GB2155500A

GB2155500A - Method and apparatus for finishing fabrics

Info

Publication number: GB2155500A
Application number: GB08503854A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Malcolm Berger
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-03-14
Filing date: 1985-02-14
Publication date: 1985-09-25
Also published as: GB8406604D0; GB2155500B; GB8503854D0

Abstract

Lengths of fabric, e.g. curtains, are smoothed, for instance after a dry cleaning process, by being passed over a horizontal or substantially horizontal permeable support through which first steam and then hot air are supplied to said fabric lengths. The support can be the top of a box that fits over a commercially available steaming dummy.

Description

SPECIFICATION Method and apparatus for finishing fabrics This invention relates to finishing lengths of fabric, such for example as curtains, for instance after a dry cleaning process.

Conventionally, dry cleaned garments are placed over a steaming dummy in order to remove wrinkles and folds before being pressed on a Hoffmann. The steaming dummy comprises a stand having shoulders over which the garment a jacket, dress or the like can be draped, the stand being loosely covered by a nylon bag which expands when inflated by an admission first of steam with or without hot air then, or instead, of hot air on its own to dry off the garment after the steam step.

Such steaming dummies are, of course, quite unsuitable for fabric lengths which do not readily drape over the dummy in such a way that wrinkles and folds can be taken out.

Fabric lengths such as curtains, therefore, are taken straight to the Hoffmann, with the added difficulty of manually removing creases and wrinkles before bringing down the top press member and admitting steam to the buck-without this careful treatment there would of course be a high risk of pressing in any wrinkles or folds in the fabric.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for finishing such fabric lengths which does not have this disadvantage.

The invention comprises a method for finishing or smoothing lengths of fabric comprising supporting the fabric against an extended permeable member so as substantially to cover up said member and supplying steam and hot air to said fabric lengths through said member.

It is usually preferred to supply steam first and then air.

The fabric may be passed over a horizontal or substantially horizontal permeable support, and the fabric may be passed, guided manually, to and fro over the support until smoothed. It would clearly be possible to provide an automatic arrangement which would pass and re-pass the fabric over the support.

The said permeable member may, however, be vertical or substantially vertical, the fabric being hung against said member until smoothed.

The invention also comprises apparatus for finishing or smoothing lengths of fabric comprising an extended permeable member against which the fabric can be supported and means supplying steam and/or hot air through said permeable member to the fabric thereagainst.

Said means supplying steam and/or hot air may comprise a steaming dummy, such as will ordinarily be possessed by dry cleaning establishments.

In one arrangement, said extended permeable member may comprise a horizontal or substantially horizontal permeable support.

Such support may comprise a box which can be placed over a steaming dummy and having a perforate top, e.g. of mesh or perforated sheet, and means to direct steam and hot air from the steaming dummy upwardly into said box and through said perforate top.

Said extended perforate member may otherwise be a vertically or substantially vertically disposable perforate plate with support means to hold a fabric hanging against said plate.

Said support means may comprise clamp means, which may comprise needles to pierce and hold said fabric.

Said elongate perforate member may comprise a part of a chest arranged to be closed around a steaming dummy so as to preclude or substantially preclude steam and air emerging except through said permeable member.

Embodiments of apparatus and a method for finishing lengths of fabric according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a part cut-away perspective view of one embodiment, and Figure 2 is a part cut-away front elevation of another embodiment.

The apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 comprise a permeable support 11 in the form of a grid or grating or a mesh screen, which is fixed into or made integrally with a box or chest 12 which can be moulded or assembled from fibreglass or like reinforced resinous material or from metal and which can be placed on a steaming dummy 13 of a commercially available type such as is used in dry cleaning establishments.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1, the box 12 either reaches down to the ground or rests on the dummy 13 in such a way that the support 11 is horizontal or substantially so. If the box 12 stops short of the ground it is preferred to make some kind of sealing arrangement such as perhaps a lace-up fabric arrangement below so that steam and hot air mostly has to pass through the support 11.

