US2728500A - Detachable shields for application to the end portions of channel shaped metal curtain rods - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 27, 1955 J- R. GUILDFORD HIELDS CHANNEL DETACHABLE S FOR APPLICATION TO THE END PORTIONS OF SHAPED METAL CURTAIN RODS Filed Nov. 18, 1953 ILVVE NTOR. Jose p12 18. Lzuljdfim A T TORN E Y.

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DETACHABLE SHIELDS FUR APPLICATION TO 5 THE END PGRTlO'NS (1F CHANNEL SHAPED METAL CURTAIN RODS This invention relates to improvements in shields for detachable application to the end portions of conventional channel shaped metal curtain rods to facilitate the threading of the rod through the hem of a curtain and to prevent the ends of the rod from tearing the curtain. Specifically the invention is an improvement upon the device of my prior Patent No. 2,204,411 of June ll, 1940.

The conventional channel shaped metal curtain rod has a fiat side wall and opposed upper and lower walls integral with and projecting laterally from the side wall, the upper and lower walls being of generally semi-circular cross section and providing co-planar flanges which overhang the side wall and are in spaced confronting relation. The curtain rods are of substantially the same size in respect to their vertical dimension but are of varying sizes in rcspect to their transverse dimension, i. e. the dimension measured between the overhanging flanges and the side wall. The variations with respect to the transverse dimension are within a range from a minimum size to a maximum size in which the transverse dimension is substantially twice that of the minimum size.

Both for facility in threading the rod through the hem of the curtain and for the complete protection of the curtain the shield of the invention is fitted over the leading end portion of the curtain rod (as taught by my prior patent). Thereby the shield may be shaped to facilitate its introduction into and movement through the hem and, as applied to the leading end of the curtain rod, will present smooth regular surfaces, the shield completely confining the end portions of the rod and insuring the complete protection of the curtain material against being cut or torn when the rod is threaded through the hem.

As compared with my prior construction the principal object of the invention is to provide a shield which may be made in a single standard size and securely fitted upon any curtain rod within the full range of sizes, i. e. sizes from the minimum to the maximum transverse dimension. A further object is a complete utilization of the resilient properties of the material from which the shield is made for insuring the security of its application upon the end portion of the curtain rod while at the same time promot ing facility of such application and facility in its removal from the rod when the latter has been completely threaded through the hem of the curtain.

Generally speaking, the invention consists of a cup like shield to fit over the end portion of a curtain rod and which is composed of material having a substantial measure of resilience, is fashioned with an expansible mouth in which the end portion of the curtain rod may be inserted and utilizes a securing spring-like finger which extends to the open mouth of the shield and is in coopcr- 5 ative relation with the side walls of the shield in establishing the secure frictional engagement of the shield with the surfaces of the enclosed portions of the curtain rod.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shield in accordance with the invention in its unmounted condition.

2,728,500 Patented Dec. 27, 1955 ice Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 are end elevations of curtain rods of different sizes in respect to their transverse dimension and covering the range from the standard minimum size to the standard maximum size.

Figure 6 is a plan view showing the shield fitted upon the leading end of a curtain rod which is assumed to be the rod shown in Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of a shield as fitted upon the same curtain rod.

Figure 8 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 8-3 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a horizontal sectional view showing the shield fitted upon the leading end of a curtain rod which is assumed to be the rod shown in Figure 2.

Figure 10 is a horizontal sectional View of the shield fitted upon the leading end of a curtain rod which is assumed to be the rod shown in Figure 4.

Figure 11 is a horizontal sectional view or" the shield fitted upon the leading end or a curtain rod which is assumed to be the rod shown in Figure 5.

The curtain rods shown in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 in each instance have a flat vertical wall A and upper and lower opposed side walls B projecting laterally from the wall A and of general semi-circular cross section, thereby to provide coplanar flanges C which overhang the wall A and delimit a longitudinal slot D extending from end to end of the rod.

