US2484805A - Garment blocker - Google Patents

Description

c. B. ALBERT GARMENT BLOCKER Oct. 18, 1949.

Filed Dec. 12, 1945 INVENTOR. CARL B LBERT.

Patented Oct. 18, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,484,805 GARMENT BLOCKER Carl B. Albert, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application December 12, 1945, Serial No. 634,431

15 Claims.

This invention relates to adjustable frames such as garment blockers and more particularly to improved adjustable locking devices therefor, although it and certain features thereof may be employed with equal advantage for other purposes.

It contemplates more especially the provision of an improved adjustable frame guide and fastener means for rendering such adjustable and maintaining the elements thereof in any adjusted relation within their intended size range or limit.

Adjustable frames usually embody overlapping wires and this is true of blockers or driers for garments which are normally of varied style and size to conform with the dimensional and shape characteristics of different individuals. In order to effectively block various sized garments of knit construction, it is necessary to have the blocker adjustable to different shapes and sizes as well as positional support, thereby requiring the component elements thereof to be readily adjustable and easily maintained in adjusted relation to meet the problems incident to drying, display and fittings.

Most garments vary in contour as well as shoulder and hip characteristics in the same sizes to the end that it is almost impossible to properly block every possible knit garment within the same general size dimensions. In order to overcome this serious defect of ordinary garment blockers as well as to preclude the necessity of stocking numerous types of garment blocking devices, it is proposed to provide adjustment features to conform with specifically shaped and sized garments in order to support, dry, shape or block such in a perfect manner.

Numerous types of adjustable frames such as garment blockers have heretofore been proposed, but the adjustable retaining means on these have not proven entirely satisfactory from a production and operation standpoint owing to the inability to render such quickly adjustable without entailing any appreciable manipulation, difficulty and production expense. Most locking expedients are either structurally intricate or expensive in production or will not satisfactorily operate unless produced and assembled within precision tolerances or for that matter involve moving parts which do not always function satisfactorily for use with garments of greatly varying size and, further, considerable difiiculty is encountered in maintaining the component elements thereof in adjusted relation without the adjusting or locking means serving as an obstru tion to the garment.

It must be appreciated that in the use of garment blockers, such necessarily is subjected to the wet garments so that the component elements thereof must be readily associable and removable relative to the garment without obstruction. It is also desirable that the component elements and the expedients for maintaining such in adjusted relation should not become involved with the material of which the garment is made nor should such contact therewith to any extent to avoid impairment to the garment.

One object of the present invention is to provide improved adjustable locking means for blockers to conform with various sized and styled garments.

Another object is to provide improved, more simple and less expensive adjusting expedients for garment blockers having shoulder, waist and/ or skirt portions readily adjustable to meet different styled and sized garment characteristics.

Still another object is to provide improved and less expensive frame guiding and locking expedients to afford effective blocker adjustments to accommodate varied garments for perfect blocking.

A further object is to provide novel guiding and locking means in conjunction with an adjustable garment blocker for maintaining such in adjusted size without the locking means serving as an obstruction to the garment.

A still further object is to provide improved, dependable, and simple combination overlapping frame wire guiding and locking means for maintaining a garment blocker in adjusted position to effectively stretch and maintain various sizes in clothes during the drying thereof.

Still another object is to provide an improved adjustable frame guiding and locking means that do not embody moveable parts for maintaining garment blockers in adjustment and to afford a ready release for their adjustment and manipulation responsive to a relative displacing urge on the frame elements.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description of an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

Figure l is a front view in elevation of a garment blocker having improved adjusting fasteners embodying features of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a front view in elevation of a modified garment blocker having combined guide and fastener means embodying features of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front view in elevation of a combined hanger hook and guide fastener embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the combinedguide and locking means applied to overlapping extensible frame members.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a combined guide and fastener embodying features of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a sectional view in elevation taken substantially along line VI-VI of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a sectional view takensubstantially along line VIIVII of Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a modified combined guide and fastener of the type shown in Figure 5.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of astill further modified combined hook, guide and fastener of the type shown in Figure 3'.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a guide. for

overlapping wires.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary top plan view of an overlapping wire section showing the transverse notches for cooperation 'with the resilient retainers.

