WO1996024715A1

WO1996024715A1 - An improved working method to give a worn-out aspect to articles of clothing and an improved machine suited to carry out such a method

Info

Publication number: WO1996024715A1
Application number: PCT/EP1996/000469
Authority: WO
Inventors: Osvaldo Tonello
Original assignee: Tonello Snc Di Tonello Osvaldo & C.
Priority date: 1995-02-06
Filing date: 1996-02-05
Publication date: 1996-08-15
Also published as: CA2212281C; ITVI950020A1; MA26026A1; AR000869A1; IN187591B; CA2212281A1; PL321688A1; CN1179800A; PL181903B1; BR9607517A; IT1280057B1; KR100218830B1; JPH10505140A; CN1079460C; ITVI950020A0; KR19980701988A; JP2904933B2; TR199700789T1; MX9705898A

Abstract

The invention discloses a working method for giving a worn-out aspect to articles of clothing which consists in treating at least one article of clothing, fitted on a manikin (2), by means of the abrasive action generated by the relative displacement of said article of clothing (6) and of one or more rotating brushes (9) in relative contact along the article of clothing itself, combined with a swinging motion (51) of said rotating brushes over a plane which is transversal to the article of clothing itself. Such a working method is applied by means of a machine (1) provided with at least one kinematic structure (15, 7, 71, 13) suited to realize said swinging motion of said brushes (9) which consists of the alternate rotation (51) of said brushes around an essentially vertical axis (14).

Description

AN IMPROVED WORKING METHOD TO GIVE A WORN-OUT ASPECT TO

ARTICLES OF CLOTHING AND AN IMPROVED MACHINE SUITED TO

CARRY OUT SUCH A METHOD

The invention concerns an improved working method to give a worn-out aspect to articles of clothing, in particular to articles of clothing made of denim materials and an improved machine suited to apply such a method.

It is a known fact that the present fashion trends sometimes require for the articles of clothing, especially for those articles of clothing made of denim materials, to have a worn-out aspect. ιυ In order to meet such requirements the manufacturers, treat articles of clothing with proper enzymes or with pumice powder during a washing operation, thereby producing the discolouring of the cloth which gives the article of clothing the required worn-out aspect.

Sometimes it is also required that the articles of clothing present a worn- out aspect which is localized only in particular areas. This is obtained by concentrating in the concerned areas a particularly strong discolouring operation through supplementary treatments.

One of these supplementary treatments consists in a very energetic manual blasting operation of the areas of the article of clothing, where the 2o discolouring is to be concentrated, by means of a jet of compressed air mixed to sand, thereby obtaining what in the technical jargon of this industrial sector is called "sanded effect".

One of the inconveniences of such a method of operation consists in the length of time and the high cost required by this operation because of 2 the high employment of labour. Moreover, since such a method must be performed manually and, therefore, it depends exclusively on the operator's skill, it is very hard to have a reproduction of the finishing and thus maintaining the same finished quality in the product.

Another method consists in spraying localized areas of the article of so clothing, with a permanganate solution which realizes a localized discouloring of the article of clothing. This method presents the same inconveniences presented by the before described method with the addition that it is also highly polluting.

It is with the purpose of eliminating the mentioned inconveniences "5 that the patent having the application No.VI91A000147 in the name of the same inventor has been disclosed, said patent describing a working method suited to give a worn-out aspect to articles of clothing, in particular to articles of clothing made of denim material and a machine equipped with rotating brushes suited to apply such a method. 5 The method and the machine object of the mentioned invention, solve the above mentioned problems but present the limit in that the rotating brushes present only a rectilinear motion in relation to the articles of clothing to be treated, therefore, it is rather problematic to obtain a worn-out aspect only over pre-determined areas where such a treatment is required. o Another inconvenience consists also in that not all the areas of the article of clothing to be treated can be reached during the brushing operation, since the reach of the brushes with which the machine is provided, does not allow it. It is with the purpose of overcoming also such limitations that the improved method and the machine suited to apply it, object of the present invention, are 5 realized.

