GB2142816A - Curtain track assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

A curtain track assembly comprises a curtain rail (11) and brackets (10) for snap-fittingly securing the rail thereto. The rail and brackets are both preferably made of plastic, although the rail may be made of aluminium, and resilient lips (17, 23) on the bracket engage by snap-fit with the top and bottom of one leg (31, 32) of the rail which is H-shaped in cross-section. The rail can be engaged with the brackets with either leg facing outwardly, in use, the brackets engaging the other leg. Gliders (12) are slidably received in the lower opening (34) in the rail (11) being supported on internal projections (35, 36) from the legs (31, 32). A hook (13) can snap-fittingly engage a glider and engage in the upper opening (33) in the rail. An end stop is used to close the end of the rail and retain an end glider. A cording arrangement is also disclosed employing a master glider (71) and an overlap arm (72) with a pair of pulley housings and a cord (61). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Curtain track assembly This invention relates to a curtain track assembly of the kind comprising at least a pair of brackets securable to a wall or ceiling, the brackets supporting a curtain track having a number of gliders in sliding or rolling engagement therewith.

An object of the invention is to provide a curtain track assembly which is relatively inexpensive to produce, and in which the curtain track is easily engageable with the brackets supporting it, in use.

According to the invention a curtain track assembly comprises a curtain track and at least two brackets for supporting said curtain track, each bracket having spaced lips for snap-fittingly engaging, in use, the curtain track to secure it to said brackets, the track being engageable with the brackets in either of two orientations so that either one of two faces of the track can be arranged to face outwardly, in use.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an assembled end view of a bracket, curtain rail, glider and curtain hook of a curtain track assembly of the invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the bracket shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a perspective view showing how the curtain rail is engageable with the bracket, Figure 4 is a perspective view of the glider of Figure 1, Figure 5 is a perspective view of the hook of Figure 1, Figure 6 is a perspective view of an end stop for use with the rail, Figure 7 shows how the end stop can be used to retain a glider at one end of the rail, Figure 8 shows how a hook of Figure 5 is engageable with a glider, Figure 9 is a perspective view of a combined end stop and return end pulley housing for use with a cording arrangement for the rail, a glider and hook being shown retained at the end stop, Figure 10 is a cut-away perspective view of the combined end stop and returned pulley housing of Figure 9, showing the pulleys and the cord therearound, but omitting the glider and hook, Figure 11 is a similar cut-away view to Figure 10, showing the combined end stop and cord pull end pulley housing, as well as the cord carried by the pulleys, Figure 1 2 is a schematic rear section view of the curtain rail together with its associated cording components and gliders, Figure 1 3 is a perspective view of an overlap arm shown in Figure 12, with its associated gliders, Figure 14 is a fragmentary perspective view showing how the cord is arranged at the overlap arm, Figure 14A is an enlarged view of part of Figure 14, Figure 1 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the cord is arranged at a master glider of Figure 12, and Figure 15A is an enlarged view of part of Figure 15.

Figure 1 shows the components of one embodiment of a curtain track assembly.

There is shown a bracket 10, a curtain rail 11, a glider 12 and a curtain hook 13.

Preferably all the components are made of plastics material. The curtain rail 11 is, as will be described, of constant cross-section and is conveniently an extrusion.

The bracket 10, which is also shown in Figure 2, comprises a body portion having mutually perpendicular fixing holes 14 and 1 5 respectively. In use, the hole 14 is disposed vertically so that the hole 1 5 is disposed horizontally. The hole 14 allows the bracket to be fixed to a ceiling, whilst if instead the bracket is to be fixed to a vertical wall, the hole 1 5 is used, in each case fixing being by way of a suitable screw in the conventional manner. At its front, the bracket has a pair of outwardly directed horizontally spaced arms 16, the arms lying in a common horizontal plane and extending outwardly from the body of the bracket equally. At its outward extremity, each arm is provided with a downwardly directed lip 17, of generally square form as shown in Figure 1.The outer surface of each lip is slightly tapered away from its end adjacent the other lip.