The structure selected for illustration is not intended to serve as a limitation upon the scope or teachings of the invention, but is merely illustrative thereof. There may be considerable variations and adaptations of all or part of the teachings depending upon the. dictates of. commercial practice. The present embodiment comprises any suitable adjustable frame ill consisting of a pluralit of sections such as II and I2, in this instance two, preferably though not essentially bent or otherwise shaped froznwire to provide overlapping portions I3--i4, I5--I6, and Ii-lil. The frame sections I I.I2 define, in this instance, an adjustable sweater garment blocker, although the particular configuration thereof may be varied within a wide range depending upon the dictates of commercial practice.

So that the frame sections II--I2 may be adjustable in size responsivev to. guiding and displacing the overlapping portions I3:I4, I 5-I6, and Ill8 relative to each other and to confine them slidably to extensible adjacent relation, each of the overlapping wire frame portions i3M, I5IG, and I'I I8 have, in this instance, combined guiding and retaining fasteners anchored to each for yielding contact. with the adjacent overlapping portions to maintain them in any desired extensible relation. The term combined as used herein is intended to mean that the fasteners are one-piece integral elements serving the dual function of guiding and retaining the frame members relatively to each other.

To this end, the combined guiding and retaining elements preferably comprise a sheet of material I!) stamped or otherwise shaped from single or plural pieces to present an elongated sleeve I9 of a substantially elliptical cross section of somewhat larger size and. cross section than the overlapping wires I3-I4, I5-I6, or llli8. The sleeve I9 has preferably a longitudinal non-yielding half 20 thereof which conforms generally to one of the overlapping wire portions l3 or I4, I5 or IE, "or I8 for anchored attachment thereto along the seam lineZI defined by the meeting edges of the-single sheet which is stamped or otherwise shaped into the sleeve it. This attachment to the overlapping wires I3 or i i, I5 or I6, H or I8; may be effected by butt-welding to simultaneously effect the closure of the sleeve I9 and'its permanent attachment '4 to the overlapping wires I3 or I4, I5 or I6, I! or The other longitudinal confronting half of the sleeve 59 is preferably a solid continuation along the transverse median section thereof to comprise a median guide portion 22 thereof with the rigid half 20 to constitute a guide for the other relatively sliding wire adjacent the wire to which the sleeve half 20 is permanently attached. 'The median guide portion 22 of the sleeve I9 has complemental split extensions (defining yieldable frictional engaging prongs) 23;-2 l and Z526 emerging from both ends of the rigid median guide portion 22 to frictionally grasp the overlapping adjacent Wire that is displaceable therethrough relative to the confronting wire of the frame sections III2 that is anchored to the rigid'sleeve half 20.

Itv should be noted that the inwardly depressed frusto-conical resilient extensions or yieldable prongs 2324 and 25-26 are formed from the same material from which the sleeve I 9 is stamped or otherwise shaped to effectively slidably guide overlapping adjacent wires when they are subjected to intended relatively displacing manual efforts and to retain them in any adjusted relative position. against displacement even though under a displacing urge that is of less magnitude than the. force required to effect their intended relative displacement. For this purpose, the free peripheral edges of the resilient extensions or yieldable prongs 23-2d and 2526 are preferably displaced inwardly to define a slidably peripheral ridge or nib 2? which would insure a better wearing surface to afford cooperation with a closelyv spaced series of transverse score lines or notches 2B knurled or otherwise ridged on the confronting surface or surfaces of the wire l3 or I4, I5 or IE, l! or iii, depend-.

ing upon the end to which the sleeves IS are attached or anchored. The prongs 23 2 i and 25-26 are pre-set and non-adjustable from the standpoint that once articulated from the sleeve I9, no manual intervention or deformation is required in retaining the frame members HI2 in their adjusted relation for any desired frame size. For that matter, there is a sleeve I9 preferably anchored to the opposite free ends 293ll, 3I32, and 3334, respectively, of the overlapping wires i3l4, l5-I6, and II--I8.

Should commercial practice so dictate, however, only a single end of the sleeve I9 need be attached to a sheet of overlappin wires I3-Hl, I5IB, and I'I-l8, in that the opposite ends of each could merely be supplied with a plain guide sleeve bracket 35' (Figure 10) which could be considerably shorter than the shortest possible combination guide and retainer I9. In order to conveniently support the frame It on a rod, a suitable hook 36 (Figure 1) can be provided to terminate at its lower end with an eyelet 3'! detachably or permanently envelopingthe overlapping wires Iii-4 4 of the frame I0. As an alternative, however, the hook 38 could terminate in a plain sleeve bracket 35 (Figure 10) for anchored connection thereto in lieu of the eyelet 31, thereby being freely displaceable between the adjusting sleeves I9 to assume a symmetrical position therebetween for the proper anchoring support of the garment frame I 0 and the garment disposed thereover.

