700,629. Ratchet clutches. PARNALL (YATE), Ltd. April 8, 1952 [Jan. 31, 1951], No. 2462/51. Class 80 (2) [Also in Group VIII] In an ironing machine comprising a shoe movable into and out of engagement with a rotatable roll, and a drive output member operatively connected with driving means, a first clutch transfers motion to roll driving means only on rotation of the drive output member in one direction, and a second clutch transfers motion to shoe actuating means only on rotation of the drive output member in the opposite direction, control means being provided to change the direction of rotation of the drive output member. An. electric, motor (not shown) drives a gear 33 (Fig. 6) which incorporates two roller clutches and transmits rotation either to a gear wheel 34 to drive the roll or to a cam 48 which operates the shoe, according to the direction of the. gear 33. Each clutch is mounted in a recess in the gear 33 and comprises a clutch centre 35, and, in the case of the left hand clutch, roller, bearings 36 ... 39, and a bearing cage 40. The bearings 36 ... 39 coact with inclined. surfaces 41 ... 44, respectively on the clutch centre 35 which is also provided with leaf springs 45, 46. As viewed in Fig. 7 the rollers 38, 39 transmit the anti-clockwise rotation of gear 33 to the clutch centre 35 while rollers 36, 37 prevent the centre running ahead of the main gear 33, which would result in abrupt disengagement of the shoe and roll. Each clutch centre has a tubular extension 47, one'extension carrying the gear 34 and the other the cam 48. A sleeve 49 secured to the cage 40 of the left hand clutch (Fig. 6) fits over the extension 47 and carries a latch plate 50, which controls rotation of the cage 40. The latch plate 50 has a notch 53 (Fig. 10) and a projecting ear 54 which coact with the inturned end of a lever 52 secured to a spindle 55. A lever 56 (Fig. 8, 9) is capable of turning the spindle 55 or of moving it axially, by means of a pin 57, against the action of a spring 58. A control bar 66 is supported in a slot 62 in a plate 59 and is slidable in a bracket 67 mounted on the base of the machine against the action of a spring 68. One end of the bar 66 has slots 73, 74 (Fig. 12) operating faces 69,70 and a face 71 having the same inclination as an inclined part 72 on the lever 56. The bar 66 also has a small wedge shaped extension 75 (Fig. 6) which co-operates with a catch plate 76 mounted on a bar 77 carrying a shoe operating bracket (not shown). The bar 77 also carries an arm 78 (Fig. 10) with a roller 79 bearing against the cam 48. The control bar can be moved to the right in Fig. 12 by means of a bell crank lever 85 pivoted at 86, one arm of lever 85 bearing against a stud 84 on the bar 66 and the other arm being connected by a cable 87 to a foot or knee operated pedal (not shown). A switch 92 for reversing the drive motor has a plunger 96 operated by the end of the control bar 66. In a modification a reversing gear is interposed between the drive output member and a unidirectionally rotating motor. Operation. With the shoe withdrawn from the roll the inturned end of lever 52 engages the ear 54 of latch plate 50 and prevents plate 50, sleeve 49 and cage 40 from rotating, so that the left hand clutch cannot transmit rotation of gear 33 to the cam 48. Control bar 66 is prevented from moving to the left to operate the switch 92, since the catch plate 76 is now in the line of travel of the projection 75. The roll therefore cannot be rotated while the shoe is withdrawn. By depressing the pedal connected with bell crank 85, bar 66 is moved to the right and switch 92 operated to produce anti-clockwise rotation of gear 33. Face 69 on the bar 66 contacts the lever 56 and causes it to pivot on a projection 61 on the plate 59 thereby withdrawing the spindle 55 and disengaging lever 52 from the ear 54. Spring 65 can now move lever 56 clockwise as seen in Fig. 8 and out of engagement with face 69 of the bar 66. Spring 58 can now return lever 56 to the position shown in Fig. 9 in the slot 73. Meanwhile the disengagement of lever 52 from ear 54 has allowed cage 40 to rotate with gear 33, so that cam 48, lever 78 and bar 77 are rotated to bring the shoe into engagement with the roll. After rotating about 150 degrees, the surface of the latch plate 50 engages the inturned end of lever 52, and further rotation causes lever 52 to rotate spindle 55 and thus lever 56 in an anti-clockwise direction, thus raising the end of bar 66. On further rotation spring 65 causes spindle 55 to rotate slightly to move the end of lever 52 into the notch 53. This stops the cage 40 and the shoe which has now engaged the roll. Lever 56 is again in its initial position. During this movement of the shoe, return of the bar 66 to the left is prevented by engagement of parts 71 and 56, or 75 and 76, or 70 and 56, according to the instant at which the return is attempted. The pedal can now be released, allowing spring 68 to return bar 66 to the left, so as to operate switch 92 and reverse the drive motor. The main gear 33 can now rotate gear 34 and thus the roll. Subsequent depression of the pedal stops the roll by reversing the'motor and then withdraws the shoe from the roll, the cam 48 being shaped for both movements of the shoe.