Improved Stretcher for Trousers and the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 1st Dec., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Stretcher for Trousers and the like.
I, JOHN ALBERT CHEAPE, of The Woodlands, Kingston Hill, in the County
of Surrey, Inventor, 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 :—
When stretching trousers or the like in stretchers as hitherto constructed it
bas been necessary to first clamp the ends of the trousers or other article to the
ends of the stretcher. Now the object of my invention is an improved stretcher of
simple construction and manipulation and in which the stretching and clamping
of the trousers or other article is effected simultaneously by a single lever
movement.
A stretcher constructed according to my invention is illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 being an elevation; Fig. 2 a plan; and Figs. 3, 4,
5, 6 and 7 enlarged details thereof.
The stretcher consists essentially of two clamping parts A and B in which the
ends of the trousers or other articles are secured and lever stretcher rods capable
of being so connected together and to said clamping pieces that by a single lever
movement of one of them, said clamping parts A and B are operated and forced
apart. Each of the clamping parts A and B is constructed of two bars ab of wood
or other suitable material the bar a being preferably of a rectangular section and
the barb of a semicircular section. To the ends of the bar a are secured upwardly
projecting lugs c c' into openings in which project pins d mounted eccentrically on
the ends of the bar b so that said bar acts as a cam and when revolved in one
direction its curved surface gradually approaches the flat upper surface of the bar
so gripping the trousers or other article placed between them, whilst when revolved
in the opposite direction its curved surface gradually. recedes from the upper surface
of the bar a and so releases the trousers or the like.
The barb may be slightly shorter than the bar a and the pins p made of such
lengths that the bars may be disconnected or as illustrated (Fig. 5) the lug c¹ on
each of the bars a may be formed of or secured in position by means of a spring
plate or otherwise formed that it may be forced back to release one of the pins d
so admitting the bars a and b being disconnected. In this case a curved and grooved
guide tongue is provided on each of said lugs down which the pin on one end of
the bar 6 may be caused to travel into the opening in said lug after the pin on the
opposite end of said bar 6 has been inserted in the opening in the lug c when again
connecting the two bars together.
Each of the bars 6 of the clamping pieces has a socket formed in or attached
thereto and into this fits one end of one of the rods C, D. The free end of the
rod D has hinged to it a stirrup E whose inner surfaces are roughened and parallel
to one another as shown in Fig. 6 and by means of which and a ring F sliding on
Baid rod the ends of the two rods may be connected together.
The operation of securing a pair of trousers or the like in a stretcher constructed
as above described is effected by disconnecting the bars a and b and arranging the
the bars a parallel to one another at a suitable distance apart. Across these bars a
the garment is then placed and the bars b, in the sockets in which the ends of the
rods C, D have been previously placed, then secured in position. The free end of
the rod C is then passed through the stirrup E as shown in dotted lines (Fig. 1)
and the free ends of the rods forced down (preferably with a jerk) into a parallel
or nearly parallel position (shown in full lines Figs. 1 and 2).

page_text: This movement not only causes the bars to revolve in the direction to cause
them to grip the trousers or the like placed between them and the bars a but as the
roughened parallel surfaces of stirrup E grip the rod C the rods are prevented
from sliding one on the other and consequently act as levers and force the clamping
pieces slightly farther apart.
When the rods have been forced into the parallel or nearly parallel position
they may be so secured by passing the ring Fover the over-lapping end of the
rod C.
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
1. A stretcher for trousers and the like consisting essentially of clamping
pieces A and B stretcher rods C and D, stirrup E and ring F arranged and
operating as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a stretcher for trousers and the like clamping pieces formed of bars a and b
so hinged together by means of lugs and pins that said bars b act as cams and when
revolved in one direction their surfaces approach those of said bars a and when
revolved in the opposite direction recede therefrom as and for the purpose
described.
3. In a stretcher for trousers and the like the lever stretcher bars C, D stirrup E
and ring F arranged and operating as and for the purpose described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 25th day of Ontaba 1901
66
CASTLE SMITH,
Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.
CASTLE SMITH,
Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.