Suspension and heading stiffener for curtains, drapes or the like

Claim 2

A combination suspension and heading stiffener for a drape, curtain or like article comprising: an elongate member of substantially uniform width throughout its length and having one end portion thicker than the other end portion so that said one end portion is substantially rigid whereas said other end portion is flexible; means disposed at a longitudinal edge portion of said elongate member for suspending it during use from suspension guide means; and means at one end of said elongate member for connecting with cooperating means at the other end of another similar elongate member to enable connection together of a plurality of such elongate members in end to end relationship.

Claim 3

A combination suspension and heading stiffener as claimed in claim 1; wherein the thicker portion of said elongate member has a hole therein opening at or adjacent a longitudinal edge thereof whereby a spike depending from the suspension guide means can be engaged therein to provide the means for supporting said elongate member from the suspension guide means; wherein the free end of the thin portion is of a reduced width, and a series of transverse saw-teeth formations being provided on the face of the reduced width portion; and wherein the thick portion is provided with an end opening aperture on a face opposingly directed to the face on which the saw-teeth formations of the reduced width portion are formed, and a second series of transverse saw-toothed formations being provided within said aperture, said saw-teeth of the reduced width portion being inclined in an opposing sense to those of the thick portion such that the aperture can receive therein the reduced width portion of another elongate member such that the saw-teeth formations interengage enabling the elongate members to be joined together in end to end relationship.

Claim 4

In combination with a drape, curtain or like article and support track therefor; a curtain support comprising a plurality of elongate members each configured as set forth in claim 1 and each elongate member having at least two sockets at one end portion and an equal number of pins at the other end portion thereof, and said elongate members being joined in end to end relationship by said pins of one elongate member being inserted in respective ones of said sockets of another elongate member, each elongate member also having a spike extending from a longitudinal edge of the thick portion thereof capable of engaging the suspension guide menas to provide the means for supporting the elongate members therefrom; and a tie comprising a flexible strip having a plurality of apertures along its length and having the spikes of said elongate members inserted into selected apertures.

Claim 5

In combination with a drape, curtain or like article and support track therefor; a curtain support comprising a plurality of elongate members each configured as set forth in claim 2 joined together in an end to end relationship; and a tie comprising a flexible strip having a plurality of apertures along its length and located through selected ones of which are depending spikes formed on suspension guide mounted on a track and located in the apertures of the elongated members.

Claim 6

The combination according to claim 4; wherein the distance between the selected apertures of the tie is less than the distance between the apertures of the elongate members.

Claim 7

The combination according to claim 5; wherein the plurality of joined elongate members are located in a hem of the upper edge of the drape, curtain or like article and the spikes of the suspension guides pass firstly through the selected apertures of the tie and then through the material of the hem before being located in the apertures of the elongated members.