The present invention relates to heading tapes for curtains.

This expression is intended to include both tapes which are intended to be sewn or heat-welded horizontally to the tops of curtains and have pockets for hooks for hanging the curtains and loops for the passage of gathering cords, and tapes for blinds which are intended to be sewn or heat-welded to the blind vertically and have pockets for hooks with rings used for the passage of cords for operating the blind.

According to the prior art, the pockets and loops are formed during the weaving of the tape with the use of certain measures which result in the formation of a fabric which is double in the regions of the pockets and loops.

This known system for manufacturing curtain tapes requires the use of special looms whose output is limited because of their intermittent operating characteristics.

The object of the invention is to provide curtain heading tapes which can be produced more cheaply and quickly than the known tapes of the prior art.

The general characteristics of the curtain heading tapes of the present invention are defined by Claim 1 and Claim 2 respectively.

Further more specific characteristics of the tapes of the present invention are defined by Claims 3 to 12.

The invention will now be described in detail with

reference to the appended drawings provided purely by way of non-limiting example, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a curtain heading tape according to the invention shown at a first stage of its man facture,

Figure 2 is a view of the tape formed from the semi-finished tape shown in Figure 1,

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are three sections taken on the lines III-III, IV-I and V-V of Figure 2, respectively,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a semi-finished tape used to produce a tape according to a variant of Figures 1 and 2,

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the tape formed from the semi-finished tape shown in Figure 6,

Figures 8 and 9 are two cross-sections taken on the lines VIII-VIII and IX-IX of Figure 7, respectively,

Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of a semi-finished tape according to a further variant,

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the tape formed from the semi-finished tape shown in Figure 10,

Figures 12 and 13 are two cross-sections taken on the lines XII-XII and XIII-XIII of Figure 11, respectively, and

Figure 14 is a perspective view of a variant.

In the embodiment of Figures 1 to 5, a curtain heading tape, indicated 1, has pairs of parallel slits 2 formed in its central part, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tape. The portions la of the fabric of the tape between each pair of slits form the pockets for the engagement of hooks for hanging the curtain, which are shown in broken outline and indicated 5 in Figures

4 and 5.

The slits 2 are cut in the fabric 1 of the tape, for example, ultrasonically.

The tape 1 also has outwardly-extending tabs 3 cut in its side edges, for example, by blanking or ultrasonically.

Each tab 3 is folded inwardly of the tape and its free end is fixed to the tape so as to form a loop for the passage of a cord 4 for gathering the curtain.

The free end of each tab 3 is fixed to the tape 1 by sewing, ultrasonic welding, gluing or heat-sealing.

The tape shown in Figure 2 is thus suitable for continuous production with high output and at a low cost.

Figures 6 to 9 show a variant which provides for the use of an intermediate gathering cord 4a.

In this variant, the loops for the passage of the cord 4a are formed by tabs 6 blanked in the tape 1 and a longitudinal tape 7 superimposed on the free end of each tab and fixed both to the tab 6 and to the adjacent parts of the tape 1. In the embodiment shown

in Figure 7, the tape 7 is continuous, that is, it is common to all the loops 6 in the same central row.

The tab 7 could also be discontinuous, however, that is, it could be divided into a number of pieces of tape, one for each loop in the row.

The tab 7 can be fixed by any of the methods described above (sewing, ultrasonic welding, gluing, heat-sealing) .

In the variant shown in Figure 10 , the tape 1 has tabs 8 cut in its edges and extending outwardly flush with the side edges of the tape. As shown in Figure 11, the free end of each tab 8 is fixed to a backing tape 9 fixed to the back of the tape 1 so as to form one of the loops for the passage of a cord 4.

In this variant, the backing tape 9 is also interposed between the hooks inserted in the slits 2 and the curtain to which the heading tape is fixed.

The parts of the main tape 1 between the tabs 8 could even be removed so as to give the tape a configuration similar to that shown in Figure 1.

Each of the two tapes 1 and 9 is made of a fabric selected from the group constituted by:

a) unwoven fabrics, b) fabrics woven on a loom, c) knitted, crocheted or other fabrics.

Alternatively, each of the two tapes could be made of a strip of a homogeneous material, for example, a plastics material.

The backing fabric 9 is fixed to the outer fabric 1 by one of the methods mentioned above, that is by sewing, ultrasonic welding, gluing, heat-sealing, or other welding methods.

Although the examples described above refer to tapes for curtains, the present invention is also intended to apply to tapes for blinds which only have pockets for the passage of hooks with rings for the cords.

In this case, the tape could either be of the single-fabric type or of the double-fabric type.

In the variant shown in Figure 14, the pockets are formed by a longitudinal strip 10 which is fixed to the main tape 1, except in the regions indicated 11. The strip 10 could also be discontinuous rather than continuous as shown in the drawing.

Naturally, the principle of the invention remaining the same, the details of construction and forms of embodiment of the tapes may be varied widely with respect to those described and illustrated purely by way of non-limiting example, without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention.