US3556361A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Garment treating apparatus
Assignee: KENNETH M O BOYLE
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Filing: 1969-09-15
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Granted: 1971-01-19
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Expires: 1989-09-15
Abstract
Abstract A garment treating apparatus has a support structure having a tubular upright support portion and a tubular upper support portion with an expansible treating form depending from the upper support portion. The expansible form has a plurality of contoured padded sections enclosed within an inflatable permeable air bag with the form sections being movable by adjustment means within the air bag for expanding and contracting the form to conform to a garment to be treated. An air blower directs air into the tubular upright portion and into contact with a radiator for heating same and then upwardly through the tubular upright portion and into an air flow duct within the upper support portion. The air flow duct has a compartment above the expansible form formed by a damper for selectively opening and closing the compartment to introduce heated air and a vacuum thereinto respectively. Steam is introduced into the expansible form through a manifold having a portion of the adjustment means reciprocable therethrough.
Inventors
- 👤 Kenneth M O'boyle
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 21:01
CPC Classifications
D; D06; D06F; D06F71/00; D06F71/18; D06F71/28; D06F71/29; D06F71/295
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
94 words
The garment treating apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including: a. a pair of pleat pressing clamps each having self adjusting linkage for moving said respective pleat pressing clamps into pressing engagement with a garment on said expansible form; b. control means associated with said self adjusting linkages for moving same into and out of said pressing engagement; c. Heating means on each of said pleat pressing clamps for maintaining same at a selected temperature; and d. control means operatively connected to said heating means for adjusting the temperature of said heating means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
51 words
The garment treating apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including: a. heating means within said upright portion for heating air within said air flow duct; and b. motor driven air blower means communicating with said tubular upright portion for directing air to said heating means and to said air duct.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
88 words
The garment treating apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said flow means includes: a. a plurality of apertures through one wall of said compartment of said duct; b. duct means mounted on said upper support portion and depending therefrom, said duct means surrounding said apertures; and c. means for mounting said air bag on said duct means in a substantially airtight relationship therewith whereby heated air to expand said air bag and vacuum to contact said air bag may be selectively communicated to said air bag.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
127 words
The garment treating apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said steam means includes: a. An elongate tubular manifold extending into said expansible form, said tubular manifold having a plurality of orifices for discharge of steam into said expansible form and air bag; b. first steam flow means communicating with said tubular manifold for flow of steam into said expansible form and air bag; c. an elongate inner tubular member within said manifold and having a pair of steam chambers therein separated by a partition having one edge spaced from one end of said inner tubular member for flow of steam between said steam chambers; and d. second steam flow means communicating with each of said steam chambers for flow of steam through said expansible form.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
88 words
The garment treating apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said adjustment means includes: a. a bore through said inner tubular member; b. a power member having a reciprocable rod extending through said bore of said inner tubular member; c. a self adjusting linkage operatively connected to each of said respective form sections; and d. links connecting a free end of said reciprocable rod and said respective self adjusting linkage to effect coordinated movement of said respective form sections in response to operation of said power member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
66 words
The garment treating apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein: a. said self adjusting linkages each are a pair of elongate parallel arms having their upper ends pivotally secured to a lower surface of said upper support portion and their lower ends pivotally secured to said respective form sections; and b. said self adjusting linkages are enclosed within said duct means and said air bag.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
62 words
The garment treating apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein: a. said first steam flow means has a steam separator associated therewith; and b. said second steam flow means has an inlet conduit for communicating a source of steam with one of said steam chambers and an outlet conduit for communicating the other of said steam chambers with said steam separator.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
84 words
The garment treating apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said padded sections of expansible form each include: a. a contoured frame member having a foraminous member mounted within a surround, said frame member being connected to said adjustment means; b. porous padding material; c. a pad cover secured to said padding material and secured to said air bag; and d. mounting means for removably mounting said pad cover and padding material in covering relation with an exterior side of said frame member.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
49 words
The garment treating apparatus as set forth in claim 9 wherein: a. said padding material has an inner and outer layer of porous material separated by a screen member; and b. said screen member is a layer of fine mesh metal for collecting condensate forMed within said expansible form.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
47 words
The garment treating apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including: a. time delay means operatively connected to said vacuum means and said power member of said adjustment means for drawing unsupported portions of the air bag between the form sections prior to retracting said expansible form.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
175 words
The garment treating apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein: a. said adjustment means has a plurality of pairs of elongate parallel arms, one pair of arms for each section of said expansible treating form to effect coordinated movement of all of the sections of said expansible form simultaneously to conform to the critical areas of a garment to be treated; b. two of said expansible form sections are aligned with pleat pressing areas of the garment to be treated and said respective pairs of elongate parallel arms connected to said two form sections effect positioning of the two form sections to conform to the pleat pressing areas of variable sized garments to be treated; and c. said self-adjusting linkage for each of said pleat pressing clamps is a pair of elongate parallel arms connected to said respective pleat pressing clamp to effect coordinated movement of the pleat pressing clamps with the movement of said two form sections in all of the pressing positions of the pleat pressing clamps and the two form sections.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
69 words
The garment treating apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein: a. said pleat pressing clamps each have a face engageable with the pleat pressing areas of the garment to be treated; and b. said self-adjusting linkages are shaped and positioned to maintain said face of said respective pleat pressing clamps parallel with the surface of the two expansible form sections in all positions of said pleat pressing clamps.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
174 words
A garment treating apparatus comprising: a. a support structure; b. an expansible treating form having a plurality of padded sections and depending from said support structure; c. an inflatable permeable air bag mounted on and enclosing said expansible form in a substantially airtight relationship; d. an air flow duct having a compartment above said expansible form; e. flow means for communicating said compartment with said air bag; f. damper means for selectively opening and closing said compartment of said duct; g. steam means communicating with said expansible form for discharging steam into said expansible form; h. adjustment means associated with said expansible form for expanding and contracting said sections to conform to a garment to be treated, said adjustment means being positioned within said expansible form and said steam means; i. vacuum means communicating with said compartment of said duct for introducing a vacuum within said expansible form; and j. control means operatively connected to said damper means and said adjustment means and said steam means and said vacuum means for controlling operation thereof.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
64 words
The garment treating apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein: a. said support structure has a tubular upright portion and a tubular upper support portion extending from said upright portion; b. said air flow duct is within said upright portion and said upper support portion of said support structure; and c. said adjustment means has a portion thereof positioned within said flow means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-01-18 | 1974-07-20 | 1975-01-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-01-18 | 1978-07-20 | 1979-01-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-01-18 | 1982-07-20 | 1983-01-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |