IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING TROUSERS OR OTHER LIKE ARTICLES
Year: 1884

page_text: I ROBERT VACY ASH of 86 Saint Thomas Street Portsmouth in the County of
Hampshire, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING TROUSERS OR OTHER LIKE ARTICLES," to be as
follows:-
The object of this Invention is the construction of a simple inexpensive and
portable apparatus to be employed for stretching trousers or other like articles and
consists in the application of a novel form and arrangement of clamps constructed
to slide on a bar and give to the fabric held by the clamps and through the action
of such bar an automatic stretch through the medium of springs, the arrangement
construction and action of the parts being as follows:-
I construct a folding bar having a joint similar to that of a rule or two foot
measure, on this bar at either end thereof I place clamps capable of sliding thereon
the gripping surfaces of the said clamps by preference are so formed that one
surface will be convex and the other concave the object of which enables such
clamps without extra exertion in screwing down to hold the fabric tenaciously
between them.-At a distance from each end of the rod supporting the clamps
collars or enlargements are formed between which and the inner face of the clamps
situated at either extremity of the rod strong spiral or other suitable form of
springs are placed so as to be confined between the two surfaces, videlicet, the
sliding clamps and the fixed collars on the rod,-At the time the trousers or other
like fabric is placed between the clamps the jointed rod supporting such clamps
will be doubled into a V like form so as to bring the clamps nearer together for
the convenience of readily placing the trousers between their gripping surface, at
which time the stretch to the fabric is accomplished by simply forcing the rod from
ite V formation into a straight line.
THOMAS WRIGLEY,
75, Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agent to the Applicant,

page_text: I ROBERT VAOY ASH of Saint Thomas Street Portsmouth in the County of
Hampshire Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING TROUSERS OR OTHER LIKE
ARTICLES " and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-—
The object of this Invention is the construction of a simple inexpensive and
portable apparatus to be employed for stretching trousers or other like articles, and
the improvements consist in the use of clamps for gripping the fabric to be stretched
of novel construction which are supported by and slide on the ends of a jointed bar
provided with coiled springs against which the clamps are forced when the jointed
rod is straightened thus causing such springs to give an automatic stretch to the
fabric retained by the clamps.
The arrangement construction and action of the parts may be described as
follows:
*:.
:
I construct a folding bar having a joint similar to that of a rule or two foot
measure; on this bar at either end thereof I place clamps which are capable of
sliding thereon, the gripping surfaces of the said clamps by preference are so formed
that one surface will be concave and the other convex the object of which is to
enable such clamps without extra exertion in screwing down to hold the fabrics
tenaciously between them. At a distance from each end of the jointed rod
supporting the clamps collars or enlargements are formed between which and the
inner face of the clamps situated at either extremity of the jointed rods strong
spiral coils or other suitable form of springs are placed so as to be confined between
the two surfaces videlicet the sliding clamps and the fixed collars on the jointed
rod. At the time the trousers or other like fabric is placed between the clamps the
jointed rod will be doubled into a V like form so as to allow the clamps to be
nearer together for the convenience of readily placing the trousers between their
gripping surfaces at which time the stretch to the fabric is accomplished by simply
forcing the rod from its V formation into a straight line.
In order that the Invention may be well understood I have hereunto annexed a
Sheet of Drawings upon which letters of Reference are marked on corresponding
parts on all the Fias alike
Figs 1, 2, and 3 represent the various parts composing the stretcher folded up
into a portable compass Fig 1 and 3 being the clamps and Fig: 2 the jointed bar
doubled up or closed.
Fig 4 represents a transverse section of one of the clamps through the line X X
of Figs 1, and 3.
Fig: 5 represented the jointed bar doubled into a V formation as it would appear
when ready for being inserted into the clamps previous to the stretching process,
and Fig 6, represents the position the jointed bar and clamps would assume when
the fabric held by the clamps is on the stretch.
In these Figs a is a folding bar having a joint similar to that of an ordinary
two foot rule, b. b. are clamps the gripping surfaces of which are made with one
bar b, convex and the other b¹ concave as seen at Section Fig, 4 The bottom bars
b. b. of these clamps are provided with holes c. c. which fit and slide on the ends of
the jointed rod à At a distance from each end of the rod a enlargements or

page_text: collars d. d. are formed between which and the inner face of each clamp b. b. when
sliding on the said bar coiled springs e. e. are interposed so as to exert a pressure
against the clamps outward from the joint of the rod a.
When the apparatus is being used for stretching trousers the clamps are free of
the rod and are placed at distances apart representing a space between which the
trousers or other fabric to be stretched is placed.-The top portion 61 of each clamp
is then brought into position over the bottom portion b. and screwed down by
means of the winged nuts fafter which the ends of the rod a in its V formation, as
seen at Fig: 5 are placed in the holes c. c. of each clamp at which time the stretch
to the fabric is automatically accomplished by simply forcing the rod into a straight
line as seen at Fig: 6 which causes the pull of the fabric on the clamps to compress
the springs e. e. which in turn give a constant stretch to the fabric whilst held by
the clamps.
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:-
.First The novel construction arrangement and combination of parts forming an
apparatus for stretching trousers or other similar fabrics to be used in the manner
as herein substantially described set forth and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
Secondly The gripping surfaces of the clamps as shewn at Fig: 4 of the
drawings when employed in connection with clamps employed for purposes similar
to that described herein.