In particular, one of the purposes of the present invention is to realize a working method and a machine suited to apply such a method with the result of obtaining an easier and more precise localized worn-out aspect in articles of clothing, in particular in articles of clothing made of denim material, as o compared to methods and machines belonging to the known technique.

Another purpose of the invention is that such a localized worn-out effect can be obtained in any area of the article of clothing. Not the last purpose is to maintain in the course of time the repetition of the quality of the finished product. 5 The described purposes are reached through a process for giving a worn-out aspect to articles of clothing, in particular to articles of clothing made of denim materials, which, in accordance with the main claim, comprises the following operations:

- the application of at least one article of clothing to be treated on at least 0 one supporting manikin, said manikin being suited to arrange said article of clothing in the shape that it will essentially acquire once it is worn by a person;

- the treatment of said at least one article of clothing by means of the abrasive action generated by the relative displacement of said article of clothing and 5 of one or more rotating brushes in contact with said article of clothing, following the lengthwise direction of the article of clothing itself;

- the removal of said at least one article of clothing from said at least one manikin after the treatment has been completed, and is characterized in that said one or more rotating brushes perform a swinging motion over a

5 plane which is transversal to the article of clothing itself.

The machine suited to apply the described working method comprises:

- one or more manikins, each of them being suited to support at least one article of clothing to be treated;

- a plurality of brushes rotating around their axes, placed opposite to each !o other and belonging to at least one slide joined to a supporting structure insisting on the basement plate of said machine;

- a device for moving said manikins suited to arrange each manikin first in an area for fitting and/or removing said at least one article of clothing to be treated and then in an area for treating it between said rotating brushes;

15 - motorizing means co-operating with said at least one slide and with said supporting structure, suited to realize the relative displacement of said brushes in relation to each other and in relation to said article of clothing to be treated; and is characterized in that said rotating brushes mechanically co-operate

2o with at least one kinematic structure joined to said supporting structure and suited to realize said swinging motion of said brushes over a plane which is transversal to the article of clothing itself and following alternate directions opposite to one another. According to one preferred embodiment the machine according to the

25 invention comprises a pair of manikins supporting the articles of clothing to be treated, connected with a moving device which consists of a horizontal beam being supported in the middle by a vertical fixed upright. Said vertical upright is provided with motorizing means suited to drive into rotation said horizontal beam so as to bring the manikins attached to the ends of the beam

.o itself, alternatively in the area of fitting/removal and in the area of treatment, under the action of the rotating brushes. The latter are supported by a slide joined to a supporting structure which insists on the basement plate of the machine. The brushes perform the treatment on the article of clothing by combining

"5 their rotational movement with a translating movement which is essentially rectilinear in relation to the article of clothing to be treated with which it comes into contact. Said brushes also perform a swinging transversal movement in relation to the article of clothing itself, which consists of an alternate swinging rotational movement around an axis essentially 5 hortogonal to their rotational axis wherein said swinging rotational movement is impressed on them by a kinematic structure. Such a swinging rotational movement is suited to bring into contact each brush with any area of the article of clothing to be treated. According to a different solution, all of the brushes oscillate with the same

10 angular rotation, which can be adjusted as it is required, by intervening on adjusting means.

According to another different solution, each of said brushes oscillates with an angular rotation differing from the others and it can be adjusted as required by intervening on adjusting means.

15 Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter.

