A New or Improved Apparatus for Stretching and Blocking Trousers, which may be Adapted for Stretching and Blocking Coat Sleeves.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 10th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 10th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 17th Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Apparatus for Stretching and Blocking
Trousers, which may be Adapted for Stretching and Blocking
Coat Sleeves.
I, WILLIAM JETHRO STURGESS, of Chequers Hotel, Park Street, Bull Ring,
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Hotel Proprietor, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a new and improved apparatus for stretching and
blocking trousers in an expeditious manner so as to make the legs, and more
particularly the bottoms in a true and correct shape and free from any creases, at
the same time renovating the cloth.
My invention consists of an apparatus constructed and combined in the manner
hereinafter described whereby the application of steam to one side of the cloth, and
a mechanical pressure to the other side, produces the above mentioned effect at one
operation.
My invention will be particularly useful for renovating "window stock" and
for dyers and cleaners use and for general use in stretching and blocking trousers.
My said invention consists essentially of a base plate or stand supporting
vertically a hollow case constituting a former or dummy made of cast iron, or other
suitable metal, or I may employ pottery ware in size to fit about one half of the
circumference of the inside of a trouser leg. The face of the said former, that is to
say the part which fits the inside of the shin or front of a trouser leg is provided
with holes or perforations for the purpose hereinafter described.
Opposite the shin of the former I attach to a convenient part of the base plate
aforesaid, a pressing lever, consisting of a lever having a semi-circular face of the
same configuration as the shin or front of the former, and provided with holes or
perforations, the joint on which the said lever works, consists of a link connection,
so as to give an eccentric movement thereto, when the lever is pressed forward to
the former.
The back of the said former consists of a flat vertical side intersected about one
At the apex
half thereof and constituting half or nearly one half of a trouser leg.
of the said flat part, I connect by a hinge joint a depending lever, constituting the
other half or remaining portion of the leg; between the flat part of the former and
the depending lever, I fix a flat or other suitable spring so as to keep the said lever
extended outwards.
The function of the depending lever and spring is to stretch the trouser leg when
placed over the former, and to keep it well stretched over the front or shin of the
former.
The base plate aforesaid consists of a hollow frame furnished with a Bunsen
burner or other gas jet, and supporting the whole apparatus. Near the top of the
former is situated a water pipe provided with a tap. I also provide a vertical rod
for supporting the trousers. When a trouser leg is drawn over the top of the
former and stretched tightly thereon, the action of the spring presses the depending
lever outward.
The pressing lever being brought into action firmly clips and presses the cloth
to the face of the shin part of the former.
When in this position the gas jet is lighted and the apparatus made hot, the
water tap being turned on, allows the water to fall in drops on the bottom of the
apparatus and quickly generates into steam, escaping through the holes therein to
the cloth

page_text: It will be apparent that by the above mentioned operation, the trouser legs will
bo efficiently stretched and blocked, or shrunken and the cloth quickly renovated.
By slight modifications my said invention may be used for stretching and
blocking the sleeves of a coat.
Dated this 10th day of May 1893.
GEO. H. RAYNER,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Apparatus for Stretching and Blocking
Trousers, which may be Adapted for Stretching and Blocking
Coat Sleeves.
1, WILLIAM JETHRO STURGESS of Chequers Hotel, Park Street, Bull Ring,
Birmingham in the County of Warwick, Hotel Proprietor 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 :-
This invention relates to a new and improved apparatus for stretching and
blocking trousers in an expeditious manner so as to make the legs and more
particularly the bottoms in a true and correct shape and free from any creases at
the same time renovating the cloth which may at the same time be made shower
proof.
My invention consists of an apparatus constructed and combined in a manner
hereinafter described whereby the application of steam to one side of the cloth and
a mechanical pressure to the other side producing the above mentioned effect at
one operation.
My invention will be particularly useful for renovating "window stock" and
for dyers and cleaners use and for general use in stretching and blocking trousers
and rendering them shower proof.
My said invention consists essentially of a base plate or stand supporting
vertically a hollow case or former or dummy which may or may not enclose a
boiler or other vessel, made of cast iron or other suitable metal or I may employ
pottery ware in size to fit about one half of the circumference of the inside of a
trouser leg. The face of the said former that is to say the part which fits the inside
of the shin or front of a trouser leg is provided with holes or perforations for the
purpose hereinafter described.
Opposite the shin of the former I attach to a convenient part of the base plate
aforesaid, a pressing lever, consisting of a lever having a semi-circular face of the
same configuration as the shin or front of the former and provided with holes or
perforations, the joint on which the said lever works may consist if desired of a
link connection, so as to give an eccentric movement thereto when the lever is
pressed forward to the former.
The back of the said former consists of a flat vertical side which forms part
thereof and constituting half or nearly half of a trousers leg. To the apex of the
said flat part I connect a stretcher consisting of a trough shaped piece of metal
constituting the other half or remaining portion of the leg; between the flat part
of the former and the stretcher I fix a flat or other suitable spring so as to keep
the said stretcher extended outwards.
