US2118786A

US2118786A - Clothes drier

Info

Publication number: US2118786A
Application number: US46407A
Authority: US
Inventors: John E Chestnutt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1935-10-23
Filing date: 1935-10-23
Publication date: 1938-05-24
Anticipated expiration: 1955-05-24

Description

ay 24, 1938. J. E. CHESTNUTT 29M CLOTHES DRIER Filed Oat. 25, 1955 2 e ts-Sheet 1 e/bhil E U/Zeat NVENTOR ORNEYS ay 24, 1938. J. E. CHESTNUTT zvmgvmfi' CLOTHES DRI-ER Filed Oct 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jami: aimzmzz ATTORNEYS Patented May 24, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a clothes drier of the character generally used by cleaners, so that the dress or other garment may be mounted on the same with facility and the drying operation started and concluded by the operator in the minimum of time; to provide a clothes drier in which the dress or garment, when being subjected to the drying operation, is under tension, so that when stretching or drying there will be small opportunity for the formation of wrinkles, thus making the pressing operation comparatively simple; to provide a clothes drier so arranged as to support a dress or garment in a manner to preclude the quick escape of air, or the escape of steam when it is admitted under the conditions under which steam is usually employed; and to provide a clothes drier which, for the functions of which it is susceptible, is of comparatively simple form and therefore of a character to permit comparatively cheap manufacture.

With this object in view, the invention consists in a construction and combination of parts of which a preferred embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevational View.

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view.

30 Figure 4 is asectional view onthe plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a detailed sectional view showing the mounting for the rear clamp member and the actuating spring for such member.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the rear clamp actuating pedal and its attendant parts.

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the front clamp actuating pedal.

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of the steam admission valve actuating pedal.

The garment on which the drying operation is to be carried out is suspended in open position above the elbow drum 56 which is supported in an appropriate skeleton frame I I made from appropriate metal bars. The drum is disposed with Y ted lines in Figures 1 and 2- is'suspended with its lower end in embracing relation to the upper extremity or discharge end of the drum where the latter is formed with appropriate rubber binding it in contact with which the dress or garment is held by means of the complemental clamp members ll and I8. The clamp members H and K8 are in the form of arcuate yokes adapted to embrace the drum for substantially half its periphery and are in the form of rods, rubber covered as indicated at l8a, so as to prevent metallic contact with the garment and also so as to provide asnear an airtight connection as possible between the garment and the drum.

The clamp members H and i8 may be actuated independently to and from clamping position, or simultaneously actuated, the one being operatively connected with a pedal l9 and the other operatively connected with a pedal 20. The pedals i9 and 2d are disposed adjacent to each other so that the foot of an operator may be placed on both and the two simultaneously depressed, or either one or the other depressed, depending on whether it is desired to release the forward clamp H or the rear clamp IS.

The clamp I! is rigidly connected with the extremity of the resistance arm of a lever 2| which is pivoted between cars 22 on the drum It. The force arm of the lever has a link connection 23' with the pedal l9. The normal position of the clamp is against the drum and to this end there are provided the springs 24 which are compressed between the face of the drum and ears 25 formed on the resistance arm of the lever 2!. The springs are disposed one on each side of the lever and being compression springs, their tendency is to force the force arm of the lever away fromv the drum and the resistance arm and the clamp member ll towards the drum. Depression of the pedal l9 will'result in forcing the force arm toward the drum and therefore in Withdrawing the clamp member I! away from the drum, as when it is desired to release a garment or in preparation to attach one.

Spaced guide ears 25 are mounted on the face of the drum to insure directly the clamp member I! to its proper seat on the drum in the clamping operation.

While the opening and closing movements of the clamp H are effected by swinging motion, the corresponding movements of the clamp member I8 are effected by a reciprocal motion, since the clamp member I8 is connected to an angular stem 26 of which the horizontal portion 27 is slidably mounted in the spring barrel 28 within which it is surrounded by a compression spring 29 compressed between a collar 30 on the stem and a removable plug 3| which closes the barrel. The tendency of the spring is to force the clamp member into clamping position and the vertical portion of the stem, in the opening and closing movements, traverses a slot in a guide plate 32 mounted on the spring barrel.

The pedal 20 is operatively connected with the clamp member l8 and to this end there are provided bearings 33 which carry the shaft 34, the latter at an intermediate point carrying an arm 35 and at the extremity carrying an arm 36. The arm 35 is formed with spaced parallel ears 38 which straddle the vertical portion of the stem 26. A link 39 connects the arm 36 with the extremity of the resistance arm of a lever 40, whose force arm is connected with the pedal 20 by a link 4|.

When the pedal is depressed, the lever 40 is rocked with the result that there is a downward pull on the link 39 and the extremity of the arm 36 which imparts a swinging movement to the bar 31, which engages the stem 26, forcing it back against the pressure of the spring 29 and retracting the clamp member l8.

The motor 13 is appropriately supported on the frame II and the latter also carries the tubular standard 42 which terminates in the horizontal hanger arm 43, the latter being provided with pulleys 44, over which a cable 45 is trained, the latter being anchored to a reel 46 to which rotation is imparted manually by the arms 41, any adjusted position of the reel being retained by the friction imposed by the pressure spring 48.

