US3733227A

US3733227A - Method of making a drapery swag

Info

Publication number: US3733227A
Application number: US00116818A
Authority: US
Inventors: A Collins
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-02-19
Filing date: 1971-02-19
Publication date: 1973-05-15
Anticipated expiration: 1990-05-15

Abstract

A method of making a drapery swag or the like from a backing strip having an alignment pattern there along and a swag blank cut from a drapery fabric. The backing strip is buckram having a heat-sensitive adhesive along one surface thereof upon which the alignment pattern is printed, and the alignment pattern has an essentially straight line running from end-to-end thereof and a plurality of longitudinally spaced alignment positions located along the line. The swag blank has a straight upper edge, an arcuate lower edge, and side edges with a generally saw-toothed configuration there along providing spaced apart roots or alignment points. The backing strip is secured along a flat surface, and the upper edge of the swag blank is temporarily attached to the backing strip in a centered and aligned disposition with the longitudinal line of the pattern thereon, and the side edges of the blank are then folded and placed along the backing strip with the roots of the saw-toothed edges in respective juxtaposition with the alignment positions on the backing strip and with the side edge portions of the blank aligned with the longitudinally extending line of the alignment pattern. Thereafter, the backing strip is folded over the side edges of the swag blank and is heated to permanently secure the same to the swag blank.

Description

May 15, 1973 E. COLLINS, JR

METHOD OF MAKING A DRAPERY SWAG 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Feb. 19, 1971 FIGI FIG. 2

INVENTORI ALBERT E. COL |NS.JR BY: JATTORNEY y 1973 A. E. COLLINS, JR

METHOD OF MAKING A DRAPERY SWAG 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Feb. 19, 1971 FIG. 6

INVENTOR I ALBERT E. COL NS.JR BY:

TTORNEY United States Patent 3,733,227 METHOD OF MAKING A DRAPERY SWAG Albert E. Collins, Jr., 3030 Mount Diablo St., Concord, Calif. 94520 Filed Feb. 19, 1971, Ser. No. 116,818 Int. Cl. A47k 23/00 US. Cl. 156-196 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method of making a drapery swag or the like from a backing strip having an alignment pattern therealong and a swag blank cut from a drapery fabric. The backing strip is buckram having a heat-sensitive adhesive along one surface thereof upon which the alignment pattern is printed, and the alignment pattern has an essentially straight line running from end-to-end thereof and a plurality of longitudinally spaced alignment positions located along the line. The swag blank has a straight upper edge, an arcuate lower edge, and side edges with a generally saw-toothed configuration therealong providing spaced apart roots or alignment points. The backing strip is secured along a flat surface, and the upper edge of the swag blank is temporarily attached to the backing strip in a centered and aligned disposition with the longitudinal line of the pattern thereon, and the side edges of the blank are then folded and placed along the backing strip with the roots of the saw-toothed edges in respective juxtaposition with the alignment positions on the backing strip and with the side edge portions of the blank aligned with the longitudinally extending line of the alignment pattern. Thereafter, the backing strip is folded over the side edges of the swag blank and is heated to permanently secure the same to the swag blank.

DISCLOSURE This invention relates to the art of drapery making and, more particularly, to a method or process of making drapery swags or the like.

The elegance of drapery installations having swags and cascades covering the upper edge portions thereof is well known as is the expense of an installation of this type. The expense to a considerable extent is occasioned by the cost of the skilled labor required to make drapery swags which, in the past, have always been custom fabrications requiring the expertise and aesthetic abilities of the experienced drapery maker. Further, the time required to carefully fabricate custom swags in this manner has been quite great so that the hourly charges for a highly skilled drapery maker over a substantial number of hours has had the effect of limiting the use of swags in drapery installations to customers that are financially well-to-do.

A general object of the present invention is to provide a method or process for making drapery swags quickly, easily, and inexpensively without the necessity of using the abilities and expertise of skilled and experienced drapery makers, thereby bringing the possibility of using drapery swags as part of a drapery installation into the price range of persons who could not otherwise afford the elegance of drapery installations involving the use of swags.

Another object of the invention is that of providing a method of making drapery swags and the like of the character described which, although made by unskilled persons, have a degree of excellence that makes them difficult if not impossible to distinguish from the best custom made drapery swags.

