US3754589A - Curtain having a self-contained shirring arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

A curtain having an integral tie-back arrangement includes a piece of flexible material, part of which is fixed to the curtain for providing a channel from one of its vertical edges to the other of its vertical edges. An elongated flexible member which extends through the channel is fixed at one end to one of the vertical edges. As a result, if the free end of the elongated flexible member is pulled, the curtain is shirred along its width. The flexible material supports a device having a circular loop and an S-shaped section to which the elongated flexible member may be frictionally tied so as to support the shirred curtain. After the curtain is hung, the loop may be coupled to a nail on its window, thereby supporting the tie-back arrangement.

Description

limited States Patent [191 ilelmberg et ai.

[451 Aug. 28, 1973 1 CURTAIN HAVING A SELF-CONTAINED SHIRRING ARRANGEMENT [75] Inventors: Eli Heimberg, North Dartmouth,

Mass.; Marvin Rosenberg, New

York, N.Y.

[73] Assignee: Cameo Curtains, Inc., New York,

[22] Filed: May 12, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 252,681

Primary Examiner-Peter M. Caun Attorney-Alan H. Levine [5 7 ABSTRACT A curtain having an integral tie-back arrangement includes a piece of flexible material, part of which is fixed to the curtain for providing a channel from one of its vertical edges to the other of its vertical edges. An elongated flexible member which extends through the channel is fixed at one end to one of the vertical edges. As a result, if the free end of the elongated flexible member is pulled, the curtain is shirred along its width. The flexible material supports a device having a circular loop and an S-shaped section to which the elongated flexible member may be frictionally tied so as to support the shirred curtain. After the curtain is hung, the loop may be coupled to a nail on its window, thereby supporting the tie-back arrangement.

9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures CURTAIN HAVING A SELF-CONTAINED SIIIRRING ARRANGEMENT The subject invention relates generally to window curtains and draperies, and in particular to a curtain or drapery provided with an improved tie-back arrangement which forms an integral part of the curtain. Although the invention relates to both curtains and draperies, for convenience only the term curtain will be used below.

The conventional tie-back consists of a strip of material which is doubled upon itself to form a loop within which the curtain is gathered, and the ends of this strip are provided with loops or similar fastening means whereby they may be secured to the wall or window frame adjacent the curtain. Such an arrangement has a number of disadvantages. For example, since the tieback is of fixed length the gathered or shirred portion of the curtain is of invariable size; and since the tieback is engaged around the entire width of the curtain the neatness and regularity of the shirring, and the graceful contour of the curtain as a whole, is difficult to control. Furthermore, the shirred portion is not selfretaining, and the gathered folds of the curtain do not always stay put. Also, since the tie-back is a separate member, it may easily become lost, and, in fact, it is very'frequently lost during the handling of the curtain in the retail store, or during subsequent laundering operations.

To overcome some of the disadvantages of the conventional tie-back, manufacturers of light weight window curtains of the cottage type have, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,301,081, replaced the tie-back with a channel in each curtain and a draw string in each channel, the draw string being fastened at one end to a vertical edge of the curtain. With such an arrangement, when the string is drawn, the friction between the draw string and its associated curtain serves to retain the resulting folds in place, thereby eliminating the need for a conventional tie-back. However, this arrangement has not been useful with heavier curtains because when they are hung their inherent weight has been sufficient to overcome the retaining frictional forces unless the other end of their draw string is secured to, for example, the window associated with each curtain.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved curtain construction in which the tie-back arrangement is formed as an integral part of the curtain, and in which the desired draping of the curtain to any desired extent may be effected without any contrivances extraneous to the curtain itself.

It is another object of the invention to provide a tieback arrangement which permits adjustment of the curtain to obtain a shirring that is evenly distributed along the extent of the tie-back, and which is self-retaining once the desired adjustment has been effected.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a curtain construction in which the adjustment of the tie-back to attain the desired effect may be carried out by even the most unskilled person.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a curtain having an elongated flexible member for shirring the curtain and a device to which the elongated flexible member can be attached at various points along its length so as to hold the folds of the shirred curtain in place.

Among the advantages of the present invention are: The extreme simplicity of structure of the combined curtain and tie-back, whereby its cost of manufacture is no greater, and may even be less, than the cost of a curtain and a separate tie-back arrangement; its selfretaining characteristics; its neatness and attractiveness; and the ease with which the curtain may be in stalled and adjusted.

