US1087229A - Ironing-tree. - Google Patents

Description

L. W. G. FLYNT.

IRONING TREE.

APPLIUATIONIILED MAY z, 1912.

1 ,O87,229 Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

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UNITED sTATns PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS W. G. FLYNT, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO UNITEDSHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

IRONING-TREE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LoUIs WV. G. FLYNT, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Ironing-Trees, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to ironing trees of the type disclosed in the patent to Gillard et al. No. 441,657. It is a particular object of this invention to improve the construction of the tree shown in this patent. Trees of this character are used chiefly to stretch and support the uppers of shoes, particularly womens 7 shoes, while the tops are ironed, brushed or otherwise treated to smooth them out just before the shoes are packed for shipment.

It is particularly important that a device of this character shall have a smooth surface upon which to support the shoe, since 1 otherwise the hot iron, which usually is employed to smooth out the upper, will force the stock into any creases or irregularities in the'supporting surface and consequently will defeat the very purpose for which the operation is performed.

The tree shown in the patent above designated is open to the objection that the clamping means for the adjustable slides which stretch the upper, forces the slides away from the body of the tree and thus forms a crease between the body and each slide. l Vhen the shoe is ironed upon the tree these creases produce a mark or line upon the shoe top. The present invention provides a construction which not only avoids this objection but also has other advantages, particularly from a manufacturing standpoint.

.The invention will be readily understood from the following description, reference being made'to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tree constructed in accordance with this invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a tree partly in section showing its internal construction; and Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on the line 33, Fig. 2.

In the drawings, 2 indicates a stand designed to be secured to a bench or other suit- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 2, 1912.

Patented Feb. 17, 1914. Serial No. 694,703.

able support, the stand being provided with a horizontal bore for the reception of a stock 4- that is mounted to turn freely'therein. The stock is shouldered at its forward end to bear against the stand and is held in operativeposition by a collar 6 threaded on its rearward end. Two flat arms 8 project from the forward end of the stock 1 and constitute a support for a pair of plates 12 that form the body of the tree. These plates are riveted or otherwise firmly secured to the arms 8 and to a spacing block 10 that is positioned between the plates. It should be noted that the plates 12 taper in width toward the forward end of the tree. Two slides 14- and 15 respectively are mounted on opposite sides of the tree between the margins of the plates 12. The edges of the slides are rabbeted, as best indicated in Fig. 3, so that the exposed surfaces of the plates 12 lie flush with the faces of the slides. The slides are held in operative position in the tree by means of two locking members 16 and 18, respectively, one for each slide. Each member consists of a plate having a marginal flange extending at right angles thereto. These plates overlap each other but are spaced apart and are mounted between the block 10 and the ends-of the arms 8. The flange 20 of the plate 18 enters a groove formed in the edge of the slide 15, while the corresponding flange 22 of the plate 16 enters a similar groove in the slide 14. The slides, therefore, may be moved freely longitudinally of the body but are held against movement away from the body by the flanges 20 and 22. For the purpose of clamping the slides against inovement relatively to the body, means are provided for moving the members 16 and 18 inwardly to press the slides against the edges of the plates 12. These means comprise two pins 24 and 26 connected, respectively, to the plates 16 and 18, each pin projecting toward the other plate. A plunger 28 is positioned between the pins and is provided with a tapered portion which operates, when moved backwardly, to spread the pins apart. The plunger 28 lies between the pin 24 and the flange 22, both of which parts project from the plate 16, and also lies between the pin 26 and the flange 20 of the plate 18. Consequently, when this plunger is moved backwardly, spreading the pins 24 and 26 apart, it moves the flanges 20 and 22 inwardly and clamps the slides 15 and 14 firmly against the body plates 12. The backward movement of the plunger 28 is effected by a rod 30 that is connected to the plunger and extends through an aperture formed longitudinally in the stock 4. This rod is encircled by a compression spring which bears at its forward end against a fixed washer 3st and at its rearward end against a collar 36 fast on the rod 30. The spring 32, therefore, normally acts to move the plunger 28 backwardly and hence to clamp the slides 14 and 15 against the edges of the body plates 12. This arrangement thus avoids the presence of any appreciable crease between the slides and the body plates, even after the parts have become badly worn.

