IMPROVEMENTS IN TROUSER STRETCHERS APPLICABLE TO STRETCHING OTHER ARTICLES to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: I FELIX McILVENNA, of 1, Hilton Street, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Shop Fitting Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TROUSER STRETCHERS APPLICABLE TO STRETCHING
OTHER ARTICLES to be as follows:-
"
:
This invention has for its principal object a trousers stretcher which shall at the
same time act as a frame to dry the clothing on before a fire, and one that can be
more easily fixed than those now in use. It is however applicable for stretching
other articles. It consists :-
1st, in a vertical standard upon a steady and preferably heavy base or support.
2nd, in a second standard sliding on or in the first and kept extended by a
spring. 3rd, in two lower plates.or boards connected by a pin or pins to the
standard but so that they can be drawn nearer or further apart. These plates or
boards have their flat sides towards each other and are preferably roughened or
armed with small points or lined with india-rubber to afford frictional or other
resistance to the extraction of trouser ends or other clothing inserted therein.
They are kept together by springs, screws or by the volute catch hereafter described
or other equivalent mechanism; these boards are prevented from rising on the
standard by a collar on the latter and are as near the box as practicable. 4th, in
a T-piece, placed at the top of the upper standard. Hinged to this T-piece at one
end is a second bar. The hinge can be an elastic one or have some play or the two
bars can be slightly elastic. On the fixed T-piece at the opposite end to the hinge
I place a catch. 5th, in the catch. This can be an ordinary hook on one bar and
pin on the other but I prefer a volute or spiral catch with its centre pivoted to one
bar and its point and grooved canal capable of catching in a pin on the other bar;
by revolving the volute hook so bringing the pin further along the groove nearer
to the centre in a spiral course the bars are brought nearer together. The manner
of application is as follows:
'

page_text: One end of the article of clothing or other fabric to be dried or stretched is
fixed between the two lower boards (which being flat press it to a smooth shape)
and is secured by the points and spring pressure, by screw or by volate fastenings
as preferred. The upper part of the apparatus is then forced down compressing
the spring. The hinge is opened, the other end of the piece of clothing thrown
over the T, and the hinged piece secured preferably by the volute catch, but an
ordinary hook or still better an elastic catch can be used instead. The standard is
now released and the spring stretches the trousers tight. It can now be placed
before a fire and dried standing on its own base.

page_text: I, FELIX MOILVENNA, of 1 Hilton Street, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Shop Fitting Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TROUSER STRETCHERS, APPLICABLE TO STRETCHING
OTHER ARTICLES" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
↑
This invention has for its principal object a trousers stretcher which shall at the
same time act as a frame to dry the clothing on before a fire, and one that can be
more easily fixed than those now in use. It is however applicable for stretching
other articles.
It is best described by aid of the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is an elevation of the trouser stretcher partly in section..
Figure 2 plan of catch.
In these A is a vertical standard upon a steady and preferably heavy base or
support A'. B is a second standard sliding on or in the first and kept extended by
springs C and C¹.
Spring C is fixed to the central piston B¹ and to the top of the
tube and is always in tension; when the weight is on; spring C¹ is compressed
between piston B' and a stop at bottom, and is always in compression when the
weight is on. In the drawing no work being on, spring C is closed up at rest, and
spring C¹ extended as much as the apparatus will allow but is still strongly
compressed-by pressing down on the top both springs are thus brought strongly
into resistance.
If desirable there can be several standards telescoping into each other, each with
a spring fitted between the abutment of one and the piston or abutment of
another, but I prefer only two as shown. D is a lower plate firmly fixed to the
rod by set screw E or other convenient means. F second bar hinged to and
immediately behind and similar to plate D at one end with an elastic rubber or
spring hinge and a peculiar fastening hereafter described at the other end, or it can
be secured by screws or clamps at each end, or they can be connected by screwed
pin in the centre like the jaws of a vice, or the heavy bottom can be made in the
form of a trough and one side of the trough form one plate, and the other plate
be adjusted by wedge or screw from the other side of the trough, or lastly a pair
of jaws can be cast on the one plate and the other plate slipped in and wedged
tight. These plates or boards have their flat sides towards each other and are
preferably roughened or armed with small points or lined with india rubber to
afford frictional or other resistance to the extraction of trouser ends or other clothing
inserted therein. These boards if not cast solid to the base can be prevented from
rising on the standard by a collar on the latter, and are as near the base as
practicable. G is a T-piece placed at the top of the upper standard. Hinged to
this T-piece at one end is a second bar H. The hinge L can be an elastic one or
have some play, or the two bars can be slightly elastic. On the fixed T-piece at
the opposite end to the hinge I place a catch I. This can be an ordinary hook on
one bar and pin on the other, but I prefer the catch shewn which consists of a.
volute or spiral catch with its centre pivoted to one bar and its point J and grooved
canal K. capable of catching in a pin on the other bar; by revolving the volute
hook and so bringing the pin further along the groove nearer to the centre in a
spiral course the bars are brought nearer together.
The manner of application is as follows
One end of the article of clothing or other fabric to be dried or stretched is
fixed between the two lower boards (which being flat press it to a smooth shane)

page_text: and is secured by the points and spring pressure by screw or by volute fastenings
as preferred. The upper part of the apparatus is then forced down compressing
the spring. The hinge is opened, the other end of the piece of clothing thrown
over the T, and the hinge piece secured preferably by the volute catch, but an
ordinary hook or still better an elastic catch can be used instead. The standard is
now released and the spring stretches the trousers tight. It can now be placed
before a fire and dried standing on its own base.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
'
1st. The trousers stretcher formed with a heavy base so that it shall stand
upright, substantially as described.
2nd. In a trousers stretcher, a telescopic standard or back bone having a
compressed spring tending to elongate the same, by which means there is a
constant spring tension on the trousers tending to stretch them, substantially as
described.
3rd. The peculiar volute catch, substantially as and for the purposes described.
4th. The two bottom plates each formed with a flat broad surface, roughened, or
coated with rubber, whereby the ends of the trousers are pressed flat and securely
held without creasing.
"