From the portion of the bracket which is intended to be disposed lowermost in use, there is, at opposite sides of the bracket, respective connected depending parallel leg portions 18, 1 9. Extending outwardly from the bottom of said leg portions is a common ledge portion 20, having an upwardly directed lip 23 extending for a length equal to that between respective inner surfaces of the leg portions 18, 19. This lip 23 has a flat inwardly directed surface 24 which is co-planar with similar flat inwardly directed surfaces 25 of the lips 1 7 respectively.

At the top of each leg portion 1 8, 19, there are respectively forwardly directed abutments 26, each having a generally radiussed outer surface, as shown in Figures 1 to 3. The outer surface of each abutment 26 lies in a vertical plane spaced inwardly from the common vertical plane containing the flat surfaces 24 and 25, this inward spacing being for a purpose to be described hereinbelow. The outwardly directed front surface of the lip 23 is curved to form a cam surface 27, again for a purpose to be described. Additionally the surface 27 is tapered from its centre towards both ends.

The curtain rail 11 is of generally H-shape in transverse cross-section, as shown in Figure 1, having front and rear surfaces 28, 29 respectively and a transverse, central web 30 joining together the two legs 31, 32 respectively of the H. The rail is symmetrical about a horizontal axis disposed centrally through the web 30. The two faces 28, 29 can both be flat, as shown in Figures 3, 7 and 14 so that the rail would then be symmetrical about a vertical axes between the legs 31, 32. However one face can be different from the other and neither need be plain. Figure 1 shows one face with convolutions, and one plain.

The faces could also bear patterns.

At each side of the web 30 the interior of the rail is hollow defining openings 33, 34 respectively communicating with the exterior of the rail. Each opening is formed with a mouth defined between a pair of inwardly directed internal projections 35, 36 respectively. Each projection is of generally square cross-section and one pair of projections is spaced slightly inwardly from the top of the rail whilst the other pair is spaced slightly inwardly from the bottom of the rail. Each projection thus provides a flat outwardly directed surface 37 adjacent the flat internal surface 38 at either the top or the bottom of the rail, which is thus perpendicular thereto.

Thus the surfaces 37 and 38 together form a location as will be described. At the top and the bottom of the rail, both the front and rear surfaces 28, 29 are outwardly radiussed.

The bracket and rail described are assembled together as a snap-fit. It is intended that two or more of the brackets are attached to a wall or a ceiling, as described, in alignment, at the desired position. The rail is then presented up to the brackets with the surface 37 of the top projection 35 adjacent the rear surface 38 of the rail being engaged with the respective downwardly facing surfaces of the lips 1 7 of the brackets (Figure 3).The lower part of the rear surface 29 of the rail will engage the cam surface 27 and since at least one, and in this example, both of the bracket and the rail are made of plastics material, it is possible by pushing the rail in the direction of arrow A in Figure 3, to cause the spaced arms 16 to deflect upwardly so as to allow the lower part of the rear surface 29 to pass over the lower lip 23 and to lie over the ledge 20, so that there is a snap-fit engagement, as shown in Figure 1, with the flat internal surface 38 of the rail engaging with the flat inwardly directed surface 24 of the lip 23.

Similarly at the lips 17, the respective inwardly directed surfaces 25 thereof engage against the internal surface 38 of the rail. In addition the rail is tightly held in said snap-fit engagement at its top and bottom by virtue of the centre of the rear surface 29 engaging tightly against the radiussed surface of the forwardly directed abutments 26. This snap-fit engagement process is easy to carry out and since the projections 35, 36 of the rail are longitudinally symmetrical, either leg of the Hshape of the rail can be engaged with the bracket, and in addition it is not important which way up the rail is disposed. Disengagement can be accomplished by deflecting the arms 1 6 upwardly by means of upward pressure on the rail 11 to lift the rail over and out of engagement with the lip 23, and thus away from the brackets.It will be appreciated that the arms 1 6 are more flexible than the lip 23.

When engaging the convoluted surface of Figure 1, the abutments 26 engage in a concave portion thereof.

