US1731793A - Ironing machine - Google Patents

Description

Oct 15, 1929.

momma MACHINE Filed Aug. 13, 19:27 s Sheets-Sheet 1 c. o. REEPS I 1,731,793

Oct. 15, 1929. c. o. REEPS IRONING MACHINE Filed Aug. 13, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 15, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES O. KEEPS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO NATIONAL LAUNDRY MACHINERY COMPANY, INC., F WILMINGTON, DELAWARE,

A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE mourns MACHINE Application filed August 13, 1927. Serial No. 212,651.

The present invention pertains to pressing machines, and more particularly to an improved ironing machine of the type wherein a pressing head is moved into and out of cooperation with a stationary buck.

I have found from experiencethat in the ordinary type of ironing machine wherein a pressing head is moved on a stationary ironing buck that the pressure exerted by the pressing head is not uniformly applied to the entire surface of the stationary buckv As a result of this condition, the'articles being ironed are irregularly pressed and do not come out of the machine in as good a pressed condition as is desired. I have remedied this difliculty by provldlng a pressing head having a convex pressing surface and adapted to be rocked upon the ironing .surface of the stationary buck to progressively press an article being ironed;

Moreover, I have observed that the pres sure of the ironing head is distributed over substantially the entire ironing surface ofthe buck. This means that an iven ortion of the article being ironed does not receive the full pressure of the head, I propose to provide an ironing head of such a shape that it only'has a line contact withthe article on the buck, whereby if it is progressively applied to the entire surface of the article, it will exert a much greater ironing pressure thereon.

' Now "it is customary to iron articles of clothing, or the like, while these articles are still'in a moist or damp condition. I find, as a result of this, that even after the article has been ironed or pressed, it, is, in addition to being in a heated condition, still in a somewhat damp or moist condition and, hence, it is necessary to hang the article in a place where it will be cooled and dried by-the natural circulation of air. I propose to eliminate this unilesirable phase of ironing by providing the ironing machine with means for drying and cooling the article on the buck substantially contemporaneous with the ironing operation. 7

. An object of the present invention is to provide an improved ironing machine capable of exerting a'greater ironing pressure on the article being ironed and adapted to moreunr formly press the article of'clothing, or the like, placed therein.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved ironing machine, in eluding a stationary buck and a movable ironing head cooperable therewith, wherein an oscillatory movement is imparted to the ironing head so as to cause it to rock on top of the buck, thus insuring that the article on the buck will be progressively and completely pressed.

Still anothenobject of the invention is to provide a pressing member of such a shape as to cause it to have only a line contact with the article on the buck.

A further object of the invention is to provide an ironing machine wherein air is circulated through the buck for the purpose of machine, including a stationary heated buck,

a movable heated pressing head, and means for rocking the head on top of the buck including an oscillatory arm connected to the head.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of a stationary ironing buck having imbedded in its underside a plurality of heating elements and having mounted upon its underside an air chest from which air is either forced or sucked through the surface of the buck to augment the drying of the articles being ironed thereon. Heated air is'i nitially forced through the buck to dry the article. Thereafter, as the head is moved out of'cooperation with the buck, atmospheric air is sucked into the buck to augment the cooling of the ironed article.

' Other objects and advantages of the present invention will more fully appear from the fol lowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanylng drawings, which illustrate an embodiment thereof and in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of the ironing machine;

Figure 2 is a side view of the ironing machine;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the ironing head drawn to an enlarged scale;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional "iew taken on substantially the line IVIV of Figure 2 looking downwardly;

Figure 5 is a detail view illustrating the driving mechanism associated with the eccentric for oscillating the pressing head;

' Figure 6 is a plan view of the ironing buck;

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on substantially the line VII'VII of Figure 6 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view taken on substantially the line VI IIVIII of Figure 7 looking upwardly and showing the underside of the ironing buck with the air chest removed, and

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on substantially the line IXIX of Figure 8.

In the drawings:

Like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views.

The frame of the machine is designated generally by the reference character 10 and comprises a pair of spaced legs 11-12 connected at their upper ends to a horizontal platform or board 13, which is designed to receive the ironed articles of clothing. The leg 12 has formed integral with its upper end a pair of upwardly extending support members 14-14, each of which is provided with a curved elongated slot 15.

