Traverse assembly for draperies and the like

Claim 2

In a traverse assembly for draperies and the like including an elongated rigid rod structure having a front carrier track and a rear cord track, drapery support carrier means including at least one master carrier and a plurality of auxiliary carriers mounted in said front carrier track for movement therealong, a traverse cord disposed in the rear traverse cord track and cord guide means adjacent the ends of said rear cord track for guiding the traverse cord for movement along the rear cord track, and cord attaching means operatively connecting said traverse cord to said master carrier to effect movement of the latter along the front carrier track, the improvement wherein: said front carrier track comprises a rearwardly opening front channel having a front wall, a bottom wall extending rearwardly from the front wall and having an upwardly extending bottom flange on the rear edge thereof, and an upper wall portion extending rearwardly from the front wall and having a downwardly extending top flange spaced above the upwardly extending flange on the bottom wall portion; said rear cord track comprises a forwardly opening rear channel having at top wall portion integrally joined to the top wall portion of the front channel, a rear wall, and a bottom wall extending forwardly from the rear wall and having an upwardly extending bottom flange at its forward edge, the bottom flange on said rear channel being spaced rearwardly from the bottom flange on the front channel, and said rod being open between said front and rear channels to define a downwardly opening access passageway between the front and rear channels, said auxiliary carriers each including an auxiliary carrier follower disposed in said front channel and an auxiliary carrier pendant connected to the auxiliary carrier follower and extending downwardly through the access passageway between the front and rear channels, said master carrier including a master carrier follower disposed in said front channel and a master carrier body connected to the master carrier followEr and extending downwardly through the access passageway between the front and rear channels, a drapery support arm on said master carrier body adjacent the front of the rod, said master carrier body having guide means on the rear side thereof slidably engaging said bottom flange on the rear channel to inhibit swinging of the master carrier relative to said front carrier track in a direction crosswise of the rod during movement therealong.

Claim 3

A traverse assembly according to claim 1 wherein said guide means on the master carrier body defines a rearwardly opening groove on the master carrier body dimensioned to guidably receive the bottom flange on the rear cord channel.

Claim 4

A traverse assembly according to claim 1 wherein said cord attaching means includes means on said master carrier body defining a pair of protuberances spaced apart in a direction lengthwise of the rod and extending rearwardly from the master carrier body into overlying relation to the bottom flange on the rear channel, said protuberances having cord engaging faces at the rear side thereof, means defining a tab on said cord guide body between said protuberances and having a cord engaging face at the front side thereof disposed forwardly of said bottom flange on the rear channel and forwardly of said cord engaging faces on said protuberances to guide a bight portion of the traverse cord between said protuberances from the rear cord channel forwardly to a position between said rear cord channel and said front carrier channel, and cord lock means on said master carrier body engageable with said bight portion of the traverse cord for locking the traverse cord to the master carrier body.

Claim 5

A traverse assembly according to claim 3 wherein said guide means on the master carrier body defines a rearwardly opening groove on the master carrier body dimensioned to guidably receive the bottom flange on the rear cord channel.

Claim 6

A traverse assembly according to claim 3 wherein said cord lock means is located on the master carrier at a level below the bottom wall of the rear cord channel.

Claim 7

A traverse assembly according to claim 3 wherein said bottom walls of the front carrier channel and the rear cord channel are substantially coplanar.

Claim 8

A traverse assembly according to claim 3 wherein said top wall portions of said front carrier channel and said rear cord channel are coplanar.

