US1788530A - Garment or ironing press - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 13, 1931.

J. c. LEDBETTER 1,788,530

GARMENT OR IRONING PRESS Original Filed July 20, 1926 Patented Jan. 13 1931 A UNITED STATES PATENT orf-"ICEl JAMES CAMRGD LEDBETTER, OE NEW "YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB. T THE PROSPEBITY, COMPANY, INC., OF SYRCUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK GARE/[ENT 0R IRONING PRESS Application led July 20, 1926, Serial No. 123,612. Renewed October 16, 1823.

This invention relates to pressing machines and more particularly to steam power presses for laundry work and garment pressing work.

An object of the invention is to produce an improved press, for example a cu' and neck band press construction involving simple power producing mechanism by which high jaw compression on the work is attained by use of steam to operate the power or motor means.

A further object of the invention is to produce an improved cu and neck band laundry ironer wherein the motor means as for example an improved disk diaphragm is incorporated with the jaw structure.

The accompanying drawing illustrates an example of the press construction and it is to be understood that changes in structure and operation may be resorted to without departing from the principle of the invention. The invention is merely illustrated in connection with a cui and neck band type press, but any shape press jaw may be used..

Figure 1 shows a side view of the press in open position. A,

Figure 2 shows a fragmentary front view of the press with the power jaw in section as taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 to illustrate the heating chamber and motor means by which high jaw compression is attained.4

Figure 3 is an underneath view of the power jaw removed from the frame of the machine and illustrates a bottom plan View of the disk diaphragm mounted thereunder.

Referring now to the drawings there is shown a stationary frame or legs 10 on the upper end of which is made a circular up- 'standing flange in the form' of a short cylinv der 11 together with an integral frame web 12 joining together the top of the frame legs. The flange 11 constitutes a'cylinder wall in which a power jaw sleeve undergoes slight relative high power movement. Ears 13 may be cast integral on the frame 10 ifdesired by which to mount and hold stationary a steam lead and steam return pipe as later referred to. p

A vertically movable power jaw orvpress 16. A cylindrical sleeve 17 depends integrally from the jaw andl from an integral sleeve liead 14. The sleeve 17 slidably fits into the cylinder 11 and works up and down therein under steam pressure as will be described. Steam lead and return pipes 18 and 19l are mounted in the frame ears 13. and the 'upper ends of these pipes project into the jaw 15 and connect with the heating chamber 16. Stuffing box nuts 20 are screw threaded into the jaw 15 to produce a steam tight sliding fit between the pipes 18 and 19 and with the jaw, and the. stung nuts 20 permit the jaw 15 to slide relatively up and down on the" pipes 18 and 19 which are stationary. Through the pipes 18 and 19 steam is lead to and from the jaw heating chamber 16 to raise the temperature thereof to suitable ironing heat.

A disk diaphragm 22 has its periphery anchored and sealed against a shoulderv 23 by a threaded ring 28 within the sleeve 17 of the power jaw and the center of the diaphragm 1s anchored under a washer 24 sealed in by a nut 25 thereby rigidly mounting the center; of the flexible diaphragm on a stationary boss 26 integral with the frame web 12. This construction afords a' closed steam chamber 27 defined by the sleeve y17, by the fiexible diaphragm 22, and the sleeve head 14.

A steam pressure feed pipe 30 is rigidly mounted in the frame web 12 by the nut 25 aforesaid and the upper end of the pipe 3Q therefore opens directly into the steam expansion chamber 27 above the corrugated Hexible diaphragm disk 22. A discharge or exhaust valve31 is Aincluded in the pipe l30 to permit the discharge and the exhaust of steam to atmosphere from the steam expansion chamber 27. This valve may be rotated b a valve arm 32 connected with a link 33 an to a pedal 34 if desired. f

A throttle or inlet steam valve 36 is also included in the pipe 30 by which steam is automatica-lly turned into the expansion chamclosed valve plunger 37 whichis automatical- 10c ly` depressed `as later seen when the press is' closed in order to permit flow of steam into the expansion chamber 27 thereby starting jaw compression.

A press head 39 is carried on the upper end of a swinging press lever or upright 40 which is pivoted in the frame under the press jaw at 41 and which may be integrally made with a pedal 42. By depressing the pedal 42 the press is closed, that is to say the press jaws 39 and 15 are swung into alignment. The throttle valve trip 43 is mounted on the press lever 40 in alignment with the throttle valve stem 37 so that the throttle valve 36 is opened 'by the trip 43 simultaneously with the closing of the press head 39.

A head closing handle 43 is ordinarily provided on the press lever 40 so that the press may be closed manually or by pedal '42, or by both such means. After the cuil' and neck band or other work is spread upon the buck 15, the head 39 is swung forwardly over the work. Sufficient clearance is permitted be- 17 within the cylinder 11, the diaphragm 22 Cal flexing at the same time.

