US3417905A

US3417905A - Garment sleeve spreader

Info

Publication number: US3417905A
Application number: US563463A
Authority: US
Inventors: Aloi Alfred
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-07-07
Filing date: 1966-07-07
Publication date: 1968-12-24
Anticipated expiration: 1985-12-24

Description

Dec. 24, 1968 A. ALol GARMENT SLEEVE SPREADER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 7, 1966 Alfred Alai 1N VENTOR.

Dec. 24, 1968 A. ALol 3,417,905

GARMENT SLEEVE sP'READER l Filed July 7. 196e 2 sheets-sheet 2 e o O accenna om M T f n o A o m m m w no ne Muon'uunal.. von. 2 .0 ou. O luwnoelonaaonooavuoaao Oo .2 .Cusano m a l J A United States Patent O 3,417,905 GARMENT SLEEVE SPREADER Alfred Aloi, 116 Old Bergen Road,

Jersey City, NJ. 07305 Filed July 7, 1966, Ser. No. 563,463 7 Claims. (Cl. 223-74) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sleeve spreading device including a lazy tong actuator pivotally linked to a pair off U-shaped foraminous plates mounted upon the actuator in a parallel manner. The bight portions of the plates are concavely confronting and the corresponding leg portions of the U-shaped plates are positioned in overlying sliding relation with each other whereby the plates form a continuous surface of substantially oblong cross-section when inserted into a sleeve and actuated to spread the sleeve. The interior of the oblong cross-section is suiciently hollow to permit the passage of fluid longitudinally through the spreader plates. The tong actuator is spring-biased to normally reduce the major axial length of the oblong cross-section.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in devices used for the spreading of sleeves of garments which are being steamed, cleaned, pressed or otherwise iinish treated in dry cleaning establishments and the like.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved garment sleeve spreader which effectively and accurately holds the cuff of the sleeve in proper form and thereby prevents the sleeve cuit from becoming rufed by the steaming action and presenting an unpressed appearance.

Briey, the spreader of the invention comprises a pair of coacting sleeve engaging members connected to a pair of crossed levers which function as handles. When the handles are pressed together, the sleeve engaging members are pressed together, and resilient means are provided for biasing these sleeve engaging members to their spread apart position. As such, when the sleeve engaging members are inserted 1n the cuil of a sleeve, they automatically cause the cuit to assume a proper contour and the resilient bias of the sleeve engaging members also serves to frictionally retain the device in position while the steaming operation is in progress, whereupon the device may be readily removed from the sleeve by simply pressing the handles together.

Another important feature of the invention resides in the provision of linkage associated with the cross levers and with the sleeve engaging members so as to maintain the two sleeve engaging members in mutually parallel relation at all times, regardless of whether they are drawn together or spread apart by manipulation of the handles. The sleeve engaging members always present a proper sleeve forming contour, and the device is capable of accommodating sleeves off different sizes.

Other advantages of the invention reside in its simple construction, etlicient and convenient operation, and in its adaptability to economical manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE l is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the garment sleeve spreader of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view thereof, partly in elevation and partly in section;

Mice

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 3-3 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view showing a modified embodiment of the spreader;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of the embodiment shown in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 6-6 in FIGURE 5; and,

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged, Ifragmentary sectional detail, taken substantially in the plane of the line 7 7 in FIGURE 6.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, more particularly to FIGURES 1 3, inclusive, the garment sleeve spreader of the invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 10 and embodies in its construction a pair of coacting sleeve engaging members 11, 12 in the form of plates of a substantially U-shaped cross-section, as is best shown in FIGURE 3. The member '11 has a bight portion 11b and a pair of transversely spaced side portions 1i1s and similarly, the member 12 has a bight portion 12b and a pair of spaced side portions .12s. The spacing of the side portions 12s of the member 12 is somewhat greater than the spacing of the side portions 11s of the member 11, so that the side portions 12s overlap the side portions 11s and the two members '11, |12 complement each other into an elongated oval. The two members 11, 12 are relatively movable in lateral directions as indicated by the arrows 13 in FIG- URE 3, so that the longitudinal di-mension of the oval crosssection may be increased or decreased by relative movement of the members *further apart or closer together.

The members 11, 12 are elongated in a `direction normal to their cross-section and each member is preferably formed from foraminous material having minute openings 14 over its entire area, as well as a plurality of larger openings or apertures 15. The free upper and lower edges as well as the side edges of the members 11, 12 are preferably doubled under themselves or beaded as indicated at 116, so as to avoid sharp edges such as could damage the garment to which the device is applied.

A channel bar of a U-shaped cross-section 17 is secured within the bight portion of each of the members 11 and 12, as for example 'by suitable screws 18 passing through one side ange of the channel. The channels 17 are each provided `with a longitudinal slot 19. A pivot element such as a screw, bolt of pin 20 is ixedly mounted in one end of each slot. The pivot elements 20 pass through one end of a pair of crossed levers 21 which are pivotally connected together at their point of crossing as at 22 and the outer ends of these levers are conveniently arranged to provide a pair of coacting handles 23. It will be apparent that when the handles 23 are pressed toward each other, the other ends of the levers 21 equipped with the pivots 20 will move toward each other, thus correspondingly moving the sleeve engaging members 11, 12 toward each other and reducing the longitudinal dimension of the oval cross-sectional form of the device as indicated at 13 in FIGURE 3.

A pair of tension springs 24 are connected at one end to the respective pivots 20 and at their other ends to the respective levers 21 adjacent the members 11, 12 so as to -bias the members 11, 12 to their spread apart positions.

