US3132687A - Pleat forming and hanging apparatus - Google Patents

Description

May 12, 1964 J. J. POTYE 3,132,687

PLEAT FORMING AND HANGING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 15. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIGB FIG.4

INVENTOR. JOHN J. POTYE 34 ATTORNEY May 12, 1964 111 mm 3,132,687

PLEAT FORMING AND HANGING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 15, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JOHN J. POTYE 6i F1613 afiya /id ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,132,687 PLEAT FORMING AND HANGING APPARATUS John Potye, 1245 Marengo, Forest Park, Ill. Filed Dec. 15, 1961, Ser. No. 159,702 9 Claims. (Cl. 160348) The present invention is directed to simplified pleat forming systems for draperies and the like.

Pleats in drapery fabrics and the like are conventionally formed through use of stitching, with or without some reinforcing sheet material for the pleats. Such stitching requires a considerable amount of labor. The major purpose of the present invention is to create a new and simplified system for forming pleats in fabrics, without need of stitching, and which, at the same time, provides both a stiffening reinforcement for the pleats and a simple means for suspending the pleated ends of the fabric from a suitable support.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the ensuing specification and claims when taken with the accompanying drawings, in which::

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the drapery using the pleating principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view of the pleat forming blank utilized in the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the blank of FIGURE 2 when folded and positioned for use;

FIGURE 4 is an end view of the blank illustrated in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a top view of draperies utilizing the present invention and suspended from a wall or ceiling;

FIGURE 6 is an end view illustrating details of mounting the pleated ends of the drapery fabric on a supportin ring;

FIGURE 8 is a side view of the slip ring illustrated in FIGURE 7, while illustrating the position of the slip ring on a supporting tube or rail;

FIGURE 9 is a top view of a pleated lamp shade utilizing the pleat forming principles of the invention;

FIGURE 10 is a sectional illustration of the shade il- FIGURE 7 is an end view of a slip ring adapted to be used with the suspension illustrated in FIGURE 6;

lustrated in FIGURE 9 taken on the section lines 1010 of FIGURE 9;

FIGURE 11 is a side view of a pleat forming blank used in FIGURES 9 and 10;

FIGURE 12 is a top view of the blank illustrated in FIGURE 11 but illustrating a folded position of the blank; and

FIGURE 13 is a perspective view of the folded blank of FIGURE 12.

Like elements are designated by like characters throughout the specification and drawings.

With particular reference now to the drawings and in the first instance to FIGURE 1, the numerals 20 and 21 designate vertically suspended panels of drapery fabric which are adapted to overlap at their marginal edges in conventional fashion as at 22.

In accordance with the present invention, the pleats of the fabric are formed and held in the proper pleated position through use of pleat forming members 23, the upper ends of which are exposed in FIGURE 1 for purposes of understanding the invention.

Each of these pleat forming members 23 are formed 3,132,687 Patented May 12, 1964 from an elongated, generally rectangular blank of thermoplastic material such as polyethylene plastic. This material should be selected so that the surface thereof becomes tacky when heated to an elevated temperature of approximately 275 F. The blanks 23 are formed with a pair of projections 24 which are equidistantly spaced from the ends of the blank. These projections extend outwardly from one side of the blank and'have recesses 25 formed therein. The recesses 25 are formed as a major portion of the periphery of a cricle while the projections are cut away, providing divergent surfaces as at 26 to provide an access opening to the interior of the circularly formed openings 25. These blanks are then folded at the midpoint so that they present an appearance as indicated in FIGURES 3 and 4 with the projections 24 aligned with one another. When so folded the blank presents two legs 26 and 27 which extend generally parallel to one another and which are connected by the bight portion 28.

The sheet fabric which is to be used as the drapery material is then folded to define the normal pleats as indicated in FIGURES l and 5. The legs 26 and 27 of a pleat forming blank are then positioned within the folded portions of the pleat so that the exterior sides 29 and 32 of the pleat are positioned on the outside of the legs 26 and 27, respectively, and with the inner folds 31 and 30 positioned between the legs. The folded portions 29, 30, 31 and 32 should have dimensions such that they overlie the sides of the legs 26 and 27 without obstructing the openings 25 in the blanks. The legs are then bonded to the folded portions. For example, heat may be applied to the blanks and to the fabric sufficient to cause the surfaces of the blanks to become tacky. Pressure applied to the folded portion alongside the legs of the blanks will cause the fabric to adhere to the surface of the blanks and be affixed thereto when the blanks are cooled. The plural pleats in FIGURES 1 and 5 are formed in the drapery fabric in this manner. The bight portions 28 of the blanks should be positioned snugly against the tops of the fabrics soas to minimize the exposure of the blanks. When thus formed, the blanks serve to fix the pleats in position and at the same time provide a stiffening reinforcement for the pleats. One .folded portion of the pleats is clamped between the legs of the blank while the other portions are fixed to the legs of the blanks.

