 16. Rod 12 is formed from a solid piece of material, preferably a lightweight metal such as aluminum or magnesium. The upper edge of the rod is provided with a longitudinal groove 18 extending from end to end; and, a second vlongitudinal groove 20 along the lower edge of a size and shape to receive and retain the

sleeves

22 and 24 for slidable longitudinal movement therein. Opposite ends of the rod 12 are fastened to wall brackets 26 by means of fasteners 28 which are in turn fastened to the wall surface 30 by fasteners 32.

The ends of the rod are slotted as shown at 34 to receive end pulleys 36 mounted therein for rotational movement on pins 38 which extend in the direction of the thickness of the rod. The rods of Figures l through 9, inclusi-ve, also contain a central opening 40 extending in the direction of the width of the rod and interconnecting

grooves

18 and 20. Opening 46 is sized to receive center pulleys 42, as shown most clearly in Figure l. A grooved hand reel 44 provided with handle 46 is attached to the wall surface 30 by means of mounting plate 48 beneath one lof the end pulleys 36 at the end lof the rod.

One end of operating .cable 49 is attached within one groove of reel 44 by set screw 45 and extends over the top of the near end pulley 36, yalong groove 18 and over the top of the near .center pulley 42, along the underside of the far center pulley, along groove 2l?, around far end pulley 36 at the other end of the rod, in the reverse direction 'along groove 18, over the top of the far center pulley land underneath the near center pulley, along groove 2l), over pulley 50 and back to the reel 44 where it is fastened in the other groove thereof by set screw 47.. Pulley 56 is mounted on pin 52 between sideplates .54 which are fastened to the end of rod 12 adjacent one of the .end pulleys by means of fastener 55. Pulley 50 is positioned beneath and inside one of the end pulleys 36 in position to rotate Within groove 25?.

A tension spring 58 is spliced into cable 49 to fkeep it under constant .tension against the pulleys and reel. Speciiically, in .connectionwith Figures l, 2 and 5, it will be seen that the actuators 16 are of the conventional type formed from a plate provided with a plurality of holes 60 in spaced relation for the reception of the conventional drapery hooks, not shown. The hangers are designed to assume an overlapping parallel relation as shown in Figure 2 when in closed position so that no gap will appear between the drapery panels. Each actuator extends beneath the rod and is carried by sleeve 24 within longitudinal groove 29. Sleeve 24 is mounted for slidable longitudinal movement within groove and is provided with a set screw 62 which is used to fasten the sleeve to the cable which runs therethrough so that the actuators will move in conjunctionwith the cable.

In connection with Figures 1, 3 and 4, it will be seen that the hangers 14 are formed of wire bent to form three spaced loops 64 to receivethe conventional drapery hooks, not shown, on the intermediate portions of the drapery panels. In many draw drape designs only one or two loops in the hangers are required and, of course, the hangers can be fashioned accordingly. Each of the hangers is mounted within one of the sleeves 22 for longitudinal slidable movement within groove 20 of the rod. Cable 49 also passes through sleeves 22 but is freely slidable therein rather than being attached to the sleeve as was the case in connection with the actuator sleeves 24 described above.

it will be apparent from an examination of Figure 1 of the drawing that clockwise movement of handle 46 of the reel will cause movement of the cable 29 in a direction to move the actuators toward one another into the closed position shown in Figure 2. This, of course, causes drapery panels suspended from the actuators and hangers to move into closed position. It is not necessary that the hangers be attached to the cable as each hanger will successively be drawn toward the center of the rod as the folds in the drape are pulled taut in the conventional manner. In order to open the drape the reel is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction which causes the actuators to move apart and the actuators will, in turn, engage the hangers and move them out toward the ends of the rod.

Figure 7 illustrates the position of pulley 50 with relation to groove 2@ of the rod and shows how the pulley is mounted for rotation between the side plates 54 fastened thereto.

Figure 6 illustrates the relation between the reel 44, pulley 59 and the adjacent end pulley 36. The reel, of course, is preferably mounted at a convenient height on the wall behind the drapery panels so that it will not show regardless of Whether the drapes are open or closed. The use of the reel 44 obviously eliminates the conventional unsightly pull cords which often extend to the floor. Tension spring 58 maintains cable 49 in taut condition to frictionally engage the reel and pulleys so that it will not slip.