Further objects, among others, of the present invention are in the provision of a method of the type described that utilizes a backing strip having an alignment pattern therealong comprising a plurality of spaced apart alignment positions to which predetermined points on a swag blank are to be attached; that further utilizes a swag blank of predetermined configuration in which the side edges thereof have generally saw-toothed forms defining spaced apart roots or alignment points therealong; and which method enables a swag to be formed by folding the blank at the roots or alignment points and then 10- cating the same at the respective positions on the alignment pattern after which the backing strip is permanently secured to the folded side edges of the blank to form the completed drapery swag.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention, especially as concerns particular features and characteristics thereof, will become apparent as the specification continues.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a broken perspective view illustrating a drapery and swag installation in which the three swags shown are formed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the backing strip having an alignment pattern printed thereon;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a swag blank being cut from a swag pattern which is partially illustrated;

FIG. 4 is a broken perspective view illustrating the step of attaching the backing strip shown in FIG. 2 to a support surface in the form of a table top;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged broken perspective view showing the step of folding the swag blank preparatory to attaching the same to the backing strip;

FIG. 6 is a broken perspective view, similar to that of FIG. 5 but on slightly reduced scale, showing one side of the swag blank temporarily attached to the backing strip and the other side of the blank in the process of being attached thereto; and

FIG. 7 is a broken perspective view showing the step of permanently attaching the backing strip to the swag blank to form one of the complete drapery swags illustrated in FIG. 1.

As respects its general appearance, drapery swags formed in accordance with the present invention are substantially no different than the very expensive custom swags formed by highly skilled drapery makers, and in FIG. 1 a typical drapery installation is shown which comprises the usual vertically extending draperies 10 the upper edge portions of which are ornamented and concealed by a plurality (three in the exemplary installation shown) or drapery swags 11 and cascades 12 disposed at the ends of the outer swags \11. In an installation of this general type, the vertical draperies 10 are ordinarily draw draperies mounted upon a conventional track or traverse rod, and the swags 11 and cascades 12 are tacked, stapled or otherwise affixed to the upper surface of a swag board. The traverse rod for the draperies 10 is generally mounted upon the swag board (which is not shown) along the undersurface thereof, and L-shaped brackets may be used to mount the swag board along a vertical wall over the windows with which the drapery installation is associated. With respect to such installation, the details thereof are conventional and well known in the art, and are not contributive to an understanding of the present invention and, therefore, will not be further described.

As indicated hereinbefore, a drapery installation of the type shown in FIG. 1 is quite expensive especially because the swags have been custom fabricated by skilled drapery makers, being cut, fitted, and attached to the swag board essentially at the place of installation and in accordance with the esthetic determinations of the drapery maker. The swag 11, however, are formed in accordance with the procedure and materials illustrated in FIGS. 2 through 7, and which materials include a backing strip 14 which is shown in FIG. 2. The backing strip 14 in the form shown is a rectangular strip of heavy buckram having a heat-sensitive adhesive coating along the upper surface thereof. Buckram materials having such an adhesive coating along one side thereof are well known and commercially available, and the adhesive is of such character that it can be softened and made to adhere to a fabric surface by applying the heat of an ordinary hand iron to the uncoated surface of the buckram.

The backing strip 14 is provided with an alignment. pattern therealong which, as illustrated in FIG. 2, is printed on the adhesive-equipped surface thereof. Advantageously, the alignment pattern is commercially printed on the backing strip, but it could be placed thereon by a user from a tissue or other printed pattern provided in a kit for making swags sold with instructions therefor. In any case, the alignment pattern includes an essentially straight longitudinally extending line 15 located approximately one quarter of the way inwardly from the lower edge 16 of the strip. The transverse center line of the backing strip 14 is designated, as by a center marker 17, and it is bordered at equally spaced distances on opposite sides thereof with centering notches O and O' in each case. Spaced apart along the line 15 on each side of the center marker 17 are a plurality of alignment positions respectively denoted on one side of the marker with the letters A through F and on the opposite side of the marker with the letters A through F. The alignment positions are used in attaching a swag blank to the backing strip 114, as will be described in detail hereinafter.

A swag blank 18 is illustrated in FIG. 3, and it is cut from a length of drapery fabric by following a pattern 19 that, in FIG. 3, underlies the blank 18 for illustrative purposes. The swag blank 18 should be cut on the bias from the fabric in order that the completed swag 11 have the best appearance and durability; and for purposes of making the drapery installation shown in FIG. 1, three swag blanks 18 are required and, correspondingly, three backing strips 14 for respective association there with. Usually, no drapery installation has less than three swags 11, however larger installations having five and seven swags are quite common.