Although as stated the orientation of the rail when it is fixed to the brackets is normally unimportant, it may be necessary to arrange for a particular convoluted or patterned surface to be outermost and in addition if the outer surface is decorated it may be required to ensure that the rail is fixed to the brackets the correct way up. The symmetrical nature of the rail is particularly beneficial when it is necessary for the rail to be bent around an alcove or other non-straight area. The rail can be of aluminium instead of plastics material.

Figure 1 shows a glider 1 2 engaged with the part of the rail below the web 30, and a hook 1 3 engageable with the glider and with the rail 11. The glider and hook are shown in detail in Figures 4 and 5 respectively.

As shown in Figure 4 the glider has a lower part of generally rectangular form with its lower end radiussed. Adjacent its lower end there is a circular hole 40 and above this is a further hole 41 which is square. At a position directly above the square hole 41, the glider part 39 is cranked out of the plane containing the holes 40 and 41, this cranked portion 42 extending to the upper portion of the glider which thus lies in a plane parallel to but spaced from the plane containing the holes 40 and 41. This is shown in Figures 1 and 4.

The upper portion of the glider is formed with a head 43 having slightly curved under surfaces 44 at opposite sides of a downwardly directed flat part 45 extending to the cranked portion 42. The width of the part 45 is less than the distance between the projections 35, 36 so that it can lie between them, with the surfaces 44 travelling on the inwardly directed surfaces of the projections 35 and 36, with the head 43 of the glider being contained within the opening 34 below the web 30. The cranked portion 42 is directed forwardly of the rail. With such an arrangement of glider engagement in the opening 34 there is insufficient space remaining in the opening 34 for any components of a cording arrangement to be used in conjunction with the curtain rail. In addition, it is necessary with a cording arrangement to retain the cord from falling downwardly when used with the curtain rail, particularly around bends such as bay windows, and to encapsulate the cord so as to prevent it pulling free and taking a line across the bend. Thus it is important that such space for the components of the cording arrangement is provided in the opening 33 above the web 30. Such components will be described later.

It is possible to use the curtain track assembly with merely the gliders 1 2. With such an arrangement conventional curtain hooks would be engaged within the circular hole 40 for attachment to any heading tape of the curtain. Alternatively a wheeled glider with its lower part of the same form as the glider can be used. It is also possible to omit the hole 41 in the glider if the track assembly is to be used merely with such gliders.

However it may be desired to hang both a curtain and also a loose lining with this rail. In such a case the curtain hook 1 3 (Figures 1 and 5) is used as follows. The curtain hook 1 3 is bifurcated at its upper end to provide a conventional hook part 46 and a curtain rail engaging part 47. The rail engaging part 47 extends parallel to the hook part 46 but spaced therefrom to provide the space for reception of the heading tape of the curtain.

At its extremity, the rail engaging part 47 is in the form of a hook having a thinner downwardly depending part 48. The part 48 has a flat front surface 49 and a flat rear surface 50. The parallel parts 46 and 47 are at an angle away from the surface 50 and they join at a central portion of the hook. From this central portion the lower part of the hook is angled towards the plane of said rear surface 50 and terminates in a pair of spaced resilient tags 51, the lower of which has a lead-in ramp portion 52 at the underside of its free end. Behind this ramp part 52 is a recess 53 which is wide enough to accommodate the thickness of the glider part containing the holes 40 and 41. The tags 51 are spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to the vertical height of the square hole 41.

Thus in use if the hook 1 3 is to be used, the tags 51 snap-fittingly engage in the square hole 41. This is accomplished by pressing them into the hole 41 whereupon the lower surface of the hole 41 will engage against the ramp portion 52 and force the lower tag upwardly to allow the ramp portion to pass through the hole 41. Once this has occurred the lower tag will snap back to its normal position so that the lower surface which defines the square hole 41 will be engaged in the recess 53 as shown in Figure 1.

The fitting of the hook 1 3 to the rail can be carried out in either of two ways.

