US1925702A

US1925702A - Ironing machine and means for heating same

Info

Publication number: US1925702A
Application number: US432284A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arthur W Nelson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1930-03-01
Filing date: 1930-03-01
Publication date: 1933-09-05
Anticipated expiration: 1950-09-05

Description

Sept. 5, 1933. A. w. NELSON IRONING MACHINE AND MEANS FOR HEATINGSAME -Filed Marcnl, 19:50

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Patented Sept. 5, i933 TATES f ansatz RRONNG 'IVIACHINE AND MANS FR HEATING SARE 12 Claims.

My invention relates to ironing machines and concerns particularly machines for ironing'large pieces of ilat Work. i

ln ironing machines of this type, a large ironing cylinder is provided and a plurality of ironing rolls lin engagement therewith, the cylinder and rolls being rotated in synchronism in order to draw the work to be viron around the cylinder and in intimate contact With the ironing face thereof. heretofore the cylinder has usually been heated by direct contact therewith of jets or ilarnes resulting from the combustion of gas in burners located Within the cylinder. Such arrangement has many disadvantages, as, for exarnple, nonuniiorinity of heating, over or under heating, inadequate air supply and choking of 'the flames, waste ci heat, and considerable nre hazard.

An important object oi my invention is to dispense with the heating of the ironer by means of combustion within the ironing cylinder and to utilize the heat resulting from combustion carried onA outside of the cylinder, and such. heat could he provided cy the otherwise wasted products of combustion troni heating devices, such as furnaces, gas heaters, gas engines, or the like.

.a further object ci 'the invention is to provide simple and ecient means for assuring uni-l form distribution and circulation oi heat through the cylinder so that the cylinder will be continuously and uniformly heated.

Another object is to provide a closed cylinder having at one end an inlet lor the heating medium. and an outlet thereior, together with a rotating structure for uniformly distributing the incoming heating medium axially and radially throughout the cylinder and for creating circulation for errpeiling the spent heating medium through the outlet.

A further important olojects to provide a vane member cooperating with the cylinder to form a blower structure and extending full length through the cylinder and having an axial passageway for receiving and discharging the heating medium into the cylinder and having vanes for directing the heating element radially against the cylinder wall and longitudinally along the Wall to the discharge outlet of the cylinder.

Still another object is to provide thermostat means controlled hy the temperature of the discharge 'from the cylinder to control the temperature or supply of heating medium to the cylinder.

The above enumerated and other features of my invention are incorporated in the structure disclosed on the drawing, in which Figure l is a side elevation oi the ironer structure;

Figure 2 is a vertical diametrical section; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on plane 3-3 ci? Figure 2.

(Cl. 25th-95) Figure 4 is a side elevation ci the heat producing device for the ironer.

The machine shown comprises a cylindrical ironing shell l closed at one end loy a head 1l secured thereto and at its other end telescoping the cylindrical ange l2 on a stationary head 13. Secured to the head ll is a base le supporting a pulley l5 concentric with the cylinder, the base and pulley receiving, revolvaloly therein, a shaft 16 which is journalled in a suitable hearing pedestal i7. At its opposite end, the shait is journalled in a hearing 'frame 18 secured to the head 13 concentric with the cylinder, and secured to the shaft at this end is a drive pulley 19. The inlet end of the cylinder surrounding the flange l2 on the head 1S is supported on idlers 20. A

suitable belt (not shown) engaging the pulley l5 will serve to rotate the cylinder, While a suitable belt (not shown), applied to the pulley 19, will serve to rotate the shaft l5.

A row of ironing rolls 2l are mounted on shafts 22 extending parallel with the cylinder axis and are rotated in any suitable manner in synchronisrn with the rotation of the cylinder, so that Work fed in between the end roll and the cylinder will be propelled around and against the cylinder to be ironed.

'The stationary head 13 encloses the adjacent end of the cylinder and has the outlet passage 23 through which the heating medium may ilow after having delivered heat to the cylinder. An inlet pipe 24 for the heating medium extends radially through the head 13 and 'terminates in a nozzle fitting 25 concentric With the cylinder axis for directing the heating medium into the cylinder.

Concentrically surrounding the shaft 16 and. extending .full length of Jche cylinder is a tubular shell or hub 26 supported on arms or spokes 27 extending from hubs 23 which receive and are secured to the shaft. At the inlet end of the cylinder the end of the hub 26 telescopically receives the inner end of the nozzle tting 25, and the incoming heating medium will travel longitudinally through the hub 26.

