Improvements in Apparatus for Stretching and Pressing Trousers or other Articles.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 6th June, 1890-Accepted, 12th July, 1890,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Stretching and Pressing Trousers
or other Articles.
I WILLIAM HUTTON BRAYSHAY of 19 Colville Road Kensington in the County of
Middlesex Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows:-
My Invention has. for its object to provide a simple apparatus by which trousers
or other garments or articles can be stretched and pressed very readily and efficiently
without the trouble incidental to the use of apparatus for the purpose as hitherto
constructed.
I
According to my Invention I provide a board or table or equivalent support made
in parts fitted together so that it is extensible lengthwise. At each end of this
support are pieces forming abutments for the ends of upper boards which meet at
their other ends and before the stretching is effected are situated so that they form
an angle with each other. The abutinents 1 prefer to make in the form of wedge
shaped pieces forming sockets into which the outward ends or corners of the boards
are received. The article to be stretched is placed on the support and then the
upper boards are placed with their outer ends or corners in the wedge shaped socket
pieces the said boards inclining upwards towards their inner meeting ends. By then
pressing upon these upper boards they are moved towards the position in which they
make a straight line with each other and in so moving extend the support beneath
and so stretch the garment which garment during the process is firmly gripped
between the support and the outer edges of the upper boards by reason of the ends
of the upper boards being forced towards the support by the wedge shaped abutments
aforesaid. In order to retain the apparatus in the position to which it has now been
brought and constitute it a press I provide a means of securing the parts in the
extended position. For this purpose I inay use a double armed centered button arm or
lever the ends of which take under inclined pieces secured to the support, or I may
use a ratchet bar on one part and a click on the other.
Dated this 6th day of September 1889
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C., Agents.
4.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in Apparatus for Stretching and Pressing Trousers
or others Articles.
I WILLIAM HUTTON BRAYSHAY of 19 Colville Road Kensington in the County of
Middlesex Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My Invention has for its object to provide a simple apparatus by which trousers or
other garments or articles can be by one motion stretched and pressed very readily
and efficiently without the trouble incidental to the use of screw clamps or other
apparatus for the purpose as hitherto constructed.
According to my Invention I provide a board or table or equivalent support madé
in parts fitted together so that it is extensible lengthwise. At each end of this
support are pieces forming abutments for the ends of extensible upper boards, which
meet at their other ends and which before the stretching is effected may be situated

page_text: so that they form an angle with each other. The abuiments may be made in the
form of wedge shaped or other suitably formed pieces constituting sockets into or
against which the outward ends or corners of the boards are received. The article
to be stretched is placed on the support, and then the extensible upper-boards are
placed with their outer ends or corners in or against the wedge shaped or other
socket pieces, the said boards inclining upwards or towards their inner meeting ends.
By then pressing upon these upper boards they are moved towards the position in
which they make a straight line with each other, and in so moving extend the table
or support beneath, and so stretch the garment, which garment during the process
is firmly gripped between the support and outer edges of the upper boards by
reason of the ends of the upper boards being forced towards the support by the
wedge shaped (or other) abutments aforesaid. In order to retain the apparatus in
the position to which it has now been brought, and constitute it also a press; I provide
a means of securing the parts in the extended position. For this purpose I may
use a double armed centered button or lever, the ends of which take under preferably
inclined faces of pieces secured to the support; or any other suitable means may
be employed, such for example as a ratched bar on one part and a click on the
other.
Or as
an alternative form of upper stretcher-board, the said board may be
extensible horizontally, by being formed in two parts sliding one within another, and
operated by toggle levers, or by other equivalent means, the distinctive advantage of
apparatus constructed according to my Invention being the absence of screw clamps
or other complicated adjustments or mechanism.
In order that my Invention may be more clearly understood I will now proceed
to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Figures 1, 2, and 3, illustrate in plan, side elevation, and end elevation, respectively one
form of apparatus constructed according to my Invention, Figures 4 and 5 being a plan
and side elevation of an alternative form of apparatus, and Figures 6. 7. 8. 9. 10
and 11 being views of details to be hereinafter referred to.
In Figures 1, 2 and 3 the support or table of the apparatus is shown as having
two parts 1 and 2, the part 1 being provided with a prolongation 1 having tongues 3
upon its edges which slide in grooves 4 formed in the edges of a
part 2.
recess in the
The abutments 7, 8 are fixed near the ends of the parts 1 and 2 respectively, and
are provided with overhanging portions having inclined faces 9 as shown, under
which take the ends 12 of the upper board or toggle 10 of the apparatus (shown
separately in side elevation in Figure 6), the toggle being provided with a hinge 11
at its centre, the hinge being preferably a double hinge as shown in order that the
upper board may be folded into a small compass when not in use. The end pieces 12
are also hinged and carry a bearing surface 13 of india rubber or the like, in order
that they may firmly grip the trousers or other article by pressing them as shown
against strips 14 of india rubber or the like secured to the support or table. The
double armed button or lever 15 is centered at 16 to the upper board 10 and when
the portions of this upper board or toggle lie nearly in a straight line with each other
the button 15 may be rotated so that its ends take under the bearing faces of pieces 17,
secured to the sides of the support or table, and thus the centre portion of the toggle 10
is pressed down upon the garment beneath and is retained in place, the apparatus thus
acting as a press, upon the garment now extended between the two surfaces.
In Figures 4 and 5 the upper board of the apparatus is not of the toggle form, but
is made in two portions 18, 19, a prolongation on 18 sliding within a recess in 19:
Toggles 20 are placed upon this upper board and attached by one end to the portion 18
thereof, the other end being attached to the part 19.
When the toggles are arranged to expand laterally as shown in Figures 4 and 5,
two sliders 21 are arranged to engage the opposite pairs of the toggle arms as shown,
and by forcing these sliders towards one another along the arms (20) the latter are
caused to assume and to retain the position shown in dot- and pick-lines in Figure 4,