The shield is shown in its unmounted condition in Figure 1 and is of general O-Shape cross section in conformity to the cross section of the curtain rod upon which it is to be fitted. The shield in its unmounted condition is characterized by spaced vertical walls 1 and 1a in substantially parallel planes, upper and lower walls 2 of general semi-circular cross sectional outline and opposite curvature with their convex faces presented outwardly and their concave faces presented inwardly and a closed outer or leading end wall 3 integrally connected to the walls 1, la and 2 and which presents a surface 4having a generally semi-circular peripheral curvature and a suitable transverse curvature, the vertical side faces of the wall 3 tapering suitably toward the peripheral surface. T he opposite or inner end 5 of the shield is open. The wall in carries a finger s in the nature of a leaf spring which has a length of the order of half of the length of the shield, is normally two-planar with the other parts of the wall in and is integrally connected to the wall, being delimited by upper and lower longitudinal, and substantially parallel, slits '7 of suitable length which extend to the inner end of the wall la. The upper and lower walls 2 are interrupted by centrally located longitudinal slits 8 of suitable length which extend preferably from points at or near the inner ends of the Walls 2 to their outer ends and in the unmounted condition of the shield have their walls in substantially parallel relation.

The shield, constructed as above described, may be composed of any material having a suitable degree of resilience. its form and construction lends itself to manufacture from an ideal material, namely a suitable thermolastic, which by the practice of any suitable standard process of molding involves minimum manufacturing expense. Excellent results have been obtained by the use of polystyrene.

Curtain rods of the form described as currently on the market usually come in the four sizes schematically indicated in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5, the rod W of Figure 2 having the minimum transverse dimension, and the rods X, Y and Z of Figures 3, 4 and 5 respectively being the sizes of successively greater transverse dimensions.

The shield of the invention is available for use with curtain rods of any of these four sizes. It has this availability because the slits 7 and S extend to the inner end of the shield and thereby invest the mouth 5 with expansible and contractile qualities in which the resilient property of the material of which the shield is composed cause the contraction and is utilized to the fullest extent in effecting the security of the application of the shield upon the leading end of a curtain rod and the facility of such application and of the removal of the shield. The maximum contraction of the shield is in its unmounted condition (Figure l) in which the walls 1 and 1a are in parallel planes and the finger 6 is coplanar with the parts of the wall 1a.

In the unmounted condition of the shield the opening provided by the mouth 5 is preferably very slightly greater in dimensions than the cross section of the curtain rod X (Figure 3). The application of the shield to the rod X is shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8. In applying the shield to the rod X the finger 6 is first manually depressed or pushed inward toward the wall 1, yielding along its transverse line of junction with the wall In. The shield is thereupon held in alinement with the rod X and the leading end portion of the rod is inserted into the mouth 5 with the side wall A of the rod under the depressed finger 6. The insertion of the rod into the shield is continued until its further inward movement is arrested by the finger 6, the shield thereupon being securely fitted on the rod as best shown in Figure 8.

In the insertion of the end portion of the rod into the shield the wall A of the rod continues the inward depression of the finger 6, storing power in the finger in its capacity as a leaf spring. The wedging of the rod wall A between the finger 6 and the parts of the shield wall 1:: results in a very slight outward flare of the walls of the slits 8, the parts of the shield wall 1a being very slightly canted outwardly from the rod side wall A and the flanges C of the rod being pressed into substantially uniform frictional contact with the inner face of the shield wall 1. The flare of the walls of the slits 8 and the canting of the parts of the shield wall 1a are so slight that their illustration in Figure 8 is not practical. At this time the finger 6 at its line of engagement with the rod wall A exerts frictional securing pressure against that area of the inner face of the wall A with which it is in contact. The shield is thereby securely fitted upon the rod X as a functional and temporary extension thereof, the shield in this relation being readily introduced into the hem of the curtain whereby the rod X may be freely inserted through the hem and any liability of tearing or cutting the material of the curtain is eliminated. When the rod has been completely threaded through the hem the shield will project beyond the hem and may readily be removed from the rod by pulling it outward, the shield parts thereupon contracting into their normal relation as shown in Figure l and the shield thereupon being available for use with another curtain rod. 1

The application of the shield to the rod W is shown in Figure 9. The rod W is of minimum transverse dimension and its cross sectional area is therefore sensibly less than the area of the open mouth 5 of the shield. in this instance the finger 6 is initially manually dcpressed and by the pressure which it exerts upon the inner face of the wall W at the leading end thereof when the rod has been inserted into the shield until its movement is arrested causes the outer face of the wall W at its leading end to bear with substantial pressure against the parts of the wall in above and below the finger 6 and at the same time causes the canting of the shield relatively to the rod W whereby the outer faces of the flanges C bear frictionally against the inner face of the shield wall 1 adjacent the mouth 5. As a result the shield is held securely upon the leading end portion of the rod W. The hem of the curtain is of such dimensions that the shield, notwithstanding its canted relation to the rod W, may be freely inserted into and moved through the hem.

