US1784200A - Ironing machine - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 9, 1930.

A. PIEPENBRING IRONING MACHINE Filed S p 1928 2 Sheets- 2 l mented Dec. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFEE GUSTAVE A. PIEPENBRING, OF STRATFOR-D, CONNECTICUT, ASSIG-NOR TO THE AMERI- CAN FABRICS COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPQEATION 61* CON- NECTICUT IRONING DIACHINE Application filed September 4, 1928. Serial No. 303,685.

This invention relates to an ironing machine, particularly to a machine for ironing long strips, such as laces, ribbons and the like, although it is not necessarily limited thereto.

It has for an object to provide an improved ironing machine of simple construction which will effectively and rapidly iron strips of material of indefinite length.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a machine in which the feed of the mateial to the iron is easily controlled and the ironed material is effectively dried.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an ironing machine in which long strips of material may be ironed by passing or rubbing the heated iron longitudinally (we-r the material and in acontinuous operation. l p

- With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings. In these drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine with certain parts broken away to more clearly show the construction, and

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof with certain parts broken away to more clearly show the construction.

It is common practice to iron strips by passing them between two heated rollers or a series of these heating rollers, but due to the small contact surface between the rollers and the material the speed at which they are operated must be very slow or a number of the rollers must be used in succession. Also there is no rubbing action in these machines for the smoothing effect. I have devised a machine in which the desired rubbing action is secured and the heated surface may e as extended as desired so that the strips or other material maybe rapidly passed through the ironing machine, increasing the speed of production as well as giving a better effect, and the machine is extremely simple in construction. In the drawings, I have shown an embodiment of this machine which has proven very satisfactory for ironing long strips of material such as laces, ribbons and through a suitable coupling 15, the motor preferably being an electric motor.

The drum 11 is preferably a wooden drum covered with flannel or heavy duck 16 to give the desired padding effect, and it may be made of any suitable size. Cooperating with this drum is an iron 17 having a curved lower surface 18 to correspond with the curvature of the surface of the drum, and this iron is pointed at its forward end 19 where the material enters. The iron may be made of any suitable length desired to provide a considerable ironing surface, and it is heated by any suitable means, such as one or more electric:

heating units carried in the iron or as separate units 20 secured thereto. These units may be connected to any suitable source of current by leads 21. The curved surface 18 of the iron may also be provided with perforations 22 leading to a chamber s3 within the iron to which steam from any suitable source may be supplied from a flexible tubing 24 for the purpose of feeding steam to the material as it passes under the iron.

The present machine includes an upright standard 25 to which is pivoted at 26 a lever 27. The iron 17 is supported on this lever by suitable supports 28 and depends therefrom. A spring 29 is connected to this lever and to a transverse upright support 30 and normally lifts the iron from the drlun. The frame includes a second standard 31 to which is pivoted at 32 a lever also connected to the iron. A depending rod 34c is connected to a foot treadle 35. The connecting rod 34; may include a suitable turn buckle 36 for the purpose of adjustment. Carried by the support 30 on suitable brackets 87 is a pair of rotating wheels or open frames 38 and 39. These are u preferably composed of a plurality of transverse slats or strips extending between spaced heads or flanges 41 mounted on suitable shafts in the brackets, and they are also preferably connected by a driving connection such as a belt or chain 42 running over suitable pulleys or sprockets 43.

Normally when the machine is not in use the spring 29 holds the iron away from the surface of the drum. At this time a strip may be inserted between the iron and the drum and then the iron may be pressed down onto the strip by pressing on the foot treadle 35. In the drawing the machine is shown as ironing a long strip 44, such as a piece of ribbon or the like, and the iron is shown somewhat spaced from the strip for clearness of illustration, but it will, of course, be understood that during the ironing operation the iron 18 pressed down onto this strip to press it against the surface of the drum. The strip 44 is taken from any suitable reel or a conoperator.

tainer as a barrel 45 and passes up over the rotary frame 38 and then comes down, as shown at 44, and is guided under the iron 17 from the forward pointed end thereof by the The rotation of the drum 11 carries this strip forwardly under the iron and it is thoroughly ironed as it passes under, as will be obvious. The strip then'passes upwardly, as shown at 44*, over the rotating frame or support 39 and passes downwardly, as shown at 44, to a reel or a container, as a barrel 46.

It is preferred that for heavy work the sprockets or pulleys 43 be so proportioned that the member 39 will rotate somewhat faster than the member 88 to thereby take up the slack in the strip and thus prevent the accumulation of slack after it passes the iron. This travel of the strip after leaving the iron gives it achance to thoroughly dry before passing into the container 46.

It will be apparent that the machine is very simple in construction, and that the strip to be ironed is passed by the drum under the heated iron thus giving the effect of rubbing the iron over the strip. It will also be apparent that the pressure is easily controlled by the foot treadle. and that the strips may be very rapidly and effectively ironed as the iron may be given a relatively extended curved surface. If it is desired to moisten the material as it passes under the iron, steam may be discharged thereto by the perforations 22.

'Having thus set forth the nature of my in vention, what I claim is:

1. In an ironing machine a base, a rotary drum mounted on the base, means for retating the drum, an upright standard carried by the base, a leverpivoted to the standard, an iron carried by the lever and having a curved surface opposite that of the drum, means tending to lift the iron from the drum,

' personally operable means for pressing the controlled means for pressing the iron against the drum, a pair of spaced rotary carriers above the iron, one of said carriers carrying a strip to a feeding posit-ion in front of the iron and the other carrier carrying the strip after leaving the drum, and

a driving connection between the two carriers giving a greater surface speed to the second carrier than that of the first carrier.

3. In an ironing machine, a padded ro- 'tary drum, a heated iron associated with the drum and having a curved surface substantially corresponding to that of the drum, means for moving the iron toward and from the drum and for pressing it against the drum, means for rotating the drum for passing a strip under the iron, and a pair of rotary supports above the drum arranged so that the strip passes over one on its way to the drum and to and from the other after leaving the drum, means whereby the second support has a. greater surface speed than the first support, and means below the second support to receive the dried material therefrom and to retain it.

4. In an ironing machine, aframe, a drum mounted on said frame, means for rotating the drum, an upright standard arranged laterally of the drum, a lever pivoted to said standard and extending over the drum, an iron carried by said lever and disposed to co-operate with the drum, a spring tending to lift the iron from the drum, an upright at the end of said drum, a lever pivoted to said upright and extending over the drum and connecting with the iron, said second mentioned lever being arranged at right angles to the first mentioned lever, and manually operable means connected with said second mentioned lever and operable to move the iron into engagement with the drum.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

GUSTAVE A. PIEPENBRING.

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