Abstract: A cutting blade has a pocketed cutting portion and a massive portion at a lower end of said cutting blade. The cutting blade includes a first face and a second face at a spaced distance from the first face, the first and second faces defining a massive portion of the cutting blade. The cutting blade also has exterior side walls extending between the first and second faces, and a plurality of interior side walls spaced inwardly of the exterior side walls and extending from the second face toward the first face to define the pocketed cutting portion of the cutting blade.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting a window covering including a head rail, a bottom rail and slats includes a base having a substantially flat cutting surface, and a frame overlying the cutting surface. The base includes a clamping assembly for securing the window covering atop the cutting surface with the bottom rail, slats and top rail in a side-by-side arrangement over the cutting surface. The apparatus includes a cutting assembly having a cutting blade with a cutting edge for sliding along a movement axis having a first component of movement extending in a direction substantially parallel to the cutting surface and a second component of movement extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the cutting surface. A driver is connected with the cutting assembly for moving the cutting blade toward the cutting surface, wherein the cutting edge simultaneously cuts through the bottom rail, the slats and the head rail.

Abstract: A method for producing an expandable and collapsible product for use in a window covering includes the steps of pleating a continuous length of material, bonding together opposing faces that face one side of the product to form a series of enclosed cells, bonding together opposed faces facing the other side of the product to form another series of enclosed cells, and removing creases from one side of the product to open one of the series of enclosed cells so that the other series of enclosed cells remains intact and connected to one another. The creases may be removed by abrading the material along the creases. The opposed faces may be bonded by applying a bead of adhesive to one of the faces and compressing the faces together. Also provided is a window covering having a multi-cellular expandable and collapsible body. The body has a number of strips of material that are creased in the center parallel to the long edges. The long edges are joined together to form a tab.

Abstract: A method of cutting a window covering having a longitudinal axis and a second axis substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis to a specified length includes providing a cutting apparatus including a base having a cutting surface. The cutting apparatus has a cutting blade slidably mounted thereon for sliding along a movement axis toward and away from the cutting surface. The window covering is then positioned atop the cutting surface of the base and the cutting blade is moved along the movement axis and toward the cutting surface to cut the window covering to the specified length. The movement axis has a first component extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the window covering and substantially perpendicular to the second axis of the window covering and a second component extending substantially parallel to the second axis of the window covering.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a pleated cellular shade product from a single web of material to provide different physical characteristics on opposite sides of the shade product. A web is provided having alternate first and second stripe areas extending crosswise of the web at a preset repeat spacing and the striped web is folded crosswise of the web alternately in a first direction along a first fold line intermediate side edges of the first stripe area and in a second direction along a second fold line intermediate side edges of each second stripe area to form a plurality of sidewise adjacent panels serially united in alternate succession along respective first and second fold lines.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making a pleated expandable and collapsible multi-cell product for window coverings and the like. A web of material is accordion folded widthwise to form a series of web panels united in alternate succession along first and second creased folds disposed at respective first and second sides of the web. Successive panels are advanced in an unfolded condition lengthwise of the web through an adhesive applying zone to an inlet end of a refold stack and adhesive is applied to each web panel, in a band parallel to and spaced from the associated creased fold with a preceding panel. The web panels having adhesive applied thereto are refolded in succession along the associated creased fold with a preceding panel onto the inlet end of the refold stack.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting a window covering including a head rail, a bottom rail and slats includes a base having a substantially flat cutting surface, and a frame overlying the cutting surface. The base includes a clamping assembly for securing the window covering atop the cutting surface with the bottom rail, slats and top rail in a side-by-side arrangement over the cutting surface. The apparatus includes a cutting assembly having a cutting blade with a cutting edge for sliding along a movement axis having a first component of movement extending in a direction substantially parallel to the cutting surface and a second component of movement extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the cutting surface. A driver is connected with the cutting assembly for moving the cutting blade toward the cutting surface, wherein the cutting edge simultaneously cuts through the bottom rail, the slats and the head rail.