GB2069539A - Ironing machines - Google Patents

Abstract

An ironing machine for smoothing wet articles of washing comprises three rotatably mounted, wrapped rollers (12-14) in the form of perforated hollow cylinders connected to a suction device (58-60) and with working surfaces arranged to be heated with high pressure steam and which can be brought into contact therewith and are in the form of trough-shaped hollow bodies (15-17). The heat of the hot used-air falling on the roller wrappings and within the rollers (12-14) and/or the condensate falling in the trough- shaped hollow bodies (15-17) is used for drying the articles of washing by being passed to a rotatably mounted hollow cylinder (18) mounted upstream of the rollers (12-14) in the working direction of the mangle. The washing is pre-dried by engagement with the outer wall of the hollow cylinder (18) so as to rotate in part with said cylinder. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in mangles This invention relates to a mangle for smoothing wet articles of washing with rotatably mounted, wrapped rollers in the form of perforated hollow cylinders connected to a suction device and with working surfaces arranged to be heated with high pressure steam which can be brought into contact therewith in the form of troughshaped hollow bodies, the heat of the hot used air falling on the roller wrappings and within the rollers and/or the condensate falling in the troughshaped hollow bodies being used for drying the washing articles.

In a known mangle the used air from the rollers is used for heating a redrier connected downstream of the rollers (German Auslegeschrift No. 1,166,740). The redrier essentially comprises a box-shaped heating chamber heated by means of the hot used air and cooperating with a conveyor belt, the latter being used for guiding the washing and for pressing the same against the heating chamber. The redrier is located at the rear end of the mangle and can be swung out over the rollers thereof.

It is also known (German Patent Specification No. 468,074) in the case of a mangle, to supply the used air of the rollers to a heat exchanger for heating fresh air, the heated fresh air then being used for predrying and redrying the washing. The heated fresh air is firstly supplied to boxes arranged in front of and behind the rollers with an upper sieve-like cover and flows from there through the washing guided over the sieve-like covers into the area where the mangle is installed.

In the case of the aforementioned, known mangles, the reuse of the hot used air of the rollers, also called vapours takes place inter alia in order to utilize usefully the used air which is generally discharged unused into the atmosphere.

However, the way in which it is reused is problematical in many respects. Thus, e.g. the redrier (German Auslegeschrift No. 1,166,740) does not lead to increased efficiency of the mangle because in this connection it is the conditions at the beginning and not the end of the mangle which are decisive. Furthermore, due to its construction, the redrier has a negative effect on the smoothing obtained when mangling. The free flow of fresh air through the washing before and after the actual mangling process, said fresh air having been heated in a heat exchanger using the used air from the mangle roller (German Patent Specification No. 468,074), has a disadvantageous effect on the working conditions at the mangle. The operating personnel for the mangle must continuously work in vapours and an overheated atmosphere.In addition, there is no sensible and consequently energy-saving use of the roller used air.

In the case of another known mangle (German Patent Specification No. 1 82,689) with a roller and a plurality of spaced juxtaposed, troughshaped hollow bodies, the condensate obtained in the latter is guided through heating pipes (heat exchangers) used for air heating purposes and the air heated in this way is supplied to the washing rotating with the roller through the space between the hollow bodies.

In another known mangle (German Auslegschrift No.2,814,618) with two superimposed rollers with each of which are associated two trough-shaped hollow bodies, the condensate produced in the hollow bodies is supplied to a heat exchanger for further heating of air already heated in another heat exchanger. The twice heated air is, as in the case of the aforementioned older mangles (German Patent Specification No. 182,689) supplied to the washing through the space between the hollow bodies.

The use of the condensate heat for heating air and the use of heated air for drying washing during the smoothing process is in many ways disadvantageous from both the thermal and the smoothing standpoints. From the thermal standpoint, there is e.g. no optimum use of the condensate heat, at least in the first case (German Patent Specification No. 1 82,689) because a large proportion of the heated air is discharged into the atmosphere, due to the continually switched on suction device of the rollers.

It is also known in the case of mangles with used air suction to feed the washing for the purpose of predrying or redrying over the outside of the heated trough-shaped hollow bodies (British Patent Specification No. 805,339 and German Patent Specification No. 600,141), said washing being pressed against the outside of the hollow bodies by means of conveyor or pressing belts.

