US3345676A

US3345676A - Support for draperies and the like

Info

Publication number: US3345676A
Application number: US477847A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph V Graber; Ferdinand F Salzmann
Original assignee: GRABER Manufacturing CO Inc
Current assignee: GRABER Manufacturing CO Inc
Priority date: 1965-08-06
Filing date: 1965-08-06
Publication date: 1967-10-10
Anticipated expiration: 1984-10-10

Description

Oct. 10 1967 J. v. GRABER ETAL 3,345,676

SUPPORT FOR DRAPERIES AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-$heet 1 Filed Aug. 1965 i! a d M NQWJI mw m V J w W my T W Mm QN m W q E W am v A 3N W @N M 3 QQN a 0N N J 8 i N\ mi oonuofi? A60 TO O 0 g L l 10 1957 J. v. GRABER ETAL 3,

SUPPORT FOR DRAPERIES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 6, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,345,676 SUPPORT FOR DRAPERIES AND THE LIKE Joseph V. Graber and Ferdinand F. Salzmann, Madison, Wis., assignors to Graber Manufacturing Company, Inc., Middleton, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Aug. 6, 1965, Ser. No. 477,847 9 Claims. (Cl. 16-816) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLQSURE A rod having a rear-opening passageway and a flat trackway at the bottom. A plurality of ball-bearing offset carriers having flat-treaded wheels engaging the trackway. A master carrier having a pair of wheels engaging the trackway.

This invention relates to improvements in supports for draperies, curtains, tapestries, and the like.

For convenience, the improved support of the present invention is herein sometimes referred to as a drapery support; however, this is done by way of illustration and it should be understood that the support may be used with any type of drapery, curtain, tapestry, or other similar flexible hanging.

It is deemed obvious that a support for an attractive flexible hanging, such as a drapery, must itself be attractive. To provide an attractive front face for such a support, it is preferable that the slot for slides or carriers be located elsewhere than in the front face. Thus, it is usual in the art to provide a rod having a rearwardly opening slot and a plurality of individual drapery-supporting slides in the slot and supported on the edge thereof. Since draperies and the like are often pleated, it is usual to provide an individual slide for each pleat. The use of individual slide is necessitated by the fact that draperies are moved between an open and closed position and it is desirable for the pleats to be compacted in as small a width as possible when in open position and the slides are then generally contiguous.

The above arrangement requires each slide to be dis posed adjacent the rear of the rod and requires a considerable forward extension of the slide body or pendant to arrange it adjacent the front face of the rod where the drapery is to hang. This forward extension tends to twist the slides in their supporting slot causing them to bind therein. This has often required substantial force to over come and has limited the use of such drapery supports. The condition is aggravated somewhat when the draperies are opened and closed since the flexible draperies move both laterally and longitudinally during such times. This creates a lateral force on the laterally offset pendant of the carrier or slide, and in combination with the above mentioned binding, tends to cause the carriers to snake or wobble when moved along the slot.

It is a general object of this invention to provide an improved support for draperies and the like in which the carriers move freely and easily along the rod with minimized drag caused by snaking.

Another object is to provide an improved support for draperies and the like including ball bearing carriers having comparably large wheels supported inside the rods for relatively slow, quiet rolling therealong.

Still another object is to provide an improved drapery support in accordance with the above objects in which the carrier wheel has a generally flat tread engaged with a trackway in the rod and the carrier is arranged to accommodate slight lateral movement of the pendant or .body while the wheel tread remains engaged with the trackway.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an improved support for draperies and the like and including carriers having wheels disposed inside the rod and closely adjacent the front wall of the rod.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved support for draperies and the like including a rod having upper and lower trackways therein and a master carrier having two ball-bearing wheels each arranged for guiding on one of the trackways.

Further objects are to provide an improved drapery support which is attractive, and which has generally easy, quiet operation.

These, together with other objects and advantages of the invention will be more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevatiaonal view of an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of an individual carrier with the rod illustrated in phantom;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the carrier and rod taken generally along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view of the carrier and along line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of a master carrier with the rod illustrated in phantom;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the master carrier of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a view of the master carrier and rod taken generally along line 7-7 of FIG. 5.