However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications

2o within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description and from the drawings, wherein:

- Fig. 1 shows the axonometric schematic representation of the machine according to the invention where an article of clothing is in the working

T . position while another article of clothing is being fitted on the manikin;

- Fig. 2 shows the machine of Fig. 1 with the article of clothing already fitted on the manikin;

- Fig. 3 shows the machine of Fig. 2 with the article of clothing fitted on the manikin having the shape it will acquire when it is worn by a person;

- Fig. 4 shows the detail of the front view of the manikin without the article of clothing to be treated;

- Fig. 5 shows the manikin of Fig. 4 with the article of clothing to be treated fitted on it;

- Fig. 6 shows the manikin with the article of clothing to be treated arranged in the position it will acquire when it is being treated, a position that it essentially acquires when it is worn by a person;

- Fig. 7 shows the terminal part of the manikin and the devices for stretching the article of clothing, not applied to the. article of clothing fitted on the manikin;

5 - Fig. 8 shows the same stretching devices of Fig. 7 applied to the article of clothing supported by the manikin;

- Fig. 9 shows the unit blocking into position the article of clothing arranged on the manikin;

- Fig. 10 shows the blocking unit of the article of clothing of Fig. 9 supporting :o an article of clothing to be treated;

- Fig. 11 represents in a schematic top view, the blocking unit represented in Fig. 9;

- Fig. 12 represents in a schematic top view, the blocking unit represented in Fig. 10;

1 - Fig. 13 shows the axonometric schematic representation of a pair of brushes supported by the relative slide and by the supporting structure;

- Fig. 14 shows the unit represented in Fig. 13 seen from the back of the brushes;

- Fig. 15 shows the detail of the blocking device of the end of the manikin 2o when this is supporting the article of clothing to be treated in the working position;

- Fig. 16 shows the detail of the drag link/crank unit which cause the swinging rotation of the brushes;

- Fig. 17 shows another view of the drag link/crank unit of Fig. 16;

2 - Fig. 18 shows the top view of the machine according to the invention;

Fig. 19 shows the detail of the brushes each supported by its corresponding slide, in a different embodiment of the machine according to the invention;

- Fig. 20 shows in a top view the schematic representation of the swinging unit 'o of the brushes realized according to the different embodiment represented in

Fig. 19;

- Fig. 21 represents the lateral view of the schematic representation of Fig. 20.

As can be observed in Fig. 1 , the machine according to the invention, ^ indicated as a whole with 1 , comprises a pair of manikins 2, each of them consisting of a supple structure 4 supported by central cores 5, attached to a blocking unit 3 which secures the article of clothing to be treated 6 in the working position, after it is has been fitted on said supple structure 4. Said supple structures 4 are essentially air chambers which are inflated by inflating means, not represented in the drawings, which are held inside a device 8 for moving the manikins 2. In particular, said moving device 8 consists of a vertical upright 81 supporting a rotating beam 82 at the extremities of which there are the blocking units 3 to which the central cores 5 of each manikin 2 are attached. to When the article of clothing is fully fitted on the supple structure 4, the latter is inflated by compressed air and the article of clothing acquires the shape which essentially reproduces the shape it will have when it is worn by a person. It is useful to specify that the present description refers to the manikins 2

! which consists of the supple structures 4 suited to receive an article of clothing to be treated, which in the specific case is a pair of pants 6. It is understood that said description is given by way of illustration only, since the articles of clothing to be treated can be of any kind, such as shirts, jackets or others. In order to treat these it suffices to change the shape of the o manikins 2 and of the supple structures 4 on which they are fitted.

Moreover, the manikins, that in the solution which is being described are two in number, in a different embodiment can be of any number and they can also be applied to moving devices presenting a rectilinear movement or others, however, different from the swinging motion. 5 The machine according to the invention also comprises two pairs of rotating brushes 9, counterposed to each other and between which the article of clothing to be treated 6 is comprised. Said brushes are supported by slides 11 which, in turn, as can be observed in the Figs. 13 and 14, can move vertically along guiding rails 13 belonging to a frame 15. o Said frame 15 presents its extremities 7 pivoted according to the vertical axis 14 and by means of pivots 71 , to a supporting structure consisting of a portal element 16.

