April 29, 1952 W. R. STORY 2,595,112 ADHESIVE STAY PACKAGE Filed Oct. 15, 1949

INVENTOR,

BY 20oo.4 (217, 4- y 21 arroa M/ sys Patented Apr. 29, 1952 2,595,112

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,595,112 ADHES WE PACKAGE Walter R. Story, Bellevue, Ky. Application October 15, 1949, Serial No. 121,589 2 Claims. (C. 206-56) 1 s 2 This invention relates to collar stays . Sequently, it will be apparent that the use of and is particularly directed to a self-supporting stays of this type will not only permit a material adhesive stay adapted for use with practically reduction in the manufacturing cost of , any make or style of collar and which may be but the Wearing life of the Shirts Will be sub repeatedly used and re-used on the same shirt stantially prolonged. The stays of this inven Or on different shirts for a great number of tion are adapted for repeated use with the same WearingS. shirt or different shirts having a variety of collar In Order to prevent starched and soft collars styles for a great number of wearings. Thus, from curling and wrinkling, it has been conven in the event that a stay becomes mislaid or lost, tional to stiffen and support the collar wings by 10 it can be easily replaced with a similar stay means of elongated Stays or ribs which are re Without necessitating the construction of a movably held in cloth formed on the substitute fitted to a particular collar . underside of the Wings. Before the shirt is Moreover, the stays of this invention can be laundered, the stays are removed from the pock quickly and conveniently placed in concealed etS SO that they are not bent or broken during 5 Supporting position at any desired angulation laundering or ironing. With respect to the collar Wing without mussing Although pocket-Supported stays have been or soiling the collar, even though the shirt is generally adopted in many medium and high being Worn at the time of attachment. priced shirts, they have not been completely Described in more detail, the collar stay of Satisfactory for a number of reasons. In the 20 this invention comprises a collar tab stiffener first place, the formation of the pockets materi having a face Surfaced wholly or in part, with a ally increases the manufacturing cost, so much preSSure-responsive adhesive which is effective as to make their use impracticable in shirts of to hold the Stay in association with the fabric the leSS expensive grades. Consequently, the of the collar Wing. In use, the stay is placed Collars of inexpensive shirts have no provisions 25 in concealed position against the undersurface for Supporting the stays and, in their absence, of the collar wing where it remains until it is Wrinkle or curl without restraint. forcibly removed. Although the bond estab Moreover, the sizes of the pockets and stays lished, under finger pressure, between the collar are not standard, between shirts but vary con fabric and the adhesive material is quite strong siderably with the make and of the collar and Will not permit accidental forceless detach With the result that it is usually not possible to ment of the stay, the adhesive selected has a interchange stays between different collars. greater affinity for the material of the stay than Hence, if a stay for any particular shirt becomes it does for the shirt fabric. Hence, When the lost or broken, it is virtually impossible to find a stay is removed from the shirt, the adhesive ready made replacement and the user must im adheres firmly to the stay surface and detaches provise a stay from a stiff material, such as card from the collar cleanly without leaving residual board, alter a stay designed for another shirt, or Spots of the adhesive clinging to the collar fabric. do without. In Order to keep the adhesive in a tacky con Because the stay pocket openings are usually dition and to prevent it from air drying when not located near the collar neckband and are self 40 attached to a shirt collar, this invention also closing to prevent the stay from working out contemplates the provision of a protective fac of the pocket, it is difficult or annoying for the ing Strip which is adapted to be placed over user to insert and remove the stays from the the adhesive face of the stay, thereby shielding pockets without wrinkling or soiling the collar, the adhesive from air and preventing the ac particularly if the Wearer has forgotten to place 45 cumulation of dust, dirt and foreign particles the stays in the pockets before putting on the Which would otherwise tend prematurely to de shirt. Wire stays, on the other hand, are ob prive the stay of its adhesive characteristics. jectionable because they are held in place by When the stay is to be used, the strip is collar penetrating cleats, which tear or fray the renoved and the stay is pressed into place on collar fabric. 