Reference is now made more particularly to the drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. In general, the drapery support includes an elongate rod, generally designated by the numeral 10, a plurality of carriers designated 12, and

master carriers

14 and 14. Elongate rod 10 may have end members such as 16 and 17 attached thereto and the end members may have pulleys 16a, 16b, 17a, and 17b affixed thereto for use in guiding a draw cord (not shown) if desired. Elongate rod 10 in cludes a generally upright front wall 20, a top wall 22, and a bottom wall 24, as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. The bottom wall has an upwardly extending flange 26 attached adjacent the rear edge thereof and the top wall has a downwardly extending portion or flange 28 attached thereto.

Flanges

26 and 28 have their adjacent edges 26a, 23a spaced from each other to define a rearwardly opening slot which extends generally the full length of the rod. The rod may be mounted on a supporting surface in any convenient manner and, since the mounting comprise no part of this invention, further description is deemed unnecessary.

The above described

walls

20, 22, and 24 and

flanges

26 and 28 define a passageway extending generally the full length of the rod. This passageway is advantageously shaped to cooperate with the

carriers

12, 14, and 15' as will hereinafter become apparent. In general, bottom wall 24 has a generally fiat upper surface for defining. a lower trackway 32 extending generally the full length of the rod. Similarly, top wall 22 has a generally flat lower surface for defining an upper trackway 34' extending generally the full length of the rod. Front wall 20 has an inner surface inclined forwardly as at 20a and 20b from top wall 22 and bottom wall 24, respectively. Similarly,

flanges

26 and 28 have inner surfaces 26b and 28b inclined rearwardly from bottom wall 24 and top wall 22, respectively.

As stated above, the drapery support includes a plurality of carrers 12 mounted on the rod and these carriers are shown in detail in FIGS. 2-4. In general, each carrier 12 includes an axle or shaft 41, preferably made of steel, a wheel 42 rotatably mounted adjacent the front of the axle, and a body or pendant 43 attached adjacent the rod taken generally rear end of the axle, and offset from the wheel. For convenience, this carrier may hereinafter sometimes be referred to as an offset carrier. As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the wheel 42 preferably has a diameter greater than the width of the above described slot but less than the distance apart of the upper and lower walls 22 and 24. The wheel has a generally flat tread 42a for engaging trackway 32 and the tread has a width approximating, but less than, the width of trackway 32. As best seen in FIG. 4, the wheel has a front face 42b which diverges outwardly from the tread and meets the tread 42a at an angle less than the angle which the front wall inner surface makes with trackway 32. Similarly, the wheel has a rear side or face 420 which diverges outwardly from the tread and meets the tread 42a at an angle less than the angle the inner face 26b of the upwardly extending flange makes with trackway 32 or the inner face 28b of the downwardly extending flange makes with trackway 34. In this preferred embodiment of the rod and wheel, the wheel tread is engaged with a generally flat trackway while the remainder of the rod is normally positioned away from the wheel thereby creating a minimum amount of friction as the wheel moves along the trackway. However, the closeness of the front face and flanges is such that, if the wheel is cocked slightly in the rod, they tend to urge the wheel back to position for smooth movement along the trackway. Because of the advantageous shape of the wheel and passageway, the friction is at a minimum and any drag caused by snaking is minimized. As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, a plurality of ball bearings 44 is disposed in a single row between the axle 41 and the Wheel 42. Axle 41 has an annular ball race and wheel 42 has a shallow annular groove or ball race 46 for receiving the ball bearings 44, as seen in FIG. 3. The wheel 42 has a thin retaining flange 36 adjacent one end thereof and extending into a groove 38 in the axle 41 as shown in FIG. 3. The groove has an axial length greater than the width of the flange 36 and a minor diameter less than the minor diameter of the flange to allow limited tilting of the axle relative to the axis of the wheel. In this manner, the axle 41 and body portion 43 may tilt a limited amount relative to wheel 42 while the wheel remains engaged with the trackway, as illustrated in the moved position in FIG. 4. Thus, slight lateral movement of a drapery transmitted to the body may be absorbed by the structure without binding the wheel in the passageway. As best seen in FIGS. 2-4, the wheel has a size which is only slightly less than the height of the passageway and thus is substantially larger than previous wheels in the art. This allows a generally slower rotation of the wheel since the wheel has a larger circumference than others previously known. This structure aids in quiet operation of the drapery support and smoothness of travel of the carrier in the rod.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the body portion or pendant 43 preferably has a width slightly greater than the diameter of the wheel 42. Adjacent either side of the body 43 are fingers 47 and 48 extending forwardly therefrom. When the body 43 is pivoted from the normal position illustrated in FIG. 2, one of the fingers will engage the lower surface of the bottom wall 24 (see FIG. 1) to keep the body portion depending from the rod. This is particularly advantageous when the rod is transported with the offset carriers in place since it prevents the body portion from swinging into engagement with the slot which would cause additional work to remove it to proper operative position. Fingers 47 and 48 also provide generally smooth side faces 47a and 48a (see FIG. 2) adjacent the side of the body 43 for providing a surface for contacting the adjacent carrier when the carriers are contiguous (see FIG. 1). Preferably, these fingers are adjacent an opening 49 in body 43, which opening is for receiving a drapery hook or the like. In this manner the pushing surface provided'by the fingers is adjacent the point of weight applied to the body 43 and thus provides smooth operation when the offset carriers are contiguous to each other. It is contemplated that means other than opening 49 may be utilized to receive drapery hooks or the like. Since the body 43 is wider than the wheel 42 and the pushing surfaces 47a and 48a are adjacent the sides thereof, each wheel may rotate quite readily without binding against the wheel of an adjacent offset carrier when the carriers are contiguous. It should also be noted that, in the preferred embodiment, the opening 49 is disposed vertically below the wheel 42 of the carrier and that the wheel is closely adjacent the front face or front wall 20 of the rod. In this manner the weight applied by the drapery hook is in a vertical plane with the wheel and, because the wheel is closely adjacent the front face, the structure supplies a preferred arrangement whereby the receiving means, as opening 49, may be coplaner with the support (wheel 42) and still closely adjacent the front of the rod. This aids in the ease of operation and allows a generally upright heading at the top of the drapery.

Master carrier or slide 14 is illustrated in detail in FIGS. 5-7. In its preferred embodiment, the master slide includes a first and second wheel rotatably mounted on a first and second axle and each having aplur-ality of ball bearings disposed therebetween. The wheels, axles, and ball bearings are similar in construction and arrangement to those described above for the individual offset carrier, and similar parts have the same reference character. Each axle 41 of the master carrier is attached to an elongate body 51 and, in general, the body 51 has a longitudinal portion 51a which interconnects a pair of upstanding arms 51b and 51c to which the axles 41 are attached. An outwardly and longitudinally extending drapery support arm 52, shaped in any convenient manner known in the art, is attached to the longitudinal portion 51a as by fastener 53. An outrigger 54 is attached to longitudinal portion 51a as by fastener 55. The outrigger 54 is adapted for attachment to a draw cord (not shown) in any manner well known in the art, and in the embodiment shown, hooks 56a, 56b, 56c, and 56d (see FIG. 5) are provided for this purpose. A pair of nylon slides 58 and 58' (see FIG. 6) are attached adjacent the rear side of outrigger 54 and engageable with a portion of rod 10 as, for example,

flange

62 or 63 shown in FIG. 7. Each wheel 42 on the master carrier 14 can also tilt relative to its respective axle 41 so that the flat periphery or tread 42a of each master carrier wheel can align with the trackways while the nylon slides 58, 58' engage