Extending radially from the -hub 26 are the vanes 29 which are transversely curved, as clearly shown in Figure 3. The radial length 'or extent of these vanes increases gradually from the inlet end of the cylinder tothe opposite end thereof. Between the vanes, the hub 26 has outlet ports or perforations through which the heating medium may discharge radially. The huh 26 with the vanes thereon cooperates With the cylinder to form an inducting orv blower structure for distributing the incoming heating medium longitudinally in the hub and radially in the cylinder and for creating pressure conditions for inducing circulation for expelling the spent heating medium. through the outlet 23. The lrotary vane structure rotates in the direction Sil lil@

indicated by the arrow in Figure 3, and during vanes will be expelled radially so that the 'vacuum or suction effect resulting at, the outlets 30 will draw the heating medium out of the hub 26,

thereby creating suction or inductive eiect at the nozzle 25 which will draw in the heating medium through the pipe 24. The incoming heating medium will tend to ow through the nearest ports 30 directly to and out of the outlet 23. To causeilow of the heating medium through the hub 26 and uniform radial distribution thereof throughout the cylinder, the ports are properly calibrated so that the eiective outlet area from the hub 26 will be a minimum at the inlet end of the cylinder and will gradually increase toward the other end of the cylinder. Owing to the gradually increasing radial extent of the varies, as has been described, the centrifugal action of the vanes will also be a minimum at ythe inlet end of 4the cylinder and will gradually increase toward the other end of the cylinder. The combined result of the graduated effective outlet area through the ports-30 and the gradually increasing centrifugal action of the vanes will cause a uniform discharge of heating medium from the ports throughout the length of the cylinder, and the vanes will blow the heating medium against the inner wall of the cylinder which Will then be uniformly heated. The gradually in'- `creasing expulsion velocity of the heating medium will. becomey static pressure after the medium leaves the vanes, and such pressure will also be a minimum at the outlet end of the cylinder and will gradually increase toward the other end thereof, the result being that the Iheating medium, after having been. centrifugally projected bythe vanes against the cylinder wall, will be caused by the dierence in pressure, to ow along the cylinder wall into the head i3 and out of the outlet 23. The rotary vane member thus maintains a constant uniform circulation of the heating medium to uniformly heat the cylinder and to flow along the cylinder wall to be discharged from the outlet 23. The vane member is rotated at a proper speed to eiciently maintain thepressure and circulation and, at the same time, permitting the cylinder to withdraw the required heat units from the heating medium for the most emcient ironing. The rotation speed of the vane member is high. as compared with the rate of rotation of the cylinder by Vthe pulley 15. For example, the vane member might rotate 400 revolutions per minute, While the cylinder would rotate'only 9 revolutions per minute.

The heating medium for the ironer could be produced by a special heating device or could be the otherwise wasted products of combustion discharged from furnaces or other heating devices, or from the exhaust outlets of gas engines.

In Figure 4 I show a heating or heat producing device H in which the heat producing elementis a gas burner 31 ted from a gas supply pipe 32. The outlet 33 for the products of combustion may be l connected with the inlet pipe 24 for the ironer. The structure H may be a gas water heater hav-V tween the combustion device 'and the inlet 24.

Q hacerca the arrangement shown, I provide a mercury thermostat 35 subjected to the heat in the outlet 23 and connected through tube 36 with the chamber 37 at one side of the diaphragm 38 within the frame 39. A valve frame 40, included in the gas supply pipe 32, provides a gas passage or port 4l controlled by the valve 42 Whose stem 43 extends into the frame 39 and is secured to the diaphragm. With this arrangement, increase in temperature in the ironer outlet 23 will result in expansion of the mercury and deflection of the diaphragm 38 to shift the valve 42 to decrease the size of the passageway 41 and consequently cause reduction ofv the gas supply to the burner 31. Decrease in temperature in the outlet 23 will cause increased opening of the passageway 41 and increase in the gas supply to the burner, the thermostat arrangement thus automatically controlling the supply of heating medium so that uniform temperature will be maintained at the ironing surface of the cylinder. As the damp and comparatively cold Work is fed through the ironer and heat is extracted thereby from the cylinder, material drop in temperature will be prevented by the thermostat regulating means which immediately gives 100 more gas to thev burner 31, so that the structure H will deliver increased heat to the ironer to be rapidly distributed by the vane structure and applied to the cylinder to maintain the temperature thereof. l It is evident that instead of having the thermostat device control the gas supply to the combustion device H, it could control a valve, damper, or other flowl controlling structure interposed belli) The spent heating medium discharged through the outlet 23 of the iron may be conveyed. into the open or into a chimney or stack, and if there are sufcent heat units remaining, the discharged heating medium can be utilized in other devices for heating purposes, so that all the heat would be utilized and would not be wasted.

My improved method for uniformly heating long cylindrical structures by means of heating medium resulting from combustion outside of the cylinder structure overcomes all of the disadvantages incident to the generation of heat by means of combustion directly within the cylinder structure. The apparatus for accomplishing this is of simpleand economical manufacture and is very eiicient. By its use the heat units in products of combustion which would otherwise be wasted are utilized in the most emcient and safe manner. f

Although rhave shown one embodiment of the 1.30

' various features of my invention, it is to be understood that such features may be embodied in other structures and that changes and modifications may be made without departing /from the scope and principles of the invention.

I claim as follows:

1. ln an ironing machine, having an ironing cylinder, a heating medium circulating member comprising a hub forming an inlet passageway extending full length of said cylinder and vanes extending from said hub, means connecting the inlet end of said hub to receive heating medium, said cylinder having an outlet, said hub having outlet ports between said vanes, and means for rotating said hub whereby the heating medium will be drawn out of said ports and deiiected radially by said vanes against the cylinder wall to cause heating thereof.

2. in an ironing machine having an iro cylinder, said cylinder being closed at one end and 1M istv and then directly along the inner surface of 'saidl having outlet at its other end to the exterior, a heating medium distributing member comprising a hub forming a passageway extending full length of the cylinder axially thereof and having vanes extending radially therefrom, means at the outlet end of said cylinder for conducting heating medium into said hub passageway, said hub having outlet ports from said passageway and the effective outlet area of said ports increasing from the inlet end of said passageway to the other end thereof, the radial extent of said vanes increasing from the inlet end of said passageway to the other end thereof, and means for rotating said hub whereby the heating medium will be inducted culating member and means for rotating it, said 1 member having a passageway concentric with said cylinder and connected with said inlet to receive heating medium therefrom, outlets from said passageway calibrated to cause uniform radial distribution of the heating medium from said passageway throughout the length of the cylinder, and vanes for said member for deflecting the heating medium radially against the cylinder wall, the radial extent of said vanes increasing from the inlet Vend of said cylinder to the otherend thereof whereby differential pressure is created to cause the heating medium to flow along the cylinder wall and through the outlet of the cylinder.

4. The combination with an ironing cylinder closed at one end and its other end having an axial inlet and a surrounding outlet, means supplying a heating medium to said inlet, means within said cylinder connected with said inlet and operative to cause uniform radial distribution throughout said cylinder of the received heating medium and circulating it along the cylinder wall and discharging it through the outlet, and means controlled bythe temperatureA of the outflowing heating medium for controlling the temperature of the heating medium delivered to said inlet.

5. The combination with an ironing cylinder closed at one end and its other end having an axial inlet and a surrounding outlet, means supplying a heating medium to said inlet, means within said cylinder connected with said. inlet and operative to cause uniform radial distribution throughout said cylinder ofthe received heating medium and circulating it along the cylinder wall and discharging it through the outlet, and means controlled by the temperature of the outlowing heating medium for controlling the supply of heating medium delivered to said inlet.

6. In combination in an ironing machine, an imperforate ironing cylinder closed at one end and having an outlet at its other end to the exterior, means including an inlet for supplying heating medium at said outlet end, andy means including a fan positioned intermediate said inlet, and said outlet to cause axial flow of heating medium toward the closed end of said cylinder cylinder to said outlet.

7. In'combination in an ironing machine, an

of, and then in reverse direction by an outer unobstructed pathand along the inner surface of said cylinder to said outlet, said last named means including a fan adjacent the closed end of said cylinder. y

8. In combination in an ironing machine, an ironing cylinder having an inlet and a surrounding outlet at one end and having its other end closed, means to supply heating medium at said inlet, means to direct-heating medium through an inner path longitudinally of said cylinder to the closed end thereof, and means to deflect said medium radially and to cause it to flow by an outer return path directly along the cylinder wall and to said outlet.

9. In combination in an ironing machine, an ironing cylinder closed at one end and having an outlet at the other end, means at the outlet end to supply heating medium to the cylinder, blower means within the cylinder operating to cause flow of heating medium first inwardly through an inner path toward the closed end of said cylinder and then outwardly through an outer path directly along the inner face of said cylinder and to said outlet.

10.` An ironing machine comprising, in combination, a drum to be heated, said drum having an outlet at one end thereof and having an inlet for heating medium at the same end, conduit means extending within said drum connected to said inlet, said conduit having an outlet within said drum, and means positioned between said conduit outlet and said drum outlet to draw heating medium from said conduit and to expel it in reversed direction towards said drum outlet and in 'intimate contact with the inner face of said drum. j

11. An ironing machine comprising, in combination,a drum to beheated, said drum having an outlet at one end thereof and having an inlet for heating medium at thesameend, conduit means extending within said drum connected to said inlet, said conduit means having an outlet within said drum,. and a fan positioned between said conduit outlet and said drum outlet to draw heating medium from said outlet and to expel it in reversed direction towards said drum outlet and in intimate contact with the inner face of said drum.

12. An ironing machine comprising, in combination, a drum to be heated, said drum being closed at one end and having an outlet and an inlet for heating medium at the other end thereof, conduit means connected to said inlet arranged extending within said drum to convey heating medium towards the closed end of said drum, said conduit means having an outlet adjacent the closed end of said drum, and means positioned between said conduit outlet and said drum outlet to impel heating medium towards said drum outlet and in intimate Contact with the inner face of said drum.

ARTHUR W. NELSON.