Abstract: Adjustable drapery traverse rods provided with a motor driven means for moving master carriers utilize a uniformly perforated drive tape and sprocket combination. Because of the perforations in the drive tape, the tape does not form a smooth curve when bent. The drive sprocket is thus adapted to allow the drive tape to lie flush against the sprocket as the tape passes over the sprocket over a wide range of tape tensions and, thereby, to drive the tape smoothly and noiselessly.

Abstract: An energy efficient garage door construction comprising a plurality of interconnected door sections. Each of the sections includes a pair of symmetrical metal panels forming the opposed sides and long edges of the section, and an expanded polystyrene core flanked by a pair of wooden stiles with the metal panels adhesively bonded to the core and stiles. The metal panels form oppositely facing recesses along one side edge and tongues along the other side edge so that adjacent panels interfit to create a baffle effect. The wooden stiles give the door sections extra strength and rigidity, while also serving as a reinforcement plate for mounting locks and other door hardware on the end portions of the door sections.

Abstract: A sun blind for window openings having at least one of the upper and lower edges disposed, at least in part, at other than the horizontal, is disclosed. In one embodiment, the upper edge of the window opening is disposed at other than the horizontal, for example, at a slant, and the sun blind includes an upper rail conforming to the outline of the upper edge of the window opening and a rod fastened to the upper rail spaced apart from the upper rail. The rod is threaded through spaced apertures in the sun blinding member and retains the sun blinding member and a lower rail attached to it. The rod is clamped to the upper rail by fastening clips slidably disposed in the upper rail. Suitable cords are arranged for moving and guiding the sun blinding member. The sun blind can be used in window openings having slanted, peaked and arch-shaped upper or lower edges, for example.

Abstract: An insulating window shade assembly includes a shade frame having a pair of vertical side channels open in a direction facing one another and designed to be mounted on the inside of the window to be insulated. A flexible insulating shade having inner and outer spaced apart parallel panels extends downwardly from the top of the channels, and the margins of the panels extend into the channels. Edge seals are provided in each channel made up of a pair of flexible polyester film strips with the adjacent sides of the strips being spring biased towards one another but being separable so that the margins of the shade panels may lie between them. The flexible character of the strips forms an effective insulating seal about the margins. A rerailer assembly is provided at the tops of the edge seals to guide the margins of the each panel between the strips of the edge seal should they become dislodged.

Abstract: An inside storm window or other window cover is mounted to a window frame by two magnetic tape strips, one which adheres to the frame and another which adheres to the window cover. Before the second tape strip is attached to the window cover, it is positioned with its magnetic side face to face with the first strip so that the strips are oriented to magnetically attract one another at all points around the window. Then, the window cover is attached to the second strip, and the magnetic attraction between the tape strips assures an effective seal around the entirety of the window.

Abstract: The invention relates to an insulating curtain consisting of an inflatable element (1) which in an inflated condition is intended to cover a surface area and in a deflated condition to be stored adjacent said area. The inflatable element comprises airtight portions (9,11) and means which are adapted for filling these portions, the inflatable element thereby being fed out from the store (3). The airtight portions comprise at least one central (9) and at least one peripheral (11) airtight portion and the central portion is substantially airtightly compressible between two compression members (2), along at least a portion of its width, whereby the compressed area will define an inflatable part and a substantially deflated part of the inflatable element. Air ducts (6,7) are disposed within the element and are not compressed by the compression means for enabling the air supply to the airtight portions. Feeding the inflatable element from the store (3) is done by supplying air to the central portion (9).

Abstract: A heat insulating roller blind is made of two congruent sheets which are joined at their side and bottom edges by a soft elastic band. Valve means allow room air into the space between the sheets and permit the outflow of the air when the blind is rolled up. Tab means are connected to one of the sheets to add in separating them when the blind is unrolled.

Abstract: A venetian blind assembly having rotatably mounted tilt drums which are adapted to permit properly aligned and indexed mounting of respective slat ladders without the necessity for time consuming measurements and without the need for auxiliary fasteners. Each ladder has an uppermost rung disposed about an underside of a respective tilt drum with portions of the ladder side cords adjacent said uppermost rung extending over the drum in crossing relationship and then downwardly along opposite sides of the drum with the slat supporting rungs suspended below the drum.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for retaining pleats in hanging draperies including an elongated flexible cord having a plurality of elongated resilient members fixedly secured at spaced locations along the cord, each member including a first mating section interconnected by a fold portion to a second mating section and a pointed end extending from one of the mating sections. A pointed end receiver extends from the other of the mating sections in a direction opposite the pointed end whereby the two mating sections are releasably locked together with the pointed end entering the receiver clamping a portion of one of the pleats of the hanging drapery therebetween. In this manner, each resilient member is secured to a pleat thereby retaining the drapery in a hanging position spacing one pleat from another.

Abstract: The safety apparatus for locking slatted roller shutters is disposed in a channel-shaped shutter rail provided on the side of the roller shutter and comprises a locking device, which is connected to one end of a shutter slat and pivoted to the end of a lower slat. The locking device consists of a chain, which with its lower end is indirectly or directly secured to said lower shutter slat and which has flat links, which have sharp-edged and/or pointed ends and which are pivoted on axes which extend substantially in the longitudinal direction of the roller slats. When an upward pushing force is exerted on the roller shutter from below, the chain will automatically wedge itself between the two mutually opposite legs of the shutter rail. No locking action will be exerted on the roller shutter.

