US2416448A - Curtain top construction - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 25, 1947. E, L P5W 2,416,448

CU RTAIN TOP CONSTRUCTION 4 Filed April 23, 1946 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 25, 1947 Edward Lepow,

Home Curtain New York, N. Y., assignor to Corporation,

Far Rockaway,

N. 1., a corporation of New York Application April 23, 1946, Serial No. 664,291

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to curtains and window coverings and more particularly to construction for the production of a preformed shirring in the curtain as hung on a rod or similar support therefor.

In curtains of the general type with which the present invention is concerned, they are usually formed of a large panel of relatively light material and at an uppermost portion thereof they are provided with a rod passage and a heading located above the rod passage. The upper portion of the curtain is frequently made by interconnecting the preformed bands with a plurality of rows of stitches. Thus, for example, the heading and the ruflles may each be independently prepared and finally these are connected to the body of the curtain. In order to facilitate the interconnection of these parts additional folding has been resorted to so that a great number of layers has occurred at the points of stitching with a consequent stiffness and bulkiness. Such constructions have considerably increased the cost of the finished curtain because of the increased labor due to the several independent operations required, the greater amount of machine time consumed, additional cutting operations, and the rolling and storage of the bandlike members before integration.

It is, therefore, among the principal objects of the present invention to provide improved construction over the prior art in which the manufacturing and structure i simplified and the cost thereof is thereby reduced.

A shirred appearance in the upper part of the curtain is desired, as a superior esthetic effect is produced by fullness in the portions of the curtain at and adjacent its red support. In order to obtain this fully shirred effect, the consumer frequently purchases a curtain which is of extra width for a given window or other building opening. This results in increased cost. Another ob- J'ect of the present invention, therefore, lies in the provision of curtainstructure which affords an increased effect of fullness in the upper portions thereof without unduly increasing the total yardage of the curtain.

A feature of the invention lies in the fact that even when the panel of the curtain is completely extended into a planar condition a Shirred effect and appearance is produced forwardly of the curtain rod and this effect extends into the ruffle lying below the rod passage. When the curtain panel is gathered laterally, as is the case When the curtain panel is fitted to a window or building opening which is of less width than itself,

the shirring produced by the present invention is added to such additional shirring as occurs by the contraction of the material forming the rod passage.

Another object herein lies in the provision of curtain structure in which the forward wall of the rod passage is formed by an integral upward extension of the rufile element.

These objects and other incidental ends and advantages will morefully appear in the progress of this disclosure and be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of an embodiment of the invention as supported upon a rod and with the main curtain panel in a fully extended or planar condition.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view correspondinggenerally to Figure 1 but showing the curtain as laterally contracted to accommodate a smaller window or building opening.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in perspective, the thickness of some of the parts being exaggerated for clarity, of the upper right hand corner of the curtain seen in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View as seen from the plane 4-4 on Figure 3.

In accordance with the invention the curtain generally indicated by reference character ID includes broadly a main curtain panel element H and a band element l2.

The panel element II is preferably of rectangular shape including the vertical edges l3 and M, a bottom edge l5 and a top edge IS. The uppermost portion of the curtain panel ll, inwardly of the top edge i6 is folded forwardly about itself along the fold l1 which forms the upper edge l8 of the curtain Ill. The rear portion I9 and the front portion 2|, togetherwithv the fold l'l form the heading 2!]. The distance, upwardly, from the edge It at whichthe fold I1 is located will determine generally the height of the heading 20.

The band element I! may be of any suitable width as since the band element is integrated with the curtain transversely thereof its width determines the effective height of the rufile member 22 and the front wall of the rod carrying passage. The length of the band element will depend upon the degree of shirring which it is desired shall exist with respect to the panel element II. I have found, for examplathatwhere the length of the band element I2 is one and one 'the shirring band element causes a gathered effect in the upshown, and described for obvious half times the size of the width of the panel elefment, that a desirable construction results. The front wall of the rod carrying passage 22 is indicated by reference character 23.

