IMPROVEMENTS IN TROWSER STRETOHERS
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Mar., 1886.
Complete Left, 25th Nov., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 11th Jan., 1887.
RESERV
I ALFRED DOMAN of 12 Richmond Villas, Seven Sisters Road, Holloway in the
County of Middlesex, Agent, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN TROWSER STRETOHERS to be as follows:-
By means of two pieces of Boards joined together by hinges each hinge being
screwed on and through pieces of wood to cause a space between the boards when
folded up, and by attaching the ends of a cross piece of wood, or metal, to two pieces
of the same material, the other ends of the two pieces being fastened to the sides of
the board near the end, the parts being fitted together so as to allow the picces to work
backwards and forwards, the cross piece being so arranged that it can be raised up by
the side pieces so as to leave sufficient space between it and the board to receive the
legs of a pair of Trowsers; a strip of wood or metal is also placed across the end of
the board, so that the moveable cross piece bites the legs of the Trowsers immediately
the strain is put on by folding up the boards, the hand regulating the strain; thus
constituting a perfect self acting Trowser Stretcher, without screws or loose parts.
The Trowsers being folded over the ends of the boards, considerably lessens its length
and enables the user to pack it in a Carpet Bag or Portmanteau whilst in use.
The waist end or top of the Trowsers can be secured by the same means as the
legs of the Trowsers at the other end of the Board, but to prevent too great a strain
being put upon the Trowsers when the Boards are folded up, one hand should be used
to grasp hold of the end of the Board where the top of the Trowsers are folded over,
the fingers or thumb of the hand pressing against the moveable cross piece of wood
(which can be reversed or turned over when not required to secure the top end of the
Trowsers from slipping underneath it) and by the pressure of the hand the Trowsers
are pinched between the moveable crosspiece of wood and the Board, and the strain
regulated by allowing the top part of the Trowsers to slip underneath according to the
will of the user. The moveable cross pieces of wood which are fastened to the side
pieces at the sides of the Boards, can be reversed or turned over when not required to
secure more than one end of the Trowsers, but in cases where a severe strain is
required, the moveable cross pieces when placed into position to secure the ends of the
Trowsers the strain put upon the Trowsers by folding up the two Boards causes the
moveable crosspieces to pinch or hold the ends of the Trowsers firmly to the Boards,
the side pieces holding down the moveable crosspieces when the strain is on by a
notch or projection. The Trowsers whilst being stretched are folded in three folds.

page_text: Improvements in Trowser Stretchers.
I ALFRED DOMAN of 12. Richmond Villas, Seven Sisters Road, Holloway N. in the
County of Middlesex, 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 :-
The purpose of my invention is to supply an efficient self acting Stretcher for
Trowsers and other garments, free from seperate parts and which can when in use-be
packed away in a drawer or Portmanteau. My method of effecting this object the
following explanation of sketches annexed will make clear.
Fig. 1 & 2. a a are two boards with rounded moulding or cross pieces fixed at the
ends, the mouldings CC are united at d d by hinges which enable the boards a a to be
folded together, the mouldings CC providing a space between a a. when so folded;
this space can be regulated by the thickness of CC, and by this means the user when
folding together a a, can modify at pleasure the strain upon the garment being
stretched. In Fig. 2 one wide board a and one narrow board A 1 are used instead of
two boards of the same size. The side pieces e attached to the board a and united by
the cross bar F by means of screws or pins g, which act as pivots and permits the
bar F to turn over, the side pieces e being fixed in a similar way to the sides of
board a,
the screws or pins h allow the parts to rise or fall as desired: to each side
pieco e a screw or stud is fastened in the inner side to prevent the crossbar F from
rising when the garment is being stretched; by this arrangement I provide a self-
acting or Eccentric Clamp which effectually secures the ends of Trowsers or other
garments directly they are placed beneath the crossbar F and the strain is applied at
the other extremity.
Fig. 3 & 4 The Crossbar F. can also be reversed as in Fig. 3 and the Trowsers or
garments to be stretched insorted underneath the bar F from the opposite direction,
causing an extra fold in the Trowsers, and by this arrangement I can provide for and
stretch Trowsers of extra longth. In this case the strain put upon the Trowsers by
folding up the boards a a as in Fig. 1 causes the crossbar F to pinch or bite the
garment against the board a sufficiently to prevent the Trowsers or garments from
slipping underneath the bar F. In Fig. 4 the side pieces E1 are represented as
stationary, and are fastened to the board A by means of screws or pins, the Cross
bar F alone turning upon pins or pivots.
Fig. 1 2 & 3 The rounded moulding band C being rounded off at the edges allows
the Trowsers or garments to pass over the ends of the stretcher without being creased
during the operation of stretching, and also enables the operator to grasp hold of the
waist end of the Trowsers, and by pressing the garment against the moulding b
(opposite the Clamp end) with both hands as the boards a a are folded up, the user
can regulate the strain as he pleases without fear of injuring the garments..
Fig. 1 & 2 To maintain the desired strain after a a are folded together, I provide
two Elastic Rings or fastenors j, screwed to the sides of board a, at the end near b,
opposite the headed nails or projections k fixed in the other board a, or in the

page_text: moulding b as in Fig. 2, over which the elastic rings; are passed, thus securing the
ends of the boards together and preventing the garments from slipping whilst being
stretched.
The apparatus above described may be made entirely of metal or entirely of wood,
or partly of metal as may be most suitable.
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
1st The use of a Reversable Bar or Eccentric Clamp attached to board a by the
side pieces e made of wood or metal, the said side pieces being either moveable as in
Fig. 3, or stationary as E1 in Fig. 4, for the purpose of fastening or securing the
ends of Trowsers or other garments whilst being stretched or strained, in conjunction
with a hinged folding board as described above, being so arranged to operate
substantially as shown in Fig. 1 2 3 & 4.