The cable 45 is terminally connected to a hollow hanger 49, the hanger being preferably made of sheet metal and being cross-sectional U-shaped with the under edges turned in toward each other as indicated at 50. The connection between the cable and hanger includes an eye bolt 5| surrounded by a compression spring 52, so that there may be relative movement between the eye and the hanger which will provide for taking upany expansion of the garment in drying. Turning in the edges of the hanger, as indicated at 50, provides for air entering between the hanger and the garment which will make for quicker drying of the latter. The particular form of hanger is useful in that it closes the neck opening in the garment and precludes the too free escape of air in the drying operation.

The reel 46 is appropriately mounted on the standard 42 by the J bolts 53 and may, by reason of this form of mounting, be positioned at any convenient point on the standard.

For the purpose of admitting steam to a garment supported on the drier to remove the wrinkles from such garment there are provided the steam pipes 54 on opposite sides of the motor which terminate in steam nozzles 55 directly behind the fan. The two pipes 54 are coupled together at 56, so that steam to them may be controlled by the valve 51 which may be connected with the source of steam supply by means of a coupling 58. The valve is retained normally in closed position and moved to open position by an upward movement departed to the dependent stem 59, the lower extremity of which rests on one arm of a bell crank lever 60 fulcrumed as at 6| on the frame H. The remaining arm of the lever 60 is connected by means of a slide rod 62 and a link 63 with the pedal 64, the latter being pivotally mounted on the frame II and positioned at the front of the frame, parallel with but spaced from the pedals l9 and 20.

A spring 68 applies a pull on the rod 62 to hold the pedal 64 elevated and depress the lever arm 60 to a point where it will apply no pressure on the stem 59 of the valve 51.

To provide for convenient control of the motor, a switch 65 is mounted on the elbow drum at the front of the drier and on the drum below the clamp member l1, there are carried the clothes pins 66 which are suspended from springs 61. These pins are employed in cases where the perimeter of the lower edge of the garment being dried is less than the perimeter of the drum. In such instances, the rear clamp will be employed to clamp a portion of the lower edge of the garment to the drum, after which the remaining edge which will not pass over the drum, will be engaged by the clothes pins which, by reason of their spring hangers, will create a pull on the lower edge of the garment. Of course, under such instances, part of the air will pass out of the drum without passing through the garment but there will be sufiicient air driven through the garment to effect drying of the same. Clothes pins will be employed only in cases where the garment at the lower edge is too small to be slipped over the discharge end of the drum.

In the operation of the invention, the garment will be mounted on the hanger 49 which will close the neck opening thereof. The hanger will then be lowered by unreeling the cable 45 until the lower edge of the garment will hang over the discharge end of the drum. The depression of the pedal 20 will then retract the clamp member l8, so that the rear edge of the garment may be inserted between it and the drum. Then the remainder of the lower edge of the garment may be clamped to the drum after the depression of the pedal l9 which will retract the clamp member I1. After the garment has been secured in place by the clamp members I! and I8, a tension will be applied by winding the cable on the drum. .;1

Then the motor will be started by closing the switch 65, when air will be driven through the drum and into the garment. If this drying operation leaves any wrinkles in the garment steam may be admitted by opening the valve 57 by def pression of the pedal 64, when the drying operation may be continued after closure of the valve 51 by release of the pedal 64.

The spring mounting of the hanger 49 provides for maintaining the tension on the garment as it stretches in the drying operation.

After drying the garment may be released by the simultaneous depression of the pedals l9 and 20 which will release both the clamp members l1 and I8. Then the garment may be removed from the hanger 49 and the pressing op eration proceeded with.

The invention having been described, what is claimed as new and useful is:

l. A clothes drier comprising an elbow drum having a discharge end arranged with its axis vertical, a blower positioned at the intake end of the drum, complemental clamp members embracing the drum at the discharge end for securing the lower end of a garment to the drum, a

hollow hanger for insertion in the garment to support the upper end of the latter, the hanger being made of sheet metal and being cross sectionally of inverted U-shape with the under edges inturned toward each other, the hanger closing the neck opening of the garment, and suspension means for the hanger.

2. A clothes drier comprising an elbow drum having a discharge end arranged with its axis vertical, a blower positioned at the intake end of the drum, complemental clamp members arranged to jointly embrace the drum at the discharge end and disposed respectively around the rear and forward halves of the circumference thereof for securing the lower end of a garment to the drum, an angular stem supporting the rear clamping member at its center, a spring barrel in which the stem is mounted, a spring enclosed by said barrel and compressed between one end of the latter and an abutment on the stem, a rock shaft below and having its axis at right angles to the axis of the stem, an arm carried by the rock shaft and bearing upon the angular portion of the stem to move the latter against the pressure of the spring, a treadle operatively connected with the shaft to efiect actuation of the latter in opposition to the spring so as to retract the rear clamp, and a pedal operatively connected to the forward clamping member for withdrawing it from engagement with the drum, the forward clamping member being provided with a spring impelling it toward the drum.

JOHN E. CHESTNUTT.