US2598522A - Means for supporting and adjusting draperies - Google Patents

Description

May 27, 1952 D. R. FALKENBERG MEANS FOR SUPPORTING AND ADJUSTING DRAPERIES Filed June 22, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IIIIIIIL FIGA INVENTOR. DouGLAss R. FALKENf-:RG

ATTORNEY May 27, 1952 D. R. FALKENBERG MEANS FOR SUPPORTING AND ADJUSTING DRAPERIES Fil'ed June 22, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet IN V EN TOR. Doue LASS R. FALKEN BERG FIG@ BY l. Y-

) 3 ukTOR/E'Y D. R. FALKENBERG MEANS FOR SUPPORTING AND ADJUSTING'DRAPERIES May 27, 1952 3 sheets-sheet 5 Filed June 22, 1948 wc. F

i,FIC-:1,15 56.12 15 y INVENIOR. Donc-.gigas R. FLKENBERG A TOPNEY Patented May 27, 1952 UNITED zenne-Nr soie-FICE S EGR PSUPPORTING AND ADJUSTING .l D-RAPERIES f *'Gl'aims. 11

The invention relates to meansgforsllpprting and adjusting draperies, and `partcula 11ytd1de vices of this character utilizedior' .dependingly supporting draperies in a verticallypleatedlarrangement, and for adjusting the pleatledl'ff peries to maintain ,the desired supp'rtingposition.

The objects of; .the invention arev to provide a supporting 4ntiember vfor,l suchidraperies', to and from whichy thejupper endi'of the draperymaybe quickly and convenientlyattached `and removed, in which an ornamental'pleating oftthejjdepending draperymaybe quickly'e'iected and, Without the necessityofthe hanger beinganexperiencied pleater, and in which an adjustmentfoitlle drapery supportingv rod may be quickly. allisonveniently effected for maintainingthej I.proper balance or alignment of "the several fpleatsf the depending drapery.

The claims of the-instantrapplcationjarelimited to the means `or'suppdrting andadjnsting draperies.

The annexed drawings andthe'foll'owing description set forth'` in "detail ,certaimmeansillustrating the Aimprovements in `means for;"support` ing and adjusting 'draperies; such-'disclosed means constituting', however; `only a"fewtof"the;,many forms in which theprinciple A'iof-"tl'ie' invention may be embodied.

In said lannexed-drawings:

Figure 1 is affront elevation 'of fragmentary portion of a window yframeftcrwhichisgse'cured an improved drapery vrod'r formingpart joffthe instant invention` -and-'Mfrom' "Whch"dep,ends a pleated drapery;

Figure 2 is a top plan'OPthe'elementsshown in Figure 1;

Figure Bis a verticalgsection;upon'fan'enlarged scale, taken ine'the planerindicatedjby*thef'line 3 3, Figure2;

Fig-ure 4 is afragmentaryplan Viewiof asiightly modied' form of improved-drapery `--r'odupon which hasbeen'v partially'threaded a zdrapery designed -to bedependingly'-supportedfby .the IQ'd Figure 5 is a fragmentary top planiview-upon an enlarged scaleandpartia-lly irrhori-zontalsection, of the inner-end of'-theirod'showneinfiFigure 2;

Figure '7 is aV bottomjplan View;

Figure 8 is a'side elevation,lookingfromthe left endof-Figure 5;

Figure 9 ,is a rear elevationjoithelelements shown in Figure;

Figures 10y Vand ,l 1,y ara' respectively,- a-tonplan View and a front elevation of a certain adjustablev (Clt-211451052 5.2 '.velement serving as, ,partfof, themeans I.to .maintain .the various pleated portionspfthe drapery in. balance andin' desired alignment;

Figures "12 vand '13 Vare, respectively, a top. .plan 5 and, a' side elevation "ofa jpvotedv ngenserving i te actuate the Vadjl'istaole,` element. shown in .Fig-

uiesloand '11;

i'Figure' 14. is .an axial "section,taken inmthe planesijindicated by the' line I I 4.--`I I 4, -Figure 5; 10 `A"Figure'15 is a: fragmentary. horizontal. section, :taken inpthe `vplanes indicated .by the. .lineJ 5-1 5, "Figure 8; showingjtherjoint between .the windowframepartof the drapery rodand thepart'thereof'zover which thedrapery is'jthreaded; 15 Figure 16'is a detailofthe windowfframapart of the elements' shown. in' .Figure i151 showing a *shoulder thereon* for .engagement .yvith agat r -portion 'offthe' draperyrengaging Apart;` and ."Figure 31.7 is an explod`ed`yiew ofthe joint parts Z0-oi the structurershown in'gFiguref .15, .particularly show/ying; the `f engageable shouldenandat.

