Curtain Tapes

Abstract

 There is disclosed a woven curtain tape (11) comprising at least three sub-tapes (11a,11b,11c) bound together by a common weft (12) at intervals leaving gaps (13) aligned widthwise of the tape (11) forming pockets (14) for receiving curtain hooks.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to curtain tapes, such as curtain header tapes and curtain lining tapes.

[0002] Curtain tapes are woven tapes, provided with drawstrings, and products for receiving curtain hooks. The tape is sewn on to the curtain, hooks inserted into the products (usually every thing, fourth or fifth pocket) and the curtains hung by the hooks on the curtain rail. The drawstrings are pulled to ruck the curtains.

[0003] Tapes are usually single sided, e.g. provided with pockets on only one face. Especially in an industrial environment, it is not uncommon for a tape to be mistakenly sewn on with the product face to the curtain. The tape must then be unpicked and sewn on again, representing a waste of time and sewing thread, and possibly producing an inferior curtain product because of the double sewing and damage caused by unpicking.

[0004] Reversible tapes are available, but are expensive. They are produced on a slow shuttle loom, or with corded pockets, which are not as strong as the pockets of conventional tapes and tend to sag under the weight of the curtains; the cord yarn is more expensive than for conventional tapes. These reversible tapes are available only with a single row of pockets.

[0005] The present invention provides a double sided tape which is inexpensive to produce and which does not suffer the disadvantages of existing double sided tapes.

[0006] The invention comprises a woven curtain tape comprising at least three sub-tapes bound together by a common weft at intervals leaving gaps aligned widthwise of the tape forming pockets for receiving curtain hooks.

[0007] Not only is this tape reversible, it is actually less expensive to manufacture than conventional curtain tapes, because it forms the product out of the ground warp and weft, saving on pocket yarn, which accounts for some 25% of the yarn cost of conventional tapes.

[0008] The tape may be a single pocket tape, comprising three sub-tapes, a three pocket tape, comprising five sub-tapes, or a five pocket tape comprising seven sub-tapes. In fact, as many pockets as may be required can be produced.

[0009] The invention also comprises a method for making a curtain tape comprising:

• forming a single shed of warp yarn;
• inserting weft into the shed using at least three weft inserters;
• for forming the pockets, inserting each weft over a portion only of the shed, the plurality of wefts, however, covering the whole of the shed;
• for forming the tape between the pockets, inserting at least one weft over the whole of the shed.

[0010] There may be three weft inserters, producing a single pocket tape, five weft inserters, producing a three pocket tape, or seven weft inserters producing a five pocket tape.

[0011] Wefts may be fed parallel to the warp to be picked up by forked weft inserters, for wearing in the pocket areas, and such wefts are not picked up during weaving the tape between the pockets, and woven into the body of the tape.

[0012] Curtain tapes and methods for making them will now be described with regard to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1

is a face-on view of a section of a first embodiment of tape;

Figure 2

is a view like Figure 1 of a section of a second embodiment of tape;

Figure 3

is a view like Figure 1 of a section of a third embodiment of tape; and

Figure 4

is a diagrammatic view of a loom for weaving the tape of Figure 1.

[0013] The drawings illustrate woven curtain tape 11 comprising at least three sub-tapes, 11a, 11b, 11c, ... bound together by a common weft 12 at intervals leaving gaps 13 aligned widthwise of the tape 11 forming pockets 14 for receiving curtain hooks (not shown).

[0014] Figure 1 illustrates a single pocket tape comprising warp yarns 15 (of which only a few are shown) with wefts 12, 16, 17.

[0015] Weft 12, as noted, is the weft for the areas between the pockets, and engages all the warp yarns in those areas. Weft 16 forms the middle sub-tape 11b in the pocket areas, weft 17 forms the edge sub-tape 11d. Weft 12, of course, forms the other edge sub-tape 11a. In between pocket areas, wefts 16, 17 form extra warps, and are woven in as such.

[0016] Since the tape 11 consists only of a flat woven tape with gaps 13, it is reversible, ie. it can be sewn on to the curtain either face out.

[0017] Figure 2 illustrates a three pocket tape 11, having five sub-tapes 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e with four gapes 13 in the pocket areas forming three pockets 14.

[0018] Figure 3 illustrates a five pocket tape 11, having seven sub-tapes 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d, 11e, 11f, 11g, having, across the width of the tape, seven gaps 13, giving a total of five pockets 14.

[0019] Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of apparatus for making the tape of Figure 1. A warp shed 41 is formed in the usual way. Three formed end weft inserters 42, 43, 44 are mounted on a common arm 45 which reciprocates them across the shed. Wefts 12, 16, 17 are fed in parallel to the warp.

[0020] As shown, all three wefts 12, 16, 17 are positioned to be picked up by the forked weft inserters 42, the arm 45 reciprocating them each over a third the width of the warp, weaving three sub-tapes 11a, 11b, 11c with gaps between.

[0021] To weave the areas between the gaps, wefts 16 and 17 are displaced, so that they are no longer picked up by the weft inserters. Only weft 12 is picked up, and the arm 45 now carries this weft 12 all the way across the shed to unite the three sub-tapes in the inter-pocket regions.

[0022] Tapes according to Figures 2 and 3 are made in similar fashion, using more wefts and weft inserters.

[0023] Drawstrings 21, 22, shown in Figure 1 only, are introduced in the usual way.

[0024] The tapes herein described and illustrated are substantially less expensive to make than conventionally pocketed tapes, which use special yarn for the pockets, which accounts for 25% of the material cost. Even fireproof tapes, using expensive yarn, can be made inexpensively in this way. The tapes inherently have the property that they are reversible, but, even were this not an important consideration, it would still be preferred to make tapes according to the invention over conventional tapes on account of cost.

Claims

1. A woven curtain tape comprising at leat three sub-tapes bound together by a common weft at intervals leaving gaps aligned widthwise of the tape forming pockets for receiving curtain hooks.

2. A tape according to claim 1, being a single pocket tape, and comprising three sub-tapes.

3. A tape according to claim 1, being a three pocket tape and comprising five sub-tapes.

4. A tape according to claim 1, being a five pocket tape, and comprising seven sub-tapes.

5. A method for making a curtain tape comprising:

• forming a single shed of warp yarn;

• inserting weft into the shed using at least three weft inserters;

• for forming the pockets, inserting each weft over a portion only of the shed, the plurality of wefts, however, covering the whole shed;

• for forming the tape between the pockets, inserting at least one weft over the whole of the shed.

6. A method for making a curtain tape according to claim 5, in which there are three weft inserters, producing a single pocket tape.

7. A method according to claim 5, in which there are five weft inserters producing a three pocket tape.

8. A method according to claim 5, in which there are seven weft inserters producing a five pocket tape.

9. A method according to any one of claims 5 to 8, in which wefts are fed parallel to the warp to be picket up by forked weft inserters, for weaving in the pocket areas, and such wefts are not picked up during weaving the tape between the pockets.

Drawing