In connection with Figure 8 it will be seen that the reel and handle are mounted on stubshaft 66 for rotational movement. In the preferred construction opening 68 in the reel and handle is sized slightly larger than the end 70 of the stubshaft which is of greater diameter than the shaft itself so that the reel may be taken ofI by merely removing screw 69 and centering the opening therein on the end 7i) of the shaft.

Referring now in particular to Figure 9 of the drawing, it will be seen that a multiple installation has been illustrated in which three of the rods 12 have been mounted in spaced parallel relation on modified bracket 26a. The reels 44 are mounted in vertical staggered relation beneath their respective rods, as shown, with the reel mounted the greatest distance from the wall surface being uppermost. The

stubshafts

66, 66a and 66b are of different lengths to position the reels in staggered relation.

Figure 10 illustrates a modified form of rod 12a for use with a single drapery panel, not shown. In this construction the central opening is eliminated along with the center pulleys 42. Only one actuator 16a is used which moves the entire length of the rod. All the hangers are positioned between the actuator and the end of the rod having pulley 50. In this instance, cable 49 passes from the reel over pulley 36, along groove 18, around pulley 36 at the other end of the rod, back along groove 2t) and over pulley 56 back to the reel. Clockwise movement of the reel, not shown, will cause the actuator 16a to move from right to left in Figure 2; whereas, counter-clockwise movement will cause the actuator' to move from left to right.

From the foregoing description of the drawing it will be seen that the many novel and useful objectives of the traverse rod of the present invention have been achieved; and therefore,

l claim:

1. A traverse rod for draw drapes comprising: an elongated solid rod having longitudinal groove in the top and bottom edges extending substantially from end to` end thereof, the groove in the bottom edge being formed to receive and retain a plurality of tubular members for longitudinal slidable movement therein, and the ends of the rod being slotted from top to bottom; brackets attached near opposite ends of the rod for fastening said rod to a wall surface in spaced parallel relation thereto; an end pulley mounted for rotation in the slots in each end of the rod; a third pulley mounted between the end pulleys adjacent one end of the rod for rotation in the groove along the bottom edge of the rod; a plurality of tubular sleeves mounted Within the groove in the bottom of the rod for longitudinal slidable movement therein; means adapted to receive drapery hooks and support draw drape panels depending from each of the tubular sleeves and extending below the rod; a reel attached to the wall surface for rotation beneath the end of the rod having the third pulley; an operating cable extending from the reel over the adjacent end pulley, around the other end pulley, over the third pulley and back to the opposite side of the reel, the portions of the cable extending between the ends of the rod lying in the grooves in the top and bottom edges thereof, the portions of the cable lying in the groove inthe bottom edge of the rod being threaded `through the tubular sleeves therein; and, at least one actuator formed by attaching one of the sleeve members to the cable running therethrough, said actuator forming means for opening and closing draw drapes suspended from said actuator and the remaining means for receiving the drapery hooks when said cable is moved along the rod by rotation of the reel.

2. A device in accordance with claim l in which: the operating cable extends upwardly from one side of the reel and over the adjacent end pulley, along the groove in the top of the rod and around the end pulley on the other end of the rod, through each of the tubular sleeves and over the third pulley to the other side of the reel;

and, one actuator is used and is formed by attaching the sleeve farthest from the third pulley to the cable.

3. A device in accordance with claim l in which a tension spring is spliced into the operating cable for maintaining a constant tension on the pulleys and reel.

