IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLIANCES FOR STRETCHING TROUSERS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1884

page_text: WO RALPH HENRY CHRISTOPHER NEVILE of Wellingore in the county of
Lincoln Esquire and EDWIN WHITWORTH of Sleaford in the same county Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLIANCES
FOR STRETCHING TROUSERS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES to be as follows:-
--
The chief object in our invention is the simplification of the apparatus used so
that it may be made more portable and at a less cost-In our invention the
appliance consists mainly of two parts arranged so as to be applied as clamps and
two other parts arranged so as to allow of an extending or stretching action being
exerted on the two clamps These two extending pieces we make as a toggle joint
one end of each joint being attached to a clamp and the free onds being jointed
together and pivotted so as to allow of their being fastened in any desired position
of the toggle-This may be effected by any convenient means.
Instead of using two toggle levers one at each end of the clamps, we may use
one lever only fixed in the middle of the clamps.
We can also use one clamp in the place of two-In this case the trousers or
articles to be operated upon are folded in such a way that a clamp fastens the
upper and lower parts together and then a stretching appliance which may be
similar to that above described or other is inserted in the loop or ring so formed.-
In this method the appliance is much reduced in size and much more portable.
We also in some cases provide a special arrangement for clamping the trousers
without the use of scrows, in this method we make the clamp pivot at one end so
as to open to admit the trousers and the other end is provided with a forked
attachment which has an inclined face so that when pushed down upon the other
part of the clamp it has a wedge like action tending to pull the two parts of the
clamp together and is thus self fastening-The end of the clamp which is pivotted
inay be provided with a rubber.washer or its equivalent so as to allow of its
accomodating itself to varying thicknesses in the trousers-In our invention we
may use entirely wood or entirely metal or a combination of the two as may in
practice prove most convenient.
1 5

page_text: mprovements in appliances
Articles.
We RALPH HENRY CHRISTOPHER NEVILE of Wellingore in the county of
Lincoln Esquire and EDWIN WHITWORTH of Sleaford in the county of 'Lincoln
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPLIANCES FOR STRETCHING TROUSERS AND SIMILAR 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 our invention is the simplification of the apparatus at present used
so that it may be made more portable stronger and at a less cost-In our invention
the appliance consists mainly of two parts so as to be arranged as clamps and of
apparatus in the nature of a toggle lever whereby the clamps are separated from
each other The trousers or similar articles being fixed in the clamps the clamps
are separated from each other by the lever apparatus and are then fixed in the
desired position-One method of carrying out our invention is as follows Figs. 1. & 2.
A. B. C. D are the parts forming the clamping arrangement provided at each of
their ends with the pins E. F. G. H.-I & J are two extending pieces jointed at
K&L and having holes at their ends to take the pins E. F. G. H. on the clamps-
In operation the trousers being placed in the clamps and the jointed toggle levers
boing in a position similar to that shown in Fig. 2. pressure is applied to the
toggles until they take a position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. or until
the desired stretching effect is produced. The toggles are then secured in position
by tightening up the wing nuts at the joints K & L or by other suitable means.
In making the clamps A & B of wood we find it desirable to give them an increased
thickness at the middle point tapering towards the ends as shown in Fig. 3. to
counteract the springing of the wood and to enable the trousers to be nipped
equally.
Instead of using two toggle levers one at each end of the clamp we also use the
arrangement shown in Fig. 4 & 5 in which one toggle lever M is fixed in the
middle of the two clamps-In this drawing is shown an arrangement of lever which
may be applied either to the form with one or with two toggles-One arm of the
lever has a pin upon it & the other arm has several holes N. O. P. Q. by placing
the pin in one or other of these holes & then exerting pressure upon the toggle
until the tube R will slide over the joint as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5 the
necessary stretching power can be obtained.
Fig. 6 shows an arrangement in which one clamp only S is used the trousers.
being folded in the form shown in Fig. 6 & 7 a stretching appliance T similar to
that above described is inserted in the loop or ring thus formed by folding the
trousers and is then extended.
Figs. 8 & 9 show a special form of clamping arrangement without screws-The
clamp is pivotted at U and the other end is provided with a forked attachment V
which has an inclined face V¹ so that when the clamp W is pushed down on the
other part of clamp X it has a wedgelike action tending to pull the two parts

page_text: together and clamp the article inserted between them-The Pivot U may be
provided with a rubber washer or similar contrivance to as to allow it to accomodate
itself to varying thicknesses of trousers.
The apparatus above described may be made entirely of metal or entirely of
wood or partly of wood & partly of metal as may be most suitable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is: —
1st The use of a toggle lever or levers for the purpose of extending or stretching
trousers or similar articles substantially as described in Figs. 1. 2. 4. & 5.
2ndly The use of the tube clamping piece R. Figs. 4 & 5 in conjunction with
a lever arrangement for stretching trousers or similar articles substantially as
described.
3rd The use of clamps tapered as shown in Fig. 3 in conjunction with appliances
for stretching trousers or similar articles.
4th The use of a wedgelike clamping piece or fastener substantially as shown in
Figs. 8 & 9 for fastening the clamps holding the articles to be stretched without
the use of screws.
5th The use of an apparatus actuated by a toggle lever and used within a loop
formed by the articles to be stretched for the purpose of extending or stretching
them substantially as shown in Figs. 6 & 7.
Dated this twentyeighth day of August 1885.