US2192057A - Ironing press - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 27, 1940. N. H. WATTS IRONING PRESS Filed Oct. 7, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1% NM w gay Feb. 27, 1940. N. WATTS 2,192,057

IRONING PRESS Filed 001:. "7, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 -30 /6 /{6 50 2: I fvz iii: a f /o'a 1 z I l A2 /Zc /2c I i i 6 7 6e 1 c l C 1 6 E l 501 I 52 Z 52 7 aw I i i T H 35 4a Z2 54 as Inventor:

Noble awa ts;

by z MW @175 Attorney.

Patented Feb. 27, 1940 UNITED "STATES IRONING PRESS Noble H. Watts, Bridgeport, Coma, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York .Application October 7, 1935, Serial No. 43,937

6 Claims.

This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 741,787, filed August 28, 1934, and abandoned April 30, 1936.

The present invention relates to ironing presses of the type wherein the ironing is effected by the pressure between a heated shoe and a padded buck.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction in a machine of this type, and for a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the following description and the claims appended thereto.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an ironing press embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the ironing press and the control therefor; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end elevation of the ironing press, partly in section; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of the ironing press, partly in section;' Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the yoke which transmits the ironing pressure from the pressure-developing mechanism to the carriage; and Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6 -6 of Fig. 4.

The ironing press embodying my invention is shown supported on a table having a light sheet metal top I supported on legs 2. Leaves 3 are hinged to the front and side edges of the table top I and when in the lowered position provide a support for the material to be ironed. The rear edge of the table top is turned up to provide an apron l which prevents the material being ironed from falling over the rear edge of the table.

The pressure-developing mechanism for the ironing press is contained in a cylinder 5 which is supported by the table top and which projects through an opening in the table top. On the under side of the table top is a yoke 6a (see Fig. 5) having a circular depending flange 5b concen- -tric with the opening in the table top through which the cylinder 5 projects. The yoke is suitably fastened to the under side of the table top by bolts 50. Between the flange 6b of the yoke and the side walls of cylinder 5 and between a flange I on the cylinder 5 and the table top I, is arranged a rubber ring 5 which resiliently supports the cylinder on the table top. The rubber ring 5 is prevented from turning within the flange 6b by means of a projection which fits in a channel 6d on the inner surface of the flange. The cylinder is prevented from turning with respect to the rubber ring by means of a rectangular bead 6e on the upper surface of the rubber ring which fits into a complementary rectangular groove in the under side of the flange I. The cylinder 5 is therefore prevented from turning with respect to the table top. A passage 8 is provided in the cylinder 5 and through the rubber ring 6 through which conductors for supplying power to the power-operated device may be led.

A piston 9 carrying a piston ring III at the lower end is slidably carried within the cylinder 5 and is moved relative to the cylinder by the pressure of fluid contained between the piston and the cylinder. A hearing housing II and an electric motor contained within a housing I2 are mounted on top of the piston, and bolts I3 extending from a flange I4 on the motor housing to the piston 9, clamp the motor housing I2, the bearing housing II, and the piston 9 together so that all three are moved as a unit. The motor has a stator I2a fixed to the inner side of the motor housing and a rotating member I2b carried on a shaft 22 journaled in the motor housing and in the bearing housing II A buck I5 is supported on the upper end of the motor housing by an annulus' I6 of rubber or other resilient material between a depending flange I5a on the buck and a cylindrical projection I5b on the motor housing. This resiliently supports the buck for movement in all directions. Turning of the annulus I6 on the projection I5b may be prevented by recesses in the projection I5b which interlock with the annulus I6. With this arrangement, the buck is mounted directly on the upper end of the piston which slides within the cylinder 5, and the pressing forces are transmitted from the buck through the fluid within the cylinder to the cylinder.

A pad ll of textile material is placed over the upper surface of the buck. A heating unit I8 is imbedded in the buck for heating the buck, and perforations I9 are provided in the upper surface through which the steam generated during ironing may escape. As the buck is heated, there is no tendency for the steam to condense, and the steam is conducted through the perforations I 9 to the atmosphere.