The function of the stretcher and spring is to stretch the trousers leg when placed
over the former and to keep it well stretched over the front or shin of the former.
The base plate aforesaid consists of a hollow frame furnished with a gas jet and
supporting the whole apparatus.
Near the top of the former is situated a water pipe provided with a tap. I also
provide a vertical rod for supporting the trousers.

page_text: When a trousers leg is drawn over the top of the former and stretched tightly
thereon the action of the spring presses the stretcher outward.
The pressing lever being brought into action firmly clips and presses the cloth
to the face of the shin part of the former.
When in this position the gas jet is lighted and the apparatus made hot, the
water quickly generates into steam which escaping through the holes therein to
the cloth.
I may dispense with the boiler inside the former and use a separate boiler for the
purpose which may be placed directly under the apparatus or in some other
convenient place and connect the apparatus by a steam pipe.
It will be apparent that by the above mentioned operation the trousers leg will
be efficiently stretched and blocked or shrunk or made shower proof and the cloth
quickly renovated.
I may use my improved apparatus for making trousers shower proof by mixing
with the steam or with the water used for generating steam the usual chemicals
which are well known to the trade for the said purpose.
By slight modification my said invention may be used for stretching and blocking
the sleeves of a coat.
I will describe my invention by reference to the accompanying drawings, the
same letters of reference indicating similar parts throughout.
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 represent an apparatus constructed in accordance with my
invention.
Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 are detail parts of my invention.
Figure 1 shows a sectional side elevation of an apparatus used for stretching
and blocking trousers. A represents a base plate or stand supporting a closed
hollow case or former B provided with holes or perforations C. D is a boiler or
water vessel placed inside the former and provided with a water pipe and tap D².
E is a steam pipe for the purpose of conveying steam from the boiler to the inside
of the former B. F represents a presser the same configuration as the former
and provided with holes or perforations C' and shown more plainly in Figures 6,
and 7.
The lever G being fixed at H is jointed or pivoted at I to the frame A.
J represents a stretcher connected to the former B by a sliding joint K provided
with a coil spring K' and the slide and spring K³ and K³.
LL represents two vertical rods provided with a telescopical slide M forming a
rail for the purpose of supporting the trousers.
When it is required to stretch, block or shrink or to make shower proof a pair
of trousers one leg is first placed over the former B, the stretcher J by the action
of the spring K and K stretches it tightly thereon.
The gas jet N having been previously lit generates steam in the boiler D which
passes through the holes or perforations C to the cloth. In this position the
presser F is brought into action by means of the lever G by the pressure of the
hand of the operator which shrinks, blocks, or stretches the cloth.
Figures 2, 3 and 4 show respectively a side elevation, a plan and a front elevation
of the same apparatus with slight modifications. The former B being made of the
section shown at Figure 5, the boiler D being dispensed with. P represents a
steam pipe which may be connected to a steam boiler placed near the apparatus or
to any other steam supply. Steam passes up the pipe P to the outlet R and hence
to the inside of the former B. The stretcher J being provided with a hand
wheel, screw, and screw box S, and the spring and guide K and K³ for operating
the same. T is an outlet pipe for exhaust steam.
In this arrangement the presser F, Figure 6 is made detached from the apparatus
and is provided with a handle U for the purpose of holding the presser against the
cloth.
Figure 8 shows a hollow roller provided with a plug V, to allow the same to be
filled with hot water, it may be used for producing an extra finish and renovating
the cloth by rolling the same thereon.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A new and improved apparatus for stretching and blocking or shrinking
trousers hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings
which consists of a base plate or stand supporting a hollow case or former upon
which a trousers leg is stretched by a stretcher in the manner described and
whereby the application of heat and steam to one side of the cloth and a
mechanical pressure to the other, the cloth is stretched and blocked or shrunk
substantially as set forth.
2. In a new and improved apparatus of the kind described and illustrated in
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing consisting of a base plate A supporting
a hollow case or former B provided with perforations or holes C and the boiler D
for producing steam for the purpose hereinbefore described and the stretcher J
operating in the manner described, and the presser F jointed by means of the
lever G for the purpose of pressing the cloth against the former B substantially as
set forth.
3. A new and improved apparatus for stretching and blocking or for shrinking
trousers consisting of a frame or stand A supporting the hollow case or former B
provided with holes or perforations C and the steam pipe P for admitting steam
thereto as hereinbefore described and the stretcher J operated by the hand-wheel
and screw S for stretching the trousers leg on the former and the detachable
presser F combined and operating substantially as described and illustrated in
Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings and for the purpose set
forth.
Dated this 9th day of February 1894.
WILLIAM HENRY BARACLOUGH,
36, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agent for the Applicant.