The above mentioned and other objects and features of this invention will become apparent by reference to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a pleated curtain having an integral tie-back arrangement, according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of the tie-back arrangement, its locking members being shown disengaged;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of the tie-back arrangement, its locking members being shown engaged;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the tie-back arrangement, taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the tie-back arrangement, taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 1, showing the tie-back arrangement connected to a wall by a nail.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a tie-back arrangement chosen to illustrate the present invention includes, in

general, a strip of flexible material 10 sewn onto the curtain 11 so as to provide a channel (not shown) from one of the vertical edges 12 of the curtain II to the other vertical edge 13 of the curtain, the strip of material 10 extending past the vertical side 13 of the curtain; an elongated flexible member 14 partly located in the channel and fixed at one end (not shown) to the vertical edge 12 of the curtain; and a device 15, fixed by stitching 27 to the extending part of the strip of material 10, to which the flexible member may be secured. In the tie-back arrangement, when the free end of the elongated flexible member 14 is pulled, the curtain is shirred as is shown, for example, in FIG. 1. Thereafter, the elongated flexible member 14 may be secured to the device 15 to hold the curtain folds in place. As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5, the device 15 includes a section having a circular loop 17 which may be used to connect the tie-back arrangement to a nail l8 fixed to a wall 21 thereby anchoring the lower portion of the curtain. It should be noted that whether or not the tieback is secured to a window frame the tie-back will perform its gathering function.

More particularly, the curtain 11 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a body portion in the form of a panel which may be made, for example, from any suitable fabric. The curtain 11 includes a plurality of pleats 19 along the top part of the curtain 11 and, in addition, the vertical edge 12 is provided with ornamental trimming 20.

The strip of flexible material 10, which may, for example, be made of any conventional fabric, is caused to extend transversely across the body portion of the curtain l 1, this strip being secured to the curtain along its edges by means of stitching 22 thereby forming an elongated pocket or channel. This pocket or channel is arranged at a slight angle, and is positioned substantially along the line of the ultimately desired tie-back effect. Within this channel is positioned an elongated flexible member 14, shown in the form of a band or tape, although obviously it may have other forms. The

member 14 serves as a drawing string to effect the gathering of the curtain and serves further to secure the curtain to the device 15, said member being more fully described below. The flexible member 14 is unsecured within the pocket except at the inner end thereof, i.e., at the vertical edge 12 of the curtain l l, and this securing may be conventionally effected by the same stitching that secures the trimming 20 to the body portion of the curtain.

The elongated flexible member 14 is of such a length that its rear end portion normally protrudes out of the rear end of the pocket or channel (see FIG. 2). By pulling on this free end of the elongated flexible member 14, the strip and the adjacent portions of the curtain 11 are gathered or shirred as is shown in FIG. 1. This results in the formation of folds that are rather evenly spaced. The frictional interengagement between these folds and the elongated flexible member 14 produces a partially self-retaining shirred effect, distributed along the entire length of the engaged portion of the elongated flexible member 14.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the device 15 is a unitary structure which, for example, may be a stamping. If FIGS. 2 and 3 are rotated 90' counterclockwise, it may be seen that the device 15 includes a squared-S-shaped section 24, the right side part of the lower loop of the S-shaped section having an extension 25 in the direction of the starting point of the S-shape and two extensions 26 from the top part of the S-shaped section 24 which support a connector shaped like a circular loop 17. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the top part of the S- shaped section 24 is sewn with thread 27 to the backside of the flexible strip of material 10 which extends past the vertical edge 13 of the curtain. The device 15 is sewn to the flexible strip 10 such that the top part of the S-shaped section 24 is transverse to and along the longitudinal axis of symmetry of the flexible strip of material 10, the circular loop 17 is nearest the end edge of the flexible strip 10, and the S-shaped section 24 is closest the elongated flexible member 14.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the elongated flexible member 14 may be tied to the device 15. The tie is achieved by causing the elongated flexible member extending from the channel to pass under the device 15, through the upper loop of the S-shaped segment 24, and then through the lower loop of the S-shaped section 24, thereby causing the elongated flexible member 14 to form a loop about the center segment of the S- shaped section 24 and to abut against itself. The extension 25 serves as a stop which prevents the loop of the tie from slipping away from the center segment. The abutment creates a frictional force which enables the elongated flexible member 14 to support the force applied to the elongated flexible member by the shirred curtain without slipping with respect to the device 15. Thus, when a curtain according to the invention is hung, the frictional interengagement between the folds and the elongated flexible member 14 of a shirred curtain, and the frictional force provided by the abutment insure that a shirred curtain will remain as such.

