Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The invention relates to an apparatus for molding flat
fabrics into three-dimensional contours which is particularly
designed and adapted for use in making breast cups,
brassieres and other garments.
The prior art, as exemplified by Canadian Patent No.
664,958 teaches molding flat fabric into a three-dimensional
shape by heating one or both parts of a complementary two-
part mold. The heat from the mold is imparted to the
fabric, which is deformed into a three-dimensional shape
corresponding to that of the molds.
This process, which is referred to in the trade as
"hot molding" has several advantages. Because the molds
are maintained at a constant heat, an accurately timed
heating and cooling cycle is not required and the molding
operation is accordingly fast. The hot molded fabric will
stand up well under repeated laundering and will maintain
its proper shape and size.
Hot molding, however, also has several disadvantages.
One of these is that the fabric is often~istorted,
particularly at the apex of a breast cup or the breast cup
portion of a brassiere. This occurs because the fabric is
stretched to a greater degree in this area. Because the
molded product is still hot when it is taken from the molds,
it tends to distort ~r lose its shape at this time since
it is still plastic but its shape is no longer maintained
by engagement with the molds. A hot molded fabric also
develops a harsh or stiff feel, which is particularly
! undesirable in a product which is worn next to the skin
and which may cause irritation.
Another method taught by the prior art is " cold
molding", in which the molds are left completely unheated
-2- ~
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and the fabric is heated prior to molding. This method is
exemplified by prior UOSo Patent No. 3,187,816. Cold
molding provides a garment which has a much softer feel
than one which is hot molded. There is generally less
thinning at the apex and there is less distortion of the
product after it is removed from the mold. On the other
hand, the laundering qualities of the garment are greatly
inferior to those of hot molded garments, A cold molded
product tends to shrink and also to lose its shape,
particularly when subjected to repeated hot water laundering.
There are accordingly disadvantages to both types of
molding found in the prior art.
Molding pres~es and related equipment have in the
past been designed and equipped exclusively for use in
either hot or cold molding. This requires a substantial
financial investment on the part of the molding operator
and often means that one or the other press may be standing
idle because it cannot be used to perform the particular
molding operation required.
The primary object of the present invention is to
teach a novel apparatus for fabric molding which achieves
substantially all of the advantages of both molding methods
taught by the prior art and which substantially eliminates
the disadvantages or undesirable results of each of the
prior art methods.
In essence, my invention contemplates apparatus for
heating both the molds and the fabric, each to a somewhat
lesser degree than when each method of heating was used
individually. This has provided results which are
surprising and unexpected to those skilled in the art.
Among these results are the production of a finished
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molded garment which combines all of the advantages of
both hot and cold molded garments while at the same time
eliminating their various disadvantagesO
This novel apparatus, which will be referred to as
"double heating" (of both the fabric and the molds) provides
a molded garment which has a softer feel than that of a
hot molded garment. At the same time, it has better
washability than a cold molded garment and will retain its
size and contour through repeated laundering. There is a
minimal amount of fabric distortion both at the apex during
molding and when the product is removed from the molds.
Less fabric is required than in cold molding and the
quality of the molding achieved is superior to that of
both prior art methods.
Another advantage of the invention is that the unlimited
combination of variables provided by heating both the
fabric and the molds to varying degrees makes the molding
equipment so versatile that it can be used to mold
substantially any fabric which is capable of being molded.
It can even be used to mold fabrics which hereto fore have
been considered impossible to mold, such as laceO
Another advantage of the invention is that the same
molding apparatus can also be used for conventional hot
molding or cold molding as well, making it unnecessary for
the equipment to stand idle at any time, since it can
perform any desired molding operation.
It is accordingly among the objects of the invention
to provide an apparatus for fabric molding having all of
of the advantages and benefits set forth above and described
hereinafter in this specification.
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The invention also comprises such other objects,
advantages and capabilities as will later more fully
appear and which are inherently possessed by the invention.
