US3331150A - Pressing aid for box pleats - Google Patents

Description

y 1967 M. A. HARNY 3,331,150

PRESSING AID FOR BOX PLEATS Filed Oct. 22, 1965 Fig.3 /2 I? I7! 2 /A i\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Fig. 4

Mary A. Harny F 5 INVENTOR.

United States Patent ()fi ice 3,331,150 Patented July 18, 1967 3,331,150 PRESSING AID FOR BOX PLEATS Mary A. Harny, Rte. 4, Box 204, Astoria, Oreg. 97103 Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 501,961 1 Claim. (Cl. 38108) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An aid for use in pressing box pleats in a garment in the form of an elongated thin and relatively narrow plate having a centrally disposed slot extending through the major longitudinal extent thereof together with a slidable collar mounted on the plate for longitudinal movement with a setscrew provided for locking the collar in adjusted position. The slot in the elongated plate receives the abutting edges of the box pleat and overlies the portion of the box pleat disposed interiorly of the outer perimeter of the garment when the box pleat is completely closed which is necessary when the box pleat is being pressed.

This invention relates to a household device or accessory, more particularly, to a manually usable implement which functions to aid the user in forming and pressing box pleats of any size and which also has the capability of systematically laying out and pressing medium to large knife pleats, if so desired.

It is common knowledge that the job of neatly pressing pleats is not only a time and labor consuming task, it is tedious and often quite perplexing, especially when called upon to cope with heavy wool skirts requiring precision-type box pleats. The fact is, when a busy mother has to press pleats for her own dresses and those of her daughters too she is confronted with a real problem.

The object of the invention herein revealed is to provied a simple, practical economical hand implement which is such in functional design and adaptability that it provides the user with a practical aid possessed of efiiciency due to simplicity and which is extremely easy to use with a minimum of effort but gratifying results. A few trial and error elforts will serve to convince even the skeptical user that the device can he slipped into place, shifted progressively from one pleat to the next in a manner to achieve and end result which will justify enthusiastic repetitional use when the task would otherwise be laborious and distasteful.

Briefly summarized a preferred embodimentof the present invention has to do with a lightweight but durable stainless steel pleat forming and pressing plate. This plate is elongated, flat-faced and has a suitably rounded and relatively blunt forward leading end and a rearward trailing end. The plate is of a length commensurate with, usually 24 inches more or less in length, the pleat which is to be shaped, laid out and pressed. This plate is adapted to extend lengthwise from the hemline or from a position below the hemline to the stitched upper or top end of the pleat. The pleat has coplanar linearly straight outer marginal edges which are parallel to each other. It is thick enough to be self-shape-sustaining and yet is thin enough that the finished pleat is invariably devoid of undesirable press marks. In addition, it is of a prescribed width to provide a satisfactory pleat foundation or backing for the ironing step and to achieve the shaping, pressing and creasing result desired.

In carrying out the concept the plate is longitudinally bifurcated, that is, slitted midway between its opposite or outer marginal edges. The furcations which result from this construction provide and define a pair of duplicate crease delineating and pleat basing and ironing legs. The intervening resultant slot is adapted to straddle confronting creases of the skirt material whereby the legs are positionable fiatwise between coacting components of the selected box pleat.

The invention also features a bodily attachable and detachable gauge, a simple loop-like collar which is slidingly mounted on the rearward end portion and which has a forward leading edge at right angles to the lengthwise dimension of the plate. This edge is disposed above the coacting surface plane of the plane of the plate therebeneath and is adapted to abut the hemline for accurate positioning of the plate and to assist one in creasing the hemline edge for reliably neat results.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective showing a fragmentary portion of a conventional ironing board with a skirt located thereon and with the improved pressing aid and showing how it is positioned and used preparatory to the pleat ironing step;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the pressing aid or device by itself;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-section of an enlarged scale taken on the plane of the section line 33 of FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a similar cross-section but taken on the plane of the section line 4-4 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 showing how the device is installed and utilized when laying out, forming and ironing so-called medium to large knife pleats.

By way of introduction to the description of the details it is to be pointed out that while the implement herein disclosed lends itself to feasible use (FIG. 5) when the user desires to lay out and form knife pleats, it is primarily and most successfully usable when employed in connection with a skirt, for example the skirt A (FIG. 1) having broad box pleats.

Regardless of the selected use of the device it comprises a simple elongated, generally rectangular, stainless steel plate or platen which is denoted generally by the numeral 8 in FIG. 2. As here also shown, taken in conjunction with the other views, this plate has fiat top and bottom surfaces. One may use the plate with either surface or side facing upwardly. For convenience the side or surface denoted generally at 10 constitutes the top surface here. The plate has linearly straight longitudinal marginal edges 12 which are alike. The portion of the plate midway between the edges is bifurcated to define a pair of like elongated legs 14 and 16. The construction also provides an intervening elongated slot 18 which opens at 20 through the forward or lefthand end of the plate. The other end 22 of the slot terminates short of the rearward end portion 24 to provide a relatively solid or intact end portion 26. It should be noted that the end 24 is at right angles to the lengthwise dimension of the plate. It will be further noted that the leading or forward terminals at the left have rounded tip portions 28 which are blunt'As a matter of fact all of the edges and surfaces should be smooth to avoid cutting of the garment or the users fingers. This plate is made of thin sturdy stainless steel or an equivalent material. It is thick enough to hold its shape yet thin so as'to leave no marks when pressing the fabric. The slit or slot down the middle in actual practice will be of two different widths. One

size will be to handle a woolen skirt and the one with the narrower slot or slit will be used for synthetic summer skirts. Also the length should be about 24 inches. This length would take care of the skirt with pleats from the waistband as is obvious. The plate is also provided, usually at the butt end 26 with a bodily attachable and detachable gauge 30. More specifically this gauge comprises a loop-like or elongated collar which embraces the plate and is freely slidable along the lengthwise edges. This collar has parallel straight across edges 32 and 34 which are at right angles to the lengthwise dimension of the plate. The closed ends are rounded as shown at 36 in FIG. 4. This gauge, also referred to as an adjustable bar, can be adjusted when working with a skirt shorter than the overall length of the plate. The leading edge of the bar would also serve as an aid to squaring off the bottom of the pleat before pressing. All edges of the parts should be rounded so as not to snag or cut the fabric as the plate is slid into place.

In practice the device is used in the manner illustrated satisfactorily it is believed in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, that is when the user desires to form and press box pleats, The legs are inserted under the top fabric of the box pleat and over the bottom pleat as shown particularly in FIG. 3. Starting at the hemline of the skirt the device is inserted all the way up to the stitching at the top of the pleat. The gauge is then brought into play as shown in FIG. 1 and is held in place by a setscrew 38 carried by the gauge and which engages the upper surface of the plate in the manner shown in FIG. 4.

It is permissible to also use this device as an aid in pressing medium to large knife pleats. This is shown in FIG. 5 wherein it will be evident that the left leg of the plate is inserted inside the pleat. The right leg is placed atop the skirts surface. Using the hand as check means the pleat lays neatly underneath and then havin ac complished this the pressing step can be undertaken and completed. Experience shows that the device helps to impart a sharp straight edge to the pleat as is brought out, it is believed, in FIG. 5.

Minor changes in shape, size, materials, and rearrangement of component parts may be resorted to in actual 4 practice without departing from the spirit of the invention or the invention as hereinafer claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows: A pressing aid for box pleats in a garment comprising an elongated thin plate having a relatively narrow Width as compared with its length and having planar surfaces and provided with a substantially constant cross-sectional configuration throughout its length, said plate having a narrow longitudinal centrally disposed slot extending for a major portion of its length and being defined by parallel adjacent edges, the adjacent edges of the slot adapted to engage the opposite crease surfaces of a pleat to delineate the crease when it is being pressed, the planar surfaces of the plate on opposite sides of the slot adapted to engage the folds of a pleat to enable the pleat to be pressed without forming wrinkles, an, annular collar slidably mounted on said plate to form a gauge for lirniting insertion of a pleat into the slot, and manually op-,

erable means on the collar to lock the collar in adjusted position on the plate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS,

325,994 9/ 1885 Vannice 223-33 1,166,174 12/1915 Bisbee 22335 2,805,007 9/ 1957 Aschbacher 223-35 3,084,836 4/1963 Peck 223-34 3,090,533 5/1963 Claeys et al. 22335 3,133,681 5/1964 Shee 223-34.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

G. V. LARKIN, Examiner.

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