GB2212526A

GB2212526A - Drapery handling apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2212526A
Application number: GB8826886A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Barry Haddington Walmsley; Alan Collins
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-11-18
Filing date: 1988-11-17
Publication date: 1989-07-26
Anticipated expiration: 2008-11-17
Also published as: GB2212526B; GB8727036D0; GB8826886D0

Abstract

To hold heavy draperies when they are pressed, an apparatus is provided comprising an upright frame with a support rail (16) movable vertically on the frame and having means (36) from which the draperies can be suspended. A backing sheet (30) is attached to and extends downwards from the support rail, it being movable with the support rail to provide a steam-permeable support for the suspended drapery as it is being pressed. The apparatus allows relatively large draperies to be handled with less risk of unwanted creasing. <IMAGE>

Description

DRAPERY HANDLING APPARATUS This invention relates to apparatus that can be used to facilitate the smoothing of large draperies, such as curtains.

When it is required to press the creases from large curtains, eg. after cleaning them, there is a problem of how to handle such draperies in a way that does not put further creases into them. A great deal of time and care is needed if the good effects of pressing are not to be lost, and in commercial operations it is expensive to provide a satisfactory result. Specialised steaming tables and cabinets are known, but these occupy a lot of space and are costly both to buy and run.

According to the present invention, there is provided apparatus for holding drapery to be smoothed, comprising an upright frame, a support rail extending across the frame and having suspension means from which the drapery can be hung on the frame, and a backing sheet extending downwardly from the support rail, said backing sheet being steam-permeable.

Using such an apparatus to hold the drapery suspended as it is steam-pressed it is possible to avoid creasing the drapery. The backing sheet provides a support for the pressing implement while allowing steam released during the process to escape, so that the fabric is less susceptible to unwanted creasing when it is removed from the apparatus.

Preferably, the support rail is vertically adjustable on the frame. It is thereby possible to process draperies of considerable height without strain, smoothing the drapery in stages as it is raised progressively through an operative working zone.

In such an arrangement, it is convenient to employ a flexible backing sheet that is secured to the support rail so as to be raised and lowered with it. Since the pressing force need only be minimal, such a backing sheet can be arranged to provide sufficient support if it is maintained taut, as by securing its other end to a spring-loaded roller.

One embodiment of the invention will be described in more detail by way of example by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is an isometric view of an apparatus according to the invention, Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are front and side elevations and a plan view, respectively, of the apparatus in Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line V-V in Fig. 2, and Figs. 6 and 7 are detailed illustrations showing, respectively, the raising mechanism and a suspension hook of the support bar of the apparatus.

The apparatus has a welded portal frame comprising uprights 2 and crossbar 4. Feet 6 welded to the lower ends of the uprights 2 allow the frame to be freestanding although further attachments such as the tie bars 8 shown at the top of the frame, can be used to secure the frame to a fixed support (not shown). Mounted on bars 10 that project forwards from the inner faces of the uprights 2 is a trough 12 that extends across the width of the frame.

On the opposed inside faces of the uprights, above the trough are channel guides 14 in which the ends of an adjustable support bar 16 is received. The support bar is attached at these ends to suspension wires 18,20 which pass over nylon pulley blocks 22,24,26 to be attached at their other ends to a self-locking winch 28 of known type, so that the bar can be raised and lowered to be set at any desired height on the frame.

The top edge of a canvas backing sheet 30 is secured to the support bar 16 to extend substantially across the width of the frame between the uprights. The other end of the backing sheet is fixed to a roller 32 mounted at the bottom of the frame and having a springloaded ratchet mechanism 34 of the kind employed for roller blinds. As the support bar 16 is moved up and down on the frame, the backing sheet 30 is correspondingly drawn from the roller and returned to it while being held taut by the spring force acting on the roller 32. The force can of course be adjusted in the same manner as for a roller blind.

The support bar 16 includes a curtain rail (not shown in detail) on which are slidably mounted a series of hooks 36 from which the drapery is suspended for pressing.

The hooks 36 are adapted for use with the heading tapes that are commonly provided on curtains, but it will be understood that other means may be employed to attach drapery to the support bar when appropriate.

The apparatus may be made in a variety of sizes and can be smaller than the largest size of drapery to be handled on it. Typically the frame may be some 3 metres high by 3 metres wide for use with window curtains.

In use, the bar 16 would be lowered to a height less than two metres, for example, for the curtain to be attached to the hooks 36, the bottom of the curtain being contained in the trough if required, to avoid soiling.

Preferably using a known form of steam iron that is adapted to operate with its sole plate vertical, the user then presses the topmost region of the curtain before raising the support bar to bring the next portion of the curtain to a similar height. The process is repeated in suitable stages until the whole of the curtain has been pressed.

With the hooks 36 able to slide along the support bar, curtains wider than the frame can be dealt with by progressively opening the spacing of the hooks across different portions of the curtain width. Curtains longer than the height of the frame can be dealt with by draping one or more folds of the fabric over the support bar when the lower part of the curtain is to be pressed, the ability to raise and lower the support bar making it possible to handle the curtain in this way without unsightly creasing.

The use of a vertical frame is of particular advantage when draperies are being pressed after cleaning.

It is often found that cleaning causes some contraction of the length of a curtain. By hanging the curtain up while it is being pressed, its own weight acts to remove the contraction, and, indeed, it is possible to assist the process by attaching weights to the curtain during pressing.

Claims

1. Apparatus for holding drapery to be smoothed,

comprising an upright frame, a support rail extending across said frame and having suspension means from which the drapery can be hung and a backing sheet extending downwardly from the support rail, said backing sheet being steam-permeable.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the support rail is vertically adjustable on the frame.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the backing sheet is secured to the support rail to move with the rail.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the backing sheet has one end secured to the rail and an opposite end secured to a roller.

5. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein tensioning means are arranged to hold the backing sheet taut.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 together with claim 5 wherein said tensioning means comprises springloaded means for the roller.

7. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a tray or other retaining means is provided at or adjacent the bottom of the frame to receive the lower portions of suspended drapery having a length greater than the height of the rail.

8. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the support rail carries a series of hooks for suspending the drapery.

9. Apparatus for holding drapery, constructed and arranged for use and operation substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.