US3579877A

US3579877A - Device for holding pleated material

Info

Publication number: US3579877A
Application number: US749801A
Authority: US
Inventors: Aaron C Bray Jr
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1968-08-02
Filing date: 1968-08-02
Publication date: 1971-05-25
Anticipated expiration: 1988-05-25

Abstract

A device for facilitating pressing of pleated garments. A Ushaped frame is attached to the work surface of a pressing buck or ironing board. The frame has narrow strips of friction material affixed thereto so that when a pleated garment is placed over the work surface the friction material engages the garment and keeps the pleats from falling out.

Description

0 United States Patent 1 3,579,877

[72] lnventor Aaron C. Bray,.1r. 2,473,906 6/1949 Rich 38/66 Evans Drive, PO. Box 203, Houston, Miss. 3,338,291 8/ 1967 Kintner 223/28X 38851 1,532,860 4/1925 Barksdale et al. 38/12 [21] Appl. No. 749,801 2,257,146 9/1941 Zirker et a1. 38/36X [22] Filed Aug. 2, 1968 2,286,348 6/1942 Custer 38/12 [45] Patented May 25, 1971 2,437,084 3/1948 Esecson.. 38/12 3,101,560 8/1963 Little 38/12 54 DEVICE FOR HOLDING PLEATED MATERIAL fl Frafiklm 8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs Assistant Examiner-G. V. Larkm Attorney-D111er, Brown, Ramik & Holt [52] U.S.C1.... 38/12 [51] Int. Cl 1 D06f 71/40 [50] Field of Search 38/12, 20,

36v 1 l 66; 223/28 34 ABSTRACT: A device for facilitating pressing of pleated gar- 160/348 ments. A U-shaped frame is attached to the work surface of a 5 6] References Cited pressing buck or ironing board. The frame has narrow strips of friction material affixed thereto so that when a pleated gar- UNITED STATES PATENTS ment is placed over the work surface the friction material en- 1,624,829 4/ 1927 Dawn 38/108 gages the garment and keeps the pleats from falling out.

This device relates generally to a device for holding pleated material during a workoperation, and more particularly to a frame to be used in connection with pressing apparatus for pressing pleated articles of wearing apparel. The invention facilitates the pressing of said garments by holding the pleats in position during the pressing operation.

Pleated skirts have always been a problem for cleaners due to the time and skill required. in pressing the pleats. The probleminvolved is due to the fact that when the pleated skirt or other garment is placed on the press buck or pad the pleats on either side of the buck or pad will almost always fall or slide ofi due to the weight of the material. The usual way this problem is solved is by placing straight pins in the bottom of some of the plates or sometimes in all of the pleats to hold them in place and at times it takes a pin in several places on some of the pleats, especially the pleats on either side or edge of the press. This operation is time consuming as well as tiring and leaves pin holes and pin marks in some fabrics. Moreover, pins can damage the press covers and pads as well as the press head when it is put down over the article to be steamed. Also, when the garment is steamed with pins in the bottom and then pulled to straighten out the pleats, the end of the plates that are pinned will be caused to sag and not hang level.

Other methods of approach to this problem involve strapping the article to the buck or pad, but this only holds the portion of the garment that is strapped and the problem still remains as to the remainder of the length of the pleats.

Pleats can be put in with a steam iron one or two at a time on a steamboard or ironing boardor a trowel or pleat setter can be used if one has a steam finishing board, but this is still a time consuming job. There has been no easy way to do pleated skirts. It takes time, required skill and most cleaners feel that the charges for such work are not worth the time and effort involved.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a device for facilitating the pressing of pleated garments by holding the pleats in said garments in position to be pressed.

More particularly, it is an object of this invention to provide a device that can be attached to a press buck, ironing board pad or other type of work surface and which has friction means afiixed thereto so that when pleated garments are placed over the work surface the pleats therein will be held in position and not fall out under the weight of the material hanging over the side of the surface.

The invention is not limited to use with a pressing apparatus, but could be used wherever it is necessary to hold pleats in pleated material in position during a work operation so as to keep them from falling out under the force of the weight of the material.

With these objects in view the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pressing apparatus, par tially broken away, having a pleated garment held thereon by the holding device of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view showing the holding device of this invention.

FIG. 3 is a section view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 and shows the holding device of the invention affixed to a press buck.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the holding device showing the relationship between certain parts.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIG. 1 shows a pressing apparatus generally indicated at and having a buck or pad portion .14. A pleated skirt I2 is shown placed over the buck I4 and held in place over the frame 16 of the holding device. Ordinarily, the pleats 13 would fall or slide out under the weight of the material hanging over the side of the buck.

However, the pleats are held in place due to the engagement of the material with the friction means 18 carried by the'frame 16.