50 the underside of the collar. During use, the This invention is directed to the provision of collar fabric supplants the facing strip as the a Self-Supporting, self-adhering collar stay ca protective shield for the adhesive. m pable of being utilized on a shirt collar without Other advantages of this invention will be the aid of external supporting means such as apparent to those skilled in the art from the stay pocketS or collar penetrating cleats. Con 55 following description of the drawings in which: 2,595,112 3 4. Figure 1 is a front view of a series of paired does not leave Spots of adhesive clinging to the stays mounted on a card in a manner con collar which would be difficult to remove. By Wenient for merchandizing, showing one pair the same token, the collar does not pull the removed. adhesive from the stiffener and the stiffener Figure 2 is a front view of an individual stay retains its adhesive over long periods of use. showing the non-collar engaging side of the stay. While a preSSure-responsive adhesive is pre Figure 3 is a view showing the collar engaging ferred and entirely suitable for use in conjunc side of the stay with the facing strip peeled back tion with this stay, the invention also contem to expose the adhesive. plates the use of a heat-responsive adhesive. Figure 4 is a front view of a shirt showing the O If the latter type of adhesive is used in the stay, nanner in Which the stay is attached. it may be utilized to advantage in laundries Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side view. or in Shirt manufacturing plants where the stay of a preferred embodiment of this invention may be placed in position on the collar and the which is slightly different from the embodiments adhesive activated by a hot iron during the ShOWin in Figures 2 and 3. Shirt preSSing operation. As best seen in Figures 2 and 3, a typical collar A convenient means for marketing and han stay which is constructed in accordance With dling the adhesive collar stays of this invention this invention comprises; a generally rectangu is shown in Figure 1. A rectangular cardboard lar stiffener or rib 0 which, forms the main panel 6 Serves as a Support and mount for the body of the stay. The lower edge of the Stiffeiner StayS. A heavy paper backing sheet 7 is de is angulated as at to conform to the angular tachably fastened to one face of the panel by point of the collar Wing. As best seen in Figure any convenient means such as spots of adhesive 3, one face of the stiffener is coated with a pres or cement, and can readily be detached there Sure-responsive adhesive 2. In the embodi from by a quick pull. Pressed on the face of ment shown, the entire face is covered With ad 2 5 the backing sheet are a Series of complementary hesive but it Will be apparent to those skilled pairs of Stifieners. Each pair includes a stiffener in the art that the adhesive can be applied in 8 for the left collar wing and a stiffener 9 for strategically located areas or SpotS Without de the right collar Wing. The respective pairs are parting from the Spirit of this invention, held to the facing Strip by means of the pressure The stiffener rib can be formed from a variety 30 responsive adhesive on the underside of the of stiff material such as thin metal, or heavy stiffener. When it is desired to use a pair of paper or cardboard. However, I have successfully StayS, a right and left stiffener are peeled from utilized and prefer a stiffener fabricated from the the back of the sheet and applied to the shirt vinyl chloride-Vinyl acetate copolymer resin, Collar. During the removal of the stays the containing stabilizers necessary to produce the backing sheet is held to the panel by means of desired end product. the paste or cement previously described. After In order to keep the exposed surface of the USe, the stays are then pressed back into the adhesive tacky and to prevent it from air-drying, vacated position on the backing sheet. a facing strip 3 formed from paper is Supplied One of the chief advantages of this construc to cover the exposed adhesive Surface. The fac- : tion resides in the fact that it is not necessary ing strip is configurated to cover the adhesive to utilize individual facing strips which easily contact areas and it may be provided with a tab become lost when not attached to the stiffener. 4 which extends beyond the edge of the stiffener The large backing sheet mounted on the card and permits the strip to be grasped readily. board panel is easier to keep and locate and it When the stay is to be - used on a shirt, the is extremely unlikely that the backing sheet facing strip is grasped by the tab and peeled Will blow a Way or become lost which is often from the Surface of the adhesive, thereby ex the case When individual strips are used. How posing the adhesive. The stay is then placed ever, if it is desired, the backing sheet may in position on the Surface of the collar Wing be cut or torn into individual facing strips and adjusted so that the angulated edge. for the individual stiffeners. To facilitate re conforms to the wing vertex 3 (Figure. 