A piston head 20 is secured to the lower end of the piston by studs 20a and spaced therefrom to allow room for an impeller 2| attached to the lower end of the motor shaft 22. The impeller and the rotating part of the motor connected to the motor shaft are supported by a spring-pressed ball 23 carried by the piston head and are also supported by the central surface 24 of the impeller which engages a complementary surface on the piston head. The piston is provided with a central opening 25 which serves as the inlet for the impeller. The outer edge of the piston head has spaced holes 28 therein which provide discharge openings for the impeller. The cylinder is filled to a suitable level with a fluid which may be oil of the desired viscosity. A perforated bailie 21 carried by the piston and openings 28 in the side walls of the piston 8 control the flow of fluid from the cylinder to the inlet opening 25 in the piston. As the motor shaft is rotated, the impeller forces fluid from the upper side of the piston through the inlet opening 25 and discharge openings 28 to the lower side of the piston. The pressure between the lower side of the piston and the end of the cylinder forces the piston upwardly. The movement of the piston within the cylinder is guided by flanges l2c fixed to the upper end of the motor housing l2 which travel in keyways I20. formed in the side walls of the cylinder. The

lowered position of the piston is limited by the engagement of the lower end of flanges l2c with the bottom of the keyways I2d.

The upward movement starts gradually, due to the time taken for accelerating the motor, and continues until the resistance ofiered by the buck caused by the engagement of the buck with the shoe 29 balances the pressure created by the impeller. The engagement of the buck with the shoe is substantially without shock, and the pressure is maintained as long as the motor is energized. The travel of the buck inherently adjusts itself to varying thicknessesof material which are placed between the buck and the shoe. When the power is cut off from the motor, the impeller stops rotating and the fluid flows from the lower side of the piston through the openings 26 and 25 to the upper side of the piston and permits the buck to move downwardly under the force of gravity. During the downward movement, the piston 9 cooperates with the cylinder 5 to produce a cushioning action so that there is substantially no shock at the end of the return movement. Since the motor is carried by the piston, the weight of the motor is used to assist the return movement of the buck.

The control of the ironing press is very simple since to cause pressing engagement of the buck and the shoe it is only necessary to supply power to the motor, and to release the pressure between the buck and the shoe it is only necessary to cut off the power supply. The simplicity of the control is due to the nature of the pressure-developing mechanism. Due to the use of an impeller for pumping the oil from the upper to the lower side of the piston during the pressure stroke, the motor may be run continuously while the piston is in a stalled position without increasing the pressure exerted on the piston.

The shoe 29 is preferably made of metal and provided with a suitable electric heating element (not shown). The carriage for supporting the. shoe 29 comprises two U-shaped arms 38 of I- beam cross section which are connected by cross rods 3|. The shoe is secured to the upper arms 30b of the carriage by suitable clamps 300 (see Fig. 4) The lower arms 30a of the carriage are provided with rolls 32 which travel on tracks 33 carried by a pan 34 fastened to the lower side of the table top. The weight of the carriage and shoe is therefore carried by the table top. For the purpose of bracing the pan 34, the pan is fastened to the lower end of the flange 6b of the yoke Go by means of screws 34a. A rear leaf 35 is hinged to the pan 34 and may contain additional track on which the rolls 32 may slide. The carriage maintains the shoe above the lowered position of the buck so that the material on thebuck is not disturbed by the movement of the shoe to a position above the buck.

As shown in Fig. 4, when the shoe is in reg ister with the buck, the lower arms 30a of the carriage are beneath the ends of the yoke 8a. It is therefore apparent that when the pressuredeveloping mechanism is actuated to raise the buck into pressing engagement with the shoe, the lower arms of the carriage will be raised against the ends of the yoke. Since the cylinder is in effect carriedpon the yoke, the pressing forces will be transmitted from the cylinder through the yoke to the lower arms of the carriage, and the pressing forces will therefore not stress the relatively light sheet metal table top I. This construction makes possible the use of a light sheet metal table top for supporting the ironer, since the table top need only support the weight of the ironing press and need not be strong enough to withstand the relatively heavy pressing forces.