FIG. 2 shows the frame 16 having a bight portion 20 and

leg portions

22 and 24. The friction means 18 (which can be any one of several things-a strip of polyfoam, sandpaper, emery cloth, a layer of latex, or any other friction material which will act as a holding agent) are carried by

channel members

26 and 28 which are affixed to the leg portions of the frame. The friction means are readily replacable by being removable and reinsertable into the channel members. The frame has resilient means 30 and strap means 32 for securing it to the press buck or pad. FIG. 3 shows the holding device affixed to the buck. 14 with the straps 32 running over the buck and the resilient means 30 running under the buck.

The holding device is placed on the buck of the press with the leg portions of the frame running substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the buck and just below where the screen on the head of the press comes to when locked down. Then the garment is slipped on the buck in the same manner as it would be on any press, but the holding device will be underneath the garment. A short burst or two of steam is then put through the buck pad and garment to soften the fabric and permit a faster, more accurate lay of the pleats. The first pleat or two, depending on its width, is then put in place on one side on top of the holding device. The friction means along the top of the holding device will hold the pleats in the exact position that they are placed on it, then the rest of the pleats are laid in position across the top of the press to the other side; putting the last pleat on the other edge of the holding device. The device will hold all the pleats from one side to the other, no pleats will slip or fall off and no pins or straps are needed to hold them in place. All the pleats will lay flat and straight from the top to the bottom of the garment. The garment can then be steamed without concern for the pleats falling out. The result is a nice lay of pleats with no pins-to remove, and no pin marks or stretched tips of pleats, and no damage to the fabric or the press buck.

After the first lay of pleats is pressed, the garment is lifted slightly and moved over in the usual manner and positioned for the next lay putting the last pleat or two of the previous lay along one of the strips of friction material. The portion of the garment lying between the two strips of friction material is then pressed and this operation is repeated until the entire garment has been pressed.

As stated above, any type of friction material can be used but it has been found that the garnet waterproof paper works best in 0/4 to 0/6 size. The frame can be made of light weight tubing which is sturdy and easy to handle. The strap meansmay be made of cloth and the resilient means may be metal spiral springs.

The frame may be covered with a cotton knit as a precautionary measure to absorb any moisture that could possibly accumulate on the metal in the process of steaming the garment and drip and cause a damp spot on the garment.

The

channel members

26 and 28 may be formed from thin strips of sheet metal and fastened with one-eighth pop rivets along each side on top of the leg portions of the frame to hold the friction material in place.

Although only a preferred embodiment of the invention has been specifically illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that minor variations may be made in the holding device without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

lclaim:

1. A device for holding pleated material during a work operation, said device comprising a frame having friction means affixed thereto for underlyingly engaging and for maintaining the pleats in said material during said operation, said frame being a U-shaped member having a bight portion and two leg portions, said bight portion adapted to encompass one end of a buck said friction means being on said two leg portions.

2. The device of claim 1 including means for affixing said friction means to the leg portions of said U-shaped member.-

3. A device for holding pleated material during a work operation, said device'comprising a frame having friction means affixed thereto for underlyingly engaging and for maintaining the pleats in said material during said operation, channel member, said channel members being affixed to said frame, wherein said friction means are narrow strips of rough material removably received within said channel members.

4. The device of claim 1, channel members, said channel members being affixed to and extending along substantially the entire length of each leg portion, said friction means being narrow strips of friction material removably carried by said channel members, and a plurality of spaced strap means and resilient means affixed to and extending between the said leg portions.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said frame is adapted to be held on a press buck'having a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein said strap means are adapted to pass over said top portion and said resilient means are adapted to pass under said bottom portion for securing said frame to said buck.

6. A method for maintaining the pleats in a pleated material during a work operation, comprising the steps of providing a work surface having two edge portions, locating friction material along said edge portions, placing the pleated material over said work surface and said friction material with the pleats running parallel to the friction material, gathering the pleated material so that the pleats lying between the friction material lie flat, and engaging portions of said pleated material with said friction material to keep the pleats between the friction material from falling out.

7. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein the friction

Claims

2. The device of claim 1 including means for affixing said friction means to the leg portions of said U-shaped member.

3. A device for holding pleated material during a work operation, said device comprising a frame having friction means affixed thereto for underlyingly engaging and for maintaining the pleats in said material during said operation, channel member, said channel members being affixed to said frame, wherein said friction means are narrow strips of rough material removably received within said channel members.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said frame is adapted to be held on a press buck having a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein said strap means are adapted to pass over said top portion and said resilient means are adapted to pass under said bottom portion for securing said frame to said buck.

7. The method as defined in claim 6 wherein the friction material is in the form of strips of friction material disposed along said edge portions.

8. A device for holding pleated material during a work operation, said device comprising to frame having friction means affixed thereto for underlyingly engaging and for maintaining the pleats in said material during said operation, said frame includes two spaced leg portions adapted to be positioned at opposite sides of a buck adjacent an end thereof, and said friction means are fixed to the leg portions.