So-called cylinder mangles are also known in the case of which on the outside of the steamheated cylinder or roller, pressure rollers and/or a pressing belt driven at the same speed and in the same direction as the roller are provided in order to guide the washing and press the same against the roller.

The present invention aims to so develop a mangle of the aforementioned type that the heat of the used air or condensate is more advantageously used both thermally and from the smoothing standpoint than with the known mangles. In addition, the used air heat is to be utilized in such a way that the working conditions at the mangle are not impaired.

According to the invention, there is provided a mangle for smoothing wet articles of washing with rotatably mounted, wrapped rollers in the form of perforated hollow cylinders connected to a suction device and with working surfaces arranged to be heated with high pressure steam which can be brought into contact therewith in the form of trough-shaped hollow bodies, the heat of the hot used air falling on the roller wrappings and within the rollers and/or the condensate falling in the trough-shaped hollow bodies being used for drying the washing articles, wherein the used air or condensate is used for heating a rotatably mounted hollow cylinder mounted upstream of the rollers in the working direction of the mangle and wherein, for predrying purposes, the washing is arranged to engage with the outer wall of the hollow cylinder and in part to rotate with the latter.

As a result of the mangle construction according to the invention, the heat contained in the used air or condensate is utilized both from the thermal and from the smoothing standpoints to a greater extent and consequently more advantageously than with the known mangles.

This is the case because the heat is used for heating an imperforate hollow cylinder positioned upstream of the mangle rollers in the working direction, the washing engaging with the outer wall of said cylinder and in part rotating therewith.

Thus, the washing is only dried in contact with a heated surface without any through-flow of heated air, this taking place before the actual smoothing process. Owing to the relatively long drying path, the per se known predrying of the washing is in this case very good. Thus, the washing is supplied to a first roller-trough unit in a significantly predried state, thereby obviating problems when the washing is introduced into the first trough or when coming into contact with the first trough-shaped hollow body. Furthermore, working conditions at the mangle are not impaired.

Preferably, channels are arranged on the inner circumference of the hollow cylinder and the said cylinder is provided with hollow journals and condensate supply and removal lines pass through the hollow journals to or from the channels for the purpose of heating the hollow cylinder by condensate. According to one embodiment of the invention, a storage tank is provided for collecting the condensate from the trough-shaped hollow bodies and a pump is arranged to supply the condensate from the tank to the condensate supply lines leading to the channels in the hollow cylinder. These features particularly ensure a problem-free supply and removal of the condensate with respect to the hollow cylinder and an effective heating of the working surface thereof.

Pressure rollers for guiding washing and for pressing the same against the hollow cylinder are desirably positioned on the outside of the wall of the hollow cylinder. Preferably, a pressing belt is provided on the outside of the wall of the hollow cylinder, said pressing belt being arranged to be driven at the same speed and in the same direction as said cylinder for guiding washing and pressing the same against the cylinder. A second pressing belt is desirably provided and, in each case, one side of the conveyor belts for the two pressing belts is guided and driven in such a way that the washing is conveyed between said sides.

These features ensure a good, compression-free pressing and guidance of the washing against the hollow cylinder and after it, which has a favourable action on the drying process and consequently on the mangle efficiency. Hollow guide members, arranged to be heated with steam, used air or condensate, may be arranged between the said sides of the pressing belts.

The roller-trough units and the predrying hollow cylinder are desirably arranged within a casing formed from housings for the rollers and a covering.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which :- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through one embodiment of a mangle according to the invention with a used air-heated hollow cylinder; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the mangle shown in Fig.

1; and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through a second embodiment of a mangle according to the invention with a condensate-heated hollow cylinder.

In the drawings, like parts are denoted by like reference numerals.

The mangles shown in the drawings firstly comprise two spaced roller housings. 10. 1 1 between which are arranged wrapped rollers 12, 13, 14 with heated surfaces which can be brought into and out of contact therewith in the form of fixed, trough-shaped hollow bodies 1 5, 1 6, 1 7, also called troughs, as well as an imperforate, but heated hollow cylinder 18. The hollow cylinder 18 is wrapped in the same way as the roller 12-14.

