US1251402A - Trousers stretcher and press combined. - Google Patents

Description

H. M. MILLER & H. H. NIEMANN.

v TROUSERS STRETCHER AND PRESS COMBINED.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7.1912.

1 ,251,402. Patented Dec. 25, 1917.

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY M. MILLER AND HENRY H. NIEMANN, OF FAIRFIELD, IOWA.

TROUSERS s'rnn'ronnn AND ranss COMBINED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

App1ieation fi1ez1 July 7, 1917. Serial No. 179,192.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, HENRY M. MILLER and HENRY H. NIEMANN, citizens of the United States, residing at Fairfield, in the county of J etferson. and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trousers Stretchers and Presses Combined; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will onable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in trousers stretcher and press combined.

The object of the invention is to provide a device in which is adapted to be placed trousers and they are so arranged therein as to be held in their creases, thus obviating the necessity of pressing the trousers with heated irons or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trousers stretcher and press of this character, which embodies a relatively stationary member and a relatively movable member, the movable member being pivotally secured to the stationary member, each of the members provided on their opposing faces with fabric stretching or pressing means whereby when the members are forced toward one another, the fabric stretching means will be moved laterally from the opposite sides of the seams ofthe trousers to a taut position, thus removing the creases and wrinkles from the trousers and holding them in a pressed and smooth condition.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a relatively stationary clamping member to which is pivotally or hingedly secured, a relatively movable pressing member, and means carried by said members for cooperation with one another for holding them in engagement with one another.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a trousers stretcher and press combined, which is provided with a relatively stationary member to which is hingedly or pivotally secured, a relatively movable member, each of the members provided with a flexible pressing means, which means are adapted to be held taut by normally bowed springs, which are connected thereto and urge the flexible pressing means outwardly laterally in both directions to remove the creases from trousers arranged between the opposing faces of the pressing means.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a simple and convenient effective means for preserving the shape and appear ance of trousers when not being worn for excluding them from dust during such time and increasing the wear of the same by eliminating much of the need for hot iron pressing.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a device of this character, which will be simple, practical and comparatively inexpensive in construction, and one that can be manufactured and sold at a low cost.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and set forth in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the trousers stretcher and press as made in accordance with our invention,

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view showing the trousers stretcher and press in open position, i

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view illustrating the trousers stretcher and press in closed position with the trousers arranged therein.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the trousers stretcher and press combined as made in accordance with this invention. The trousers stretcher and press combined comprises in its construction, a relatively stationary member 2, while the numeral 3 designates a relatively movable member. The relatively movable member is adapted to be urged into clamping engagement with the relatively stationary member when assembled as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The stationary member consists of a plurality of relatively spaced substantially U- shaped members 2, the webs of which are bowed or offset upwardly as at 3 to provide a substantially horizontal medial portion. One leg of each of the U-shaped members terminates into a latch keeper 4, while Patented Dec. 25, 191 *7.

the other leg terminates into a hinged barconvex surface is in engagement with the web portions of the U-shaped members 2, thus its arms will curve upwardly and outwardlv in opposite directions, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

A retaining casing 8 is secured as at 9 to the upper surface of the bowed spring 6 adjacent each end thereof and has one edge extending beyond the ends of the bowed spring and bent back upon themselves as at 10. The inner edges of the casing 8 are bent back upon themselves as at 11 to provide spacing flanges.

A stretching fabric 12 has one edge secured in the bent back portion 10 of the retaining casin 8 as at 18, it being understood that it is secured therein in any suitable manner. The retaining casings 8 are secured longitudinally with relation to the spaced members 2, thus rigidly connecting the members in spaced relation to one another and at a spaced distance apart. The members 2 are of different sizes to compensate for the larger and smaller ends of the trousers, which are adapted to be placed upon the upper side of the fabric 12, the purpose of which will be hereinafter more fully described.