The swag blank 18 has a straight upper edge 20, an arcuate lower edge 21, and

side edges

22 and 22 which are inclined with respect to each other and tend to converge toward the upper edge 20. Each of the side edges 22 has a generally saw-toothed configuration with roots or depressions respectively denoted from top to bottom with the letters A through E along the edge 22 and with the letters A through E along the edge 22'. The ridges or points along the edge 22 intermediate the successive roots A, B and B, C and C, D and D, E are respectively denoted with the letters b through e and each such point has an inwardly extending generally V-shaped notch provided thereat. The edge 22' is similarly provided with V-shaped recess along the various ridges intermediate successive roots A through E and such ridges are respectively denoted with the letters b through At the mergences of the upper edge 20 with the

respective side edges

22 and 22 generally V-shaped notches are formed and they are respectively denoted with the letters and O. The outer ridge or projection intermediate the root A and notch O is in the nature of a long line having a V-shaped notch a at the approximate center thereof. Analogously, a relatively long line defines the ridge intermediate the root A and notch O, and a V-shaped notch a is located at the approximate center thereof. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the swag 18 is essentially symmetrical about a center line therethrough from the upper edge 20 to the lower edge 21, so that the blank can be folded along such center line and the configurations of the side edges 22 and 22' matched all along the lengths thereof. For purposes of identification, the corners respectively defined by the mergences of the bottom edge 21 and side edges 22 and 22' are denoted with the letters F and F.

As is evident in FIG. 3, the pattern 19 has a lower arcuate edge 24 that extends outwardly beyond the edge 21 of the swag blank 18, and the reason therefor is that the swag blank has a finished lower or bottom edge 21 formed by an underturned double hem that is hand stitched to prevent puckering which might occur should the stitching be done by machine. Usually, the hem will be turned under approximately one quarter of an inch and then pressed, and then turned under a quarter of an inch again and stitched. Sometimes a fringe (not shown) is attached to the swag blank 18 along the finished bottom edge 21 thereof, and when used it can be top stitched to the swag blank along the hem or lower edge 21 thereof. Also, the swag blank 18 may be lined, and should a lining be desired, it may be cut using the same pattern 19, and with the right or outer sides of the swag blank 18 and lining placed together in facing relation, they are stitched together approximately one half inch from the top and

bottom edges

20 and 21 of the swag blank. After this is done, the swag blank and lining are turned so that the seams are on the inside, and the sides edges of the lining and blank are left unattached or open.

After the backing strip 14 and swag blank 18 are provided, as heretofore described, the backing strip is placed along a support surface which, as illustrated in FIG. 4, may be a table top 25. Preferably, the table top 25 defines a work surface which will permit the backing strip 14 to be attached thereto, such as by thumbtacks as illustrated. The strip 14 is placed flat along the table top 25 so as to be essentially coplanar therewith, and the adhesive-equip ped sunface of the strip faces upwardly so that the alignment pattern is clearly visible. Although the exact placement of the backing strip '14 on the support surface or table top 25 is not critical, it will be helpful to align the lower edge 16 of the strip with the edge of the surface 25, as shown.

Next, the swag blank 18 is placed on top of the backing strip 14 so that the upper edge 20 of the blank extends along the line 15 of the alignment pattern of the backing strip and with the center of the blank 18 located at the center 17 of the alignment pattern. Such centering of the swag blank with the alignment pattern is accomplished by aligning the points 0 and O on the blank with the respective positions 0 and O on the backing strip, as illustrated best in FIGS. 5 and 6. Upon such alignment, the swag blank 18 is attached to the backing strip 14 and to the work surface 25, as by means of a plurality of thumbtacks as shown. A sufiicient number of tacks should be used so that the swag blank is firmly secured to the work surface, and it has been found that three tacks disposed as shown in FIG. 6 are adequate. As an aid in positioning the tacks used to initially secure the blank 18 to the backing strip 14 and work surface 25, as described, the swag blank may be marked, as shown in FIG. 3, with pen or pencil markings or with

small openings

26, 27, and 28.

Thereafter, the folds are formed along each of the side edges 22 and 22' which are attached to the backing strip 14 and to the work surface 25 by means of a plurality of thumbtacks, as shown best in FIG. 6. The side edges may be folded and attached alternating from edge-toedge and working outwardly from the center of the alignment pattern on the backing strip 14 or, as shown, first by folding and attaching one of the edges completely and thereafter folding and attaching the other edge. In any case, two conditions are observed in attaching each of the edges 22 and 22' to the backing strip 14: first, the respective points A through F and A through F on the swag blank 18 are aligned with the respectively corresponding positions A through F and A through F on the backing strip 14; and second, the entire saw-toothed edge 22 including the edge portions A-b, b-B, B-c, c-C, C a', etc. are disposed along the pattern line 15, and in a completely analogous manner the various segments of the side edge 22 are aligned with the pattern line 15.