The rollers 12, 13, 14 and the hollow cylinder 18 are rotatably mounted in known manner in the two roller housings 10. 1 1 and can be driven in the direction of the arrows 20,23,25 and 27. A belt insert 29 positioned in front of the hollow cylinder 18 in the direction of working, five pressure rollers 30 located on the other side of the wall of the hollow cylinder 18 and pressing belts 31 and 32 are also positioned between the roller housings 10, 11 and are also rotatably and drivabiy mounted therein in known manner (not shown). The belt insert 29 comprises two driving and guide pulleys 33 and 34 as well as belts 35 placed around the same.The two pressing belts 31,32 comprise driving and guide pulleys 36-39, as well as conveyor belts 40. 41 guided around said pulleys, and heated guide members 46, 47.

Of the four sides 42, 43, 44, 45 of the conveyor belts 40, 41, two sides 42. 45 are so guided and driven that washing located between said sides 42, 45 is moved past the heated guide members 46, 47. The belt insert 29 and pressing belts 31, 32 can be driven in the direction of the arrows 19.

20 and 21.

Transfer of the washing from the first conveying zone of the pressing belt 31 to the second conveying zone formed between the pressing belts 31 and 32 takes place by means of a deflector 53. For the purpose of transferring the washing from the conveying zones formed by the two pressing belts 31,32 to the first roller-trough unit 12/15, from the latter to the following rollertrough unit 13/16 and from the latter to the final roller-trough unit 14/17, reversing bridges 54, 55 and 56 heated, like the troughs 15. with high pressure steam and mangle strips (not shown) are provided. Behind the final roller-trough unit 14/17 is provided a discharge plate 57 for transferring the washing to a discharge table or to a folding machine (not shown).

In the case of the mangle according to Figs. 1 and 2, the vapours or used air produced on the wrappings of rollers 12-14 and within the same is sucked off by means of fans 58, 59, 60 arranged on the hollow journals thereof and passed through a used air duct 61 into the hollow cylinder 18 and, in not shown manner, guide members 46. 47. To this end, the hollow cylinder 18 has a hollow journal on the supply side. The removal of used air no longer required in the hollow cylinder 18 takes place by means of the second journal thereof, which is arranged on its other side and which is also hollow, as well as a used air duct 62.Figs. 1 and 2 do not show the steam supplied to the troughs 1 5, 1 6, 17 and reversing bridges 54-56 nor the removal of condensate from these troughs and bridges, the hollow cylinder 18 and the guide bodies 46, 47.

In the case of the mangle shown in Fig. 3, the removal by suction of the vapours of used air in the wrapping of rollers 12-14 and within the same is not shown. However, the suction process takes place in known manner. The steam supply to the troughs 1 5, 1 6, 1 7 and reversing bridges 54-56, as well as the removal of the condensate therefrom also take place in known manner.

Steam traps 63-68 are provided on the condensate side. The condensate falling on the steam traps 63-68 is firstly supplied to a condensate collecting line 69, which can transfer it to a storage tank 70. From the latter, the condensate is fed by means of a pump 71 and lines 72, 73 to channels 74 arranged on the inner circumferential surface of the hollow cylinder 18 and only partly shown in the drawings. The lines 72, 73 are passed in the vicinity of a hollow journal 76 of the hollow cylinder 18 through a bore positioned therein. In the vicinity of the journal 76, the lines 72, 73 also have a swivel joint (not shown). A line 75 is provided for removing the thermally utilized condensate from the channels 74 and at the other face of the hollow cylinder 18 said line is passed out of the latter through a hollow journal 77 provided there, with the interposition of a swivel joint.The drawings do not show the supply and removal of condensate to or from the guide members 46,47.

In both embodiments, a covering 48 with covers 49-52 is arranged above the rollers 12, 13, 14, the hollow cylinder 18 and the reversing bridges 54, 55, 56, said covering extending from the roller housing 10 to the roller housing 11. The heated predrying means 1 8, 30, 31, 32 46, 47, the heated roller-trough units 12-17 and the heated reversing bridges 54-56 are consequently arranged within a casing, which also has a favourable effect with regard to the energy consumption of the mangle and the working conditions for operating personnel.

Furthermore, the mangles according to Figs. 1 to 3 have all the other known, but not shown, devices and parts required for the operation thereof. Thus, the mangle shown e.g. in Fig. 3, has an electrical control device with a float switch in the storage tank 70 for controlling the pump 71.

The mangles function in the following manner: The washing to be mangled, not shown in the drawings, is supplied manually or by means of a feed-in mechanism to the mangle belt insert 29.