Firstly it can be engaged with the glider 1 2 when the glider is engaged in the opening 34. To do this the hook part 48 is engaged on the rail 11 so that its rear surface 50 engages the inwardly directed vertical surface of the lip 36 of the rail, as shown in Figures 1 and 8. The tags 51 are then engaged in the hole 41 by swinging the bottom part of the hook 1 3 towards said hole 41 in the direction of arrow B in Figure 8.

Alternatively the tags 54 can be engaged in the hole 41 with the glider dis-engaged from the rail. Thereafter the head part of the glider 1 3 is slid lengthwise into the opening 34 from one end of the rail with the hook part 48 likewise being slid into the opening 34 with its rear surface 50 engaging the vertical surface of the lip 36.

Thus the hook 1 3 is secured to the rail at its upper part and secured to the glider at its lower part and it will move along the rail with the glider. As stated, the hook part 46 will engage with the heading tape of the curtain whilst the circular hole 40 can be used with a conventional curtain hook to engage a loose lining. Thus this arrangement of hook enables the glider to be used alone or in conjunction with said hook as required, the fitting together of the glider and the hook and the fitting of the hook to the rail being simple and easy to carry out. The tapering of the outer surfaces of the lips and the surface 27 of each bracket ensure that any gliders contacting such surfaces are guided clear thereof for smooth running of the curtains.

Figure 6 shows an end stop 54 for use with the rail when no cording arrangement is employed. The end stop has a flat rectangular plate part 55 of a size and shape matching the external transverse cross-section of the rail so that it closes an end of the rail, in use.

From one side of the part 55 is disposed a dovetail like projection 56 extending parallel to the longer sides of the part 55. This is to engage a generally correspondingly shaped slot in a decorative finial for use at the end of the rail.

At the other side of the part 55 are a pair of resilient arms 57, each of which has a crosssectional shape to fill one of the openings 33, 34 in the rail, and which are spaced apart by the thickness of the web 30. The ends of the arms have curved lead-in surfaces 58. The underside of each arm at its free end is serrated at 59. Thus in use the end stop can be inserted into an end of the rail with one arm engaging in opening 33 and the other arm engaging in opening 34.

There is a slight inward flexing of the arms on insertion, this being aided by the surfaces 58 contacting the undersides of the projections 35 and 36.

The end stop can then be pushed into the rail until the part 55 engages the end of the rail.

As well as closing the end of the rail, the end stop can also serve to retain a glider 1 2 to form an anchoring point for an end of a curtain. To this end, each arm has a recess 60 in its outer surface, the recess being shaped to accommodate the head 43 and part 45 of a glider 1 2. Thus as shown in Figure 7 a glider can be engaged in the recess of the arm to be received in the opening 34 and slid into the openings 34 with the arm, thereby being retained with the end stop at the end of the rail.

The end stop is symmetrical so that it can be used either way up and at either end of the rail. The serrations 59 are intended to act against withdrawal of the end stop from the rail by engaging the web 30. Figure 8 shows an end stop fully engaged at one end of the rail 10, with a glider 1 2 retained with the end stop being engaged by a hook 13, to enable a curtain and a loose lining to be anchored at this end of the rail.

The use of the curtain track assembly with a cording arrangement will now be described.

Instead of having an end stop 54 at each of the ends of the rail, the cording arrangement requires the use of a combined end stop and pulley housing at each rail end. Figures 9 and 10 show the return pulley housing and Figure 11 the pulley housing at the pull end. The two components are identical prior to receiving the cord 61 and thus it is merely necessary to decide at which end of the rail the cord ends are to hang down and then to thread the cord on the pulleys accordingiy, as will be described.

Each combined pulley housing and end stop is of rectangular form having one end closed by a wall 62 having a projection 63 identical with the projection 56, so as to be able to engage with a finial, as with the end stop 54. The opposite end of the component is open slidably to receive an end section of the rail 11 as a close fit. The rail can be pushed in to abut a wall 64 with an inverted generally U-shaped projection 64a (Figure 11) from the wall 64 engaging in the opening 34 in the rail. A opening 65 through the wall 64 communicates with the part of the component containing the pulleys between the wall 64 and a wall 66 which is parallel thereto and spaced from the wall 62.