flanges

62 or 63. When a drapery is supported upon arm 52 as, for example,

when, drapery hooks are inserted into

openings

52a, 52b, and 520 it can be seen that the weight of the drapery is cantilevered both outwardly and longitudinally. Under such circumstances, slides 58 and 58' will ride on flange 62 and provide stability laterally and the wheel 42 at the end of the master carrier opposite the end at which the arm 52 extends will be urged upwardly toward upper trackway 34. Thus, the shape of the upper portion of the passageway is important to provide a guide for the aforementioned wheel of the master carrier as the carrier moves along the rod. If desired, master carrier 14 may be utilized without drapery support arm 52 and, for this purpose, longitudinal portion 51a has a plurality of openings 65 for receiving drapery hooks. Outrigger 54, which is adapted for attachment to a draw cord, may also be omitted when the apparatus is used for a hand traverse installation, for example.

It is now deemed obvious that the present invention provides an improved drapery support including a particularly advantageously shaped rod and carriers mounted therein. The carriers are arranged to lie closely adjacent the front wall of the rod and yet move therealong with a minimum amount of friction. The pendant of the offset carrier is constructed so that the weight of the drapery is applied vertically below the wheel and yet the pendant and axle may move or tilt slightly to absorb slight lateral movements of the pendant while the wheel tread remains engaged with the trackway to avoid excessive rubbing and drag on the upper portion of the wheel against the trackway. The shape of the rod is such as to guide the wheels off the master carrier when the cantilevered weight of the drapery is supported thereon. The shapes of the rod and carriers cooperate to provide a drapery support having exceptional ease of operation.

While we have thus described a preferred embodiment of our invention, this has been done by way of illustration and not limitation and we do not wish to be limited except as required by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A support for draperies and the like comprising an elongate rod having front and rear sides and adapted for mounting generally horizontally, said rod having wall means defining a passageway and arranged to provide a rearwardly opening access to the passageway, said passageway and said access thereto extending generally the entire length of the rod, said passageway having a generally flat horizontally disposed surface adjacent the lower side thereof for defining a trackway extending generally the full length of the rod, a plurality of offset carriers mounted on the rod and each including an axle having its front end disposed in the passageway and extending through said access to a point rearward of the passageway, a wheel rotatably mounted adjacent the front end of the axle and having a generally flat tread engaged with the trackway for movement therealong, a plurality of ball bearings disposed in a single row between said axle and said wheel, said axle and said wheel each having means describing a ball race for engaging said ball bearings, a body portion mounted adjacent the rear end of the axle and extending downwardly and forwardly therefrom to a point below said passageway, said body portion having means adjacent the lower end thereof and generally vertically below the wheel for receiving a drapery support hook, said axle, ball bearings, and wheel arranged for allowing the axle and body portion to tilt a limited amount relative to the wheel in a direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongate rod.

2. A support for draperies and the like comprising an elongate rod having a passageway extending lengthwise thereof and adapted for mounting in a generally horizon tal plane, said rod having a front wall and a bottom wall attached thereto, said bottom wall having an upwardly extending flange attached to the rear edge thereof and a substantiallyflat upper surface for defining a horizontally disposed trackway extending generally the full length of the rod, a plurality of offset carriers mounted on the rod and each including an axle having its front end disposed above the trackway and extending rearwardly to a point rearward of said flange, a wheel rotatably mounted adjacent the front end of the axle and having a generally flat tread engaged with the trackway for movement therealong, a body portion mounted adjacent the rear end of the axle and extending downwardly and forwardly therefrom to a point below said bottom wall in normal position, said body portion having receiving means adjacent the lower end thereof and generally vertically below the wheel for receiving a drapery hook and the like, apair of fingers attached one on either side of said body portion in an area adjacent said receiving means and extending forwardly from the body portion for engaging the lower surface of the bottom wall when the body portion is pivoted from said normal position, each finger having a generally flat outer side for providing a contact surface, said contact surfaces of the fingers spaced a distance greater than the diameter of the wheel for contacting the adjacent oflset carrier when the olfset carriers are contiguous and thereby providing a pushing surface.