If the box 12 reaches the ground it is preferred that it has locating slots 14 to fit over a standard swivel base for stability.

In use a length of fabric such as a curtain is passed to and fro, for preference, so as to subject all parts thereof to the steam and/or hot air emerging from the support 11 during the finishing operation, and again if necessary to be dried off by the hot air when the dummy is blowing hot air after steam.

It is found that in most cases this is the only finishing treatment needed; further use of the conventional Hoffman is not only unnecessary for most fabrics, but even detrimental to the appearance of some fabrics such as vel vets.

Of course, instead of manually moving the fabric to and fro over the support 11, an automatic arrangement could be provided to guide the fabric thereover either to replace or to assist in the manual operation.

The box 12 is preferably made light in weight so that it is on the one hand inexpensive and on the other easy to lift on and off the dummy 13 so that the dummy 1 3 can be readily adapted for treating jackets, dresses and the like and for treating curtains and other lengths of fabric.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 2, the extended permeable member comprises a vertically or substantially vertically disposed perforate plate 21 with support means 22 comprising a clamp member with needles 23 to pierce and hold the fabric 24 hanging against the plate 21.

The plate 21 is hinged to a solid back plate 25 with a-seal 26 along the separable edges of the plates 21 and 25, the whole forming a chest which can be closed around the steaming dummy 13 so that steam and/or hot air is forced to emerge through the permeable member, plate 21.

The perforate plate 21 and the back plate 28 can be formed of sheet steel.

In use, the fabric length--which may be a curtain is clamped in the support means 22 the first steam and then hot air admitted to the steaming dummy so as to flow at usual pressures (about 2 atmospheres) through the perforate plate 21 until the fabric is smoothed. Whereas, in the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1, tension in the fabric as a result of the manual passing and re-passing of the fabric over the box 12, together with the steam and hot air treatment, effects the smoothing of the fabric, and the raising of any nap thereon, in the embodiment of Fig. 2 it is the weight of the fabric itself which hangs vertically against the perforate plate 21 which, together with the steam and air, effects the removal of wrinklesand nap raising.

The arrangement of Fig. 2 is advantageous where an abundance of labour is not available and on the grounds of taking up less space and being easier to deploy and dismantle when the steaming dummy is to be made available for regular use.

Claims

1. A method for finishing or smoothing lengths of fabric comprising supporting the fabric against an extended permeable member so as substantially to cover up said member and supplying steam and hot air to said fabric lengths through said member.

2. A method according to claim 1, in which the fabric is passed over a horizontal or substantially horizontal permeable support.

3. A method according to claim 1, in which the fabric is move to and fro over the support until smoothed.

4. ' A method according to claim 1, in which said permeable member is vertical or substantially vertical and the fabric is hung against said member until smoothed.

5. A method for smoothing lengths of fabric substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. Apparatus for finishing or smoothing lengths of fabric comprising an extended permeable member against which the fabric can be supported and means supplying steam and/or hot air through said permeable member to the fabric thereagainst.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, said means supplying steam and hot air comprising a steaming dummy.

8. Apparatus accordng to claim 6 or claim 7, said extended permeable member comprising a horizontal or substantially horizontal permeable support.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, said permeable support comprising a box which can be placed over a steaming dummy and having a perforate top and means to direct steam and hot air from the steaming dummy upwardly into said box and through said perforate top.

10. Apparatus according to claim 6 or claim 7, said extended permeable member being a vertically or substantially vertically disposable perforate plate with support means to hold a fabric hanging against said plate.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, said support means comprising clamp means.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, said clamp means comprising needles to pierce and hold said fabric.

13. Apparatus according to any of claims 6 to 12, said elongate permeable member comprising part of a chest arranged to be closed around a steaming dummy so as to preclude or substantially preclude steam and air emerging except through said permeable member.

14. Apparatus for smoothing lengths of fabric substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.