Improvements in or relating to Trouser-stretchers.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Aug., 1899-Accepted, 30th Sept., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Trouser-stretchers.
A communication from (Mrs.) AGNES BERTHA WALTER, Moritzstrasse 20,
Dresden A, in the Empire of Germany.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of London,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
11
The present invention relates to a trouser stretcher which differs from other
trouser stretchers by the combination of a clip device, arranged in the central
part of the apparatus and a. stretching device tending by springs to press the
stretching arms, which are placed in the crease of the legs of the trousers out-
wardly, the two devices being independent of each other as regards arrangement
and working effect. By this combination the following results are obtained.
(a) The stretching arms are intended to stretch only and not to carry the
trousers, or, at any rate, not to hold or support the weight unassisted
intended that the stretching arms should carry the whole weight of the trousers,
the force actuating the arms i.e. driving them outwards, would have to be very
great and might in some cases damage the trousers. In many cases, however,
such holding of the trousers by friction alone, would prove absolutely impossible.
as for instance is the case, when the legs of the trousers are conically widened
towards the ends.
If it were
(b). The fixing of the trousers in this apparatus is very easy. The trousers
are turned upside down and the legs are placed seam to seam, with the inner
seams in the centre, and thus arranged are placed between the jaws of the central
clip. If now the stretching arms are released, they will move outwards and lie
naturally in the creases which they will press outwardly and thus preserve or
restore should they have been effaced by the use of the trousers. Figures }
and 2 are front views of the apparatus with the trousers held by the clip, the
former showing the stretching arms drawn inwards, while the latter represents
them in their open operative position.
Figure 2 shows the part in vertical section.
Figure 3 is a sectional plan of the device.
Figure 4 is a top view.
Figure 5 a side view of Figure 2.
Figures 6 and 7 represent details to be described, and
Figure 8 is a modification.
The stretchers d are guided in the body b which can be suspended by means
of a hook a, on a rod c, the upturned ends of the stretchers passing through
slots in the top of the part b. The stretchers are divided or branched at e where
they are bent into two arms f which are intended to be placed in the legs 7 of
the trousers which are placed flat on each other and arranged as
Figure 3. When the upward ends d¹ of the stretchers are moved towards each
other, against the action of their springs, as indicated by the arrows (Figure 2),
shown in

page_text: and as shown in Figure 1, the stretchers arms are so drawn together as to be
easily inserted in the legs of the trousers The bent ends of a rod i carried in
a ring or socket h is adapted to engage the two arms d¹ in their contracted position
by turning it down on the part b. At k are pivoted the two arms of a spring clip
of known construction, the jaws of which, closed by the action of the springs m,
clinch, and thus hold the two inner sides of the trousers (Figure 3). If, after
thus arranging and clinching the trousers, and inserting the arms f in the
trouser legs, the rod i is turned back or outwards, the stretchers become free to
obey the action of their springs and are moved outwards and firmly stretch the
legs of the trousers in the direction of their width. The stretchers arms are
preferably bent at a slightly obtuse angle (Figure 1) and made to act like springs,
so as to lie in the crease along their whole length as they are bending slightly
inwards when in action (Figure 2).
Figure 8 represents a modification of the connection between the horizontal
part of the stretchers and the arms f¹......
The stretchers d are here, instead of being directly bent downwards at e so as
to form the arms f, twisted to form coils or spirals, through which are passed the
stretcher arms f¹ made of a U shaped bent rod and secured to the parts e by
soldering or in other manner.
As already explained, the two inner parts of the legs of the trousers are first
laid on each other, so that one inner seam lies on the other inner seam. Then
the two stretchers, drawn together and held in this position by turning the
arm over, are inserted in the legs, the legs thus arranged are clinched by
the central clip and the stretchers set free when they will press outwards in the
trousers on the lines of the creases.
The stretcher arms f may be bent so as to form recesses as indicated by the
dotted lines at m in Figure 2, when the apparatus is intended to be used not
only with ordinary trousers but also for cycling-knickers, into which recesses
the ends of the knickers are received. Of course, cycling knickers are not
stretched in the direction of width, but only suspended by the apparatus and
stretched long-ways. With the trousers-stretcher may be combined a coat or
clothes-holder o (Figure 1) which may be separately connected with it if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:--
1. A trousers stretcher comprising a spring clip for holding the bottom of the
trouser legs at the inner seams, and stretcher arms f guided in a central support
and pressed outwards by springs, the arms of the stretchers engaging in the
longitudinal creases of the trousers, substantially as described.
2. The complete trousers stretcher substantially as described or illustrated in
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 2nd day of August 1899.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.