US2652156A - Curtain rod - Google Patents

Description

S p 1953 E. J. DUBIELL J CURTAIN ROD Filed Dec. 2, 1949 INVENTOR [ah/4RD J. DUB/ELL TORNEYS Patented Sept. 15, 1953 Edward unmet; wallingford, Qonn assignoi to Jjudd Company, waliingfordgconmgja v 1-1 corporation ofBelaware Application December 2, 1949,:Serial-Nm 1130,1 88.

3Glaims. (c1. tin- 105a).

My invention relates to'curtain'rods and in particular to improved means-in a curtain rod for facilitating the operation of threading apiirta'in onto the rod. The -present"invention isthe nature of an improvement. overthe construction disclosed in the copendin g -patent application [of Oscar N. Whitehead, Serial No. 20,190, filed-April 10-, 1948, which matured mtonnita States Patent 2,573,078 on- October 30, 1951.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved device of the character indicated.

It is another object to provide an improved curtain-rod threading means that may present only smoothly rounded surfaces to the parts of the curtain that are being threaded and which may therefore facilitate the threading operation.

It is a further object to meet the above objects with a simple and relatively inexpensive construction that may nevertheless be sufficiently well reinforced to perform its intended functions in spite of considerable abuse.

Other objects and various further features of novelty and invention will be pointed out or will occur to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In said drawings, which show, for illustrative purposes only, a preferred form of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary partly broken-away front view of an assembled telescopic curtain rod incorporating features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional end view of the rod on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the thimble end part of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a back view of the part of Fig. 3; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged perspective views of the front and back of the thimble end of the rod of Fig. 3.

Briefly stated, my invention contemplates an improved end construction for a curtain rod, whereby only a continuously formed and rounded (and, therefore, non-fouling) surface may be presented to a curtain as the curtain is being threaded onto the rod. The invention has particular usefulness in connection with telescoping curtain rods, and in the form to be described the end construction is adapted to the inner element of a two-element telescoping curtain rod.

Referring to the drawings, my invention is shown in application to a telescoping curtain rod comprising an outer element or rod section I0 and an inner element or rod section II. Both elements Ill-l l are generally flat rods of conventional generally C-shaped section. and in the case 'of'the rod. cement l 1: the sect on". ccmririssagenerally fiat front face, "I 2 between. oppositely facing of thefr'od l 0, may closely resemble" that. described for therodsection' H "bllhof eoui's'a' lwith emerged dimensions to permit a't'elescopi'ng'fit of the'section I 1 within the section [0.

In accordance with the invention, I provide a means for so finishing the telescoping end of the inner rod element II that it may be readily threaded, without snagging, into a curtain. Such thimble end may be formed by cutting away the flanges [3-14, as at H, so as to permit the sides [5-1 6 and the face I2 to project beyond the cut-away flange portions; also, the projecting end of the sides and of the face portion l2 may be so formed as to produce a rearwardly directed skirt I8 with no discontinuities. In practice, the skirt l8 may be formed in a simple pressing operation after the side flanges have been cut away in the described manner. The skirt I8 may be said to define the rim of a generally cupped formation at the end of the rod section I i and, if the flanges are not cut away too far into the sides l5l6, the rim or skirt l8 of this cupped portion may be smoothly continuously and integrally formed with the sides, so as to be substantially tangential with the sides l5--l 6, as viewed from the front or from the back (Figs. 1 and 4).

It will be appreciated that I have described a simple, effective, and ingenious threading construction for an element of a telescopic curtain rod of the character indicated. The construction is such as to provide inherently for its own reinforcement and to present smooth tangential transitions from straight or flat surfaces to curved surfaces, wherever such transitions occur. It will also be appreciated that such transitions may be effected without any edge discontinuity, so that the entire thimble end may be of smooth integral construction. It will further be appreciated that my novel thimble-end construction may be adapted with the least possible expense to mass production of non-fouling rod ends.

While I have described my invention in detail for the preferred form shown, it will be understood that modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A sheet-metal curtain rod integrally formed c i gamma with a thimble at one end, comprising a substantially flat front face with oppositely facing bent flange portions integral with said face to form a generally C-shaped rod section, said flanges, being cut-away at the thimble end substantially to said face, and a continuously formed uninterrupted rim bent from said face and toward the general plane of said flanges, said rim extending continuously from the cut-away edge of one flange and continuously skirting the thimble end of said face and continuously joining the other of said flanges, whereby said thimble end may be perfectly smooth and continuous with the remainder of said rod so that curtain material will not snag or catch either inthe process of threading onto or removal from said rod.

3. A sheet-metal curtain rod integrally formed with a thimble at one end, comprising a longitudinally extending generally flat face, longitudinally extending opposed flanges, and sides integral with said face and with said flanges for spacing said flanges from said face to provide a rod of generally C-shaped crosssection, said flanges being cut away at the thimble end of said rod, whereby said face and sides may project beyond said flanges, the

5 forward edge of said face being formed with a continuous skirt bent inwardly toward said flanges and continuously formed with said sides,

2. A sheet-metal curtain rod integrally formed with a thimble at one end, comprising a subwhereby the thimble end of said rod may be smooth and continuous so as to present no discontinuity. for snag ing a drapery or the like hem.

EDWARD J. DUBIELL.

References Cited in the flle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,376,541 Hills May 3, 1921 1,628,667, 3 Hathaway May 17, 1927 1,817,954 Trowbridge Aug. 11, 1931 1,930,996 Cuthbert Oct. 17, 1933 2,170,674 Auslander Aug. 22, 1939 2,436,811 Kenney et a1. Mar. 2, 1948 2,573,078 Whitehead Oct. 30, 1951

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