As a further alternative, the top overlapping wire portion I3-I. l may be provided with a special sleeve I9 (Figure 3) having both longi- {15 tudinal halves 20' and 22' provided with resilient frusto-conical extensions or yieldable prongs 23'-24' and 25'26 extending from both ends of the upper sleeve half 22' and corresponding resilient extensions or yieldable prongs 2 3"26" formed on the lower sleeve half With this arrangement, the sleeve [9' slides along both overlapping wires |3'-M' to freely grasp both for retention in any desired slidable extensible relation. The inturned peripheral nib 21 and 2?" formed on the confronting resilient extensions or yieldable prongs 2324' and 23"--24 at one end of the sleeve 20 and 25-26', and 25"-26 formed on the other end thereof (Figures 3 and 9). The sleeve i9 is preferably provided with a hanging hook 36' which has its lower end welded or otherwise anchored as at 31' to the top region of the sleeve 20' along a transverse median line thereof. With this type of sleeve 20, anchored sleeves l9 may be dispensed with and plain guides may be dispensed with on the top overlapping wire portions l3-l4 and plain end guide sleeve brackets -35' alternately attached to the ends of these overlapping Wires i3-I4.

In a still further modified embodiment of the guide and retainer (Figure 8), an elliptical sleeve M3 similar in cross section to the sleeves I9, is provided with a rigid longitudinal half 4| that is considerably shorter than the longitudinal rigid half 20 of the sleeve IS. The upper longitudinal half presents a rigid end portion 42 that is shorter than the rigid mid-portion 22 of the sleeve l9, and presents split frusto-conical extensions d344 defining yieldable frictional prongs that are shorter than the prongs 23-2 l on one end of the sleeve i9, thereby presenting the same functional effect with a more simple, less expensive, and much smaller combined guide and retainer. In this embodiment, there is preferably provided a depressed peripheral ridge or nib 45 proximate to the outer free edges of the prongs 43M to provide for better frictional contact on a smooth or interrupted surface of the wire which may be notched as at 28 (Figure 11) The sleeve may be substituted for the sleeves 19 in that it serves the equivalent purpose and function.

It should be noted that the garment form H! has substantially U-shaped sleeve forms 46-41 which terminate in hooked ends 48- 39, respectively, at their upper inward ends for permanent r detachable engagement with the sections I il2 of the garment frame [0. The lower ends of the garment sleeve iii-41 preferably though not essentially terminate in guide sleeves 40 for permanent attachment thereto after being disposed over the wire defining the form sections |ll2. In consequence thereof, the resilient friction engaging prongs it-64 will retain the garment sleeve forms %tl'l at their desired inward spread or width to conform with the size of the garment sleeves disposed thereover. For that matter, the adjustable guide sleeves 40 may be substituted for the plain guide sleeve brackets 35 with the latter permanently anchored to the garment form sections I ll2 so that the offset lower ends of the garment sleeve forms -41 can be detachably associated therewith without affording any adjustable spread.

These types of combined guide and retainers are adaptable to other types of forms such as the modified sweater form 19' (Figure 2). In this embodiment, the shape is somewhat different to permit a one-piece frame construction wherein the single length of wire H is shaped to present overlapping top portions I3'-l4 with guide sleeves l9 such as shown in Figure 5, or guide sleeves 40 such as shown in Figure 8 attached to alternate overlapping extremities 29-30' of the single length of wire I I. With this arrangement, a wire hook 3B is attached to a plain guide sleeve bracket 35 to enable the convenient support of the form [0' with its garment disposed thereover. As an alternate arrangement, the combination guide and retainer sleeve H3 at the end of the wires i3'-I4', may .be substituted by plain sleeve guide brackets 35' anchored to the alternate ends and the hook 36' with a combined guide and retainer l9 (Figure 3) substituted to retain the overlapping wire l3'--M in any adjusted extensible relation. This type of form [0' need not be provided with garment sleeve forms; however, such is optional in that they may be readily supplied and attached in any suitable manner.