4. A traverse rod for draw drapes comprising: an elongated solid rod having longitudinal grooves in 'the top and bottom edges extending substantially from end to end thereof, the groove in the bottom edge being formed to receive and retain a plurality of tubular members for longitudinal slidable movement ther the ends of the rod being slotted from top to bottom, and the center of the rod having an opening therein connectingthe grooves in the top and bottom of the rod; brackets attached near the opposite ends of the rod for fastening said rod to a wall surface in spaced parallel relation thereto; an end pulley mounted for rotation in the slots in each end of the rod; a third pulley mounted between the end pulleys adjacent one end of the rod for rotation in the groove along the bottom edge of the rod; two

longitudinally spaced center pulleys mounted for rotation in the opening in the center of the rod; a plurality of tubular sleeves mounted within the groove along the bottom edge of the rod for longitudinal slidable movement therein, some of said sleeves lying on one side of the central opening and the remainder on the other; hangers depending from each of the tubular sleeves and extending blow the rod to receive and support drapery panels suspended therefrom by drapery hooks; a reel attached to the wall surface for rotation beneath the end of the rod having the third pulley; an operating cable passing from one side of the reel up over the near end pulley, along the groove in the top of the rod and over the near center pulley, down through the central opening and under the far center pulley, through each of the sleeves on the far side of the central opening and up over the far end pulley, along the groove in the top of the rod in the reverse direction and over the far center pulley, again down through the central opening and beneath the near center pulley, through each of the sleeves on the near side of the central opening, and over the third pulley to the opposite side of the reel, the two portions of the cable lying on opposite sides of the central opening and passing through the sleeves moving away from one another upon rotation of the reel in one direction and toward each other when rotated in the opposite direction; and, two actuators formed by fastening one sleeve member on each side of the central opening to the cable for opening and closing drapery panels attached thereto upon rotation of the reel.

5. A device in accordance with claim 2 in which a tension spring is spliced into the operating cable for maintaining a constant tension on the pulleys and reel.

6. A device in accordance with claim 2 in which: the reel is provided with two peripheral grooves; and, the operating cable has two ends, one of said ends being attached to the reel Within one of the grooves and wound around the reel in one direction, and the other of said ends is attached to the reel within the other groove and wound about the reel in the opposite direction.

7. A device in accordance with claim 2 in which the actuators are formed by the two tubular sleeves adjacent one another on opposite sides of the central opening.

8. A multiple traverse rod for use with overlapping pairs of draw drapes comprising in combination: wall brackets mounted on a wall surface in spaced longitudinal relation; at least two elongated solid rods mounted on the wall brackets in spaced parallel relation to each other at diterent distances from the wall surface, each of said rods having longitudinal grooves in their top and bottom edges extending substantially from end to end thereof, the grooves in the bottom edges being formed to receive and retain a plurality of tubular members for longitudinal slidable movement therein, the ends of each rod being slotted from top to bottom, and the center of each rod having an opening therein connecting the grooves in the top and bottom of the rod; an end pulley mounted for rotation in the slotted end of each rod; a third pulley mounted between the end pulleys adjacent the same end of each rod for rotation in the groove along the bottom edge of the rod; two longitudinally spaced center pulleys mounted for rotation in the opening in the center of each rod; a plurality of tubular sleeves mounted within the groove along the bottom edge of each rod for longitudinal slidable movement therein, some of said sleeve lying on one side of the central opening and the remainder on the other; hangers depending from each of the tubular sleeves of each rod and extending below the rod to receive and support drapery panels suspended therefrom by drapery hooks; a reel for each rod attached to the wall surface for rotation beneath the end of the rod having the third pulley, the reels being in staggered relation with the reel corresponding to the rod farthest from the wall surface being uppermost and likewise spaced farthest from the wall; an operating cable passing from one side of each reel up over the near end pulley on the corresponding rod, along the groove in the top of the rod and over the near center pulley, down through the central opening and under the far center pulley, through each of the sleeves on the far side of the central opening and up over the far end pulley, along the groove in the top of the rod in the reverse direction and over the far center pulley, again down through the central opening and beneath the near center opening, and over the third pulley to the opposite side of the reel, the two portions of the cable lying on opposite sides of the central opening and passing through the sleeves of each rod moving away from one another upon rotation of the corresponding reel in one direction and toward each other when rotated in the opposite direction; and, two actuators on each rod formed by fastening one sleeve member thereof on each side of the central opening to the cable for opening and closing drapery panels suspended from each rod upon rotation of the corresponding reel.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,184,231 Dow et al. May 23, 1916 1,649,215 Brown Nov. 15, 1927 1,904,588 Weinberg Apr. 18, 1933 1,972,604 Smith Sept. 4, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 332,074 Great Britain July 17, 1930