This condition of alignment is established by folding each of the side edges 22 and 22' in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. More particularly, and with reference to the edge 22, the blank 18 extends downwardly from the forward edge of the surface 25 with the finished face of the fabric being exposed. The fabric is folded at the notch 12 with the outer surface of the [fabric disposed in facing relation and with the

edge portions

29 and 30 disposed in contiguous alignment with each other. The fabric is then folded at the root A so that the unfinished bottom surface of the fabric is disposed in facing relation and with the line segments Ab and A30 being in substantially aligned juxtaposition. The folded root A is then placed at the alignment position A along the backing strip 14 and secured at such position by a thumbtack. This same procedure is again followed with respect to the next successive notch and root so that the outer surface of the fabric at the notch b is folded into facing relation with the line segments bA and b'B being aligned with each other after which the fabric is folded at the root B with the undersurface of the fabric being disposed in facing relation, and the root point B is then placed at the alignment position B on the backing strip 14 and secured thereat by a thumbtack. As part of the placement and attachment of the root points of the fabric to the alignrnent pattern at the various positions therealon care is taken to make sure that all of the line segments along the edge 22 are disposed along and in alignment with the line 15 forming a part of the pattern on the backing strip 14.

The same procedure is again repeated so that the panel fabric is folded so that the finished surface thereof is disposed in facing relation at each of the notches c, d, and e, and the unfinished surface of the fabric is disposed in facing relation at each of the roots C, D, and E. Also, the successive root points C, D, and E are placed at the alignment positions C, D, and E along the alignment pattern and secured thereto by thumbtacks. The terminal point F of the swag blank 18 is placed at and secured to the alignment position F of the alignment pattern. As heretofore indicated, all of the line segments extending between the successive notches and roots along the edge 22are aligned with line 15, as is evident in FIG. 6 respecting the edge 22 which has been completely folded and secured to the backing strip 14 at the various matched positions therealong.

After each of the

edges

22 and 22 has been folded, aligned with, and attached to the backing strip 14 along the "line 15, any adjustment that might be required or through F therealong, the blank 18 is smoothed by hand from both the front and rear thereof to form the desired swag configuration illustrated in FIG. 1. Although it would be unusual for any adjustment to be required if the alignment points on the swag blank are properly oriented with respect to the alignment positions on the strip 14 and with the

edges

22 and 22 of the blank disposed along the line 15, any adjustment that might be required or desired for aesthetic purposes can now be made such as moving one or more of the root points along the side edges of the swag blank with respect to the corresponding alignment positions defined along the backing strip 1 4.

Thereafter, a heated iron (as shown in FIG. 7) is placed against the outer surface of the folded

edges

22 and 22 to heat the same and effect adhesive attachment of .the undersurface of the swag blank 18 to the upper surface of the backing strip 14. The backing strip 14, which is quite stiff, is then folded over the exposed outer surface of the swag blank 18 and is creased along a longitudinal fold line 31 designated by broken lines printed along the backing strip 14 or otherwise provided as a part of the alignment pattern. The folded backing strip 14 is then heated, as by application of a steam iron 32 thereto, and in the usual case the pins attaching the root points to the alignment positions are removed one by one from the outermost position F toward the inner position A (in the case of the edge 22) as each preceding area of the drapery blank has been attached to the area of the backing strip 14 overlying the same. This procedure is illustrated in FIG. 7 which depicts the condition of the blank 18 after all of the tacks along the edge 22 thereof have been removed and the backing strip 14 adhesively secured to the fabric all along the edge 22. Thereafter, the edge 22 of the blank 18 will be treated in the same manner except that the progression of pin removal and attachment of the backing strip to the drapery fabric will proceed from the center of the fabric adjacent the root point A toward the outer position F along the edge 22.