A table top 38 is flxed to the top of the upper arms 30b and, when the ironing machine is not in use, the carriage may be moved forwardly so that the table top 36 is above the table top I of the table, and the front and side leaves 3 and the rear leaf 35 may be swung up and latched to the under side of the table top. The leaves then enclose the ironing machine which may I then be used as a table-of general utility.

A handle 31 is provided for moving the carriage. The handle is connected to a rod 38 which is slidably carried in the fibnt end of the upper arms 30b of the carriage and projects through one of the arms. A spring 38 between the projecting end of the rod and the upper arm of the carriage biases the rod 38 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 2, and holds a pin 40 which is fixed to the rod in engagement with a notch formed in the inner surface of the arm. The pin prevents rotation of the handle and also serves as a pivot for the handle. When the ironing machine is not in use, the handle may be moved to the right until the pin 40 is clear of the notch formed in the inner surface of the arm, and the handle maythen be swung downwardly so that it will not interfere with the raising of the front leaf of the table. The right end of the rod 38 fits within an elongated slot 4| in the arm of the carriage which provides a lost motion connection between the handle and the carriage. This lost motion is used to actuate a double-pole, doublethrow switch 42 through a linkv 43 connected to the rod 38. The switch blades 41 and 48 of the switch 42 are pivoted on the carriage at 41a and 48a. A spring 44 connected between a projection 45 on the arm of the carriage and a projection 48 on the link 43 biases the switch 42 to the position in which the switch blades 41 and 48 are in contact with contacts 43 and 58. When the right hand end of handle 31 is pushed rearwardly, the left hand end of rod 33 pivots on pin 40, and the right hand end moves in slot 4| and through link 43 moves switch blades 41 and 48 out of engagement with contacts 49 and 50,

and into engagement with contacts 5l'and 52.

top I. These contacts are arranged so that they 75 are closed only when the carriage is moved forwardly so that the buck and shoe are in register. Rearward movement of the carriage from its forward position of a fraction of an inchis s'ufllcient to open these contacts and thereby prevent the energizing of the power-operated device when the buck and shoe are out of register. The circuit to the power-operated device is also'controlled by a double-pole, double-throw switch 6| which is carried on the under side of the platform of the table and has a plunger 62 which engages the front of the block 3|a when the carriage is moved to the position in which the buck and shoe are in register. A spring 63 biases the switch blade 64 into engagement 'with contacts 65 and 66 when the buck and shoe are out of register. When the buck and shoe are moved into register, the plunger 62 moves the switch blade against the biasing force of spring 63 out of engagement with contacts 65 and 66 and into engagement with contacts 61 and 68. The circuit through contacts 65 and 66 controls the flow of power to the heating element H3 in the buck, and the circuit through contacts 61 and 68 controls the flow of power to the power-operated device. When the buck and shoe are out of register, the heating element I8 is energized, and when the buck and shoe are in register, the power-operated device may be energized. With this arrangement, the heating element I8 and the power-operated device are alternatively energized and'cannot be simultaneously energized. This is important because the ironing machine is adapted for .domestic use and it is desirable to provide an ironing machine in which the power demand will not exceed the capacity of the average outlet found in homes. The heating element 8 is preferably proportioned so that it takes substantially the same power as the power-operated device, and the power demand of the ironing machine therefore remains substantially constant.