A pressure board 13 is formed of any suitable material such as metal or the like and tapers from one end to the other and is of substantially the same width as the bowed spring 6 and it has its longitudinal side edges offset as at 1% to permit them to be slidably fitted or arranged under the bent back flanges 11 of the retaining casings 8 as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The pres sure plates are provided centrally of their ends or edges along the longitudinal axis with an offset portion 15, which is adapted to receive the of a pair of trousers therein when the bowed springs are expanded, due to the clamping action of the upper member thereon, it being understood that when the clamping action is set up between the movable and stationary members that the bowed springs will normally urge the casings outwardly, thus stretching the fabric stretching material laterally from opposite sides of the seams of the trousers and remove the wrinkles and creases therefrom.

The relatively movable member?) consists of a plurality of substantially inverted U- shaped members 16, which have their web portions bowed inwardly to provide a substantially horizontal portion 17, to which is secured intermediate the ends thereof, the bowed springs 18. The bowed springs 18 have their convex surfaces in engagement with the horizontal portion 17 of the substantially U-shaped members 16 as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

A pair of relatively spaced longitudinally extending retaining casings 19 are secured as at 20 to the opposite oifset ends and on the inner sides of the bowed springs 18, and the edges of the retaining casings 20 extend beyond the ends of the bowed springs 18 and are curved back upon themselves as at 21 and have secured therein, the side edges of the stretching fabric 22. The retaining casings 19 are secured. described to the bowed springs which bowed springs are secured as at 2st to the portion 1? of the U-shaped members 3, thus a rigid connection between the U-shaped members and bowed springs is established.

One arm of the inverted U-shaped member 16 is hingedly secured as at 25 to the hinged barrel 5 of the arm of the lower memher 2, thus hingedly connecting the relatively movable member with the relatively stationary member, and the fabric 22 of the relativel movable member is in direct alinement with the fabric 12 of the relatively sta tionary member the purpose of which will be hereinafter more fully described.

The inner ends of the retaining casings 20 of the relatively movable member are bent back upon themselves as at 26 and have slidably arranged thereon, the ends of the pres sure boards or plates 27 in a manner similar to the construction shown and described of the relatively stationary member. The longitudinal medial portion of the pressure plate 27 is offset as at 28 and is adapted to aline with the offset portion 15 of the pressure plate 13, thus when the trousers are placed between the opposing faces of the fabric stretching members and the movable member is moved into clamping engagement with the stationary member, the seams of the trousers will lie in the offset portions 15 and 28 and by virtue of the bowed springs 6 and 18, the fabric stretching members will be moved laterally in opposite directions from the longitudinally extending ofl'set portion, thus removing the creases and wrinkles from the trousers when the members are in clamping engagement with one another.

A latch 29 is pivotally secured as at 30 to the under side of the substantially U-shaped members 16 adjacent their free ends, and these latches have locking ends 81, which are adapted to be engaged under the keepers 4 of the arms of the U-shaped members 2 to firmly clamp the opposing faces of the fabric stretching members 12 and 22 in engagement with one another and against apair of trousers located therein, thus holding the creases of the trousers in place and keeping them in a smooth and straight condition at all times, this process prolonging the life of the trousers as it obviates the necessity of using heated irons or other well known means for creasing the trousers.

The upper and lower stretching fabrics 1,2 and 22 are provided at the larger ends thereof with a relatively enlarged fabric portion as shown at 32 to compensate for the bulky part of the trousers or the larger end thereof when the same are arranged between the opposing faces of the stretching means.

It can be readily understood tha the pressure plates 13 and 27 may or may not be used as desired, and these plates may be readily slid under the flanges 11 and 26 of the retaining casings 8 and 19 when desired, thus causing an even pressure against the trousers when the fabrics l2 and 2 are in clamping engagement with one another; thus it will be seen that the trousers will be held in a smooth and creased position at all times when the members are in clamping engagement with one another.