page_text: which shows also the portion 18 of the upper board pushed outwards and away from
the portion 19.
The outer end of the portion 19 bears against the inclined faces of recesses 22 in
blocks 23 secured as in previous example to one end of the support or table, which is
itself formed in two parts 1, 2, arranged in a manner exactly similar to the arrange-
ment of the table in Figures 1, 2 and 3; the outer ends of the portion 18 of the
upper board bearing against the inclined faces 9 of pieces 7 attached to the out r end
of the part 1 of the table.
Figures 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, illustrate various modes in which the ends of the toggles
or upper boards 10 employed in either of the forms of apparatus hereinbefore
described are arranged with reference to the pieces or abutments 7 fixed to the
portions 1, 2, of table or support.
In Figure 7, the end of the toggle unlike that shown in Figure 6 is not hinged but
bears directly upon the garment placed upon the table 1, and is prevented from rising
by being forced against the india rubber facing 23 of the abutment.
In Figure 8 the end of the toggle is provided with hinged pieces 12 but the faces 9
of the abutments against which they bear are less inclined than in the example shown
in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
In Figure 9 the end of the toggle (which may or may not be hinged to the main
body) takes under the edge. of a cam 24 which turns about a pin 25 carried by the
abutment so that when by extension of the toggle or the upper board, as the case
may be, its ends are forced towards the abutments, and are simultaneously depressed
by the cam 24 and forced against the garment or other material lying between them
and the support or table. An india rubber ring 26 or other suitable spring may be
secured to the abutment to bear against the cam and keep the latter in position in
readiness to receive the ends of the toggle.
Figures 10 and 11 shew in end and side elevation respectively an arrangement
wherein the end of the toggle or upper board has its edge formed as shewn at 27 to
take under bent arms 28 (which may be connected together if desired so as to form a
single link) rotating about centres on the support or table so that when the toggle or
upper board is extended, the arms (or link) rotate into the position shown in dotted
lines in Figure 11 and draw the ends of the toggle or upper board down towards
the support or table as shown.
The portions of surfaces of the upper and lower tables between which the article to
be stretched is gripped, are preferably provided with indiarubber, leather, or the
like 13, 14 to render the grip more firm and even.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
:―
1. In apparatus for stretching and pressing trousers, or other garments or articles,
the combination with an extensible table or support, with wedge pieces or abutments
fixed thereto, of an extensible upper board, forming a toggle or being extensible by a
toggle or toggles and engaging the fixed wedge pieces or other abutments and being
retained in its extended position, and caused to produce pressure by a button or lever
taking under inclined faces of blocks fixed to the table or support substantially as
and for the purpose bereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
2. In apparatus for stretching and pressing trousers or other garments or articles,
abutments or wedge pieces permanently fixed to an extensible table or support, and
adapted to receive the ends of the extensible toggles or of extensible upper boards,
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described with reference to Figures í
to 8 inclusive of the accompanying drawings.
3. In apparatus for stretching and pressing trousers or other articles or garments
the combination with an extensible support or table and an extensible upper board or
toggle of the bent arms or equivalent single link carried by the table or support and

page_text: engaging the ends of the upper board or toggle substantially in the manner and for
the purpose herein before described with reference to Figures 10 and 11. of the
accompanying drawings.
4. The general constructions combinations and arrangements of parts constituting
apparatus for stretching and pressing trousers or other garments or articles sub-
stantially as herein before described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
1800
WM. HUTTON BRAYSHAY.