Mounted on top of the platform 13 is a pedestal 16 which supports a stationary ironing buck designated generally by thereference character 17. Disposed over and cooperable with the buck 17 is an ironing or pressing head 18 which extends substantially the length of the buck. This head, as best shown in Figure 3, comprises a hollow casting 19 having a convexly shaped underside 2O adapted to be rocked on the top surface of the ironing-buck. This head is adapted to only have a linecont-act with the top surface of the buck. Connected tothe head 18 between its ends are steam inlet and exhaust pipes 21 i and 22 disposed incommunication with the interior of the head 18. Steam may be forced into the inlet pipe 21 from anysuitable steam generator for the purpose of heating the,

pressin head, as is .well known in the art. Forme integral with the topside of the easing 19 are a plurality of laterally extending I lugs 23 secured to a pair of spaced bars 24 *extending' toward the curved slots 15 in the twofiarms 14. The two bars 24, as shown in Figure 4, are connected by a rod .25 hav-" rod 25 are secured to a rod 27 which extends through all of them, as shown in Figure 4.

Secured to an intermediate portion of the rod 25 is a laterally extending arm 28 pivotally connected to the upper end of a link 29, the lower-end of which is pivotally connected at 31 to a circular member or disk 30. The pivotal connection 31 is eccentrically disposed relative to the disk 30 so as to enable the rotation of the disk to impart an oscillatory movement to the link 29.

The pivotal connection 31 comprises a pin 32, extending through an opening in the lower end of the link 29, formed integral with a dovetail guide block or tongue 33 mounted in a dovetail groove 34 in the face of the disk member 30. The lower end of the link 29 is held in place on the pin 32 by means of a nut 35 threaded on the pin 32 (Figure 5). The disk member 30 is secured to a horizontal shaft 36 journalled in a pair of brackets 37' and 38 secured to a platform 39' disposed below the board 13. Secured to an intermediate portion of the shaft 36 is a worm wheel 40 meshing with a worm 41 secured to the shaft 42 of an electric motor 43 carried by a pedestal 44 secured to the platform 39. The motor shaft 42 is shown in Figure 2 as being supported by a bracket 45 secured to the platform 39.

' Disposed above the motor 43 is a support 51 secured to the underside of platform 13 by brackets 52. Mounted upon this support 51 is a conventional reversible motor 46 (Figure 2) including a motor shaft 47 for operating an air'circulating device 48 which is also mounted upon the support. The device 48 is of the reversible type and is adapted to be used either as a blower or as a suction device depending upon the direction in which the motor shaft 47 is rotating, as is well-known in the blower art. This device includes a curved pipe extending upwardly, as shown includes a ush button 50 adapted to be engaged byt e lower edge of extension 51 secured to one ofthestgiared portions 26, as shown in Fi ures 2 an 4.

The switc 50 is of the type wherein the depressed, whereby the motor will be reversed in its operation, thus causing the device 48 to function as a suction device, whereb atmospheric air will be sucked into the uck, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The motor 43 is controlled by a pair of spaced switches 606O mounted on platform 13 adjacent arms 1414. Both of these switches are disposed in the motor circuit and must be both closed before the motor can be actuated. Each of these switches includes a spring urged operating lever 61 which is at all times urged toward a closed position. Now it will be understood that when the operator desires to set the motor 43 into operation, he will have to use both hands in order to operate the levers 61 of the two switches 60--60. In fact, he must keep his hands on these two switches during the entire time that the pressing head is in operation. In other words, if he takes either or both hands off of the switches, it will result in the motor circuit being broken and the operation of the pressing head will be discontinued. This is advantageous since it prevents the operator from inserting his hands between the head and the buck during the operation of the head.

The pipe 53 is connected to a pipeline 55 which extends up through the pedestal 16 and is connectedat its upper end to a bowllike member 56 (Figure 7) secured to an air chest 57 connected to the underside of the ironing buck 17. The air chest-57 comprises a boxlike hollow construction including a flat bottom 58 and upwardly extending sides 59. The buck 17 comprises a casting 60 shaped like the conventional ironing board and having its underside provided with a recessed portion 61 into which extends the upper edges of the sides 59 of the air chest 57. It will be noted that the casting 60 has formed integral with it a downwardly extending peripheral flange 62 which embraces the sides 59 of the air chest. This flange 62 has a cut away portion 63 forming a shoulder 64 adapted to be engaged by the top of the sides 59 of the chest. One end of the casting 60 is provided with an arcuate opening 65 which may be used in connection with the ironing of collars or the like, as is well known in the ironing art. Extending over the top of the casting 60 and secured thereto is a covering 66 which may be of any suitable material such, for example, as cloth. Disposed in therecess 61 in the buck 17 and imbedded in the underside of the buck are a plurality of spaced parallel steam pipes 67. Each of these pipes has one end formed closed, as shown in Figure 7, and has its other end threaded into a steamchest 68 disposed in the air chest 57 directly over he inlet pipe 55 connected, to the blower. e steam chest 68 comprises a metallic boxlike. structure including an inlet steam compartment 69 and an outlet steam compartment 70. It