Thus high jaw compression is caused against the press head 29 thereby pressing the work in the press. As long as the throttle valve 36 is held open, the compression continues. The operator by depressing the exhaust valve control pedal/34, swings the valve arm 32.to close the steam feed pipe 30 and thereby opens an exhaust pipe 46 which permits exhaust of steam from the expansion chamber 27 outwardly to atmosphere. The flexibility of the diaphragm together with the weight of the jaw 15 causes the power jaw to drop downwardly thus producing clearance between the press head 39 and buck whereupon the press may open. The opening movement of the lever 40 causes the throttle valve 36 to automatically close and by removal of vhis foot from the pedal 34, the operator causes the exhaust valve 31 to close which now opens the pipe 30. A tension spring 47 pulls upwardlyon the pedal 34 to continuously close the exhaust valve so that the press is in readiness for the next operation.

This power operated cuii' and neck band pre'ss possesses the advantage of having its motor means locateddirectly adjacent the movable jaw thereby simplifying the structure. The press uses the same steam to produce compression as is used toheat the press.

- Inasmuch as the diaphragm 22 hermetically seals in the expansion chamber 27, there can occur no lealdng of water by reason of steam condensation because the condensate runs back through the pipe 30 and does not leak onto the ioor. l v

While V-shaped press jaws are shown, it is apparent thatlat-surface press jaws for laundry ironing work or for garment pressing operations may be used. Likewise it is obvious that the'motor means 22 under the buck to produce high compression may be used with any type of head swinging mechanism and the upright swingable arm 40 may be dis# placed with any other suitable press head operating means.

It is to be noted that the upright 40is pivoted at 41 below the press jaws and thus the weight of the press head is swingable back and forth over the buck 15 and over the pivot 41 and therefore no counter wei ht is needed to balance the head. It is sign' cant that the upright 40 reaches forwardly at 43 to mount the head 39 and handle 43 and on its lower end reaches forwardly to form the head opening and closing pedal 42. In other words the upright-head support 40 is placed to the rear o the press jaws and bends at each end past the press jaws thus forming extensions which reach toward-the front of the press, and the motor means 22 for producing high jaw compression is disposed between the two forwardly reaching extensions. This arrangement provides a compact and novel press construe'- tion.

What I claim is:

1. A pressing machine comprising, a frame, a cylinder on the frame, a press jaw, a sleeve on the press jaw slidably disposed in the cylinder of the `frame, a diaphragm disk disposed between the cylinder and sleeve and sealed to one of the parts, means for applying iuid pressure on oneside of the diaphragm to reciprocate the sleeve, and a press head cooperating with the press jaw.

2. A press comprising, a frame, an open ended cylinder made on the upper end thereof, a sleeve slidably confined in the cylinder, a press jaw carried on the upper end of thea sleeve, a press head cooperating with the jaw, a diaphragm sealed inside and to the sleeve, and a fluid pressure pipe passing through the diaphragm. Y

' 3. A press comprising, a press head, a. press buck cooperating therewith, a sleeve depending from the press buck, a shoulder formed inside the sleeve, a flat disc diaphragm sealed on the shoulder thereby forming an ex'pansion phragm in the sleeve, a ring sealing the outer edge of the diaphragm onto the sleeve, means sealingthe center of the diaphragm onto the frame, and a steam pipe passing through the means and through the diaphragm.

5. A press comprising, a cooperating head and buck, a sleeve depending from the buck, a shoulder formed inside the sleeve, a iat disk diaphragm having its outer edge sealed on the shoulder, a frame on which the 'sleeve and buck movably rests, and a steam pi e projecting through the center of the diap ragm.

6. A press comprising, a cooperating head and buck, a sleeve depending from the buck, a shoulder formed inside the sleeve, a iiat disk diaphra m having its outer edge sealed on the shouder, a frame, an upstandng ange p made on the frame into which the sleeve is 4 press jaws, operating means connected with one jaw to open and close the press, motor means connected with a jaw to producey pressure, the jaw connected with the motor means being provided with a heating chamber, a steam pipe disposed on each side of the motor means and connected with the heating chamber, and a movable joint cooperating with and included in each pipe whereby the motor actuated jaw having the heating chamber may move in relation to the frame.

8. In a press, a frame including a horizontal cross web, a lbuck mounted movably above the web, a Huid-pressure diaphragm attached to the cross Web and to the buck including means producing a fluid-expansion chamber between the diaphragm and buck, a {luidpressure-supply pipe extending thru the web and thru the diaphragm and being connected with the chamber, a press head mounted above the buck, and operating means connected with the head to open and close the press.

l9. In a press, a frame including a horizontal cross web, a buck mounted movably above the web, a fluid-pressure diaphragm attached to the cross web and to the buck including means producing a fluid-expansion chamber between the diaphragm and buck, a uidpressure-supply pipe extending thru the web and thru the diaphragm and being connected with the chamber, a throttle valve mounted in the pipe and means holding said valve closed, a press head mounted above the buck, an upright pivoted under the jaws and attached to the head to open and close the press, and said upright being adapted to engage and automatically open the throttle valve when the press closes.

10. In a press, a frame and a cooperating press head and buck both of which are movable in relation to the. frame and to each other,

In testimony whereof I a x my signature. JAMES CAMROD LEDBETTER.

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