After this operation has been completed, the drapery fabric has been completely folded and attached to the backing strip 14 along both faces or surfaces of the fabric. The degree of excellence with which the backing strip 14 is attached to the drapery fabric will depend to a considerable extent upon the characteristics of the fabric selected, and in certain instances it may be desirable to further insure the permanence of the attachment defined between the backing strip and drapery fabric by machine stitching the same after the pressing operation. For best results, a stitch located approximately one quarter of an inch from the front edge of the backing strip (i.e., the edge 16 thereof) will effect the desired permanence. The swag blank 18 and backing strip 14 have now been integrated to form the completed drapery swag 11 which is attached to a swag board in the usual manner by tacking or otherwise securing the backing strip 14 to the swag board much in the manner that it was attached to the support surface 25 so that the swag drapes downwardly, as illustrated in 'FIG. 1.

As is most evident in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 the side edges 22 and 22 of the drapery blank 18 are disposed along the line 15 of the alignment pattern defined along the backing strip 14 whereas the fold line 31 is spaced from these pattern edges. Accordingly, when the backing strip 14 is folded along the center line 31, a juxtaposed area of the backing strip 14 equal to about one quarter of the width of the strip is disposed between the fold line 31 and drapery fabric. This area of the backing strip permits, if desired, the swag 11 to be attached to the swag board without the necessity of driving attachment tacks through the folded fabric. As seen in FIG. 6, the backing strip 14 is somewhat longer than the folded swag 11 and can be trimmed, if believed necessary, or simply left in place where it is concealed either by adjacent swags or by one of the cascades 12. The swags 11 illustrated have five folds or fold lines respectively extending from the root points A through E along the edge 22 to the root points A though E along the edge 22'. It will be appreciated that either a lesser or greater number of folds could be provided, and similarly the spacing between adjacent fold lines (i.e., the root points on the drapery blank 18 and alignment positions on the alignment pattern) could be shifted toward each other or the spacing therebetween made greater. However, the number of folds shown and spacing therebetween affords excellent aesthetic results, and in a typical embodiment, the distance from the center line 17 to th outer positions F and F is approximately 16 /2 inches in each direction from the center lines; the distance from the center line 17 to either of the positions A and A is approximately 5 /2 inches; and the separation between the successive alignment positions A to B, B to C, C to D. D to E, and E to F are, respectively, about 178 inches, 1% inches, 2% inches, 2% inches, and 2 /8 inches (the spacing between the positions A through F have the same respective spacings).

No adjustment is required to accommodate the slight differences in longitudinal dimensions required by different drapery installations since adjacent swags 11 can be overlapped to a greater or lesser extent as necessary to accommodate any such dimensional differences. Accordingly, the typical dimensions set forth in the aforementioned specific embodiment of the invention are adequately standardized for all conventional installations. As shown in FIG. 3, the configurations of the successive teeth of the saw-toothed patterns defined along the

edges

22 and 22 of the swag blank 18 are generally similar from tooth-to-tooth except for the slight angular differences required by the varying spacings between the successive positions along the alignment pattern on the backing strip 14 and except for the configuration of the initial tooth defined between the notch O and root A and notch O and A along the respective side edges of the blank. The initial tooth pattern OA and OA protects against any gapping of the fabric adjacent the alignment positions A and A on the backing strip 14, and it also facilitates placement of the roots A and A at the respective alignment positions A and A on the backing strip and alignment of the folded edges 22 and 22' of the blank 18 with the line of the alignment pattern in the general vicinity of the root points A and A.

The pattern 19 and backing strip 14 having the alignment pattern printed thereon, or with a separate alignment pattern included for transportation onto the backing strip, can be provided in a kit form with or without tacks and with or without drapery fabric to permit custom made swags 11 to be formed by unskilled persons in their own homes, thereby enabling those who could not otherwise afford the luxury of swags to have the same. Such kits might be designed for and have the materials necessary for either three, five, or seven swag installations, and the cost could be determined by the number of swags to be made.

While in the foregoing specification an embodiment of the invention has been set forth in considerable detail for purposes of making a complete disclosure thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous changes may be made in such details without departing from the spirit and principles of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a process of making a drapery swag or the like, the steps or": providing along a support surface an alignment pattern comprising a plurality of spaced apart alignment positions with which predetermined points on a swag blank are to be aligned; providing a swag blank having angularly disposed side edges tending to converge in one direction and respectively provided therealong with generally sawtoothed configurations each having a plurality of spaced apart roots and a plurality of ridges intermediate said roots and each defining spaced apart alignment points; placing the upper edge of said swag blank along said pattern and folding said blank in one direction along said ridges and in the opposite direction along said roots and successively matching each alignment point along each side edge of said swag blank with the respectively correspond ing alignment positions of said alignment pattern; and securing the side edges of said swag blank in such dispositions thereof to maintain the condition of matched alignment of said positions and points and thereby provide a completed swag ready for mounting upon a swag board.