Said portal element 16 is jointly connected to the basement plate 17 of the machine through sliding means, indicated as a whole with 18 which, as can

3 be observed in Fig. 15 in particular, comprise a guiding tube 181 joined to the portal element 16 and a rod 182, sliding inside said tube 181 , the extremity of which is attached to said basement plate 17. Each portal element 16 can thus be shifted following any of the directions pointed by the arrow 19 in Fig. 15, through second motorizing means, indicated as a whole with 20.

Said motorizing means 20 comprise a belt 201 attached to a bracket 202 connected to the portal element 16, which is driven into rotation by a motor 203 visible in Fig. 14. Said belt 201 matches a driving gear 205 attached to the basement plate 17 and consequently, when the motor 203 is in operation it causes the rotation 206 of belt 201 around the driving gear 205, thus causing the displacement of the portal element 16 in either direction of arrow 19, depending on the direction of rotation of belt 201. In a similar way, both the slides 11 are vertically displaced along the rails 13 and according to either direction of arrow 21 visible in Fig. 14, by means of first motorizing means indicated as a whole with 22, which, as can be observed, comprise a chain 221 attached to slide 11 through a bracket 222, wherein said chain is arranged between two driving gears 224 and 225 visible in greater detail in the Figs. 13 and 14, and rigidly connected to frame 15 and it is driven into rotation by a motor 223. Thus, by driving said first motorizing means 20 and said second motorizing means 22, it is possible to remove the brushes 9 away from the article of clothing to be treated and also to displace them longitudinally along the article itself. In order to begin the working cycle, it is indispensable to arrange the article to be treated 6 on the inflatable supple structure 4, as can be observed in Fig. 1 , then fit it exactly on structure 4, as can be observed in Fig. 2, and finally, inflate structure 4, itself so as to cause it to acquire the shape it will have when it is worn by a person.

The article of clothing described herein is a pair of pants, but, as has already been said, it could be any other kind of clothing.

The article of clothing 6 is attached to the manikin 2 through a blocking unit belonging to manikin 2, and indicated as a whole with 3, which is visible in the Figs. 4, 5 and 6. As can be observed in the Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12, said unit consists of a pair of plates 31 arranged opposite to each other and attached to a supporting structure 32 which in turn is attached to beam 82, wherein each of said plates 31 supports a jaw 33 which arranges itself inside the article of clothing 6 in correspondence with the belt 61 and which supports one of the central cores 5. As can be observed in the Figs. 11 and 12, said plates 31 are made mobile by displacing means 30 which comprise 5 a pair of racks 131 , each of which is attached to one of said plates 31 , and a cog wheel 132, attached to the supporting structure 32, which engages at the same time both of said racks. One of said plates 31 is connected with stem 134 of a pneumatic or hydraulic actuator, indicated as a whole with 34, and belonging to said displacing means 30, whose liner 234 is attached to the ιo supporting structure 32, so that the displacement in direction 35 of stem 134 causes the plates 31 to be removed following the directions 36 opposite to each other. As can be observed in the Figs. 10 and 12, this forces the jaws 33 against belt 61 of the article of clothing 6 which remains steadily blocked to the blocking unit 3 and arranged in a vertical position.

!5 In order to improve the stretching of the article of clothing in the position for the treatment, the machine is also complete with a stretching unit, indicated as a whole with 24, and visible in the Figs. 4, 5 and 6, which holds the article of clothing 6 stretched in the position necessary for the treatment. It comprises a pair of guiding tubes 324 each of them, as can be o observed in particular in Fig. 9, being attached to the rotating beam 82, inside which there is a stretching rod 524 which is vertically displaced in either direction of arrow 25 by third motorizing means, indicated as a whole with 26, consisting of a pinion 226 which engages a rack 424 belonging to said stretching rod 524. Said third motorizing unit 26 also comprises a motor 5 326 which, by means of a unit 426 consisting of a worm screw and of a helicoidal wheel, drives into rotation a shaft 526 at the extremity of which the pinion 226 is attached.

