Curtain suspension systems comprising a track and curtain supporting runners are well known, and are available in many forms. We have noted however that such systems tend to suffer certain disadvantages, in that the runners are either easily dislodged from the track, or that it is difficult to replace or add an intermediate runner without removing all the outer runners from the track.

It is an object of the present invention to alleviate this disadvantage and to provide such other advantages as may hereinafter be referred to.

According to the present invention there is provided a curtain suspension system comprising a track and a plurality of curtain-suspending runners carried thereby, wherein the track comprises a pair of parallel spaced rails and said runners each comprise spaced rollers for running along said rails, and an intermediate curtain-suspending member arranged to hang between the rails.

In use there will be a run of a curtain track between any mounting brackets corresponding to the draw of the curtain. Thus a runner may be added at an intermediate position with its curtain-suspending member hanging between the rails by bowing apart those rails if necessary, and there is no need to strip outer runners from the track in order to do this.

The rollers are suitably arranged co-axially.

In some preferred embodiments of the invention, the rails are substantially cylindrical and the rollers are waisted. The rails may be solid or hollow.

The rails are suitably of metal preferably with a bright or satin finish, though other materials may be envisaged.

It is preferred that each runner comprises a curtain-suspending member having an aperture at one end and a stub axle projecting from each side at the other end for receiving a said roller.

The axles and the apertured curtain-suspending member may be formed as an integral moulding, and may be of metal or plastics material.

Each said roller preferably includes a blind hole for receiving an axle.

This promotes an attractive visual appearance of the ends of the rollers.

The system suitably includes an anchoring member bridging the two rails for retaining an end curtain-suspending runner.

In some preferred embodiments, the system includes multi-part mounting means each comprising a wall bracket part for fixing to a wall so as to project therefrom and a housing cover which is arranged for clamping to the projecting wall bracket part so as to hold the rails spaced from the wall and in mutual parallel spaced relationship.

The system may include a pair of end mountings and a central mounting.

The housing portions of the mountings may be held together by a single screw.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1 and 2 are respectively plan and are side elevations of a first embodiment of curtain suspension system,

Figure 3 is an end elevation of a mounting bracket of the system of Figures 1 and 2, Figure 4 is an end elevation of a second embodiment of mounting bracket, and Figure 5 is a side elevation of a curtain suspension system incorporating curtain suspending members of a shape different from that shown in Figure 2.

In the drawings, a curtain suspension system comprising a track comprising a pair of parallel spaced rails 1 and a plurality of curtain- suspending runners 2 carried thereby. In the illustrated embodiment, the runners each comprise a pair of spaced co-axial rollers 3 for running along the track, and an intermediate curtain-suspending member 4 arranged to hang between the rails with suitable clearance for sliding along between the rails for drawing the curtains.

As shown, the rails 1 are substantially cylindrical and the rollers 3 are waisted, though other configurations are possible. The rails may be solid or hollow. The rails are suitably of metal preferably with a bright or satin finish, though other materials may be envisaged.

Each runner 2 comprises a curtain-suspending member 4 having an aperture 5 at one end for receiving a hook engaged with a curtain header tape (not shown) and a stub axle 6 projecting from each side at the other end for receiving a said roller 3. It will be appreciated that other curtain suspending arrangements are possible. For example the lower portions of the curtain-suspending members could be hooked or otherwise shaped for engaging strings of curtain header tape or for direct attachment to an upper margin of a curtain.

The axles 6 and the apertured curtain-engaging member 4 may be formed as an integral moulding, and may be of metal or plastics material. Each roller may likewise be moulded, and may be formed of a metal or plastics material. In some embodiments, the rollers are of a metallised plastics material.

Each said roller 3 preferably includes a blind hole for receiving an axle.

This allows an end face 7 of the roller to promotes a clean and attractive visual appearance.

The system includes an anchoring member 8 bridging the two rails towards each end for retaining an end curtain-suspending runner.

In the illustrated embodiments, the system includes two-part mounting means 10 each comprising a wall bracket 11 part for fixing to a wall so as to project therefrom and a housing cover part 12 which is arranged for clamping to the projecting wall bracket 11 and to the two rails 1 so as to hold the rails spaced from the wall and in mutual parallel spaced relationship, while at the same time masking any wall fixing screws passing through the wall bracket part 11.

The system may include a pair of end mountings 10 and a central mounting 13.

The two parts of the mountings may be held together by a single screw 14.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the lower parts of the curtain suspending members 4, and the wall mountings 10 have a drop-shaped or semi- elliptical profile.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the lower parts of the curtain suspending members now indicated at 24, and the wall mountings 10 have a generally rectangular profile, with rounded corners.

Another difference between the mountings of Figures 1 to 3 on the one hand and those of Figures 4 and 5 is that the clamping screws of the former pass between the two rails 1 to hold the cover 12 onto the bracket 11, whereas in the embodiment shown in the latter drawings, the clamping screws are located between the wall and the rail which is closer to the wall.

In use of either embodiment, there will be a run of a curtain track between any mounting brackets corresponding to the draw of the curtain.

Thus a runner may be added at an intermediate position with its curtain- suspending member hanging between the rails, by bowing apart those rails if the dimensions of the lower end portions of the curtain-suspending members 4,24 of the runners require this, and there is no need to strip outer runners from the track in order to add such an extra runner. Of course, if the thickness of the lower portions of the curtain-suspending members 4,24 is less than the spacing between the rails 1, no such bowing of the rails will be required and a new or replacement runner may simply be dropped into place Furthermore, because those lower end portions of the curtain-suspending members 4,24 hang down between the rails 1, the weight of the curtain will ensure that the runners are not easily dislodged from the track.