will be apparent that the pipes 71 which are connected to a given T are disposed in alignment. Each of the end Ts 72 has connected to it only one pipeline 71. The other horizontal opening of each of these Ts 72 is plugged by means of a closure or nipple 7 3. Also each T 72 has connected to it a vertical pipe 74 which is threaded at its'lower end into a partition 75 in the chest 68 which separates'the compartments 69 and from each other. The lower compartment 69 has connected. to it a steam inlet pipe 76 and the upper compartment 70 has connected to it a steam exhaust. pipe 77.

The casting 60 comprising the ironing buck 17 has in it a plurality of spaced vertical openings 80 which establish a communica tion between the air chest 57 and the covering 66, whereby air can be forced through the top of the buck and through the articles being ironed.

The operation of the ironing machine described above in detail will now be briefly described. Upon the starting of the motor 43, a rotary motion will be imparted to disk member 30, which in turning reciprocates the link 29. The oscillatory movement of the link 29 results in the movement of the pressing head 18 upon the top of the buck 17. The head 18 is guided in its movement by the arcuate slots 15.. Durging this movement of the head 18,

it is rocked upon the top of the buck 17 The horizontal position of the head is illustrated in full lines in Figure 2. Also in Figure 2 I have illustrated the two opposite positions to which the head may be rocked'as well as the position which the head is moved into when it is moved out of cooperation with the buck 17. Of course, it will be understood that in one complete revolution of the disk member the head is rocked during its movement by the link 29. It willbe evident that the head 18 never has more than: a line contact with ironing pressure is applied to the buc pipe 77.

1 It will be apparent that after the operator the article and as a result a much reater has placed the article on the buck preparatory to'the ironing operation; the motor 46 v is set into operation. If it is desired, this motor can remain in operation constantly while the ironing machine is in use. Normally this motor will function to actuate the device 48 in such a way as to cause it to blow air through the buck 17. That is to say, the

7, motor 46 normally turns the shaft 47 in such a direction as to cause the'device 48 to function as a blower. During the operation of the device 48 as a blower, the switch button 50' of the switch 50- will be in its outermost position. Now the air forced into the buck by the device 48 is pre-heated by the steam pipes in the buck and thereafter emerges from the buck through the perforations 80. This heated: air serves to augment the drying of the article on the buck and also serves to force the article of clothing away from the per-- forations, whereby it can be given a much smoother press.

When the ironing head has finished the ironing operation and reaches the uppermost dotted position shown in Figure 2, the extension 51 connected to'rod 25 forces the switch button 50' downwardly, thus breaking the circuit of the motor 46 and reversing the operation of the motor in a manner well I 5 known in the motor art. Thereafter the device 48 will function as a suction medium to suck air down through the perforations 80 I a into the buck 17 Inasmuch as the air drawn into the buck is at atmospheric temperature, the article ofclothing on the buck will be cooled by the incoming air. This air circulating feature is highly advantageous, since it eliminates the necessity of drying and cooling the ironed articles subsequent to the ironing operation.

Now I desire it understood that althoughI have illustrated and described in detail the preferred embodiment ofmy invention, the

invention is not to be thus limited, but only in so far as defined by the scope and spirit of f the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, in an ironing machine, a stationary ironing buck, a movable ironing head cooperable with said buck, a plurality of heating elements disposed in said buck for heating the same, saidf buck having a plurality of spaced openings disposed between said heating elements, and means for circulating air through said openings to augment the drying of the article being ironed.

2. In combination, in an ironing machine,

an ironing buck, an ironing head cooperable with said buck, a steam chest disposed transversely of said buck between its ends, said steam chest comprising an exhaust chamber and a live steam chamber, a plurality of steam pipes connected to each side of said chest extending longitudinally of the buck and disposed in communication with said exhaust chamber, a plurality of live steam pipes disposed inside of said other pipes, and means connecting said live steam pipes to said live steam chamber.

