United States Patent (19) 11 3,777,311 Freixas (45) Dec. 11, 1973

54) METHOD OF MANUFACTURING 3,001,489 9, 1961 Bond et al...... 1121121.12 GARMENT COLLARS 2,601,035 7/1952 Liebowitz ...... 1 21441 X 2,768,592 10/1956 Bihaly...... 1 12/121.15 76) Inventor: Antonio C. Freixas, Sanjuanistas St., 3,129,434 4f 1964 Weemhoff...... 21243 RX 24, Barcelona, Spain 3,320,346 51967 Galitzki et al...... 264/229 22 Filed: Mar. 27, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 238,575 Primary Examiner-James R. Boler Related U.S. Application Data Attorney-Robert E. Burns et al. 63 Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 849,201, Aug. 1 1, 1969, abandoned. 30 Foreign Application Priority Data 57 ABSTRACT Aug. 12, 1968 Spain...... 357 197 A method of manufacturing garment collars comprises 52) U.S. Cl...... 2/143, 264/229 molding a flexible collar stiffener having the configu 51 Int. Cl...... A41b 3/08 ration of the desired garment collar, flattening the col 58 Field of Search...... 112/121.15, 121.12, lar stiffener into a planar configuration and sewing a 112/262, 121.26, 121.27, 413, 414, 440, fabric covering on the flattened collar stiffener while 441; 2/143, 132, 131, 129, 243, 236; the fabric covering is maintained in a tensioned condi 264/134, 136, 257, 258, 324, 229, 295,339 tion, and then allowing the flattened collar stiffener to return to its original configuration thereby defining a 56 References Cited garment collar. UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,155,986 1 1/1964 Miller...... 21236 6 Claims, 14 Drawing Figures

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PATENTED DEC 11 1973 SHEET 1 OF 3 A/G. / /AA/OAP AAP7)

'NENE) OEC 1973 3,777,3)] SHEET 2 OF 3 A/6.5

PATENTED DEC 1973 SHEET 3 OF 3

3,777,311 1. 2 METHOD OF MANUFACTURING GARMENT the flexible collar stiffener to temporarily deform same COLLARS into a planar two-dimensional configuration, providing This is a Continuation-In-Part of application Ser. No. a fabric covering to be fastened to the collar stiffener, 849,201, filed on Aug. 11, 1969, now abandoned. fastening a layer of the fabric covering while maintain The present invention relates to a method for manu 5 ing same in a preselected tensioned condition to each facturing garment collars and more particularly, relates side of the temporarily deformed planar collar stiff to a method of manufacturing garment collars having ener, and terminating the application of force to the a three-dimensional configuration. fabric-covered collar stiffener to allow same to flex Garment collars are well known in the art which back to its normally curved three-dimensional configu comprise a flexible interlining covered with a covering 10 ration defining the finished garment collar. fabric. The interlining is used to strengthen the collar Other features and advantages of the method of man and various manufacturing methods have been em ufacturing garment collars in accordance with the prin ployed to obtain a garment collar which is sufficiently ciples of the present invention will be made apparent stiff to prevent wrinkling but which still feels comfort from the following description and appended claims able to the wearer. . . ; 15 when taken in conjunction with the following drawing It is known in the art to strengthen the interlinings by in which: impregnating them with a liquid or a laminated plastic FIG. 1 is a plan view of a collar interlining con material followed by polymerizing or vulcanizing the structed in accordance with the principles of the prior interlinings to impart to them the desired stiffness. art, , Such techniques have not been entirely satisfactory 20 FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a mold for use in mold since they do not provide the interlinings with a perma ing the garment collar stiffener in accordance with the nent stiffness. The prior art garment collars are also present invention; desadvantageous in that the interlinings are often too FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the mold shown in stiff and therefore lack sufficient resiliency to revert FIG. 2 containing therein the collar interlining; back to their original shape after undergoing temporar 25 FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the molded collar stiff deformation. . " ener for use in garment collars in accordance with the Garment collars, particularly those used for dress principles of the present invention; shirts, are frequently subjected to buckling, depressing, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a frame assembly for and other deforming forces during normal wear. The tensioning the covering fabric; garment collars heretofore available tend to retain their 30 FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the frame shown in deformed condition even after the deforming force is FIG. 5 containing thereon one tensioned layer of cover removed. It is usually not possible to restore such col ing fabric; - lars to their original shape and smart appearance until FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the frame assembly the entire article of clothing is laundered or until at shown in FIG. 6 containing thereon one tensioned layer least the collar itself is ironed. 35 of covering fabric and the collar stiffener; It has been a common practice in the art to refrain FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the frame assembly from placing any filling or interlining at the pointed tips shown in FIG. 7 containing thereon two layers of ten of the collar and therefore the collar tips often become sioned covering fabric having sandwiched therebe buckled, upturned and wrinkled and such destroys the tween the collar stiffener; appearance of the collar and accordingly reflects upon 40 FIGS. 9-11 are explanatory views of a garment collar the smartness of the wearer. Many attempts have been constructed in accordance with the present invention made to solve this problem and some degree of success showing how same reacts in response to externally ap has been obtained by the use of removable collar stays plied deforming forces; and, . . . . which are inserted into pockets provided in the collar FIGS. 12-14 are explanatory views showing how the tips or by the use of the more cumbersome metal collar 45 prior art garment collars react when subjected to exter stays. - - - . . . . nally applied deforming forces. It is therefore a primary object of the present inven The typical art garment collar for a shirt and the like tion to provide a method for manufacturing garment is shown in FIG. 1 and it may be seen that the garment collars having a permanently pressed appearance. collar normally lies in a planar configuration and has a It is another object of the present invention to pro 50 two-dimensional configuration. The garment collar is vide a method for manufacturing collars having crease shown by itself and such is the normal condition of the resistant properties. collar interlining prior to being covered with a covering It is a further object of the present invention to pro fabric and attached to a finished article of clothing. vide a method for manufacturing garment collars hav In accordance with the present invention, the collar ing sufficient resiliency to enable the collar to be tem 55 stiffener or interlining is formed in an arcuate shape porarily deformed yet spring back to its original config substantially corresponding to the shape of the garment uration upon removal of the deforming forces. collar as same appears on the finished article. This is It is still another object of the present invention to accomplished by providing a mold 2, as shown in FIG. provide a method for manufacturing garment collars 2, and molding the collar stiffener in the mold. The having collar points which resist buckling, upturning 60 mold may be formed of any suitable mold material ca and wrinkling during normal wear. pable of withstanding the temperature and pressure The aforementioned and other objects of the present conditions during the molding operation. invention are accomplished by the method of the pres FIG.3 shows the mold 2 containing therein the collar ent invention which comprises providing a flexible col interlining 3 prior to the actual molding operation. The lar stiffener having a normally curved three 65 collar interlining 3 comprises a strip of textile material dimensional configuration substantially in the shape of covered on either one face or on both faces with an the desired garment collar, applying sufficient force to elastomer. The elastomer may be either a natural or 3,777,311 3 4 synthetic elastomeric material and is applied to the tex of covering fabric. The flattening of the collar stiffener tile material in order to impart both stiffness and resil 5 into a planar shape may be accomplished by either of iency to the resulting collar sitffener. The textile mate two techniques. One technique comprises placing the rial and elastomer coating are polymerized or vulca collar stiffener over the tensioned covering fabric 9 and nized while in the mold 2 to produce the flexible collar 5 then applying sufficient force to the collar stiffener to stiffener S shown in FIG. 4. temporarily deform same into a two-dimensional con The flexible collar stiffener has an arcuate three figuration. The force is maintained on the collar stiff dimensional configuration and possesses the shape of ener during the mechanical bonding of the stiffener to the desired garment collar. The flexible collar stiffener the covering fabric and the resulting product is shown has sufficient stiffness to retain its molded configura O in FIG. 7. Then another layer of covering fabric 10 is tion under normal conditions and possesses sufficient superposed over the fabric-and-stiffener composite and resiliency to always flex back and restore itself to its suitably tensioned and then mechanically bonded to normal configuration. the collar stiffener. The mechanical bonding preferably In accordance with the present invention, the collar comprises stitching or sewing the covering fabrics to stiffener 5 is temporarily deformed into a planar two 15 the collar stiffener. dimensional configuration and while in this state, a cov Another technique of flattening the collar stiffener 5 ering fabric is suitably pretensioned and mechanically into a planar shape while mechanically bonding the lay bonded to the collar sitffener. FIGS. 5-8 show an em ers of covering fabric thereto comprises attaching both bodiment of apparatus which may be used to attach the layers 9, 10 of covering fabric to the frame 6 and then covering fabric to the collar stiffener. As seen in FIG. 20 inserting the three-dimensional collar stiffener 5 be 5, the apparatus comprises a rectangular frame 6 hav tween the fabric layers. The frame 6 is then extended ing a hollow center portion and a plurality of retaining to simultaneously tension both layers of covering fabric pins 7 connected to the frame in circumferentially while effecting deformation of the collar stiffener into spaced-apart relationship and projecting upwardly a two-dimensional planar configuration. According to from the frame. The retaining pins 7 are used to tempo 25 this technique, the collar stiffener is deformed into a rarily retain the covering fabric in a tensioned condi two-dimensional configuration by the sandwiching ac tion on the frame during the fastening of the covering tion of the tensioned layers of covering fabric. The ten fabric to the collar stiffener. sioned layers of covering fabric are then sewn to the FIG. 6 shows one layer of the covering fabric 9 posi collar stiffener. tioned on the frame 6 and suitably tensioned by the re 30 After both layers of covering fabric are attached to taining pins 7. The double-headed arrows a and b the collar stiffener, the partially formed garment collar indicate that the covering fabric is suitably tensioned in is removed from the frame 6 and the excess fabric is the directions of the arrows. For the sake of simplicity, trimmed off the collar to produce the finished garment the details of the tensioning means have not been dis collar. As soon as the flattening pressure is removed closed since such does not comprise part of the present 35 form the garment collar, the collar stiffener 5 flexes invention and various tensioning techniques are known back to its normal configuration shown in FIG. 4. throughout the art. Since the covering fabric is sewn on the collar stiff One type of tensioning means which is particularly ener while being maintained under tension, the cover well suited for use in practicing the present invention ing fabric will not wrinkle or buckle after attachment comprises mounting each of the four legs of the frame 40 to he stiffener nor will wrinkles appear on the fabric 6 for sliding movement relative to each other in such surface during wear. Moreover, since the particular a manner that the size of the rectangle defined by the stretch tension of the covering fabric is calculated in four legs may be selectively adjusted. Suitable cams are dependence upon its own elasticity and the elasticity of rotatably mounted at each of the four corners of the the collar stiffener, the covering fabric retains suffi frame and function to slidably extend the legs in re 45 cient elasticity to enable same to temporarily yield in sponse to angular displacement of the cams. By such an response to buckling forces applied to the garment col arrangement, the rectangular frame is first adjusted to lar during use and return back to its original condition its smallest size after which the covering fabric is posi whenever the buckling forces are removed. tioned over the retaining pins and then the cams are an Since the garment collar is subjected during wear to gularly displaced to accordingly extend the legs thereby 50 varying degrees of tension along the lenght and breadth tensioning the covering fabric. of the collar, it is desirable to insert an elastomer filling The degree of tensioning or stretching of the cover into the pockets formed between the interlining and the ing fabric is preselected in dependence upon the shape covering fabric at the collar points. The collar points of the garment collar, the index of molding, the elastic are then again polymerized or vulcanized to set the ity and recovery of the flexible collar stiffener, and the 55 elastomer filling with the attendant result that the col index of elasticity of the covering fabric. In any event, lar points remain straight, stiff and possess sufficient the covering fabric is never tensioned beyond the maxi resiliency to always return to their normal configura mum elasticity of the fabric itself whereupon the cover tion upon removal of any deforming forces. The resul ing fabric retains a certain amount of elasticity. This tant garment collar is then ready for stitching to an arti ensures that the covering fabric may further stretch 60 cle of clothing. when the collar stiffener flexes back to its normal con FIGS. 9-14 diagrammatically show a