The application of the shield to the rod Y is shown in Figure 10. The cross sectional dimension of the rod Y is somewhat greater than the cross sectional dimension of the mouth 5 of the shield in the unmounted condition of the shield as shown in Figure 1. In this instance in fitting the shield upon the end portion of the rod Y the finger 6 is held depressed as above described and the shield is held in a canted position relative to the rod Y, that is to say, a position in which the shield wall 1 extends at an obtuse angle relatively to the rod Y. With the shield held in such canted position the leading edge portion of the rod wall A is inserted into the mouth 5 under the finger 6 and the end portion of the rod wall A is pressed manually against the shield wall 1a, thereby to flex the wall 1a away from the opposing shield wall 1. The end portion of the rod may thereupon be introduced through the opening 5, the shield in respect to the facility of such introduction taking advantage of the standard curvature of the leading end edges B1 of the rod side walls B. As in the previous examples the end portion of the rod is pushed into the shield until its movement is arrested. At such time the spring finger 6 will hold the rod wall A in substantially uniform contact with the parts of shield wall 1a above and below the finger 6; the walls 1 and 1a will be sprung outward relatively to one another, the slits 8 permitting this action and flaring toward the mouth of the shield; the shield wall 1 will be canted slightly relatively to the faces of the flanges C; and the end portions of the flanges C will bear frictionally against the inner face of the shield wall 1. Thereby the shield is held securely upon the leading end portion of the rod Y.

The application of the shield to the rod Z is shown in Figure ll and is effected in the same manner as the application of the shield to the rod Y. The cross sectional dimension of the rod Z is substantially twice the cross sectional dimension of the rod W and is substantially greater than the cross sectional dimension of the mouth 5 of the shield. Nevertheless the shield may be readily fitted upon the rod without risk of rupture or of springing its parts beyond their elastic limit. The shield wall 1 is canted relatively to the flanges C, the slits S permitting this action and flaring toward the mouth of the shield to a greater degree than in the case where the shield is fitted upon the end portion of the rod Y.

In the foregoing description and in the following claim words signifying direction or position such as vertical, upper, lower, lateral and transverse are used as a matter of convenience with reference to the positions of the parts as shown in the drawing.

I claim:

A cup-like shield to be fitted upon the leading end portion of a conventional channel shaped metal curtain rod and of a cross sectional outline which conforms to the cross sectional outline of the rod, the shield being composed of a material having a degree of resiliency such that as fitted upon the curtain rod it will be held securely in position by frictional engagement with the adjacent faces of the leading end portion of the rod, the shield comprising spaced vertical walls, upper and lower walls integral with and extending between the vertical walls and being of general and opposite semi-circular cross sectional outline with their convex faces presented outwardly and their concave faces presented inwardly, and a closed leading end wall integrally connected to the vertical, upper and lower walls and presenting a suitably curved leading surface, the vertical walls adjoining the vertical faces of the rod when the shield is fitted upon the rod, the shield having its end remote from the end wall open and of substantially O-shaped cross sectional outline, one of the vertical walls having substantially parallel upper and lower slits in suitably spaced relation which extend to the open end of the shield and delimit a finger which has a length of the order of half of the length of the shield and is in the nature of a leaf spring normally co-planar with the other parts of said vertical wall, the upper and lower walls being interrupted by centrally located longitudinal slits shield is effected and the finger being manually depresswhich extend from points at or near the inner ends of said ible toward the opposite vertical wall. upper and lower walls to their outer ends at the open end of the shield, the said open end providing a mouth Cited in the file of this Patent which by virtue of the slits in the upper and lower walls 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS of the shield is expansible and contractile, the vertical walls of the shield in its unmounted condition and due to ggzf a1 "M the resiliency of the material of which the shield is com- 411 Guildfor June 1940 posed assuming positions in substantially parallel planes 2511762 Barnett June 1 1950 in which the maximum contraction of the mouth of the 10

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