The washing passes through the mangles in the direction of the arrows 19 to 28. The washing is firstly predried by means of the predrying means, which essentially comprises the heated hollow cylinder 18 and heated guide members 46, 47.

This takes place by a contact process on a long conveying path without friction between the latter and the heated surfaces of the hollow cylinder 1 8 and the guide members 46. 47. No friction occurs due to the two-sided holding of the washing between the hollow cylinder 18 and pressing belt 31 or the two pressing belts 31, 32. This twosided holding also prevents compression and pleating. The washing leaving the pressing belts 31, 32 slide, guided by the mangle strips, not shown in the drawings, over the heated reversing bridge 54 to the first roller-trough unit 12/1 5 and from there in known manner through the remainder of the mangles.

As a result of the predrying of the washing much less than the approximately 40% moisture encountered in the case of mangles without predrying have to be evaporated at the said first roller-trough; unit 1 2/1 5. In the case of the same mangle capacity, the lower steaming capacity of the first roller-trough unit 12/1 5 leads to a more uniform, overall steaming function of the three roller-trough units 1 2/1 5, 13/16 and 14/17 and this can also be used for increasing the capacity of the mangles.However, a considerable energy saving can be achieved relative to the steaming capacity of the mangles resulting from the wetness of the washing in both cases, due to the arrangement and heating of the hollow cylinder 18 and guide members 46, 47 by means of the used air sucked off in moisturecontrolled manner from the roller-trough units 12/15, 13/16 and 14/17 (Figs. 1 and 2) and the reversing bridges 54-56 (Fig. 3).

As the quantity of condensate in the steamheated, trough-shaped hollow bodies 1 5-1 7 and the reversing bridges 54-56 heated in the same way is dependent on a number of factors, it is advisable in the case of an inadequate condensate supply to heat the guide members 46, 47 of the predrier with steam, using the resulting condensate for heating the hollow cylinder 18.

However, it is also possible to supply the storage tank 70 not only with the condensate produced in the trough-shaped hollow bodies 1 5/1 7 and optionally in the reversing bridges 54-56, but also with that from other steam consuming means of the laundry.

It is finally also pointed out that the predrying of the washing according to the invention also heats the same.

Claims (9)

1. A mangle for smoothing wet articles of washing with rotatably mounted, wrapped rollers in the form of perforated hollow cylinders connected to a suction device and with working surfaces arranged to be heated with high pressure steam which can be brought into contact therewith in the form of trough-shaped hollow bodies, the heat of the hot used air falling on the roller wrappings and within the rollers and/or the condensate falling in the trough-shaped hollow bodies being used for drying the washing articles, wherein the used air or condensate is used for heating a rotatably mounted hollow cylinder mounted upstream of the rollers in the working direction of the mangle and wherein, for predrying purposes, the washing is arranged to engage with the outer wall of the hollow cylinder and in part to rotate with the latter.

2. A mangle according to claim 1, wherein channels are arranged on the inner circumference of the hollow cylinder and wherein the said cylinder is provided with hollow journals and condensate supply and removal lines pass through the hollow journals to or from the channels for the purpose of heating the hollow cylinder by condensate.

3. A mangle according to claim 2, wherein a storage tank is provided for collecting the condensate from the trough-shaped hollow bodies and a pump is arranged to supply the condensate from the tank to the condensate supply lines leading to the channels in the hollow cylinder.

4. A mangle according to any preceding claim, wherein pressure rollers for guiding washing and for pressing the same against the hollow cylinder are positioned on the outside of the wall of said hollow cylinder.

5. A mangle according to any preceding claim, wherein a pressing belt is provided on the outside of the wall of the hollow cylinder, said pressing belt being arranged to be driven at the same speed and in the same direction as said cylinder for guiding washing and pressing the same against the cylinder.

6. A mangle according to claim 5, wherein a second pressing belt is provided and wherein, in each case, one side of conveyor belts for the two pressing belts is guided and driven in such a way that the washing is conveyed between said sides.

7. A mangle according to claim 6, wherein hollow guide members arranged to be heated with steam, used air or condensate are arranged between the said sides of the pressing belts.

8. A mangle according to any preceding claim, wherein the roller-trough units and the predrying hollow cylinder are arranged within a casing formed from housings for the rollers and a covering.

9. A mangle substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.