In operation, the movable member is swung into the open position as shown in Fig. 2. The trousers are laid or a ranged in their reases and are placed upon the upper surface of the fabric stretching member 12 of the relatively stationary member. The upper member is then forced down into engagement with the trousers, forcing the seams into the offset portions 15 and 28 of the pressure plates 13 and 27. Thus it will be seen that when the latches 29 are forced into engagement with the keepers 4, by virtue of the bowed springs 6 and 18, the fabric stretching means will be urged laterally in opposite directions from the longitudinal seams of the trousers, thus removing all the creases and wrinkles from the trousers and holding the trousers in a smooth and clean condition at all times while in the keepers.

It is to be understood that it is only necessary to release the latches from the keepers to permit the trousers to be removed when it is desired.

It is also to be understood that a supporting hook 34 may be secured to the relatively movable U-shaped members 16 at the medial portion thereof and on the exterior thereof to permit the device to be suspended in a wardrobe, cupboard or against a wall or the like.

hat is claimed is:

1. A trousers stretcher comprising a pair of pivoted members, stretching means carried by each of said members, and means for urging the stretching means laterally when the member are moved in clamping engagement with one another, as and for the purpose specified.

2. A trousers stretcher comprising a relatively stationary member, a relatively movable member hingedly connected to the stationary member, flexible stretching means carried by the opposing faces of each of the members, means carried by each of the members and engaging the flexible stretching members to urge them laterally in opposite directions during the movement of the movable and stationary members in clamping engagement with one another.

3. A trousers stretcher comprising a relameans connected to each of the members andto the fabric, causing the fabric to be drawn taut when the members arein clamping engagement with one another, as and forthcpurpose specified. V

A. trousers stretcher and press combined comprising a relatively stationary member, a relatively movable member hingedly connected to the stationary member, bowed springs rigidly secured to each of the members, retaining casings carried by the springs, fabric stretching members secured to the casings, and means for holding the fabric stretching members in engagement with one another when the relatively movable member is forced in the direction of the relatively stationary member, as and for the purpose specified.

6. A trousers stretcher and press combined comprising a relatively stationary member including a plurality of relatively spaced U-shaped members, a relatively movable member comprising a plurality of relatively spaced substantially inverted U- shaped members, certain arms of the sta tionary member terminating in barrels and the arms of the movable member hingedly connected to said barrels, the opposite arms of the stationary member terminating in keepers, latches carried by the arms of the relatively movable member to removably engage the keeper for holding the members in clamping engagement with one another, and flexible stretching means carried by said members.

7. A trousers stretcher and press combined comprising a relatively stationary member, a relatively movable member, said movable member hingedly connected to the stationary member, keepers carried by the stationary member, latches carried by the movable member for engaging the keepers, springs carried by each of the member's, retaining casings carried by the springs, stretching fabric carried by the casings, pressure plates carried by the casings, and said latches adapted to engage the keepers when the movable member is forced into clamping engagement with the stationary member, as and for the purpose specified.

8. A trousers stretcher and press combined comprising a relatively stationary member including a plurality of relatively spaced U-shaped members, bowed springs secured at the medial portions of the U- shaped members, casings secured to the opposite ends of the springs, a relatively movable member hingedly connected to one arm of the stationary member, bowed springs secured to the movable member, casings carried by the springs, fabric stretching cloth secured to each of the casings of the relatively stationary member and movable member, means carried by the movable member adapted to engage the terminals of the arms of the U-shaped members of the stationary member for holding the stretching cloths in clamping engagement with one another, as and for the purpose specified.

9. A trousers stretcher and press combined including a relatively stationary member, a relatively movable member pivotally and hingedly connected to the stationary member, bowed springs carried by the stationary member and movable member, longitudinally extending casings secured to the ends of the bowed springs, fabric stretching cloths secured by the side edges to the outer ends of the casings of each of the members, pressure plates slidably engaging the inner ends of the casings, keepers carried by the stationary member, latches pivotally secured to the movable member, said latches adapted to engage the keepers for holding the fabric cloth of the movable member into clamping engagement with the fabric stretching cloth of the stationary member, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY M. MILLER. HENRY H. NIEMANN.

Witnesses M. A. R. KELLEY, E. J. SIMoNs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

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