In order to hang the drapery thus formed to drapery rails, a rail of the type illustrated in FIGURE 6 is preferably employed. This rail 40 includes upper and lower horizontally extending tubes 33 and 34, which extend generally parallel to one another and which may be formed with an angular spanning portion 35. This rail assembly is mounted in any convenient wall brackets 36. Before the rail member is mounted on the wall brackets, a plurality of slip rings 37 are positioned over the upper rail. These slip rings 37, which appear in FIGURES 7 and 8, may he slipped over the ends of the upper rail 33. The rail should have the same number of slip rings as the drapery to be hung has pleats. The slip rings 37, as is seen particularly in FIGURE 8, have spaced surfaces of reduced diameters 38 and 39 intermediate the ends thereof and spaced in accordance with the spacing of the legs 26 and 27 of the pleat forming blanks. These reduced diameters correspond in size to the diameters of the recesses 25. Thus, the projections 24 may be snapped over these rings and held in the proper confining and spaced position by the remaining material of the rings. The material of the projections is spread slightly at the point of entrance to the recesses when the projections are fitted on the rings. The material will spring back toward the original position so as to fix the projections to the rings.

Thus, it will be seen that after the pleats are formed and the rail 33 provided with the slip rings 37, the drapery is simply snapped over the rings without need of any separately assembled fastening hooks.

When the drapery is suspended from the rail, the lower rail 34 provides an abutment against which the lower ends of the pleat forming blanks may rest, thus, keeping the drapery in vertical suspended position.

FIGURES 9 through 13 inclusive illustrate the application of the principles of the invention to other forms of fabric such as a lamp shade. In FIGURE 9, for example, a lamp shade of double, frustroconic shape is illustrated at 56. The lamp shade has a plurality of pleats 57 formed therein near the upper and lower circular openings therein.

To aid this pleating process, a plurality of pleat forming blanks 58 as illustrated in FIGURES l1, l2 and 13 are employed. Each of these members includes a generally elongated blank of thermoplastic material which may be polyethylene plastic or the like which melts at a temperature of approximately 275 F. They have a form and shape similar to the blanks of FIGURES 1-8. In the blank form of these members illustrated in FIG- URE 11, the members present a generally rectangular shape with a pair of projecting clamping portions 59 and as with recesses 61 and outwardly divergent surfaces leading to the openings.

After the blanks 58 are formed as illustrated in FIG- URE 9, they are bent along their mid portion so as to provide a generally U shape as illustrated in FIGURE 12 with legs 64 and 65 and a bight portion 66. When so folded, the two clamping portions 59 and 60 are positioned alongside one another as is seen in FIGURE 13.

The blanks 58 are then assembled with the pleats in the manner heretofore described with respect to FIG- URES 1-8.

When the pleats are thus formed, the downwardly projecting clamping portions 59 and 60 may be simply snapped over frame wires 50 and Sll as illustrated in FIGURE 8 thus holding the fabric in place on the framework. Frame wires 54 and 55 serve as abutments for the legs of the blanks for more rigid support.

Through use of the principles of the invention, the pleats are easily and simply formed, without need of conventional vstitching procedures. At the same time, the pleats themselves are provided with fastening facilities. The pleat forming members additionally serve to rigidify the pleats for a proper rigid appearance of the same while maintaining the pleated fabric in the desired supported position.

Whereas I have shown and described an operative form of the invention, it should be understood that this showing and description thereof should be taken in an illustrative or diagrammatic sense only. There are many modifications in and to the invention which will fall within the scope and spirit thereof and which will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The scope of the invention should be limited only by the scope of the hereinafter appended claims.

I claim:

1. A pleated assembly including fabric having plural groups of folded portions defining a plurality of pleats, rigid sheet material positioned between each group of folded portions and fixed thereto so as to hold said portions in pleated condition, said sheet material having projections extending outwardly therefrom, said projections having outwardly opening recesses therein, a pair of generally parallel, elongated, supporting members, said recesses being positioned over one of said supporting members so as to support said fabric therefrom, other I portions of said sheet material being in abutting relation to said other supporting member.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein a plurality of slip rings are slidably received on said first named supporting member and said slip rings are positioned within said recesses.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said projections have outwardly divergent surfaces leading to said recesses, said recesses have areas corresponding generally to the cross sectional area of said one supporting member and said one supporting member is received within said recesses. I

4. The structure ofclaim 1 wherein said sheet material for each pleat is defined by a folded plastic blank having generally parallel and identical leg portions disposed within the folded portions of said fabric.

5. A pleated assembly including fabric having lural groups of folded portions defining a plurality of pleats, a pleat supporting member connected to each group of folded portions and fixed thereto so as to hold said portions in pleated condition, supporting means of circular cross-section, each said member having a projection extending laterally therefrom at the upper portion of said member, said projection having a circular recess with a lateral opening at a side thereof spaced from said folded portions, said recess being formed as a major portion of the periphery of a circle corresponding in diameter to said supporting means with the opening to said recess being of a smaller width so as to allow a snap fitting and supporting engagement between said projection and said means, each said pleat supporting member being suspended on said supporting means with said supporting means being received within the recesses of said members.

6.-A pleated assembly including fabric having plural groups of folded portions defining a plurality of pleats, a pleat supporting member connected to each group of folded portions and fixed thereto so as to hold said portions in pleated condition, a supporting rod and a pin rality of rings of circular cross-section slidably mounted on said rod, each said member having a projection extending laterally therefrom at the upper portion of said member, said projection having a recess with a lateral opening at a side thereof spaced from said folded portions, said recesses being formed as a major portion of the periphery of a circle corresponding in diameter to said rings with the opening to said recess in each said member being of smaller dimension so as to allow a snap fitting and supporting engagement between said projection of each said member and one of said rings, each said pleat supporting member being suspended on one of said rings with a ring fitted within the recess of each pleat supporting member.

7. A pleated assembly including fabric having plural groups of folded portions defining'a plurality of pleats, a pleat supporting member connected to each group of folded portions and fixed thereto so as to hold said portions in pleated condition, supporting means of circular cross-section, each said member having a projection extending laterally therefrom at the upper portion of said member and an abutment surface at the lower portion of said member, said projection having a cut-away portion defining a recess with an opening thereto, said recess being formed as a major portion of the periphery of a circle corresponding in diameter to said supporting means with the opening to said recess being of smaller dimension so as to allow a snap fitting and supporting engagement between said projection and said means, said abutment surface being spaced inwardly of said opening, and a support having a surface extending generally parallel to the axis of said circular cross-section of said means, said surface being in abutting relation to said support.

8. A pleat forming blank for fabric including a generally elongated and flat member formed from plastic material adapted to become tacky when heated, said blank having projections extending from one side edge thereof, said projections being equally spaced from the ends of said blank, said blank being folded along the medial portion thereof so as to provide leg portions of said blank in side by side, spaced relation With the projections aligned with one another, each of said projections having recesses therein adapted to removably engage a rod-like support, said projections being at an upper portion of said blank when said blank is folded, With the side edge of said blank providing abutment surfaces spaced inwardly of said projections at the lower portions of said legs.

9. The structure of claim 8 wherein said recesses are formed as a major portion of a circle, and outwardly divergent openings lead through said projections to said recesses.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Jewell Sept. 5, 1922 2,126,834 Steinberger Aug. 16, 1938 2,524,958 Calvani Oct. 10, 1950 2,623,583 Handley Dec. 30, 1952 2,646,116 Freeman July 21, 1953 2,978,735 Petzal Apr. 11, 1961

Claims (1)

1. 8. A PLEAT FORMING BLANK FOR FABRIC INCLUDING A GENERALLY ELONGATED AND FLAT MEMBER FORMED FROM PLASTIC MATERIAL ADAPTED TO BECOME TACKY WHEN HEATED, SAID BLANK HAVING PROJECTIONS EXTENDING FROM ONE SIDE EDGE THEREOF, SAID PROJECTIONS BEING EQUALLY SPACED FROM THE ENDS OF SAID BLANK, SAID BLANK BEING FOLDED ALONG THE MEDIAL PORTION THEREOF SO AS TO PROVIDE LEG PORTIONS OF SAID BLANK IN SIDE BY SIDE, SPACED RELATION WITH THE PROJECTIONS ALIGNED WITH ONE ANOTHER, EACH OF SAID PROJECTIONS HAVING RECESSES THEREIN ADAPTED TO REMOVABLY ENGAGE A ROD-LIKE SUPPORT, SAID PROJECTIONS BEING AT AN UPPER PORTION OF SAID BLANK WHEN SAID BLANK IS FOLDED, WITH THE SIDE EDGE OF SAID BLANK PROVIDING ABUTMENT SURFACES SPACED INWARDLY OF SAID PROJECTIONS AT THE LOWER PORTIONS OF SAID LEGS.

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