The circuits controlling the power supply to the ironing machine which is illustrated in Fig. 2 will now be described. The power supply is fed from conductors 69 and 19, through double-pole switch 1|, to conductors 12 and 13. From these conductors, current flows to the heating element arranged in the shoe 29 through conductors 14 and 15. This circuit is closed whenever the switch 1| is closed. The circuit to the heating element l8 in the buck extends from conductor 13, through conductor 16, heating element l8, conductor 11, contact 66, switch blade 64, contact 65, conductor 18, and conductor 19, to conductor 12.

The circuit through heating element i8 is energized when the switch 1| is closed and when the shoe 29 is out of register with the buck so that the spring 63 forces the switch blade 64 into engagement with contacts 65 and 66. When the shoe is moved into register with the buck, the block 3|a on the carriage engages the plunger 62 and forces the switch blade 64 out of engagement with contacts 65 and 66 and into engagement with contacts 61 and 68. The heating element I8 is therefore deenergized when the shoe is in register with the buck.

When the ironing press is in the position illustrated in Fig. 2, contacts 53, 54, 55, and 56 are out of engagement with contacts 51, 58, 59, and 69, and the switch blade 64 is out of engagement with contacts 61 and 68. In this condition, the

51, 58, 59 and 69, and the switch blade 64 is moved into engagement with contacts 61 and 68 by the plunger 62. This completes a circuit which connects the field winding 69 of the motor in series with the armature 8|. The circuit may be traced as follows: From conductor 13, through conductors 16 and 82, to one side of the armature. From the other side of the armature the circuit extends through conductor 83 to contacts 58 and 54, through conductor 84, conductor 85, contact 59, switch blade 48, conductor 86, contacts 55 and 59, and conductor 81, to one side of the field winding 89. From the other side of the field winding, the circuit extends through conductor 89, contacts 51 and 53, conductor 89, switch blade 41, contact 49, conductor 99, contacts 56 and 69, conductor 9|, contact 61, switch blade 64, contact 6:, conductor 92, and conductor 19, to conductor The motor is deenergized, thereby releasing the pressure between the back and the shoe, by pushing on the handle 31 and moving the link 43 so as to cause the switch blades 41 and 48 to move out of engagement with contacts 49 and 59, and into engagement with contacts 5| and 52. Since this is the normal movement which the operator would make to move the shoe out of engagement with the buck, the safety of the machine is increased since the operator does not have to learn to use a separate control for releasing the pressure between the buck and the shoe. This movement breaks the circuit from the power supply to the motor and short-circuits the field 86 across the armature 8|. This circuit may be traced from one side of the armature, through conductor 82, conductor 16, conductor 93, contact 52, switch blade 48, conductor 86, contacts 55 and 59, and conductor 81, to one side of the field winding. From the other. side of the field winding, the circuit extends through conductor 88, contacts 51 and 53, conductor 89, switch blade 41, contact 5|, conductor 94, conductor 84, contacts 54 and 58, and conductor 83, to the other side of the armature. By short circuiting the field on the armature, the motor is stopped more quickly, thereby permitting a quicker release of the pressure between the buck and the shoe.