3. A support for draperies and the like comprising an elongate rod having front and rear sides and wall means defining a passageway having a generally C-shaped crosssection, the Wall means having a rearwardly opening slot extending generally the full length of the rod and a substantially flat inner surface adjacent the lower side there of for providing a trackway extending generally the full length of the rod, a plurality of offset carriers mounted on the rod and each including an axle having its front end disposed in the passageway and extending rearwardly through said slot, a wheel rotatably mounted adjacent the front end of the axle and having a generally flat tread engaged with the trackway for movement therealong, a plurality of ball bearings disposed in a single row between said axle and said wheel, said axle and said wheel each having means describing a ball race for engaging said ball bearings, a body portion mounted adjacent the rear end of the axle and extending downwardly and forwardly therefrom in normal position to a point below said passageway, said body portion having an opening therein adjacent the lower end thereof and generally vertically below the wheel for receiving a drapery hook and the like, a pair of fingers attached one on either side of the body portion in an area adjacent said opening and extending forwardly from the body portion for engaging the lower surface of said rod when the body portion is pivoted from said normal position, each finger having a generally flat side adjacent the respective side of the body portion for providing a surface for contacting the adjacent offset carrier when the offset carriers are contiguous thereby providing a pushing surface, said axle, ball bearings and wheel arranged for allowing the axle and body portion to tilt a limited amount relative to the wheel in a direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongate rod.

4. A support for draperies and the like comprising an elongate rod having a generally upright front wall and top and bottom walls attached thereto, said bottom wall having an upwardly extending flange attached adjacent the rear edge thereof and a generally flat upper surface between the upwardly extending flange and the front wall for providing a trackway extending generally the full length of the rod, said top wall having a downwardly extending flange attached thereto and spaced from said upwardly extending flange to define a rearwardly opening slot extending generally the full length of the rod, said front wall having an inner surface inclined forwardly from the top and bottom walls, each flange having an inner surface inclined rearwardly from the respective top and bottom wall, a plurality of offset carriers mounted on the rod and each including an axle extending through the slot, a wheel rotatably mounted on the axle and having a diameter greater than the width of theslot but less than the distance apart of the upper and lower walls, said wheel having a generally flat tread having a width not wider than said trackway and engaged therewith, said wheel having a front side meeting the tread at an angle greater than and less than the angle the front wall inner surface makes with the bottom wall and a rear side meeting the tread at an angle greater than 90 and less than the angle the upwardly extending flange makes with the bottom wall, a plurality of ball bearings disposed in 'a single row between said axle and said wheel, a body portion mounted adjacent the rear end of the axle and extending downwardly and forwardly therefrom to a point below the bottom wall, said body portion having an opening therein adjacent the lower end thereof and generally vertically below the wheel for receiving a drapery support hook.

5. A support for draperies and the like comprising an elongate rod having a generally upright front wall and top and bottom walls attached thereto, said bottom wall having an upwardly extending flange attached adjacent the rear edge thereof and a substantially flat upper surface between the upwardly extending flange and the front wall for providing a trackway extending generally the full length of the rod, said top wall having a downwardly extending flange attached thereto and spaced from said upwardly extending flange to define a rearwardly opening slot extending generally the full length of the rod, said front wall having an inner surface inclined forwardly from the top and bottom walls, each flange having an inner surface inclined rearwardly from the respective top and bottom wall, a plurality of off-set carriers mounted on the rod and each including an axle extending through the slot, a wheel rotatably mounted on the axle and having a diameter greater than the width of the slot but less than the distance apart of the upper and lower walls, said wheel having a generally flat tread having a width not wider than said trackway and engaged therewith, said wheel having a front side meeting the tread at an angle less than the angle the front wall inner surface makes with the bottom wall and a rear side meeting the tread at an angle less than the angle the upwardly extending flange makes with the bottom wall, a plurality of ball bearings disposed in a single row between said axle and said wheel, said axle and said wheel each having means describing a ball race for receiving said ball bearings, a body portion having a width greater than the diameter of said wheel and mounted adjacent the rear end of the axle and extending downwardly and forwardly therefrom in normal position to a point below the bottom wall, said body portion having an opening therein adjacent the lower end thereof and generally vertically below the wheel for receiving a drapery hook and the like, a pair of fingers attached one on either side of the body portion and extending forwardly from the body portion for engaging the lower surface of the bottom wall when the body portion is pivoted from said normal position and for providing a surface for contacting the adjacent offset carrier when the offset carriers are contiguous thereby providing a pushing surface.