4). By moval of the individual strips from the sheet, applying thumb and finger pressure to the stay, Score lines or slits 29 may be provided on the the adhesive can be made to adhere firmly to sheet. Moreover, the lower edge of the sheet the cloth surface, to the underside of the collar. may be configurated to conform to the pointed When it is desired to remove the stay When One ends of the stiffener and thereby provide a pre edge of the stiffener is grasped and pulled from formed angulated edge for each individual fac the collar, the facing strip is then replaced to ing Strip. keep the adhesive tacky until the next time the In Figure 5, I have shown a preferred embodi stay is to be used. I have discovered that if ment of my invention. In this form, the stiffener the facing strip is kept covering the adhesive comprises a rib 2, a coating of adhesive 22 and between Wearings, the Same stay may be used 30 a rough corrugated paper tape 23. The collar for 24 or 25 different Wearings over a period of contacting, preSSure-responsive adhesive is indi a nonth's time before the adhesive becomes cated at 24 and covers either wholly, or in part inert. the surface of the tape 23. A facing strip 25 of The adhesive is selected carefully So that the the type previously described covers and protects bond established between the adhesive and the the adhesive 24. This construction is particu stay or stiffener is stronger than the bond es larly advantageous in So far as manufacture and tablished between the adhesive and the Shirt assembly of the stays is concerned, because the fabric or facing strip material. Any number of tape 23 may be of a commercial type which has adhesives of this type are known to those skilled 70 opposite faces coated with films of pressure-re in the art of pressure-responsive adhesives. By sponsive adhesive. The pre-fabricated commer virtue of this characteristic, the adhesive ad cial tape is simply pressed into position on the rib heres more firinly to the Stay and follows the to form the completed unit and it is unnecessary stay as it is peeled from the collar. Consequent for the Stay manufacturer to deal with liquid ada ly, it is cleanly detached from the collar and 75 hesive. 2,595,112 5 6 Having described my invention, I claim: wing, each stay surfaced on one face With pres 1. A package of collar stays comprising: a plu sure responsive adhesive, said stays adhesively rality of complementary pairs of collar stays, Secured to an integral backing sheet in side by each pair consisting of a stay having the lower side relationship, a stiff panel mounting and sup end thereof angulated to conform generally to the porting said backing sheet, said backing sheet angular point of a left collar Wing and a stay hav configurated to conform to the Outline of the ing the lower end thereof angulated to conform lower ends of the respective stays and having a generally to the angular point of a right collar portion extending beyond the upper ends of the Wing, each stay surfaced on one face With pres stays, and said backing sheet being slit between sure responsive adhesive, said pairs of stays ad O the stays from the lower ends thereof to points hesively Secured to an integral backing sheet in above their upper ends but short of the upper side by side relationship with the angulated ends edge of the backing sheet, whereby connecting of each pair providing a pair-identifying V, a stiff WebS are provided between the stays. panel mounting and Supporting Said backing WALTER, R. STORY. sheet, and Said backing sheet configurated to con form to the outline of the lower ends of the re REFERENCES CITED spective stays and having a portion extending The following references are of record in the beyond the upper ends of the stays, said backing file of this patent: sheet slit between the stays from the lower angul UNITED STATES PATENTS lated ends thereof to points above the upper ends 20 of the stays but short of the upper edge of the Number Name Date backing sheet, Whereby connecting webs are pro 983,953 Till ------Feb. 14, 1911 vided between each pair of stays and between the 1,403,769 Gross ------Jan. 17, 1922 stays of each pair. 2,030,135 Carpenter ------Feb. 11, 1936 2,116,008 Block ------May 3, 1938 2. A package comprising a plurality of collar 2,372,994 Welch ------Apr. 3, 1945 stays each of which has its lower end configurated 2,434,545 Brady et al. ------Jan. 13, 1948 to conform generally to the vertex of a collar 2,445,553 Beavers ------July 20, 1948