Opposite internal surfaces of the pulley containing part have respective pairs of parallel grooves 67, the two pairs lying parallel to the walls 64 and 66. Each groove is aligned with another in the opposite surface. The groove nearer the wall 66 is shorter than the other groove and each groove extends to open at the upper surfaces of the component, but is closed at its other end. The top and the bottom of this pulley containing part are both open. At the top of each slot, adjacent its open end, are resilient pips 68 on opposite sides of the slot. Each pair of oppositely aligned grooves receives respective ends of an axle 69 of a pulley 70 as shown in Figure 10, the axle ends being snap-fitted past the resilient pips.Due to the different groove depths, the one pulley nearer the opening 65 lies just above the opening, with the other pulley somewhat higher. The lower wall of the component between the walls 62 and 66 has a rectangular slot perpendicular thereto of a length and width approximately equal to the cross-section of the cranked portion 42 and part 45 of a glider 12, so that a glider can be dropped down through the space above the slot and into the slot until its surfaces 44 engage the internal surface of said lower wall.

The holes 40 and 41 are thus disposed below the pulley housing component as shown in Figure 9. A hook 1 3 can engage the hole 41 as previously described with its part 48 engaging the top of the component. Thus a glider and also a hook can be retained anchored at the end of the rail by way of the combined end stop and pulley housing component.

Figure 10 shows how the cord 61 is arranged at the return end, with it passing through the opening 65, over the top of the lower pulley and around the upper pulley.

With the pull end, shown in Figure 11, the upper cord passes through the opening 65 and around the top pulley, while the lower cord passes through the opening 65 and around the lower pulley. Both cords then hang vertically down through the open lower part of the housing so that, in use, they can be manually grasped to open or close the curtains.

The cording arrangement so far described can be used with either of two slidable glider systems. The first of these is shown in Figure 1 2 and comprises the use of a master glider 71 and an overlap arm 72.

Figure 1 2 shows a rail 11 having a combined pulley housing and end stop component at each end, with a retained glider 12 associated with each of said components. Nine gliders 12 are slidably engaged on the rail 11 in the opening 34 behind the master glider and a single glider 1 2 is slidably arranged ahead of it.

Seven gliders 1 2 are slidably engaged on the rail 11 in the opening 34 behind the overlap arm 72 and three gliders 1 2 are engaged with the arm 72 itself (Figure 13).

No gliders are ahead of it for use with the curtain to be attached to the arm 72.

The cord 61 is contained in the opening 33 in the rail 11 and is crossed over between the master glider and overlap arm as shown in Figure 1 2 so that they move together or apart as the ends of the cord are pulled where they hang down at one end of the rail. When closed the curtain on the overlap arm will somewhat overlap the other curtain on the master glider. As can be appreciated from Figure 1 2 pulling the left hand cord will cause the master glider and overlap arm to move together, thereby closing the curtains, whilst pulling the right hand cord will cause them to move apart, thereby opening the curtains.

Figures 14, 1 4A and 15, 1 5A show the overlap arm and master glider respectively and how the cord is attached thereto.

The overlap arm 72 (Figure 13) has a rectangular front face 73 and a parallel smaller front face 74 integrally connected by a cranked face 75. Extending rearwardly from all three faces 73-75 is an upper flange 76 and a lower flange 77, both flanges being perpendicular to the three faces. Two rectangular holes 78 in the flange 76 along the face 73 are vertically aligned with two corresponding holes in the flange 77 therebelow. A similar hole 80 in the flange 76 along the face 74 is aligned with a corresponding hole in the flange 77 therebelow.

Along the face 74 the flanges 76 and 77 are extended rearwardly by steps 81, 82 upwardly and downwardly respectively to provide an upper ledge 83 and a lower ledge 84.

The facing surfaces of the ledges are spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the height of the rail 11.

Projecting downwardly from the surface of the ledge 83 remote from the step 81 are formations for retaining part of the cord 61.