6. A support for draperies and the like comprising:

an elongate rod having a front wall and top and bottom walls attached thereto, said bottom wall having an upwardly extending flange attached adjacent the rear edge thereof and a substantially flat upper surface between the upwardly extending flange and the front wall for providing a lower trackway extending generally the full length of the rod, said top wall having a downwardly extending flange attached thereto and a substantially flat lower surface between the downwardly extending flange and the front wall for providing an upper trackway extending generally the full length of the rod, said upper trackway having a width approximating the width of the lower trackway, said upwardly extending flange and said downwardly extending flange being spaced apart to define a rearwardly opening slot extending generally the full length of the rod, said front wall and said flanges diverging outwardly from the respective'upper and lower trackways;

a plurality of offset carriers mounted on the rod and adapted to support said draperies and the like and each comprising an axle extending through said slot, a wheel rotatably mounted on the axle and having a generally flat tread engaged with the lower trackway for movement therealong, said wheel having front and rear faces each diverging outwardly from the tread and meeting the tread at an angle less than the angle between said front wall and lower trackway and said upwardly extending flange and lower trackway respectively, a plurality of ball bearings disposed in a single row between said axle and said wheel, said axle and said wheel each having means describing a ball race for receiving said ball bearings, and a body attached adjacent the rear end of the axle and extending downwardly therefrom; and

master carrier means mounted on the rod and comprising a first and a second axle extending through the slot, a first and a second wheel rotatably mounted on the respective first and second axle and each having a single row of ball bearings disposed therebetween, each wheel and axle having means describing a ball race for receiving the ball bearings, each wheel having a generally fiat tread for engaging one of said trackways, means attached adjacent the rear end of each said first and second axle and depending therefrom, and an arm adapted to support said draperies and the like mounted on said last-mentioned means and extending therefrom in a direction lengthwise of the rod.

7. A support for draperies and the like comprising an elongate rod having a generally upright front wall and top and bottom walls attached thereto, said bottom wall having an upwardly extending flange attached adjacent the rear edge thereof and a substantially fiat upper surface between the flange and the front wall for providing a trackway extending generally the full length of the rod, said front wall and said flange each diverging outwardly from the trackway, a plurality of offset carriers mounted on the rod and each including an axle having its front end disposed above the trackway and extending rearwardly to a point rearward of said flange, a wheel rotatably mounted adjacent the front end of the axle and having a generally flat tread engaged with the trackway for movement therealong, a plurality of ball bearings disposed in a single row between said axle and said wheel, said axle and said wheel each having means describing a ball race for engaging said ball bearings, said wheel having a diameter less than the distance apart of said upper and lower walls and said tread having a width not wider than said trackway, said wheel having a front face diverging outwardly from the tread at an angle less than the divergence of the front wall and a rear face diverging outwardly from the tread at an angle less than the divergence of the flange to center the wheel on the trackway and allow free movement therealong, and a body portion mounted adjacent the rear end of the axle and extending downwardly and forwardly therefrom to a point below said bottom wall, said body portion having means adjacent the lower end thereof for receiving a drapery hook and the like.

8. A support for draperies and the like comprising an elongate rod adapted for mounting generally horizontally, said rod having wall means defining a passageway and arranged to provide a rearwardly opening access to the passageway, said passageway having a trackway adjacent the lower side thereof, a plurality of offset carriersmounted on the rod and each including an axle having its front end disposed in the passageway and extending through said access to a point rearward of the passageway, a-

wheel rotatably mounted adjacent the front end of the axle and having a tread engaged with the trackway for movement therealong, a plurality of ball bearings disposed in a single row between said axle and wheel, said axle and wheel each having means defining a ball race for engaging the ball bearings, a body portion mounted adjacent the rear end of the axle and extending downwardly therefrom, said axle, ball bearings, and wheel arranged for allowing the axle and body portion to tilt a limited amount relative to the wheel in a direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongate rod.