Means are provided for maintaining the members 11, 12 mutually parallel at all times, regardless of the movement of the levers 21. These means comprise a pair of crossed links 25 which are pivotally connected together at their point of crossing as at 26 and are disposed within the members 11, 12. The links 25 have one end thereof mounted on the respective pivots 20 and their other ends are equipped with pivot elements 27 which are slidable longitudinally in the slots 19 of the channels 17 associated with the respective members 11, 12. It should be understood, of course, that only the pivots 27 are slidable in the slots 19, While the pivots 20 remain in a iixed position at the end of the slots. Thus, the crossed links coact with the crossed levers 21 in producing what may -be referred to as a lazy tongs action, by which the links `25 serve to maintain the members 11, 12 in mutually parallel relation at all times, regardless of whether the handles 23 are moved together or drawn apart.

When the device is to be used, as for example for spreading the sleeve of va garment which is being steam finished, the handles 23 are squeezed together, thus drawing the members 11, 12 together suiciently to permit them to be inserted in the cuff of a garment sleeve, shown Iby the dotted lines 28 in FIGURE l. Then, hand pressure on the handles 23 is relaxed, thus permitting the springs 24 to urge the members 11, 12 apart and into engagement with the inside of the sleeve culi, thus serving to spread the culi and support the same in its proper form during steaming and pressing. The engagement of the members 11, 12 with the inside of the sleeve cuff frictionally retains the device in position in the sleeve, until its use is no longer required. At that time the device may be readily removed from the sleeve by again compressing the handles 23 to draw the members 11, 12

together and facilitate their removal from the sleeve. It will be understood, of course, that the foraminous nature of the members 11, 12 permits steam or other treating fluid to pass through the members into the material of the sleeve under treatment.

Reference is now drawn to the modified embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 4-7 and designated generally by the reference numeral 30. Although the already described embodiment 10 is variable in size 4by virtue of the relative movement of the members 11, 12 and is thus capa-ble of fitting sleeves of different sizes, in some instances the sleeve size variations may be such as to require a larger spreader.

This is attained by the provision of the spreader 30 having a pair of

sleeve engaging members

31, 32 which are laterally stepped intermediate their ends as at 33 so as to provide a relatively narrow upper portion 34 and a relatively wide lower portion 35. As will be apparent from FIGURE 4, only the narrow upper portions 34 of the

members

31, 32 may be inserted into the cuff` of a garment sleeve 28 when the latter is relatively small. However, if the garment sleeve is of a large size, the full length of the

members

31, 32 may be inserted so that the relatively wide lower portions 35 of the members engage the sleeve.

The actuating levers 21 and linkage 25 in the embodiment 30 are arranged in the same manner as in the embodiment 10, so that a further description thereof at this point is unnecessary. However, a slight difference exists in the mounting of the channels 17 which, rather than being secured directly to the

members

31, 32, are riveted as at 36 (see FIGURE 5) to supporting bars 37 which, in turn, are mounted within the

members

31, 32, as by suitable screws 38. The supporting Ibars 37 are laterally offset intermediate their ends so as to iit the lateral offset 33 of the

members

31, 32, as will be clearly apparent. In addition, diagonal braces 39 extend from the lower ends of the channels 17 to the lower ends of the bars 37 within the enlarged lower portions 35 of the

members

31, 32, as illustrated.

It will be apparent that the sleeve spreader of the invention in either of its disclosed embodiments is very simple in construction and efiicient in operation regardless of the size of the garment sleeve with which it may be used.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modiiications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A garment sleeve spreader, comprising in combination a pair of crossed levers pivotally connected together at their point of crossing and providing a pair of coacting handles at one end thereof, a pair of elongated and parallel garment sleeve engaging members disposed at the other ends of said levers, a pair of longitudinally extending bars rigidly secured within the respective sleeve engaging members, -a pair of pivots connecting said other ends of said levers to the respetcive bars whereby said sleeve engaging members may be moved apart when said handles are moved apart and vice versa, and a pair of crossed links disposed Within said members and pivotally connected together at their point of crossing, said links having one end thereof mounted on the respective pivots and their other end slidably connected to the respective bars whereby to maintain said sleeve engaging members in mutually parallel relation notwithstanding movement of said levers.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 together with resilient means biasing said sleeve engaging members to a spread apart position.

3. The device as defined in claim 2, wherein said resilient means comprise a pair of tension springs extending from the respective handles to the respective pivots.

4. The devices as defined in claim 1 wherein said sleeve engaging members comprise a pair of foraminous plates of a U-shaped cross-section slidably overlapping each other.

5. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said sleeve engaging members are longitudinally straight.

6. rIhe device as defined in claim 1 where in said sleeve engaging members are laterally stepped intermediate the ends thereof, whereby inner end portions of the sleeve members adjacent said levers are relatively wide and the outer end portions thereof are relatively norrow.

7. A garment sleeve spreader including a pair of elongated foraminous plates, each plate being characterized by a U-shaped cross-section, the corresponding leg portions of each plate being parallel, the bight portions of said plates being concavely confronting, said plates being adjustably slidable with respect to each other, said plates forming a continuous surface of substantially oblong cross-section, the interior of said oblong cross-section being sufiiciently hollow to permit the passage of fluid longitudinally therethrough.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 889,014 5/1908 Jackson 223-63 3,015,422 1/1'962 De Fino 223-74 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. GEORGE V. LARKI'N, Assistant Examiner.