3. In combination, in an ironing machine, an ironing buck, an ironing head cooperable with said buck, a steam chest disposed transversely of said buck between its ends, said steam chest comprising an exhaust chamber and a live steam chamber, a plurality of steam pipes connected to each side of said chest extending longitudinally of the buck and disposed in communication with said exhaust chamber, a plurality of live steam pipes disposed inside of said other pip'es, means connecting said live steam pipes to said live stearn chamber, and means including an air chest disposed on the underside of said buck and covering said pipes for causing air to be circulated through said buck to augment the drying of the article being ironed.

4. In combination, in an ironing machine, an ironing buck, an ironing head cooperable with said buck, a steam chest disposed transversely ofsaid buck between its ends, said steam chest comprising an exhaust chamber and a live steam chamber, a plurality of steam pipes connected to each side of said chest extending longitudinally of the buck and disposed in communication with said exhaust chamber, a plurality of live steam pipes disposed inside of said other pipes, means connecting said live steam pipes to said live steam chamber, said buck having a plurality of spaced openings positioned between said first mentioned pipes, an airchest connected to the underside of said buck and covering said pipes, and means for causing air to be circulated through said chest and through said openings for augmenting the drying of the article being ironed.

5. In combination, in an ironing machine, a pair of cooperable ironing members, means or moving one of said members relative to augment the drying of an article being ironed and adapted to thereafter suck air into one of said members to cool the article ironed,

the other, an air circulating device adapted to blow air through one of said members to and means controlled by said first mentioned means for controlling the operation of said air circulating device.

6. In combination, in an ironingmachine, a pair of cooperable ironing members, means 3 for moving one of said. members relative to the other, an air circulating device adapted to blow air through one of said members to augment the drying of an article being ironed m and adapted to thereafter suck air into one of said members to cool the article ironed, and means controlled by said first mentioned means for controlling the operation of said air circulating device, said last mentioned means including a motor of. the reversible type and switch means for reversing the operation of the motor.-

7. In combinatiomin an ironing machine, a stationary ironing buck, a movable ironing head cooperable with said buck, means for actuating said movable ironing head, I means for circulating air through said buck to augment the drying and cooling of an article being ironed, and means controlled by 2 said first mentioned means for causing said air circulating means toinitially blow-air through the buck to'augment the drying of the article and to subsequently cause said means tosuck'atmospheric air into the buck 3a to augment the cooling ofthearticle;

8. In combination, in an ironing machine, a stationary ironing buck adapted to be heated, a movable ironing head cooperable with said buck, means for moving said-ironing head, said. buck being provided with a plurality of perforations, a blowerfor forcing air through said heated buck and through the perforations therein into the article on the buck toyaugment the drying of the same, rm means for operatin said blower, and means controlled by said" rst mentioned means for changing the direction of movement of said 0 crating means for the blower, whereby said b ower will be caused to-act as a suctiondevice .to suck atmospheric airintothe buck to cool the article that has been ironed.

y 9. In combination, in an ironing machine, a stationary ironing buck adapted to be heated, a movable ironing head cooperable with said buck, means for-moving said ironing head, said buck being provided' with a phi-- rality of perforations, a blower for forcing air through said heated buck and through the r perforations therein into the articleon the buck to augment the drying of the :same, means for operating said blower, and means trollin the operation of the motor operable by sai first mentioned means.

10. The process of ironing an article, which consists inapplyin heat and pressure to the article simultaneously, blowing heated air through the article to augment the drying of the same, and subsequently sucking atmospheric air through the article to augment the cooling of the same.-

1 1. The process of ironing an article, which consists in progressively applying heat and pressure to the article to uni ormly press the same, blowing heated air through the article to dry the same, and subsequently sucking air into the article to cool the same.

k 12. The process of ironing an article, which consists in progressively applying heat and pressure to the article to uniformly press the augment the drying of the article.

13. The process of ironing an article, which consists in forcing heated air against the article to augment the drying of the same, applying heat and pressure to the article, and forcing heated air from the article to augment the cooling of the same.

14. The process of ironing an article, which consists in forcing air against the article to dry the same, progressively applying heat and pressure to the article to uniformly iron the same, and sucking air from the article to augment the cooling of the same.

same, and forcing air through the article to In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name at Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.

CHARLES o. KEEPS.

controlled by said first mentioned means'for 65 of the reversible type a switch for conchanging the direction of movement of said

Images