comparison of figuration and also enables the covering fabric to be the garment collar constructed in accordance with the further stretched during wear of the garment collar present invention and a typical prior art garment collar without being permanently deformed. when each is subjected to an externally applied force In accordance with the present invention, the collar 65 which temporarily deforms the collar. FIG. 9 shows a stiffener 5 is temporarily deformed into a planar shape cross-section of the collar garment of the present in and then mechanically bonded to the tensioned layers vention having a normally arcuate three-dimensional 3,777,311 5 6 configuration. FIG. 10 shows the application of an ex stiffener; and terminating the application of force to ternal force f applied to the collar points to effect up the fabric-covered collar stiffener allowing same to flex turning of the collar, and as shown in FIG. 11, upon re back to its normally curved three-dimensional configu moval of the force f, the collar automatically flexes ration defining a finished garment collar. back to its original configuration. 2. A method according to claim 1; wherein said fas In contrast to the garment collar of the present inven tening step comprises sewing said fabric covering to tion, a prior art garment collar is shown in FIG. 12. and around the edges of said temporarily deformed pla When this collar is subjected to an external force f nar collar stiffener. which upturns the collar, as seen in FIG. 13, the collar 3. A method according to claim 1; wherein said step remains in its upturned and deformed configuration O of providing a flexible collar stiffener comprises provid upon removal of the force, such as shown in FIG. 14. ing a collar interlining, applying an elastomer to at least Thus, it may be appreciated that the prior art collar one side of said collar interlining, and molding together garments do not possess a resilient flexible collar stiff. said collar interlining and elastomer to form said flexi ener having a size and configuration substantially the ble collar stiffener. same as those of the finished collar garments and there 15 4. A method according to claim 1; wherein said ap fore do not automatically revert back to their normal plying and tensioning steps comprise loosely position configuration. Of course, the prior art collars employ ing a layer of covering fabric on each side of said collar collar stays or other suitable elastomeric filling at the stiffener, and tensioning each layer of covering fabric collar points but they do not interline the entire collar to effect temporary deformation of said collar stiffener with a flexible collar stiffener and cover same with a 20 into said planar two-dimensional configuration while tensioned covering fabric in the manner in the present placing each layer of covering fabric in said preselected invention. tensioned condition. The method of the present invention produces a gar 5. A method according to claim 1; wherein said ap ment collar having desirable qualities not found in the plying, tensioning and fastening steps comprise, in the prior art collars and the garment collars produced in 25 listed sequence, tensioning one layer of covering fabric accordance with the present invention retain their to said preselected tensioned condition, placing said newly made and ironed appearance irregardless of how flexible collar stiffener on the tensioned layer of cover often the collar is washed and worn. ing fabric, applying sufficient force to said flexible col What I claim is: lar stiffener to temporarily deform same into a planar 1. A method of manufacturing finished garment col 30 two-dimensional configuration overlying said tensioned lars comprising: providing a flexible collar stiffener layer of covering fabric, fastening together said ten having a normally curved three-dimensional configura sioned layer of covering fabric and said collar stiffener, tion substantially in the shape of the desired garment tensioning the other layer of covering fabric to said collar; applying sufficient force to said flexible collar prelselected tensioned condition and overlying same on stiffener to temporarily deform same into a planar two 35 the exposed side of said collar stiffener, and fastening dimensional configuration having opposed sides; pro said other layer of covering fabric to said collar stiff. viding two layers of covering fabric to be fastened to ene. said collar stiffener; tensioning each layer of said cover 6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said ten ing fabric to a preselected tensioned condition; fasten sioning step comprises applying forces to the periphery ing a layer of the tensioned covering fabric while main 40 of each layer of covering fabric to stretch and tension taining same in said preselected tensioned condition to same to said preselected tensioned condition. each side of the temporarily deformed planar collar ck k :k :k sk

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