Conventionally, curtains are hung from runners riding on tracks with the runners being attached to the curtain by means of hooks which inter- engage with strings of a curtain header tape. This of course requires that the curtain be furnished with a header tape. This can sometimes be inconvenient.

In order to overcome this disadvantage, the present invention provides a curtain hanging system comprising a track constituted by a pair of spaced parallel rails and a set of runners, the runners comprising rollers arranged to ride on one rail and between the two rails, the rollers being so shaped and the rails being so spaced that the rollers may be removed from between the rails only by distortion of the track or at an end thereof, the rollers being arranged to rotate on axles constituted by shanks of pins which are adapted to pass through the rollers and through a curtain, and wherein clip means are provided for retaining such curtain on such pins.

The adoption of the present invention thus allows a curtain header tape to be dispensed with. This is not to say, however, that the invention may not be used with a curtain that has already been provided with a header tape.

Indeed, some preferred embodiments of curtain hanging system in accordance with the invention include header tape support members for engagement with a curtain header tape which support members may be secured onto a said pin shank by the clip means. Stresses due to the weight of the curtain may thus be more evenly distributed.

It is presently envisaged that the rails should be circular in cross-section, the rollers being waisted to correspond. The rails may be hollow or solid as appropriate.

The rails may be of metal or other suitable material, and they may be given a bright or satin or other finish as desired.

It is envisaged that a curtain hung on a system according to this invention may be arranged behind the rails, and that the heads of the pins may therefore be exposed unless hidden behind a pelmet. We propose that the hanging system of the invention may constitute a decorative feature in itself, and it is accordingly preferred that the heads of the pins should have a diameter at least as great as that of the rollers. The finish of the pin heads is suitably matched to, or co-ordinated with, the finish of the rails. The pin heads may be substantially identical in appearance or they may vary, preferably according to some theme or in a co-ordinated manner The rails are suitably held in spaced parallel relationship by clamping members. The clamping members may be held together by a fixing element having a head which is substantially identical in appearance to, or in accordance with a theme of, the heads of the pins. Such fixing element preferably also serves to anchor the clamping members to a wall bracket, for example of columnar form, for supporting the system.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described in accordance with the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a detail cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the invention suitable for use with a curtain having no header tape,

Figure 2 is a detail cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the invention suitable for use with a curtain which does have a header tape, and Figure 3 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Figure 2.

In the drawings, a curtain hanging system comprising a track constituted by a pair of spaced parallel rails 1 and a set of runners 2. The runners 2 comprise rollers 3 arranged to ride on a lower rail la and between the two rails. The rails 1 are circular in cross-section, the rollers 3 being waisted to correspond. The rails may be hollow as shown, or solid, as appropriate. The rollers 3 are so shaped, and the rails 1 are so spaced, that the rollers 3 may be removed from between the rails 1 only by distortion of the track or at an end thereof. The rollers 3 are arranged to rotate on axles constituted by shanks 4 of pins 5 which are adapted to pass through the rollers 3 and through a curtain 6. Clip means 7 such as a snap-lock washer or a removable spring clip are provided for retaining the curtain 6 on the pins 5.

The adoption of the present invention thus allows a curtain header tape to be dispensed with, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 2 illustrates the use of the system with a curtain that has already been provided with a header tape, and also shows an optional header tape support member 8 engaging strings 9 of a curtain header tape and secured onto a pin shank 4 by the clip means. Stresses due to the weight of the curtain are thus more evenly distributed.

It is envisaged that a curtain hung on a system according to this invention may be arranged behind the rails (that is, between the rails and a wall to which they may be attached), and that the heads of the pins may therefore be exposed unless hidden behind a pelmet. We propose that the hanging

system of the invention may constitute a decorative feature in itself, and accordingly, the heads 10 of the pins 5 illustrated are arranged to mask the rollers 3, and as illustrated, they may be of greater diameter than the rollers 3. The finish of the pin heads 10 is matched to, or co-ordinated with, the finish of the rails. The pin heads may be substantially identical in appearance or they may vary, preferably according to some theme or in a co-ordinated manner As illustrated in Figure 3, the rails are held in spaced parallel relationship by clamping members 11. The clamping members 11 are held together by a fixing element 12 having a head 13 which is substantially identical in appearance to, or in accordance with a theme of, the heads 10 of the pins 5. Such fixing element 12 also serve to anchor the clamping members 11 to a wall bracket 14 of columnar form, for supporting the system.

Though optional support members 8 engaging curtain header tape strings 9 are shown in Figure 3, it will be appreciated that these would in reality be hidden on the unseen side of the curtain.