As can be observed in the Figs. 7 and 8 in particular, the extremity 124 of each of said stretching rods 524, presents a pair of pliers 23 to which o the extremity of the article of clothing is attached. Once the article of clothing has been blocked between the jaws 33 in correspondence with belt 61 and its extremities are blocked between the pliers 23, as can be observed in Fig. 8, it is vertically stretched when the stretching rod 524 is displaced downwards by the rotation of the pinion 226 driven by motor 326 5 of said motorizing unit 26. In some cases, the pliers 23 can be more than one pair for each of the stretching rods.

When the article of clothing 6 is arranged -in the stretched position and according to the shape it will essentially acquire when it is worn by a person 5 and which is represented in Fig. 6, it is ready to undergo the treatment.

The beam 82 is driven into rotation by the rotating means present inside the vertical upright 81 so as to arrange the article of clothing 6 between the brushes 9, as can be observed in Fig.1. At the same time, the first article of clothing which has previously been u* treated is removed from manikin 2, which is now outside the range of the brushes, and then another article of clothing to be treated is fitted on it, according to the sequences represented in the Figs. 1 , 2 and 3. When the article of clothing to be treated 6 is arranged between the brushes, as can be observed in the Figs. 2 and 3, the central cores 5 of the manikin 2 i5 are blocked in correspondence with their bottom extremities by means of a bottom blocking unit 27 which, as can be observed in the Figs. 13 and 15, comprises two brackets 127 hinged to one another in the point 227 and placed opposite to each other. They move one against the other with a divaricating movement by means of the jack 327. Moreover, one of said

2o brackets 127 is provided with claws 427 which block the extremities of the cores 5 on which the article of clothing 6 is arranged, as can be observed in the Figs. 2 and 3.

In the meantime, the brushes 9 start approaching the article of clothing 6 following the horizontal opposite directions 62, as can be observed in Fig. 2, 5 until they come into contact with the article of clothing 6, as can be observed in Fig. 3.

In order for the treatment of the article of clothing 6 to occur, the rotating brushes 9 are driven into rotation following either direction of arrow 91 by means of motors 92 and the transmission unit contained in housing 93 and 0 they are also vertically displaced following direction 21 through the already mentioned first motorizing means 22 which consist of motor 223, of chain 221 , of the driving gears 224 and 225 and of bracket 222 which connects said chain 221 to each of said slides 11.

At the same time, in order to make it possible for the brushes 9 to perform i ^ their action all over the surface of the article of clothing, said brushes 9 present a concave profile 691 visible in greater detail in Fig. 18, and they are also driven into rotation around the vertical axis 14 which, as can be observed in Fig. 13, goes through the pivot 71 which connects said frame 15, to which said slides belong, with the portal element 16. In particular, each of said frames 15, together with said extremities 7, with said pivots 71 and with said rails 13, forms a kinematic structure which, by means of a drag link/crank unit, indicated as a whole with 50 and visible in the Figs. 16, 17 and 18, drives into rotation said frame 15 alternatively following the directions of arrow 51 and around said pivot 71. It can be observed in particular in Fig. 18, that in each of said drag link/crank unit 50, the crank consists of a disk 52 which presents an eccentric button 53. One end of the drag link 54 is connected with said eccentric button, while its other end is connected with a bracket 151 belonging to said frame 15, as can be seen also in Fig. 14. In turn, each of said disks 52 is driven into rotation by a reduction gear 153, whereby said reduction gears are connected with each other by means of a shaft 155 which is driven into rotation by a motor 154.

Shaft 155 is complete with an extensible universal joint (not represented in the drawing) which allows the structures of the portal element 16 to move together and apart from each other.