The formations comprise three rectangular tongues 85, 86, 87 respectively, each tongue having its longer sides extending downwardly parallel to the straight edge 74a at the end of the face 74 adjacent thereto. The tongues lie in a common plane parallel to the face 74 with their interior surfaces spaced from the interior surface 88 of the step by a distance substantially corresponding to the thickness of a leg 31 or 32 of the rail 11 together with a projection 35 or 36, so that, as will be described, the overlap arm can slide on the rail.

Each tongue extends slightly above the ledge 83 and is spaced along the ledge from its adjacent tongue. Between adjacent tongues the ledge 83 is cut away to provide slots 89.

The two outer tongues terminate below the ledge 83 in small hooks 90, extending downwardly below the bottom of the middle tongue, whilst a bar 91 connects together the rear surfaces of the tongues, the bar lying slightly above the bottom of each hook 90 and parallel to the ledge 83.

The overlap arm is symmetrical about a central plane parallel to the flanges 76, 77 so that the same tongues are likewise provided on the ledge 84. Furthermore references to 'upper' and 'lower' parts are used purely in relation to the disposition of the arm 72 as shown in Figures 13, 14 and 14A. As will be appreciated from the following, the arm can engage the rail either way up.

In use, it must firstly be decided which way up the overlap arm is to be used on the rail, i.e. whether the portion having the holes 78 and being, in use, spaced clear of the rail, is to be directed to the left or the right when viewed from the front of the rail. Figure 14 shows this portion directed to the right. Three gliders 1 2 are then engaged in the three holes in the lower flange 77. Hooks 1 3 can then be engaged with the gliders in a similar manner as with the pulley housing and end stop component, the parts 48 engaging in the holes 78 and 80. The top cord 61 is then passed around the tongues 85-87 as shown in detail in Figure 14A. The cord passes behind the hook 90 of the end tongue 87 and then over the front of the bar 91 and up between the tongues 86 and 87.It then passes through slot 89, around the back of the tongue 86 above the ledge 83, through the other slot 89, down between the tongues 85, 86, over the front of bar 91, behind the hook 90 of the tongues 85 and then extends parallel to the lower cord 61. The bar 91 prevents the cord from becoming disposed behind the tongues and possibly becoming entangled between the overlap arm and rail thereby causing jamming of the cording mechanism.

The master glider 71 shown in Figures 15 and 1 5A is of similar form to the part of the overlap arm having the tongues and the same numerals will thus be used where appropriate in briefly describing this component. Like the arm 72, the glider 71 is symmetrical about a central plane.

The master glider has a rectangular front face 92 with rearwardly extending upper and lower ledges, one of which 83 is shown in Figure 15A. From each ledge the tongues 8587 extend, the ledge having slots 89 and the tongues having hooks 90 and bar 91 as previously described for the arm 72. Likewise the spacing of the rear surfaces of the tongues from the interior surface of the face 92 corresponds to the thickness of a leg of the rail together with a projection 35 or 36 so that the glider 71 can be engaged on and slide along the rail. The ledges are spaced apart by the height of the rail 11 to allow such sliding.

For the master glider, the other cord run to that engaged with the arm 72 is passed under the hooks 90, over the bar, between the tongues and through the slots 89 in the same manner as for the cord engaged with the arm 72 and will thus not be described in detail.

The arrangement is clearly shown in Figure 15A.

When the cord has been engaged with the overlap arm and the master glider, they are engaged on the rail 11 with a leg 31 or 32 and a projection 35 or 36 engaging in the channel provided behind the tongues at the top and bottom of the arm and of the glider.

With the glider 1 3 slidably engaged on the rail the desired arrangement is that of Figure 1 2 where with the pulley housings engaged on the ends of the rail, the gliders are adjacent the housings when the cord is pulled to the curtains open position shown. Pulling of the curtain close cord will cause the glider 71 and arm 72 to move together so that the forward end of the curtain attached to the master glider will be overlapped by the forward end of the curtain attached to the overlap arm.

The second slidable glider system is that where the overlap arm 72 is replaced by a second master glider and the cord is engaged with it exactly as with the overlap arm so that on pulling the cords the two master gliders move towards or away from one another. To provide some curtain overlap it is suggested that the single glider ahead of the master glider is connected to the last but one pocket in the curtain heading tape, for each curtain.