Referring tot, the annexed drawings.. in which f ,the 'same parts are indicated by the-samerespectivennmbers intheY several Views, aerod 3fform- 3 inga ,SupportingV vbracket for the improved v,supp porting and adjustingmeans issecured in .hori- `ontal positionA by spaced holes 31....and ,screwsi'32 tothe top "of a window frame Land extendsin- Wteriojrly thereofj anyjdesiredi distance over, the Windowopening. The portion 4of.the s11 pport ngagnd pleatingmeans which is adjustable, is a 'sinuous' formation 4 having. '.alternately. .inwardly and voutwardly,l Sdirected ,loops `4,2 entranceio whichis obtained'byjslots jof, substantial vwidth A but imaterally smaller than., the.. width .of `vthe loopsll2 'so '.that each ,part ofitlflesinuous formation 4 simulates in top `plan one-.half of 4anhourglass formation. A 'Ighe interiorlyfextendedend `fof the',l rod 3 is secured to one 4end 'oan inter- 40-- mediate mrelatiyelyeriglfitfangulariv formationlj, 6, Figures` 2A 'and' 5,-'-wl1jose,oppositev end'issecured I' tooneiend-ofthe -sinuousformation 4. Thejotherendof the formation diis'formedinto a hook 4-memberMg-:Figures 1 and 2.

TIlherelativelyright-angularrfermation 6 and the sinuous- -formation- 4` compriseE the-"fdraping *ev-member, :the .member Bf providingwhat is known .fin't the. trad/ejes :.theextension, i'. e.,-fthefd=istance :inwardly of the supporting .rodi or bracket 3vr at 5o A Mhichf-ther draped material; depends.

`45:5 6 ofthe draping member are threaded through the passage 22 by passing the drapery material 2 over the member 4, commencing at the hooked end 41, as illustrated in Figure 4, so that the draperyrmaterial 2 encloses the rod part 4 and also the angular part B, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The drapery thus depends from the rod part 4 and formation 6, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, and a balanced ornamental pleating of the drapery 2 can be easily and conveniently effected by suitably manipulating the drapery portions enclosing the various rod parts 42 and member S. Each supporting structure and the drapery depending therefrom are designed to serve onehalf of a window.

Two adjustments of the supporting structure are particularly desirable in order to obtain and maintain the desired hanging of the drapery material, one of these adjustments involving the extent to which the inner end of the rod or bracket part 3 and, hence, the inner edge of the hanging 2 overlaps the Window pane. Such adjustment is effected by securing the rod part 3 in such inner adjusted position as desired by a fastening thereof ,to the window frame I by means of selected screw holes 31 and screws 32.

VThe second important adjustment involves maintaining the proper alignment in a horizontal plane of the several portions of the pleated drapery enclosing the loops 42. This is a highly important adjustment inasmuch as the drapery material may be quite heavy and hangs upon a part of the drapery rodl which has a free unsupported end and, hence, may be caused to sag. This adjustment and the connection of the windowframe part 3 of the rod to the looped part 4 are effected by the following elements:

A plainterminal part at the inner end of the rod 3 isbent into an intermediate eyelet forma tion 1 and the end thereof secured by a rivet 'I1 to a side of the channel 3, the eyelet I receiving i a depending cylindrical end portion 9 of a housing part 8 of the angular formation 5, Figures 5, 8, 14, and 15. vFrom a Vertical plane adjacent the eyelet 1, the lower part of the housing 8 is of Vbifurcated formation, Figures 8 and 15, the

two depending wings 81 of which are secured together at their'free ends by a rivet I1, Figures 5 and 14. This bifurcated formation forms a slot I6 below the solid upper part of the housing 8, which slot I5 has an elongated bottom opening intersecting the bottom face of the housing 8.