The lower edge 24 of the band element l2 may be treated in any suitable fashion to avoid the raveling thereof as for example by forming the simple hem 25 which may be secured by the row of stitches 26. The upper edge 27 of the band element l2 folded first upwardly and then downwardly and rearwardly upon itself about the fold 28.

I With the parts in their previously folded conditions as described, and superposing each other as seen in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawing, the upper and lower rows of stitches 29 and 30 are put in place. The row of stitches 29 penetrates a plurality of layers of fabric while the row of stitches 30 penetrates the band element thereat and the curtain'panel element. In coninecting the band element to thepanel element, the band element after the hem 25 has been put in place and after the told 28 has been formed, said band element is caused to pass through a Iwell known pleating device, not shown, to produce the shirring which is secured by the rows of 1 stitches 29 and 30. v

In use the rod 3! is easily passed through the rod passage 22 and owing to the fact that the lateral or vertical edges of the band element are not folded upon themselves the rod does not have a tendency to catch therein as isthe case with prior art constructions. struction the edges 32 and 33 may be stitched 1 with a covering stitch so as In the present conto prevent any tendl a. band element having upper and lower edges and being disposed forwardly of the curtain panel as hung; the upper edge of the band element being securedby first means which penetrate said upper edge of the band element, the upper edge of the curtain panel element, and the rear ply of the curtain panel thereat; the lower edge of the band -ency of the band element to ravel but a hem I 3 with a full folded edge is not necessary.

It may thus be seen that I have provided a novel and useful curtain construction wherein produced in the upper portion of the per portion of the ruflle member, and in the forward wall'of the rod carrying passage. Numerous economies flow from the fact that the major integrating operations in the fabrication of the upper portion of the curtain are produced by two spaced rows of "stitches which may be simultaneously applied. 'Since the folds I? and 28 may be obtained by the use of hemmers, the application of the precut band element to the upper edge of the curtain panel element produces substantially together with the rod carrying passage. In addition to a saving in fabricating operations, there is also a saving of yardage. By virtue of the preformed shirring in the finished curtain, laundering and pressing operations are facilitated and a desirable uniformly shirred effect is obtained when the curtain is placed upon the rod, even when the user has no particular skill.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to'be, limited to the exact details of construction modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

*1. Curtain construction comprising: a main panel having an upper free edge. said panel being folded upon itselfadjacent the upper free edge, said fold forming the upper edge of said curtain;

the entire curtain heading and ruffle element being secured by second means which penetrate said lower edge of the band element and the curtain panel element; said first and second means being spaced a distance sufiicient to form a rod carrying passage, said band element extending below said second means to form a rufile.

2. Curtain construction comprising: a main panel having an upper free edge, said panel being folded upon itself adjacent the upper free edge, said fold forming the upper edge of said curtain; a band element of greater width than the width of the curtain panel element having upper and lower edges and being disposed forwardly of the curtain panel as hung; the upper portion of the band element being gathered; the upper edge of the band element being secured by first means which penetrate said upper edge of the band element, the upper edge of the curtain panel element, and the rear ply of the curtain panel thereat; the lower edge of the band element being secured by second means which penerate said lower edge of the band element and the curtain panel element; said first and second means being spaced a distance sufficient to form a rod carrying passage, said band element extending below said second means to form a ruffle.

3. Curtain construction comprising: a curtain panel element the upper free edge of which is folded upon itself to form an upper curtain edge; an elongated band element of greater length than the width of the curtain panel; a plurality of vertically arranged pleats transversely disposed with respect to the band element and arranged in a row at and adjacent the upper longitudinal edge of said band element and parallel to the upper edge of the curtain; a plurality of rows of stitches, transversely and horizontally arranged with respect to said curtain, the upper row of said stitches penetrating the upper edge of said band element and through both plies of the fold at the upper portion of the curtain panel element; the lower row of said stitches being spaced below the upper row a distance sufficient to form a rod carrying passage and penetrating said band element and said curtain panel element; said lower row of stitches being spaced a substantial distance from the lower free edge of the band element whereby the lower portion of the band element forms a ruflie and the upper portion of the band element forms a pregathered front wall of the rod carrying passage.

EDWARD LEPOW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

18,132 British Aug.23, 1893

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