While I have shown in the accompanying drawings a
preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be under-
stood that the same is susceptible of modification and
change without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevational
view of a molding press constructed in accordance with my
invention, with the fabric heating ~tructure shown in
retracted position, the operating or heating position being
shown in phantom lines;
Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same, taken on
line 2-2 of Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a partial transverse sectional view of
the mold base, taken on line 3~3 of Fig. l;
Fig. 4 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of
a mold base, including a mold heating element, taken on
line 4-4 of Fig. lo
A preferred embodiment which has been selected to
illustrate the invention comprises a hydraulic press 10
in which a plurality of inverted female molds 11 are held
i in a stationary position, while a plurality of complementary
male molds 12 are mounted on a support member 13 which is
reciprocally moved in a vertical direction by a hydraulic
ram 14 which has the upper end of its piston connected to
the support member 130
A fabric frame 15 extends horizontally between the
molds 11 and 12 and is adapted to hold one or more layers
of fabric 16 for molding. The frame 15 is mounted for
vertical movement on vertically directed guide rods 17.
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Coil springs 18 mounted on the guide rods 17 are supported
at their lower ends by flanges 50 secured to the lower
edge of the support member 13. As the support member 13
is moved upwardly by the ram 14, the upper ends of the
coil springs 18 engage flanges Sl secured to the frame lS
and carry the frame 15 and fabric 16 upwardly when the
molds are closed.
A substantially U-shaped heater rack 19 is mounted
for sliding horizontal movement between two positions,
in one of which its upper portion 20 and lower portion 21
are disposed directly above and beneath the fabric 16 and
extend substantially parallel thereto. This is the heating
or operating position, in which heat is applied to the
fabric 16 and prepares it for the molding operation. This
position of the heater rack 19 is shown in phantom lines
in Fig. 1 of the drawings.
The heater rack 19 is movable from this position to
a retracted or non-operating position in which it is
slidably moved horizontally outwardly so that the molds
can be closed to perform the molding operation after the
fabric 16 has been sufficiently heated. This position of
the heater rack 19 is shown in solid lines in Figs. 1 and
2 of the drawings.
The upper portion 20 and lower portion 21 of the
heater rack 19 have a plurality of electrically operated
U-shaped heating rods which are best shown in Fig. 2 of
the drawings.
Reciprocal movement of the heater rack 19 is effected
by the operation of a hydraulic cylinder 24, which is mounted
on the upper part of the hydraulic press 10. The end of its
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piston 25 is connected to a vertically directed arm 26 which
is in turn connected to the heater rack 19. A shock absorber
27 is provided to cushion the ~ovement of the heater rack 19.
The male molds 12 are mounted on a metal mounting plate
30, beneath which are a plurality of longitudinally directed
channels 31, each of which contains a U-shaped heating rod
32. Beneath the heating rods 32 is a thick section of
suitable insulating material 33, beneath which are a base
p~ate 34 and the support member 13. A similar inverted
structural assembly is provided for the female molds 11.
Bus bars 35 are provided for supplying electricity to the
heating rods 320 It will be obvious that heat from the
heating rods 32 is conveyed through the mounting plates 30
to the male and female molds 11 and L2.
In use, the molds 11 and 12 are preferably continuously
heated to whatever temperature is suitable for the
particular molding operation involved. One or more layers
of fabric 16 are mounted on the frame 17 and then heated
immediately prior to the closing of the molds. The
cylinder 24 is energized to move the heater rack 19 to its
operating position surrounding the fabric 16. Heat from
the heating rods 22 and 23 is transferred by radiation to
both sides of the fabric 16.
After the fabric 16 has been sufficiently heated, the
heater rack 19 is retracted and the hydraulic ram 14
energized to move the support member 13 and male molds 12
upwardly.
The molds remain closed a short period of time while
the molding operation is completed. The ram 14 is then
released to retract its piston and thereby move the support
member 13 and male molds 12 back down to their normal
positionsO The frame 15 moves back to its normal position
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and the molded fabric 16 is then removed from the frame 15.
Suitable micro-switches are provided to prevent the
ram 14 from operating until the heater rack 19 is in its
full retracted position and to prevent the heater rack 19
from moving to operating position until the molds are fully
Open .
'~he intensity and duration of heat which is applied to
the fabric 16 and the molds 11 and 12 is controlled by means
of a conventional electrical control panel. The control
panel preferably includes a control for regulating the
temperature applied to the molds 11 and 12. Cne or more
additional controls are used for controlling the amount of
heat applied to the fabric 16. A timing control is used
to regulate the amount of time during which heat is
applied to the fabric 16. Another timing control regulates
the amount of time the molds are closedO