,A support for draperies and the like comprising an elongate rod adapted for mounting generally horizontally, said rod having wall means defining a passageway and arranged to provide a rearwardly opening access to the passageway, said passageway having a trackway adjacent the lower side thereof, a plurality of offset carriers mounted on the rod, and master carrier means mounted on the rod and including first and second axles having their front ends disposed in the passageway and extending through said access to a point rearwardly of the passageway, a wheel rotatably mounted adjacent the front end of each axle, each wheel having a tread for engaging the trackway for movement therealong, a plurality of ball bearings disposed in a single row between each axle and its respective wheel, each axle and wheel having means defining a ball race for engaging the ball bearings, means 9 10 attached adjacent the rear end of each axle and de- 7 References Cited pending therefrom, an arm adapted for supporting said UNITED STATES PATENTS draperies and the like and mounted on said last mentioned means and extending in a direction generally 1855037 4/1932 Veoom 16 87'6 lengthwise of the rod, and said axles, ball bearings, and 5 2284310 5/1942 Vane 16O '346 wheels arranged for allowing the axles and said last men- 2482856 9/1949 Lloyd 16 89 tioned means to tilt a limited amount relative to the wheels in a direction crosswise of the longitudinal axis MARVIN CHAMPION P'lmary Examme" of the elongate rod. J. H. MCGLYNN, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A SUPPORT FOR DRAPERIES AND THE LIKE COMPRISING AN ELONGATE ROD HAVING FRONT AND REAR SIDES AND ADAPTED FOR MOUNTING GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY, SAID ROD HAVING WALL MEANS DEFINING A PASSAGEWAY AND ARRANGED TO PROVIDE A REARWARDLY OPENING ACCESS TO THE PASSAGEWAY, SAID PASSAGEWAY AND SAID ACCESS THERETO EXTENDING GENERALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE ROD, SAID PASSAGEWAY HAVING A GENERALY FLAT HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED SURFACE ADJACENT THE LOWER SIDE THEREOF FOR DEFINING A TRACKWAY EXTENDING GENERALLY THE FULL LENGTH OF THE ROD, A PLURALITY OF OFFSET CARRIERS MOUNTED ON THE ROD AND EACH INCLUDING AN AXLE HAVING ITS FRONT END DISPOSED IN THE PASSAGEWAY AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID ACCESS TO A POINT REARWARD OF TEH PASSAGEWAY, A WHEEL ROTATABLY MOUNTED ADJACENT THE FRONT END OF THE AXLE AND HAVING A GENERALLY FLAT TREAD ENGAGED WITH THE TRACKWAY FOR MOVEMENT THEREALONG, A PLURALITY OF BALL BEARING DISPOSED IN A SINGLE ROW BETWEEN SAID AXLE AND SAID WHEEL, SAID AXLE AND SAID WHEEL EACH HAVING MEANS DESCRIBING A BALL RACE FOR ENGAGING SAID BALL BEARINGS, A BODY PORTION MOUNTED ADJACENT THE REAR END OF THE AXLE AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY AND FORWARLDY THEREFROM TO A POINT BELOW SAID PASSAGEWAY, SAID BODY PORTION HAVING MEANS ADJACENT THE LOWER END THEREOF AND GENERALLY VERTICALLY BELOW THE WHEEL FOR RECEIVING A DRAPERY SUPPORT HOOK, SAID AXLE, BALL BEARINGS, AND WHEEL ARRANGED FOR ALLOWING THE AXLE AND BODY PORTION TO TILT A LIMITED AMOUNTED RELATIVE TO THE WHEEL IN A DIRECTION GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE ELONGATED ROD.