Fabric Abrading Hand Tool

Abstract

A tool for abrading fabrics comprised of a body section, a handle section, and a sheath. The body section includes one or more textured surfaces, such as strips of sandpaper, which will abrade fabric when rubbed over fabric or fabric-covered objects. A user of this tool can create fashionable designs on wearable apparel at home. The sheath protects the textured surface of the body section and combines with the shape of the tool to form a unit that is easily carried in a pocket or small bag.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of provisional application No. 60/894,175, Fabric Abrading Hand Tool, filed Mar. 09, 2007.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable.

REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The claimed invention is a hand tool that causes desired abrasions on fabrics or fabric-covered objects by rubbing.

2. Description of the Related Art

Of the several patents disclosing hand tools for sanding, most or all are directed toward smoothing or polishing the article upon which the work is being performed. Among them is the Petrovich U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,430, which discloses a wedge-shaped tool of multiple body sections and means for manipulating a removable and flexible abrasive strip. The Grove U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,278, discloses a manually controlled, pencil-like abrading tool in which the abrasive material is a rope core that engages and feeds through the body and through the pencil tip. A rope-like device for hand-held sanding is disclosed by Tonello, U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,281. The Montesano U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,739, is not a hand tool, but discloses a method for creating a worn look on a new garment's fabric.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Many clothing stores sell casual apparel that has been manufactured to appear old and worn. “Pre-faded” denim jeans have been popular items for several years. More recently, it has become fashionable to wear jeans that are frayed, scuffed, or have holes in areas that would be subject to normal wear such as around the pockets, seams and knees. Fashion designers and retailers charge a substantially higher price for new clothing that bears this old and worn-out look.

It is an objective of the claimed invention to permit the fashion conscious individual to create the same “worn-out” look on ordinary jeans and other wearing apparel at home instead of paying high prices at retail stores. The invention is a hand tool with a rigid body section having textured surfaces. When the tool is rubbed against the selected fabric, the abrasive action causes desired fading, fraying, scuffing, or holes. In its preferred embodiment, the invention is cylindrical, and the rigid body section with textured surfaces slips into a sheath such that the tool and sheath form a single unit that is easily and safely carried in a small bag or pocket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings disclose the invention in its best mode, a cylindrical fabric abrading hand tool. Because of its cylindrical shape, the side and rear elevational views would be identical to the front elevational views.

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a fabric abrading hand tool with its sheath in place;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view disclosing the handle section and the body section partially inserted into its sheath;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view disclosing the fabric abrading tool separated from its sheath;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the tool with a broken line disclosing the body section inserted into its sheath.

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view with broken lines disclosing the body section inserted into its sheath.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A hand tool is disclosed that is useful for abrading fabrics. The tool has a body section, a handle section and a sheath. FIG. 3. The body section 1 is that part of the tool that makes contact with the fabric to be abraded.

The body section is rigid in order that it may have sufficient strength to apply pressure to the fabric to be abraded without breaking. It may be composed of any of a number of non-metal substances, such as wood or plastic. The invention does not utilize metal as a body section material because metal is heavy and can be overly abrasive. Overly aggressive use of an abrading tool made from metal can accidentally rend the fabric where only a slight abrasion or fraying effect is desired. Thus, the invention is composed of a non-metal substance. This permits gentler and more detailed work on fabrics that cannot be achieved by the use of conventional metal tools such as a rasp, intended for woodworking, or a file, intended for metal work.

The body section is elongated and can be of various shapes in the several embodiments of the invention. It may be generally flat or it may be an elongated polygon. In this embodiment the body section may be shaft-like with square ends and multiple working sides. A working side is an elongated flat surface that can contact the fabric to be treated at every point of a textured surface. The hand tool in general, and the body section in particular, is cylindrical in its preferred embodiment. FIG. 5.

A cylindrical shape allows greater control over the material abraded because a smaller area of the textured surface comes in contact with the fabric. In addition, the cylinder shape is easier to manufacture when it is made of wood because it can be formed from a dowel using a wood lathe.

The surfaces of the body section are permanently covered by multiple textured surfaces. FIG. 3. The texture is gritty, rough, and rigid, as with sandpaper, so that the tool will abrade fabrics. In the preferred embodiment, the textured surfaces 2 are relatively narrow strips of sandpaper. They are glued or otherwise permanently attached onto the body section and remain stationary. The sandpaper is of varying degrees of coarseness so the user has a selection of surfaces to attain the precise effect desired on the fabric. Fine grit sandpaper on one section produces less abrasion and coarse grit sandpaper on another section produces more abrasion.

The user of the invention rubs the fabric with the selected textured surface on the body section, applying a variable amount of force. The integrity of the fabric is compromised to varying degrees proportional to the length of time spent rubbing, the coarseness of the textured surface, and the amount of force applied by the tool upon the fabric. Light use of the abrading tool produces thinning or weakening of the fabric and rigorous use of the tool produces renting.

Opposite the body section of the tool is the handle section. The handle section provides means for the user to hold the tool in position while rubbing a piece of fabric. In the preferred embodiment the tool is constructed from one piece of wooden dowel. The handle section is optionally comprised of a knob, 3 a finger rest, 4 and a relatively larger hand grip. 5. The hand grip provides means for applying desired pressure on the fabric to be abraded without slipping. The invention unites the handle section and the body section in such a way that the body section can slide into protective sheath FIG. 2 forming an integrated unit. FIG. 1

The sheath functions as a cover that fits over the body section and is preferably formed from a wooden dowel of the same diameter as the hand grip. In this embodiment, the sheath is formed by drilling the inside of the dowel so that the body section 1 of the tool will slide easily but firmly inside the sheath FIG. 2 and stop where the bottom side 5a of the hand grip 5 meets the top side 6a of the sheath 6. FIG. 1. Thus, the body section and the handle section unite with the sheath, thus forming an integral unit. The sheath protects the textured surfaces of the body section and provides for convenient carrying in a pocket or small bag.

Claims

1. A hand tool for abrading fabric comprising:

a rigid and non-metallic body section, a plurality of stationary textured surfaces, a handle section, and a sheath which integrates with said body section with said handle section.

2. The hand tool of claim 1, wherein said textured surfaces are strips of sandpaper adhesively attached to said body section.

3. The hand tool of claim 2, wherein the strips of sandpaper are of varying degrees of coarseness.

4. The hand tool of claim 3, wherein said body section, handle section, and sheath are cylindrical.

5. The hand tool of claim 3, wherein said body section is comprised of four or more working sides.

6. The hand tool of claim 5, wherein the body section and sheath are of an elongated polygonal shape corresponding to the number of working sides of said body section.

7. The hand tool of claim 4 or 6, wherein said handle section comprises a knob, a finger rest, and a relatively larger hand grip.

8. The hand tool of claim 4, wherein the body section and handle section are made from a single piece of wood.

9. The hand tool of claim 8, wherein the outside diameter of said sheath is equal to the outside diameter of said handle section.

10. The hand tool of claim 9, wherein said handle section comprises a knob, a finger rest, and a relatively larger hand grip.

11. The hand tool of claim 10, wherein the outside diameter of said sheath is equal to the outside diameter of said hand grip.