It is, therefore, easy to understand that when the machine is in operation, the article of clothing 6 is subject to the combined action of four brushes, each of which performs the intrinsic rotational movement around its own essentially horizontal axis, a vertical translation movement 21 upwards and downwards and, at the same time, also an alternate swinging motion 51 around an essentially vertical axis 14. The combination of said motions guarantees the optimization of the treatment process, since it makes it possible for the brushes to reach every point of the article of clothing to be treated. Moreover, because it is possible to move the position of button 53 in relation to the centre of the disk 52 to which it belongs, it is also possible to vary the latitude of the swinging motion of the brushes 9 around the vertical axis 14, so as to generate, to the discretion of the user, a more or less concentrated and localized worn-out effect in determined areas of the article of clothing. A different embodiment of the machine according to the invention, based on the same inventive idea, is represented in the Figs. 19, 20 and 21 and it consists of a different shape of the kinematic structure which achieves the swinging rotation of the brushes around an essentially vertical axis. In the mentioned Figures it can be observed that said different embodiment of said machine indicated with 100, presents rotating brushes, indicated with 90, which are supported by a slide 110 which slides along rails 130 belonging to a supporting structure, which in this embodiment, too, is also a portal element 160 which insists on the foundation basement plate 170 of the machine. The kinematic structure which performs the swinging rotating motion of the brushes 90 around an essentially vertical axis comprises, as can be observed in the Figs. 20 and 21 , a central rod 500 which is fulcred through a pivot 501 on said slide 110. One end 502 of said central rod supports a pair of preferably pneumatic actuators 503, each of them presenting stem 504 connected with a tie-rod 505 fastened to a pivot 506 belonging to the housing 507 which supports one of said rotating brushes 90.

On the other hand, the opposite end of said rod 500 is fulcred to a drag link/crank unit, indicated as a whole with 600, and which comprises a drag link 601 connected with said rod 500 through a support 570, while the opposite side is connected with a crank button 602 belonging to a crank 603 which, in this case, consists of a rotating disk 603 keyed to the rotating axis 604 of a motor 605. When disk 603 is brought into rotation in any direction of arrow 610, the central rod 500 swings around pivot 501 following any of the directions of arrow 510 and thereby it transmits to the tie-rods 505 and to the housings 507 supporting said rotating brushes 90, a swinging rotational motion 520 around pivot 506. The rotating brushes 90, therefore, perform the rotational motion around their horizontal axis 530 and the longitudinal displacing motion along the article of clothing to be treated, because of the action of motor 700 and of chain 701 attached to slide 110 visible in Fig. 9. They are also alternatively displaced with a swinging motion 520 so as to acquire all the positions comprised between the two limit positions indicated with a dotted line 560, 550 and represented in Fig. 20. The latitude of such a swinging rotational motion 520 varies for each brush, since the connection of the drag link 601 with the central rod 500 can be changed, to the discretion of the user, by properly displacing the support 570 also visible in Fig. 21 , by means of actuator 700, so as to obtain more or less 5 wide swinging motions. The adjusting of the stroke of the cylinders 503, also permits to vary the latitude of the swinging motions of both brushes, even independently from one another.

This fact yields the advantage of making it possible to differentiate the swinging motions of the brushes in relation to one another in order to obtain o particular effects, concentrated in some areas of the article of clothing.

On the basis of what has been described, it is easy to understand that the working method according to the invention and the machine to apply it, achieve the proposed purposes. First of all, it has been seen how the first purpose of the invention is 5 achieved, that is to obtain a working method and a machine suited to apply such a method which give a worn-out localized aspect to the articles of clothing, said method being much easier to apply and more precise than the methods and machines belonging to the known technique. It has been seen that this is achieved by adding to the rotating brushes, which o longitudinally move along the article of clothing to be treated, a swinging motion of each one around an essentially vertical axis. Moreover, it has been seen how the further purpose of giving such a differentiated worn-out effect to any area of the article of clothing and, eventually, to particular areas, has also been achieved. This is obtained by 5 properly adjusting the relative positions between the drag link and the crank of the corresponding units which operate the kinematic structures supporting the brushes.

Also the purposes of obtaining the repetition of the same quality on the finished product time and again have been achieved, since the machine can o operate in the same conditions in the long run.