Threadedly engaging the wings 81 of the housing 8 at 82 and intersecting the slot I6 is an upwardly-directed screw I2, Figure 14, having a bottom end nger piece or knob |21, and engaging the upper end |22 of the screw I2 is the tail piece II of a finger I0 which is pivoted, adjacent the screw I2, upon a rivet 20 passed through the housing wings 81. The opposite end I3 of the finger I0 is semi-spherical and engages the walls of a recess I5 formed in one end of a member I4 pivoted on the rivet I'I. The member I4 is an integral angular end portion of the innermost rod loop 42, Figures 5, 10, 11, and 14, and passes through an opening in the free end of the housing 8. The adjusting end I3 of the finger I0 rolls on a curved inner end wall I51 of the recess I5 of the adjusting member I4, as clearly appears in Figures 11 and 14.. Hence, it is evident, that manipulation of the screw I2 in the lower unobstructed part of the passage 22, Figure 3, of the drapery 2 will raise or lower the pleating and supporting member 4 and provide means for maintaining the alignment of the several ypleated parts of the drapery 2 as required or as is desirable.

The cylindrical end portion 9 of the draping member part 6 is not rotatable in the eyelet 'I since the housing 8 is formed adjacent the cylindrical end portion 9 with a bottom face flat portion I8 which, when engaging the cylindrical member 9 with the eyelet 1, is dropped on a shoulder member I9 formed on the top of the inner portion of the eyelet 1, as particularly shown in Figures 16 and 17.

The structure which has thus far been described provides a pleating formation, particularly illsutrated in Figures 1 and 2, in which there is a space 2I between the faces of a pleat at the rear, governed by the width of the slots 5 but such showing is only illustrative and other pleating formations may be selected, if desired, as will now be illustrated by reference to Figure 4.

Figure 4 which illustrates the manner of threading the drapery material on the supported sinuous and relatively angular parts of the draping member to effect the pleated formation also shows a modification in which the slots 52 providing openings into the several looped formations 53 are relatively narrow so that if a drapery of stiffer material is threaded on the pleating member 51, the adjacent portions of the material of adjacent loops will fill the slots 52 and close them so that the pleats will be tubular in cross section. This engagement of the adjacent material portions will not be so rigid as to prevent manipulation thereof into the desired position but will serve to retain the several pleats of the draped material in adjusted position, after the material has once been adjusted.

What I claim is:

l. Means for supporting and adjusting draperies, comprising a supporting bracket and a draping member, the latter having a part providing an extension relatively angular to the supporting bracket and a part substantially parallel to the supporting bracket, the draping member including a bifurcated housing mounted on the supporting bracket, the parallel draping member part having a pivotal mounting in the housing, and a member for maintaining said parallel draping'member part in substantially horizontal position comprising a nger pivotally mounted intermediate its ends in the housing between the bifurcated parts thereof and engaging said parallel draping member part at one end of the nger for movement of the parallel draping member part in a substantially vertical plane, and an actuating member engaging the opposite end of the linger, passed through the opening between the housing parts, and having screw-threaded engagement with said housing parts.

2. Means for supporting and adjusting draperies, characterized as in claim 1, in which the housing has a closed top, open bottom, and opposed spaced side wings, and in which the actuating member intersects the open bottom of the housing and threadedly engages the side wings thereof.

3. Means for supporting and adjusting draperies, characterized as in claim 1, in which the engaging end of the finger and the portion of the parallel draping member part engaged thereby have means for rolling engagement of the finger end on said draping member part.

4. Means for supporting and adjusting draperies, characterized as in claim 1, in which the supporting bracket has a looped end portion, in which the housing of thedraping member has a peries, comprising a supporting bracket and a draping member non-rotatably mounted on the bracket and having a part substantially relatively right-angular to the supporting bracket and also a part substantially parallel to the supporting bracket, the right-angular draping member part having an open bottom bifurcated housing in which the parallel draping member part is pivotally mounted for adjustment in a vertical plane, and means for effecting the adjustment of the parallel draping member part comprising a.

manually-operable member intersecting the open bottom of the housing, having screw-threaded engagement with the latter, and having means engaging the inner end of the adjustable draping member part.

DOUGLASS R. FALKENBER-G.

REFERENCE S CIT ED `The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 631,401 Kuhnel et al Aug. 22, 1899 885,334 Fox Apr. 21, 1908 1,030,987 Ellis July 2, 1912 1,056,592 Schneider Mar. 18, 1913 1,532,566 Young Apr. 7, 1925 1,956,614 Engelhardt May 1, 1934 2,469,098 Allen May 3, 1949 2,534,491 Wersching Dec. 19, 1950

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