Abstract: A tilting roll and tilting roll assembly for the ladder means of a venetian blind for the ladder cord or tape of a venetian blind in which the roll which is rotatable within a base about the longitudinal axis of the roll includes a first pair of opening portions which are circumferentially spaced from one another, one cord or tape of the ladder passing over the top of the roll into engagement with one of the opening portions and the other tape or cord passing over the top of the roll from the other side and engaging the other opening portion. A second pair of opening portions is provided axially spaced from the first to enable the ladder tape or cord to be mounted on the opposite side of a lift cord.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a security cover for an automobile storage compartment. The security cover includes a pair of longitudinally extending track members disposed along opposite sides and between opposite ends of the compartment to be covered. An elongated roller member extends between the track members. Means associated with the ends of the roller member effect a sliding engagement with a respective one of the track members. Flexible sheet material of generally rectangular outline is provided, such sheet material having a width substantially coextensive with the width of the compartment to be covered. Means are provided for connecting the sheet material to the roller member intermediate the opposite ends of the sheet material. A spring means causes rotation of the roller member to effect a rolling of the sheet material concentrically about the roller member. Means are provided for selectively maintaining the opposite ends of the sheet material near the opposite ends of the compartment.

Abstract: A cord lock for a venetian blind lift cord; having a housing with two side walls in spaced, substantially parallel relationship to each other, each side wall being provided with an oblong window with the windows in alignment with each other. A cam extends in the housing through the windows and is slidably and non-removably received in the windows. Each side wall also is provided with an elongated slot extending essentially vertically and at an angle with respect to the window, the slots being in alignment with each other. A cord glide body is non-rotatably but slidably received in the slots. The cord lock enables a lift cord passed in the housing over the cord glide body and between the cord glide body and the cam to be releasably locked therebetween.

Abstract: A mechanism for the roller of a roller blind, in which a housing has rotatably mounted therein a pulley over which a ball cord, passes, with two pieces of cord hanging down, one from each side of the pulley. The balls of the ball cord can be engaged in one of two U-shaped slots, to lock the cord. The U-shaped slots are each formed in a locking element which is designed as a component which can be fastened to the housing in either of two different positions, the locking part being arranged on the locking element in such a way that, in one or other of the two different positions, it always interacts with one or the other of the pieces of cord hanging down.

Abstract: A carrier for supporting a panel for movement along a track and adapted for connection to a string for controlling the spacing of the carriers along the track. The carrier includes a carrier body having a key receiving cavity, a locking key integrally connected to the body by a frangible connection arranged to allow an intermediate portion of a string to be inserted laterally into a position extending crosswise of the cavity. The key is then forced into the cavity to form a loop in the string and lock the string to the carrier body.

Abstract: A sun blind for a window, in particular a window occupying permanently or temporarily a slanting position and optionally being operative to be toppled about a horizontal axis, said sun blind comprising a horizontal profiled top bar fastened to or integrated with the header of the window frame, a horizontal profiled bottom bar operative to be moved with respect to said top bar, a sun blinding portion between said top bar and said bottom bar, lateral guides for guiding the ends of the bottom bar, said guides being provided along or within the side posts of the window frame, at least two cords running through apertures in the sun blinding portion and optionally an additional profiled bar along the bottom sill part of the window frame, whereby said cords serve solely for guiding the bottom bar and the sun blinding portion, while the ends of all cords are fastened to fixed points of the top bar, the bottom bar or the lateral guides of the sun blind.

Abstract: An insulation and weatherstripping arrangement and associated method for a rolling door includes an insulation supporting member to support a block of expanded polystyrene or similar insulation inside a vertically extending cavity disposed between a guide track and a wall. Most advantageously, metallic parts disposed on the inside of the door are thermally isolated from metallic parts disposed on the outside of the door. Additionally, inner and outer weatherstrips are used for further minimizing heat loss.

Abstract: A fabric drapery system having a unique decorative appearance, by providing a pair of fabric drapery modules to be supported on a conventional drapery traverse rod system or the like, wherein each drapery module comprises three fabric drapery front panels extending the full height of the drapery module to form outwardly facing substantially flat panels bounded laterally by drapery seam formations at their vertical edges with an intervening rearfold panel between each pair of front panels. The middle panel of the three front panels is foldable rearwardly into a collapsed position when the drapery is retracted to opened position while the outermost panels adjacent the middle panel are retained in fully extended flat condition so that the outermost panels of the pair always remain in a common vertical plane, and the intervening rearfold panels remain in folded condition continuously.

Abstract: A device for driving and stopping a roll blind including a blind cloth and a winding roll for winding up and unwinding the blind coth, which includes a clutch mechanism which is actuated to its ON- and OFF-positions by drawing the blind cloth downward. In the cloth lowering operation the clutch mechanism is held in ON-position in order to stop the blind cloth at a desired position and in the cloth raising operation the clutch mechanism is actuated to the OFF-position by slightly drawing the blind cloth downward, thereby allowing the blind cloth onto the winding roll.

Abstract: An apparatus for regulating the radiation of light and/or heat by the use of slats which are suitable for placing under a roof constructions, such as a greenhouse roof, in which the slats 140 are supported at or adjacent each end by a pair of laterally spaced apart connecting cords 136,137. These cords form the sole suspension for the slats and are mounted, at their upper ends, on a combined tilting and carrier means 102,107,108,115. Drive 128 is provided for the combined carrier and tilting means so that the latter impart a movement from which the tilting movement of the suspended slats is directly derived. It is also possible for the slats to be drawn back by movement of runners 134,135 on the combined carrier and tilting means.