By this means the adjacent ends of the curtains can overlap when drawn, rather than merely butting.

Claims (18)

1. A curtain track assembly comprising a curtain track and at least two brackets for supporting said curtain track, each bracket having spaced lips for snap-fittingly engaging, in use, the curtain track to secure it to said brackets, the track being engageable with the brackets in either of two orientations so that either one of two faces of the track can be arranged to face outwardly, in use.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein with either face of the track selected to face outwardly, the track can be engaged with the brackets with the track being disposed either way up.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the track has a longitudinally extending open ended slot between its faces, the slot being.open downwardly when the track is engaged with said brackets with either one of said faces directed outwardly, in use.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the track is of generally H-shaped transverse cross-section having a pair of parallel legs joined by a central web perpendicular thereto, defining open ended slots above and below said web respectively.

5. An assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the top and bottom of each leg is provided with a longitudinally extending, inwardly directed projection disposed inwardly of the adjacent leg edge surface, each projection on one leg extending towards but terminating short from a projection on the other leg, so that a longitudinal opening is defined between a pair of opposing projections at the entry to each opening in the curtain track defined between the opposite faces thereof.

6. An assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein each bracket has upper and lower lips spaced apart by approximately the height of the curtain track so that, in use, the track can snap-fittingly engage with the bracket with said lips engaging respective interior surfaces of either one of said legs, said surfaces being disposed outwardly of said projections, and the lips and/or said legs of the track being of resilient material.

7. An assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein one of said lips defines a cam surface which contacts, in use, an outer surface of a leg of the track to facilitate said engagement of the lip to the track.

8. An assembly as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the bracket has an abutment between the lips, the abutment having an outer surface in a plane parallel to but spaced from the plane of the lips by the approximate thickness of a leg of said track, so that in use, said abutment engages the outer surface of the leg with which the lips engage so as to assist in securely engaging the track to the bracket.

9. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein said projections support gliders, each glider having a head portion disposed in the open ended slot which is lowermost, in use, and a foot portion extending through said longitudinal opening to be disposed below the track and provide engagement means for a conventional curtain hook.

10. An assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein said foot portion of the glider also has means for being snap-fittingly engaged by a curtain hook which extends over the outwardly directed face of the track, in use, and engages with the uppermost part of the track.

11. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 10, wherein an end stop engages in an end of the track, the end stop having a pair of spaced arms to engage in the two open ended slots of the track, at least one arm having an outwardly open recess to re- ceive the head of a glider engageable in the slots of the track, so that the glider is captive when the end stop is engaged in the end of the rail and can serve to retain a end curtain hook of a curtain, in use.

1 2. An assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the captive glider can be snap-fittingly engaged by a curtain hook which extends over the outwardly directed face of the track, in use, and engages with the uppermost part of the track.

1 3. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 12, wherein the open ended slot which is uppermost, in use, contains the cord of a cording arrangement of the track.

14. An assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein each end of the track is engaged in a pulley housing which closes the lowermost slot, and retains a glider for anchoring an end hook of a curtain, in use.

1 5. An assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the pulley housing contains a pair of pulleys for directing said cord, each pulley having its axle ends engaged in an aligned pair of slots in respective opposite interior surfaces of the housing.

1 6. An assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein each of the pulleys is disposed at the ends of the pair of slots, the slots of one pair being shorter than those of the other pair, so that one pulley is disposed at a higher level than the other one.

1 7. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 3 to 16, wherein the cord is secured either to a pair of master gliders or to a master glider and an overlap arm, which move together when one end of the cord is pulled and move apart when the other end is pulled, in use, the pair of master gliders or the master glider and the overlap arm each having a portion slidably engaged with the leg of the track which is outermost, in use.

18. An assembly as claimed in claim 17, wherein the or each master glider and the overlap arm each have symmetrically disposed cord engaging and track engaging portions so that either way up they can slidably engage the track and secure the cord to them.

1 9. A curtain track assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.