In order to release the slides from the operation of the locking means to enable them to be adjusted relatively to the body, the plates 16 and 18 are provided with additional pins 38 and 40 respectively which engage a portion of the plunger 28 tapering in a direction opposite to the portion engag ed by the pins 24 and 26. Consequently, when this plunger is moved forwardly in opposition to the action of the spring 32, the part of the plunger that acts on the pins 24L and 26 will be moved out of contact therewith and the oppositely tapered portion will engage the pins 38 and 4-0 and spread them apart, thus moving the slides 14: and 15 slightly away from the edges of the plates 12. The slides are then free to be moved longitudinally of the body of the tree. For the purpose of moving the plunger 12 in this manner a bell crank lever 42 is fulcrumed in cars projecting from the stand 2 and has one arm bearing against the end of the rod 30, its other arm being attached to a foot treadle (not shown) by means of a chain 44. It will be evident from an inspection of Fig. 2 that, when the treadle is depressed, the bell crank 42 will be moved in a direction to press the rod 30 forward against the tension of the spring 32 with the result just described.

In order to prevent the slides 14 and 15 from being moved forwardly far enough to bind against each other, their inner edges are cut away for a distance near their forward ends to form shoulders designed to strike against pins 43 projecting in opposite directions from the edges of the spacing block 10. The slides are provided with wings 45 to enable the workman to move them easily.

In using the tree, the workman depresses the treadle to release the slides 14 and 15 from the action of the clamping means and he then moves the slides forward. This movement, because of the tapered shape of the body plates, contracts the tree laterally, as will be evident from an inspection of Fig. 2, and enablesthe Workman to slip the shoe top on to the tree with the slide 15 engaging the instep and the slide 1 L engaging the heel part of the shoe. The workman then moves the slides backwardly until. the shoe top is stretched tightly over the tree, after which he releases the foot treadle and the spring 32 immediately operates the plunger 28, which moves the clamping plates 16 and 18, causing them to lock the slides frictionally against further movement. After the ironing or other operation has been per formed upon the upper, the workman again depresses the treadle and moves the slides forwardly to enable him to remove the shoe from the tree without wrinkling the top.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A tree comprising a body, a slide adjustable longitudinally along said body, and

locking means arranged to press said slide toward said body and to clamp it in adjusted position against the side of said body.

2. A tree comprising a body, a pair of slides adjustable along opposite sides of said body, and means for pressing said slides toward each other and against the sides of said body to hold them in adjusted positions.

3. A tree comprising a tapered body, a pair of slides adjustable along opposite sides of said body, locking means normally acting to press said slides inwardly and to clamp them against the sides of said body, and means for interrupting the operation of saic locking means.

4L. A tree comprising a tapered body, a pair of slides adjustable along the tapered portions of said body, a locking device for each of said slides, and means in sliding engagement with said devices to move them toward said body to clamp the slides against the sides of said body.

5. A tree comprising a tapered body, a pair of slides adjustable along opposite sides of said body, a pair of locking members within said body with which, respectively, the slides have sliding engagement, means for pressing said members inwardly to hold said slides against movement relatively to the body and means to move said members to release the slides.

6. A tree comprising a tapered body, a pair of slides adjustable along opposite sides of said body, a pair of locking members positioned within said body for engagement respectively with said slides, a

plunger having connection with saidmem bers to press them toward each other and thereby to clamp said slides against the sides of said body when the plunger is moved in one direction and to spread the members apart to release the slides when the plunger is moved in the opposite direction, anda spring tending to move said plunger in a direction to clamp the slides.

7. A tree comprising a body having two plates tapered in width and held in spaced relation to each other, a pair of slides mounted between the marginal edges of the plates, each of said slides being grooved, a pair of locking members arranged within said body having flanges to engage the grooves in said slides, a plunger movable longitudinally of the tree, said plunger being, provided with oppositely tapered portions, two pins projectlng respectively from said locking members arranged to engage opposite faces of one of said tapered portions, and two additional pins projecting, respectively, from 15 said members, and arranged to engage opmoved in the opposite direction, said 'members will be moved to release said slides.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses;

LOUIS \V. G. FLYNT.

lVitnesseS IRVING E. Boo'rH, JOSEPH M. FEELY.

0091:! of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

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