With the foregoing construction and arrangements, it will be apparent that a very simple combination guide and retainer has been provided which involves no moving parts and that does not require any manual adjustment other than to impart a relative sliding urge of the necessary magnitude to the frame sections to accomplish the adjustment to the desired size and shape. The retention of the frame in this adjusted position is automatically effected by the resilient prongs constituting a part of the guide sleeves l9, l9, l9" or 40.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of this invention, it must [be understood that the invention is capable of considerable variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

' 1. An adjustable garment frame including rell to retain said adjacent members against relative sliding movement responsive to opposing forces of lesser magnitude exerted by the garment sustained thereon.

2. An adjustable garment frame including relatively slidable adjacent members, and combined guide and retainer clips associated with said slidable adjacent members, said clips on one of said last named members havingpre-set non-adjustable friction prongs in frictional contact with the other confronting adjacent member to automatically maintain said relatively slidable adjacent mem bers in slidable alignment when under manually exerted displaceable opposing forces and to retain said relatively slidable adjacent members against relative sliding movement responsive to opposing forces of lesser magnitude exerted by the garment sustained thereon.

3. An adjustable garment frame including relatively slidable adjacent members, and combined guide and retainer clips associated with said slidable adjacent members, said clips having pre-set non-adjustable confronting resilient friction prongs and solid portions on one of said last named members to, engage the other of said relatively slidable members to maintain said adjacent members in slidable alignment when under manually exerted displaceable opposing forces and to retain said adjacent members against relativev sliding movement responsive to opposing forces of lesser magnitude exerted by the garment sustained thereon.

4. An adjustable garment frame including relatively slidable adjacent members, and combined guide and retainer clips associated with said slidable adjacent members, said clips having pre-set non-adjustable. resilient friction prongs integral therewith on one of said last named members to engage the other of said relatively slidable members to automatically maintain said adjacent members in slidable alignment when under manually exerted displaceable opposing forces and to retain said adjacent members against relative sliding movement responsive to opposing forces of lesser magnitude exerted by the garment sustained thereon.

5. An adjustable garment frame including relatively slidable adjacent members, and combined guide and retainer clips associated with said slidable adjacent members, said clips having rigid and resilient portions, said rigid portions of different clips being anchored to opposite adjacent members, said clips being attached to one of said relatively slidable adjacent members to engage the other of said relatively slidable members to automatically maintain said slidable adjacent members in slidable alignment when under manually exerted displaceable opposing forces and to retain said slidable adjacent members against relative sliding movement responsive to opposing forces of lesser magnitude exerted by the garment sustained thereon.

6. An adjustable garment frame including relatively slidable adjacent members, and combined guide and adjustable frame size retainer clips associated with said slidable adjacent members, said clips having integral rigid and resilient portions, said rigid portions of different clips being anchored to opposite slidable adjacent members so that their resilient portions engage the other confronting adjacent member extending therethrough, said resilient portions comprising prongs within the contour defined by said rigid portions to maintain said slidable adjacent members in slidable alignment when under manually exerted displaceable opposing forces and to retain said slidable adjacent members against relative sliding movement responsive to opposing forces of lesser magnitude exerted by the garment sustained thereon.

'7. An adjustable garment frame including relatively slidable adjacent members, and combined guide and adjustable frame size retainer clips associated with said slidable adjacent members, said clips having integral rigid and resilient portions, said rigid portions of difierent clips being anchored to opposite slidable adjacent members, said resilient: portions comprising frusto-conical prongs having a peripheral depressed ridge conforming to the contour of the confronting slidable adj acent member within the contour defined by said rigid portions to maintain said slidable adjacent members in slidable alignment when under manually exerted displaceable opposing forces and to retain said slidable adjacent members against relative sliding movement responsive to opposing forces of lesser magnitude exerted by the garment sustained thereon.

9. An adjustable garment frame including relatively slidable adjacent members, and combined guide and retainer clips associated with said slidable adjacent members, said clips having pro-set non-adjustable integral friction engaging prongs on one of saidlast named members to guide and engage the other of said relatively sliding members, there being uniformly spaced transverse notches in said adjacent members to cooperate with said. prongs to maintain said adjacent membersin slidable alignment when under manually exerted displaceable opposing forces and to retain said adjacent. members against relative sliding movement responsive to opposing forces of lesser magnitude exerted by the garment sustained thereon.