Claim 9

A traverse assembly for draperies and the like including: an elongated rod structure having a top wall, a front wall extending downwardly adjacent the front edge of the top wall, a rear wall extending downwardly adjacent the rear edge of the top wall, a forward bottom wall portion extending rearwardly from the lower edge of the front wall, a rear bottom wall portion extending forwardly from the lower edge of the rear wall and having its forward edge spaced rearwardly from the front bottom wall portion, said rod having an open central access passageway opening downwardly between the front and rear bottom wall portions, said rod having a first upwardly extending rail along the rear edge of said front bottom wall portion and a second downwardly extending rail on said top wall spaced above said first upwardly extending rail to define a carrier track along the front of the rod opening rearwardly into said central access passageway, said rear bottom wall portion having an upwardly extending flange along its forward edge spaced below said top wall to define a cord track along the rear of the rod opening forwardly into said central access passageway, a plurality of auxiliary drapery carriers having head portions disposed in said front carrier track and guidably retained therein by said first and second rails, said auxiliary drapery carriers having drapery support pendants connected to said head portions and extending downwardly through said access passageway adjacent the rear side of said rails and having means below said front carrier track for supporting a drapery heading adjacent the front of the rod, at least one mAster carrier having a master carrier head portion disposed in said front carrier track and guidably retained therein by said first and second rails, a master carrier body connected to said master carrier head portion and extending downwardly through said access passageway adjacent the rear side of said rails and having drapery support means below sad front carrier track adjacent the front of the rod for supporting a drapery adjacent the front of the rod, said master carrier body having guide means on the rear side thereof guidably engaging said flange on the forward edge of said rear bottom wall portion to stabilize the master slide during movement along the rod, said master carrier having means for guiding a bight portion of a traverse cord from said rear cord track forwardly into said access passageway, and cord lock means on the master slide body for locking bight portion of a traverse cord thereto for movement with the traverse cord along the rod, and a pulley housing at the end of the rod having at least one cord engaging pulley aligned with said rear cord track to guide the traverse cords into and out of the rear cord track.

Claim 10

A traverse assembly for draperies and the like including: an elongated rod structure having a top wall, a front wall extending downwardly adjacent the front edge of the top wall, a rear wall extending downwardly adjacent the rear edge of the top wall, a forward bottom wall portion extending rearwardly from the lower edge of the front wall, a rear bottom wall portion extending forwardly from the lower edge of the rear wall and having its forward edge spaced rearwardly from the front bottom wall portion, said rod having an open central access passageway opening downwardly between the front and rear bottom wall portions, said rod having a first upwardly extending rail along the rear edge of said front bottom wall portion and a second downwardly extending rail on said top wall spaced above said first upwardly extending rail to define a carrier track along the front of the rod opening rearwardly into said central access passageway, said rear bottom wall portion having an upwardly extending flange along its forward edge spaced below said top wall to define a cord track along the rear of the rod opening forwardly into said central access passageway, a plurality of auxiliary drapery carriers having head portions disposed in said front carrier track and guidably retained therein by said first and second rails, said auxiliary drapery carriers having drapery support pendants connected to said head portions and extending downwardly through said access passageway adjacent the rear side of said rails and having means below said front carrier track for supporting a drapery heading adjacent the front of the rod, at least one mAster carrier having a master carrier head portion disposed in said front carrier track and guidably retained therein by said first and second rails, a master carrier body connected to said master carrier head portion and extending downwardly through said access passageway adjacent the rear side of said rails and having drapery support means below sad front carrier track adjacent the front of the rod for supporting a drapery adjacent the front of the rod, said master carrier body having guide means on the rear side thereof guidably engaging said flange on the forward edge of said rear bottom wall portion to stabilize the master slide during movement along the rod, said master carrier having means for guiding a bight portion of a traverse cord from said rear cord track forwardly into said access passageway, and cord lock means on the master slide body for locking bight portion of a traverse cord thereto for movement with the traverse cord along the rod, and a pulley housing at the end of the rod having at least one cord engaging pulley aligned with said rear cord track to guide the traverse cords into and out of the rear cord track.

Claim 11

A traverse assembly according to claim 8 wherein said pulley housing includes a splice portion of generally U-shaped cross-section having top, rear and bottom walls extending into the rod alongside the top wall, rear wall and rear bottom wall portion of the rod.

Claim 12

A traverse assembly according to claim 8 wherein said front and rear bottom wall portions of the rod are coplanar.