Advantageously, the machine according to the invention can be used not only to obtain the so called worn-out effect on the articles of clothing, but also to perform particular treatments suited to give the articles of clothing themselves softness and "coat", both on the inside and the outside of the 5 articles of clothing themselves. During the manufacturing process the machine according to the invention may undergo changes with the purpose of improving its performance or making its construction less costly.

Moreover, the machine according to the invention can be realized with a number of brushes differing from the number described, which can also present different profiles from the profiles described and represented in the drawings.

Furthermore, again the machine according to the invention can be complete with more working stations and, therefore, it can have more manikins suited to fit, remove and treat more than one article of clothing at the time.

In addition, it is pointed out that the machine can also be realized by arranging the brushes with the rotating axis not horizontal and by making said rotating brushes move not following a vertical direction in relation to the article of clothing to be treated.

All said variations and other possible ones must, however, be considered as falling within the spirit and the scope protected by the present invention.

20

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Claims

1 ) A working method for giving a worn-out aspect to articles of clothing, in particular to articles of clothing made of denim materials, comprising the following operations:

5 - the application of at least one article of clothing to be treated (6) on at least one supporting manikin (2), said manikin being suited to arrange said article of clothing in the shape that it will essentially acquire once it is worn by a person;

- the treatment of said at least one article of clothing by means of the abrasive ιo action generated by the relative displacement of said article of clothing (6) and of one or more rotating brushes (9; 90) in contact with said article of clothing (6), following the lengthwise direction (21 ) of the article of clothing (6) itself;

- the removal of said at least one article of clothing (6) from said at least 15 one manikin (2) after the treatment has been completed, characterized in that said one or more rotating brushes (9; 90) perform a swinging movement (51 ; 520) over a plane which is transversal to the article of clothing (6) itself.

2) A machine (1 ; 100) suited to apply the working method 2o according to claim 1 , comprising:

- one or more manikins (2) each of them being suited to support at least one article of clothing to be treated (6);

- a plurality of brushes (9; 90) rotating around their axes (530), placed opposite to each other and belonging to at least one slide (11 ; 110) joined to

:5 a supporting structure (16; 160) insisting on the basement plate (17; 170) of said machine (1 ; 100);

- a device (8) for moving said manikins (2) suited to arrange each manikin (2), first in an area for fitting and/or removing said at least one article of clothing to be treated (6) and then in an area for treating said article of

3o clothing fitted between said rotating brushes (9; 90);

- motorizing means (20; 22) co-operating with said at least one slide (11 ; 110) and with said supporting structure (16; 160) to realize the relative displacement of said brushes (9; 90) in relation to each other and in relation to said article of clothing to be treated (6);

35 characterized in that said rotating brushes (9; 90) mechanically co-operate with at least one kinematic structure (15, 7, 71 , 13; 500, 501 , 503, 505, 506, 507; 700), joined to said supporting structure (16; 160) and suited to realize said swinging motion of said brushes (9; 90) over a plane which is transversal to the article of clothing itself and following alternate directions 5 (51 ; 520) opposite to one another.

3) A machine (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that said at least one kinematic structure joined to said supporting structure (16) comprises: a frame (15) provided with guiding rails (13) along which said at least one slide (11) supporting said brushes (9) slides; pivots (71 ) arranged

!o at the ends (7) of said frame (15) which connect said frame (15) to said supporting structure (16), said frame (15) mechanically co-operating with a drag link/crank unit (50) which insists on said basement plate (17) and which realizes said swinging motion of said brushes (9), consisting of the alternate rotation (51 ) of said frame (15) and of said brushes (9) connected with it i around at least one axis (14) passing through said pivots (71 ).