10. An. adjustable garment frame including relatively slidable adjacent members, and combined guide and adjustable frame size retainer clips associated with said slidable adjacent members, said clips having friction prongs in frictional contact with a confronting slidable adjacent. member, there being uniformly spaced transverse notches in said slidable adjacent members to cooperate with said prongs to maintain said slidable adjacent members in slidable alignment when under manually exerted displaceable opposing forces and to retain said slidable adjacent members against relative sliding movement responsive to opposing forces of lesser magnitude exerted by the garment sustained thereon.

11. An adjustable garment frame including relatively slidable adjacent members, and combined guide and adjustable frame size retainer clips associated with said slidable adjacent members, said clips having confronting resilient friction prongs andsolid portions, there being uniformly spaced transverse notches in said adjacent members to cooperate with said prongs to maintain said adjacent members in slidable alignment when under manually exerted displaceable opposing forces and to retain said adjacent members against relative sliding movement responsive to opposing, forces oflesser magnitude exerted by associated with said slidable adjacent members, the garment sustained thereon.

sliding movement responsive to opposing forces of lesser magnitude exerted by the garment sustained thereon.

8. An adjustable garment frame including relatively slidable adjacent members, and combined 12. An adjustable garment frame including relatively slidable adjacent members, and combined guide and adjustable frame size retainer clips associated with said slidable adjacent members, said clips having integral rigid and resilient portions, said rigid portions of different clips being anchored to opposite slidable adjacent members, said resilient portions comprising prongs within the contour defined by said rigid portions, there being uniformly spaced transverse notches. in said slidable adjacent members to cooperate with said prongs to maintain said slidable adjacent members in slidable alignment when under manually exerted displaceable opguide and adjustable frame size retainer clips posing forces and to retain said slidable adjacent members against relative sliding movement responsive to opposing forces of lesser magnitude exerted by the garment sustained thereon.

13. An adjustable garment frame including relatively slidable adjacent members, and combined guide and adjustable frame size retainer clips associated with said slidable adjacent members, said clips having integral rigid and resilient portions, said rigid portions of different clips being anchored to opposite slidable adjacent members, said resilient portions comprising frusto-conical prongs having a peripheral depressed ridge conforming to the contour of the confronting slidable adjacent member, there being uniformly spaced transverse notches in said slidable adjacent members to cooperate with said depressed ridgeswithin the contour defined by said rigid portions to maintain said slidable adjacent members in slidable alignment when under manually exerted displaceable opposing forces and to retain said adjacent members against relative sliding movement responsive to opposing forces of lesser magnitude exerted by the garment sustained thereon.

14. An adjustable garment frame including relatively slidable adjacent members to vary the size of said frame, and combined guide and frame size retainer clips associated with said slidable adjacent members, said clips being fixed to one of said adjacent frame members and having resilient prongs thereon to frictionally engage the other of said slidable adjacent frame members to automatically maintain said adjacent members in slidable alignment when under manually exerted displaceable opposing forces and to retain said adjacent members against relative sliding movement responsive to opposing forces of lesser magnitude exerted by the garment sustained thereon.

15. An adjustable garment frame including 10 relatively slidable adjacent members to vary the size of said frame, and combined guide and frame size retainer clips associated with said slidable adjacent members, said clips being fixed to one of said adjacent frame members and having resilient prongs thereon to frictionally engage the other of said slidable adjacent frame members to maintain said adjacent members in slidable alignment when under manually exerted displaceable opposing forces and to retain said adjacent members against relative sliding movement responsive to opposing forces of lesser magnitude exerted 'by the garment sustained thereon, and a hook anchored to said clip to support said frame and the garment thereon.

CARL B. ALBERT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 387,349 Folger Aug. 7, 1888 534,053 Rutherford Feb. 12, 1895 558,085 Lintner et al. Apr. 14, 1896 604,122 OThayne May 17, 1898 877,226 Timberlake Jan. 21, 1908 1,052,426 Ringler Feb. 4, 1913 1,207,338 Stone Dec. 5, 1916 2,060,395 Irwin et al Nov. 10, 1936 2,109,517 Xenis Mar. 1, 1938 2,120,748 Harris June 14, 1938 2,137,691 Landsman Nov. 22, 1938 2,157,822 French May 9, 1939 2,161,451 Bolek et a1 June 6, 1939 2,213,975 Burwell Sept. 10, 1940 2,378,922 Grant June 26, 1945

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