2. The process of claim 1 in which said alignment pattern includes a substantially straight line extending longitudinally from end-to-end thereof, and in which the overlapping segments of each side edge of said swag blank after folding the same along said ridges and roots are disposed along said longitudinally extending line in substantial alignment therewith.

3. The process of claim 1 including the further step of providing a backing strip, and in which the step of securing the side edges of said swag blank in the aforesaid dispositions thereof includes securing the same to said backing strip.

4-. The process of claim 3 in which said backing strip has a heat-sensitive adhesive along one surface thereof, and in which the step of securing the side edges of said swag blank to said backing strip includes folding the latter into overlying and underlying relation with the side edges of said swag blank and heating the backing strip to effect an adhesive attachment between the blank and backing strip.

5. The process of claim 1 in which said roots define said alignment points, said root alignment points being successively aligned with said alignment positions as aforesaid.

6. In a process of making a drapery swag or the like, the steps of: providing along a support surface a backing strip having an alignment pattern therealong comprising a plurality of spaced apart alignment positions with which predetermined points on a swag blank are to be aligned; providing a swag blank having angularly disposed side edges tending to converge in one direction and respectively provided therealong with generally saw-toothed configurations each having a plurality of spaced apart roots defining spaced apart alignment points and having also a plurality of ridges intermediate said roots; placing the upper edge of said swag blank along said backing strip and folding said blank in one direction along said ridges and in the opposite direction along said roots and successively matching each alignment point along each side edge of said swag blank with the respectively corresponding alignment positions of said alignment pattern; and securing the side edges of said swag blank to said backing strip to maintain the condition of matched alignment of said positions and points and thereby provide a completed swag ready for mounting upon a swag board.

7. The process of claim 6 in which said alignment pattern includes a substantially straight line extending longitudinally from end-to-end thereof, and in which the overlapping segments of each side edge of said swag blank after folding the same along said ridges and roots are disposed along said longitudinally extending line in substantial alignment therewith.

8. The process of claim 7 in which said alignment pattern is substantially symmetrical about a transverse center line therethrough, in which the step of placing the upper edge of said swag blank along said backing strip includes centering the upper edge thereof with the center of said alignment pattern and disposing the upper edge along said longitudinally extending line, and in which the aforesaid folding of said swag blank includes stepby-step folding thereof progressing outwardly from the center of said alignment pattern toward the extremities thereof.

9. The process of claim 6 in which said swag blank and each of said alignment points therealong is temporarily attached to said backing strip in matched relation with said alignment pattern as the swag blank is progressively folded, and said backing strip is thereafter permanently secured to said swag blank as aforesaid.

10. The process of claim 7 in which said alignment points are tacked to said backing strip to effect the aforesaid temporary attachment of said swag blank thereto, each of said tacks being removed prior to permanently securing said swag blank and backing strip as aforesaid.

11. The process of claim 8 in which said backing strip has a heat-sensitive adhesive along one surface thereof, and in which the step of securing the side edges of said swag blank to said backing strip includes heating the latter to effect an adhesive attachment between the blank and backing strip.

12. The combination comprising: a swag pattern having a substantially straight upper edge, an arcuate bottom edge, and angularly disposed side edges tending to converge toward said upper edge and each having a generally saw-toothed configuration providing a plurality of spaced apart roots alternately related with a plurality of spaced apart ridges, said roots and ridges respectively defining fold locations along which a swag blank formed therefrom is foldable in opposite directions and the former also defining alignment points for such swag blank; a backing strip adapted to be folded upon itself to confine edge portions of a swag blank therebetween; and an alignment pattern defined on said backing strip along one side thereof and having a generally straight longitudinally extending positioning line along which such edge porlo tions of a swag blank are alignable and having also a plurality of alignment positions spaced apart along said positioning line and to which the aforementioned root alignment points on a swag blank are matchable, said backing strip being equipped with a heat-sensitive adhesive on the side thereof having said alignment pattern defined therealong and being foldable into underlying and overlying relation with such edge portions of a swag blank so as to be securable to each side thereof by means of said heat-sensitive adhesive.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,159,206 12/1964 Susnow 160330 3,545,085 12/1970 Stewart 16033O X 1,776,047 9/1930 Shulman 16112 X EDWARD G. WHITBY, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.