4) A machine (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that said at least one kinematic structure joined to said supporting structure (160) comprises a central rod (500) fulcred on said at least one slide (110) through a pivot (501 ) and is provided, at one end (502) with a pair of actuators (503), o each of which is connected with a tie-rod (505) fastened to a pivot (506) belonging to a housing (507) which supports the rotating shaft of said at least one brush (90), the opposite end of said central rod (500) co-operating with a drag link/crank unit (600) which insists on said at least one slide (110) and which realizes said swinging motion of said brushes (90) consisting of 5 the alternate rotation (520) of said housing (507) and of said at least one brush (90) joined to it, around said pivot (506).

5) A machine (1 ; 100) according to claim 2, characterized in that each of said one or more manikins (2) comprises a supple structure (4) on which said article of clothing to be treated (6) is arranged, said supple structure (4) being supported by at least one central core (5) attached to said moving device (8) by means of a unit (3) for blocking said article of clothing to be treated (6).

6) A machine (1 ; 100) according to claim 5, characterized in that said blocking unit (3) consists of a pair of plates (31 ) arranged opposite to each other, each of which supports a jaw (33) to which one of said central cores (5) is attached; said plates (31 ) are made mobile by displacing means (30) in relation to a supporting structure (32) attached to said moving device (8).

7) A machine (1 ; 100) according to claim 6, characterized in that said displacing means (30) comprise a pair of racks (131 ) each of which is

5 attached to one of said plates arranged opposite to each other (31 ) and holding between them a cog wheel (132) engaging both of them and joined to said supporting structure (32); at least one of said plates (31 ) being attached to the end of stem (134) of an actuator (34) consisting of a pneumatic cylinder whose body (234) is attached to said supporting structure ID (32).

8) A machine (1 ; 100) according to claim 5, characterized in that each of said at least one manikin (2) is complete with at least one stretching unit (24) of said article of clothing to be treated (6), said stretching unit comprising a guiding tube (324), attached to said blocking unit (3),

15 inside which a stretching rod (524) slides, said stretching unit being provided with third motorizing means (26) suited to realize the displacement of said stretching rod (524) inside said guiding tube (324), each extremity (124) of said stretching rod (524) being provided with at least one pair of pliers (23) suited to secure the extremity of said article of o clothing to be treated (6).

9) A machine (1 ; 100) according to claim 8, characterized in that said third motorizing unit (26) comprises a motor (326) attached to said blocking unit (3) and a worm screw/helicoidal wheel unit (426) mechanically co¬ operating with said motor (326) by which it is driven into rotation, said unit 5 (426) being coupled with a shaft (526), at the extremities of which is attached a pinion (226) engaging a rack (424) belonging to a corresponding stretching rod (524).

10) A machine (1 ; 100) according to claim 2, characterized in that said device (8) for moving said manikins (2) comprises a vertical upright

3o (81 ) supporting a rotating beam (82), said at least one manikin (2) being arranged at each extremity of said rotating beam (82).

11 ) A machine (1 ; 100) according to claim 2, characterized in that said motorizing means comprise first motorizing means (22) which consist of a chain (221 , 701 ) attached to said slide (11 ; 110) by means of a bracket

35 (222), wherein said chain is driven into rotation by a motor (223) joined to said supporting structure (16; 160) and is arranged between two driving gears (224, 225) joined to said supporting structure (16; 160).

12) A machine (1 ; 100) according to .claim 2, characterized in that said motorizing means comprise second motorizing means (20) which

5 consist of a belt (201 ) attached to a bracket (202) connected to said supporting structure (16; 160), said belt matching a driving gear (205) attached to the basement plate (17; 170) of the machine and driven into rotation by a motor (203) belonging to the supporting structure itself.

13) A machine (1; 100) according to claim 5, characterized in that it in comprises a bottom blocking unit (27) applied to the basement plate of said machine and composed of a pair of brackets (127) hinged to one another, at least one of which is provided with claws (427), said claws and said brackets co-operating with each other in order to block by contrast the extremities of said at least one central core (5) of said one or more manikins (2) whenever 15 said at least one article of clothing to be treated (6) is in the treating position.

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