Improvements in Apparatus for Pressing or Pressing and Contain- ing Trousers and other Articles of Wearing Apparel, Table Linen, and the like.
Year: 1888

page_text: Jate of Application, 14th May, 1888
Complete Specification Left,. 14th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 16th Mar., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Pressing or Pressing and Contain-
ing Trousers and other Articles of Wearing Apparel, Table
Linen, and the like.
I GEORGE WHITAKER of 43 Conduit Street, Regent Street in the County of
Middlesex Tailor do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object the production of a cheap portable and compact
apparatus chiefly adapted for domestic use for pressing or pressing and containing
trousers and other articles of wearing apparel in order to keep them in their natural
shape and ready for immediate use although capable of being also employed for
pressing table linen and other like articles.
:
This object I accomplish in the following manner viz. I provide two boards or
plates, an upper and a lower of suitable size for the articles to be pressed, which are
placed between them. The lower board or plate (which may either be mounted on
legs or standards or arranged so as to rest on a table or like support) is formed or
fitted with projections say for example one towards each end at opposite sides thereof
for the reception of removable uprights each of which is formed with a series of
superposed notches and of superposed angular or other shaped projections or recesses
for purposes hereinafter explained. To the upper board or plate which rests on the
articles to be pressed pressure is imparted by means of a portable lever which may
consist for example of a lever handle having a spur or projection for bearing on the
board or plate or attachments thereto and a cross bar for engaging with one or other
of the angular or other shaped projections or recesses of the upright at each side
according to the thickness of the articles between the two boards or plates, such projections
or recesses constituting in fact fulcra for the lever. By the act of operating the
lever handle the upper board or plate is pressed down upon the lower board or plate
and the necessary pressure is imparted to the articles placed between them.
pressure thus imparted is maintained by means of catches pivotted to the upper board
or plate or to an attachment thereto, and which are rendered adjustable by a slotted
connection or otherwise to and from the sides of the board or plate and may be made
The

page_text: of an inclined shape and roughened or serrated at. their acting part so as to readily
enter such of the notches of the uprights at each side as may be within their range
after the pressure has been exerted.
The uprights and lever being removable and capable of being placed flatwise
between the boards or plates when not in use, the entire apparatus may be brought
within a small compass only slightly exceeding the thickness of the two boards or
plates whilst from the simplicity of its parts it is rendered exceedingly cheap in con-
struction and not liable to be put out of order. It is obvious however that when
desired the uprights may be formed on or rigidly secured to the board or plate
and attached levers may be used, but I prefer the arrangement hereinbefore
described.
DI 11.
1 1
1009
THOS. J. HANDFORD,
50, Bedford Row, London, W.C.,
Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Pressing or Pressing and Contain-
ing Trousers and other Articles of Wearing Apparel, Table
Linen, and the like.
I GEORGE WHITAKER of 43 Conduit Street, Regent Street in the County of
Middlesex, Tailor 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 the production of a cheap portable and compact
apparatus chiefly adapted for domestic use for pressing or pressing and containing
trousers and other articles of wearing apparel in order to keep them in their natural
shape and ready for immediate use although capable of being also employed for
pressing table linen and other like articles.
This object I accomplish by the combination with boards or plates between which
the articles to be pressed are placed, of peculiar means of imparting and maintaining
the pressure substantially as hereinafter described, reference being had to the sheet of
drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a sectional elevation of an
apparatus constructed according to my said invention, shewn as in use with several
pairs of trousers therein, by preference separated by pieces of millboard or other
suitable material, the pressure having already been imparted to the right hand end,
and being imparted to the left hand end of the apparatus. Figure 2 is a plan corre-
sponding to Figure 1. Figure 3 is an end elevation, and Figure 4 is a transverse
section looking towards the right hand end. Figures 5 and 6 are respectively a
plan and elevation, drawn to a larger scale, illustrating the catches hereinafter
referred to.
AA are two boards or plates (A being the upper board or plate and A¹ the lower
board or plate) of suitable size for the articles B to be pressed, which are placed
between them. The lower board or plate A¹ (which may either be mounted on legs
or standards, or arranged as shewn, so as to rest on a table or like support) is
formed or fitted with projections a, a, say for example one, towards each end at
opposite sides thereof as shewn, for the reception of removable uprights or
brackets C, C, each of which is formed with a series of superposed notches and
of superposed angular or other shaped projections c (or recesses may be substituted
for the projections) for purposes hereinafter explained. To the upper board or
plate A, which rests on the articles B to be pressed, pressure is imparted by means
of a portable lever D which may consist for example of a. lever handle d having a
spur or projection for bearing on the board or plate or attachments e thereto and
of a cross bar for engaging with one or other of the angular or other shaped
projections c (or recesses) of the upright C at each side according to the thickness of
the articles between the two boards or plates, such projections (or recesses) constituting

page_text: in fact fulcra for the lever. By the act of operating the lever handle d the upper
board or plate A is pressed down towards the lower board or plate A and the
necessary pressure is imparted to the articles B placed between them. The pressure
thus imparted is maintained by means of catches E (shewn in detail in Figures 5
and 6) pivotted to the upper board or plate A or to attachments thereto, and
which are rendered adjustable by a slotted connection as shewn or otherwise to and
from the sides of the board or plate, and may be. made of an inclined shape and
roughened or serrated at their acting part as indicated at g so as to readily enter
such of the notches of the uprights Cat cach side as may. be within their range
after the pressure has been exerted.
When the pressure has been given at one end and the parts have been secured in
position by the catches as shewn at the right hand end of Figures 1 and 2, the
lever is shifted to the other end and the pressure is exerted there (the drawings
indicating the position of the parts at this end when in the act of imparting the
pressure) and the pressure is maintained by inserting the catches as before: or two
levers may be employed and the pressure be imparted at both ends simultaneously if
desired.
The uprights and lever being removable and capable of being placed flatwise
between the boards or plates when not in use, the entire apparatus may be brought
within a small compass only slightly exceeding the thickness of the two boards or
plates whilst from the simplicity of its parts it is rendered exceedingly cheap in
construction and not liable to be put out of order. It is obvious however that when
desired the uprights may be formed on or rigidly secured to the board or plate and
attached levers may be used, but I prefer the arrangement hereinbefore described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination with two boards or plates between which the articles to be
pressed are placed, of uprights or brackets carried by one board or plate and having
projections or recesses, on or in which an operating lever may act for exerting
pressure, and having notches for the engagement of catches carried by the other
board or plate for maintaining the pressure substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The combination with two boards or plates between which the articles to be
pressed are placed, of uprights or brackets carried by one board or plate and having
projections or recesses substantially as herein set forth, and of an operating lever
acting on or in the projections or recesses of such uprights or brackets and having
a spur or projection for pressing on the other board or plate substantially as and for
the purpose hereinbefore described.
3. The combination with two boards or plates between which the articles to be
pressed are placed, of uprights or brackets carried by one board or plate and having
notches substantially as herein set forth and of catches carried by the other board
or plate for engaging with the notches of the uprights or brackets substantially as
and for the purpose hereinbefore described..
4. The adjustable catches E of an inclined shape and roughened or serrated at their
acting part substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
Dated this 14th day of February 1889.
THOS. J. HANDFORD,
50, Bedford Row, London, W.C.,
Agent.