Year: 1885

page_text: We ALFRED SAMUEL BISHOP of 314 Upper Street, Islington in the County
of Middlesex, Clerk, and FREDERICK DOWN of 28 Archway Road, Highgate, in
the County of Middlesex, Solicitor's Clerk do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
In Trousers Stretchers, as at present constructed, the upper part of the legs and
the bottom part of the trouser are secured between clamps which are forced apart
by turning a threaded rod which works in a threaded socket attached to one of the
clamps, the other clamp being attached to the, rod.
Such an apparatus, although it serves, to some extent, to preserve the shape of
the trouser, does not remove the bagginess at the knee, which is the chief end to
be desired in the use of such an apparatus.
Now the object of the present invention is to provide a cheap, efficient, and
simple trouser stretcher, which will occupy but little space either when in use or
when taken to pieces for transit.
In carrying out our invention we employ what we will term a saddle piece,
a threaded rod, and a double clamp.
The saddle piece consists, by preference, of a piece of polished wood simicircular
in cross section, and to which the unthreaded end of the rod is connected in any
convenient manner.
The double clamp is formed of a centre bar, to which are hinged at one end, or
otherwise attached, a pair of clamping pieces or bars, one on either side.
The free ends of these clamping pieces or bars are secured by screws and nuts or
clamps and cams, or in any other convenient or suitable manner.
A central hole is formed in the middle bar, and on the outside of the bar is
secured, by means of double collars and a plate, a winged nut.-The threaded end
of the rod is inserted through the central hole into the winged nut, by which it
can be screwed up or down as required, so as to force away, or withdraw, the
saddle piece.
In using the apparatus, the trouser is folded round the saddle piece at or about
the knee portion; the upper part and bottom part of the legs of the trouser are
secured by the double clamp, and the saddle piece is then forced away by turning
the winged nut. By this means the stretching of the trouser is caused to take
place at the essential point, namely, at the knee, and the bagginess caused at that
part by wear is entirely removed.

page_text: Instead of the winged nut, cams may be employed to force out the rod, either by
direct action, or through the intervention of levers; in fact we do not intend to
confine ourselves to any particular mechanical device for giving the necessary
pressure, as we may avail ourselves of any known and suitable device for the
purpose, without departing from the essential feature of our invention, which is
practically applying the pressure at the knee of the trouser.
Means will be provided whereby the stretcher may be hung up with the garment
.in place.
This construction of stretcher will also permit of the garment being packed in a
valise or other receptacle on the stretcher.

page_text: Improvements in Trousers suretoners.
:
I ALFRED SAMUEL BISHOP of 314 Upper Street, Islington, in the County of
Middlesex, Clerk, and FREDERICK DOWN of 28 Archway Road, Highgate in the
County of Middlesex, Solicitor's Clerk 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:-
In Trousers Stretchers, as at present constructed, the upper part of the legs, and
the bottom part of the trouser, are secured between clamps, which are forced apart
either by a screw or threaded rod, or by means of an arrangement of toggle levers.
Such an apparatus, although it serves, to some extent, to preserve the shape of
the trouser, does not remove the bagginess at the knee, which is the chief end to be
desired in the use of such an apparatus.
Now the object of the present invention is to provide a cheap, efficient, and
simple Trouser Stretcher, which will occupy but little space either when in use or
when taken to pieces for transit.
In carrying out our invention, we employ what we will term a saddle piece or
stretching bar, a threaded rod, and a double clamp.
In the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1 is a front view of a trouser stretching apparatus constructed according to
our invention.
Fig. 2 is a side view of the same; and
Fig. 3 shews, on a reduced scale, the Trouser Stretcher in use.
A is the saddle or stretching bar; B the threaded rod; and C the double clamp.
The saddle piece or stretching bar A consists, by preference, of a piece of
polished wood, semi-circular in cross section, and provided with a socket a, into
which the squared end of the rod B is inserted.
The double clamp C consists of a centre bar c and clamping pieces or bars c¹, c³,
one on either side of the centre bar.
The free ends of these clamping pieces or bars c³ ³ are secured together, and to
the centre bar c, by screws and nuts or clamps and cams, or in any other convenient
or suitable manner.
A central hole b is formed in the middle bar c to receive the elongated body of a
winged nut C.-This body is formed with an annular groove, and into the groove
fita a plate which is screwed to the bar o. This plate holds the nut firmly in
position. The threaded end of the rod B is inserted in the winged nut C¹, by
turning which, the rod will be screwed up or down, as required, so as to force away
or draw back the saddle piece or stretching bar A. from or towards the double
clamp C.
In using the apparatus, the trouser is folded round the saddle piece or stretching
bar A at or about the knee portion; the upper part and bottom part of the legs of
the trouser are secured by the double clamp C, so as to form a loop, and the saddle
piece or stretching bar A is then forced away by turning the winged nut. We thus
obtain a, direct thrust on the trouser, instead of a side thrust as heretofore, and the
stretching of the trouser is effected at the essential point, namely, at the knee, the
bagginess caused at that part by wear being thereby entirely. removed.

page_text: D, Fig. 1, is a removable wire clip, which sprung into holes in the ends of the
saddle piece or stretching bar A, whereby the stretcher may be hung up with the
garment in place.
This construction of stretcher will permit of the garment being packed in a
valise or other receptacle on the stretcher.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we would here
remark that since the filing of our application for Letters Patent, we have ascer-
tained that a saddle piece or stretching bar has been used in combination with a
single clamp and toggle levers, and we therefore make no claim either for such a
saddle piece or stretching bar per se, nor for such a combination, but we declare
that what we claim is :-.
In apparatus for stretching trousers, the combination of a saddle piece or
stretching bar A, threaded rod B, winged nut C, and a double clamp C, sub-
stantially as herein shown and described.
t