Although the thread 27 is shown sewed around the top part of S-shaped section 24, it could instead be sewn around the portion of loop 17 between extensions 26.

In use, the curtain 11, after being hung (see FIG. 1), will be adjusted by means of drawing the elongated flexible member 14 until the desired effect is obtained,

after which the flexible member l4 may be secured to the device 15 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). In order to keep the curtain II in a relatively fixed position, the loop 17 of the device 15 may be hung on a nail I8 fixed to a window frame or its immediately adjacent wall 21 (see FIG. 5). If free hanging of the curtain is desired, the securing of the device 15 to a window frame or wall may be dispensed with while the gathering is nevertheless retained.

Thus, it may be seen that the invention provides a curtain wherein the folds produced when the curtain is shirred are securely held in place, by means carried by the curtain itself, thereby providing stable ornamental effects.

In view of the foregoing, it is to be understood that the description herein of a preferred embodiment according to the invention is set forth as an example thereof and is not to be construed or interpreted as a limitation on the claims which follow and define the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A curtain having an integral tie-back arrangement, comprising:

a. a piece of flexible material, part of the piece of flexible material being fixed to the curtain to provide a channel;

b. an elongated flexible member partly located in the channel and fixed at substantially one point to the curtain, whereby if part of the elongated flexible member in the channel is pulled out of the channel the curtain is shirred; and

c. a device carried by the piece of flexible material to which the elongated flexible member can be attached at various points along its length, thereby holding the folds of the shirred curtain in any desired position of adjustment.

2. A curtain as defined in claim I wherein each end of the channel terminates at an edge of the curtain.

3. A curtain as defined in claim I wherein one end of the elongated flexible member is fixed to the curtain at one of its edges so that if part of the elongated flexible member in the channel is pulled out of the channel the total width of the curtain is shirred.

4. A curtain as defined in claim I wherein the device includes a section to which the elongated member may be frictionally attached.

5. A curtain as defined in claim 4 wherein the device includes connector means by which the tie-back arrangement may be supported.

6. A curtain as defined in claim 4 wherein the section is an S-shaped section.

7. A curtain as defined in claim 6 wherein the S- shaped section is sewn to the piece of flexible material.

8. A curtain as defined in claim 7 wherein the device includes a loop by which the tie-back arrangement may be supported.

9. A curtain as defined in claim 1 wherein the device is a unitary structure comprising: a support loop by which the tie-back arrangement may be supported, an S-shaped section having a lower loop and an upper loop having two spaced apart extensions connected to the support loop; and wherein a part of the device between the spaced apart extensions is sewn to the piece of flexible material, whereby when the flexible member is passed through the upper loop and then through the lower loop said flexible member will be frictionally retained in place.

Claims (9)

1. A curtain having an integral tie-back arrangement, comprising: a. a piece of flexible material, part of the piece of flexible material being fixed to the curtain to provide a channel; b. an elongated flexible member partly located in the channel and fixed at substantially one point to the curtain, whereby if part of the elongated flexible member in the channel is pulled out of the channel the curtain is shirred; and c. a device carried by the piece of flexible material to which the elongated flexible member can be attached at various points along its length, thereby holding the folds of the shirred curtain in any desired position of adjustment.

2. A curtain as defined in claim 1 wherein each end of the channel terminates at an edge of the curtain.

3. A curtain as defined in claim 1 wherein one end of the elongated flexible member is fixed to the curtain at one of its edges so that if part of the elongated flexible member in the channel is pulled out of the channel the total width of the curtain is shirred.

4. A curtain as defined in claim 1 wherein the device includes a section to which the elongated member may be frictionally attached.

5. A curtain as defined in claim 4 wherein the device includes connector means by which the tie-back arrangement may be supported.

6. A curtain as defined in claim 4 wherein the section is an S-shaped section.

7. A curtain as defined in claim 6 wherein the S-shaped section is sewn to the piece of flexible material.

8. A curtain as defined in claim 7 wherein the device includes a loop by which the tie-back arrangement may be supported.

9. A curtain as defined in claim 1 wherein the device is a unitary structure comprising: a support loop by which the tie-back arrangement may be supported, an S-shaped section having a lower loop and an upper loop having two spaced apart extensions connected to the support loop; and wherein a part of the device between the spaced apart extensions is sewn to the piece of flexible material, whereby when the flexible member is passed through the upper loop and then through the lower loop said flexible member will be frictionally retained in place.

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