For the purpose of describing the operation of the ironing machine, assume that the parts are in the position illustrated in Fig. 2. In this position the buck and shoe are out of register, and the switch 1| is open so that no power is supplied to the machine. When the operator wishes to use the machine, the switch 1| is closed connecting the power supply to conductors 12 and 13 and energizing the circuit through the heating element in the shoe and through the heating element l8 in the buck. After a suitable length of time, the shoe will have been brought to the proper ironing temperature, and the operator then places the material to be ironed over the upper surface of the buck. The operator then pulls the carriage forwardly by means of the handle 31 and brings the shoe into a position in register with and in spaced relation to the buck. During the forward movement of the carriage, the switch blades 41 and 48 are held in engagement with contacts 49 and 50, and the final movement of the carriage to this position closes the contacts 53, 54, 55, and 56 on contacts 51, 58, 59, and 69, and also exerts a force on the plunger 62 which moves the switch blade 64 out of engagement with contacts 65 and 66, and into engagement with contacts 61 and 68, thus complating the circuit from the power supply in series through the armature BI and the field winding 80 of the motor and opening the circuit through the heating element 18 in the buck. As soon as the shoe is moved in register with the buck, the motor is started in rotation, and the pressure developed on the under side of the piston 9 by the rotation of the impeller 2! causes the buck to be moved upwardly into pressing engagement with the shoe. The buck moves upwardly 'until the resistance offered by the shoe balances the pressure created by the impeller, and the pressure between the buck and shoe continues as long as the motor 'is energized. When the operator wishes to stop the ironing or to release the pressure between the buck and the shoe for any reason, the handle 31 is pushed rearwardly, and the elongated slot 4| permits the initial movement of the handle to move the switch blades 41 and 48 to be moved out of engagement with the contacts 49 and 50 and into engagement with the contacts 5| and 52. This movement of the switch blades 41 and 48 disconnects the motor from the power supply and shortcircuits the field winding 80 across the armature 8|. Due to the lost motion connection between the handle and the carriage, which is provided by the slot 4!, the movement of the handle 31 to deenergize the motor requires very little force. As soon as the field winding 80 is shortcircuited across the armature 8|, the motor is quickly stopped and the fluid flows from the lower side of the piston through openings 26 and to the upper side of the piston, thereby relieving the pressure between the buck and the shoe and permitting the buck to return to the position illustrated in Fig. 3. During the return movement, the piston 9 cooperates with the cylinder 5 to cushion the return movement of the buck. After the release of pressure between the buck and the shoe, continued pressure on the handle moves the carriage rearwardly and exposes the upper surface of the buck so that the ironed material may be removed.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United States is:

1. An ironing press comprising a table having a top provided with an opening, a cylinder having a flange resting on the table top and having a part projecting through said opening, a piston in said cylinder, a buck on said piston, a shoe, means within said cylinder for moving the piston in the cylinder whereby the buck is moved into pressing engagement with said shoe, and means including an arm extending from said shoe below the table top and operatively connected to the cylinder for receiving the pressing forces from the cylinder without substantially stressing the table.

2. An ironing press comprising a table having a top provided with an opening, a pressure developing mechanism having a flange resting on the table top and having a part projecting through said opening, a shoe, a buck movable by' said pressure developing mechanism into pressing engagement with said shoe, and an arm extending from said shoe below the table top arm, a pressure developing mechanism supported by and extending below the table top,-a buck movable by said pressure developing mechanism into pressing engagement with said shoe, and means between said carriage and said pressure developing mechanism for transmitting the pressing forces to said carriage without substan-- tially stressing the table.

4. An ironing press comprising a table having a top provided with an opening, a cylinder suspended from the table top below said opening, a piston in said cylinder, a'buck mounted on said piston, a track supported below the table top, a

carriage slidable on the track and having an arm extending above the table top, a shoe supported on said arm, means within said cylinder acting on said piston for moving said buck intopressing engagement with said shoe, and a yoke around said cylinder and having a portion between said carriage and said table top for transmitting the pressing forces to said carriage without substantially stressing the table.

5. An ironing press comprising a table having a top provided with an opening, a liquid containing cylinder having a flange resting on the table top and having a part projecting through said opening, a piston in said cylinder, a buck on said piston, a shoe, an impeller within said cylinder and having inlet and discharge openings on opposite sides of said piston for creating a pressure in the liquid to move the piston in the cylinder whereby the'buck is moved into pressing engagement with the shoe, an electric motor for driving said impeller, and means including an arm extending from said shoe below the table top and operatively connected to said cylinder for receiving the pressing forces from the cylinder without substantially stressing the table.

6. An ironing press comprising a table having a top provided with an opening, a liquid containing cylinder suspended from the table top below said opening, a piston in said cylinder, a buck mounted on said piston, a track supported below the table top, a carriage slidable on the track and having an arm extending above the table top, a shoe supported on said arm, an impeller within said cylinder and having inlet and discharge openings on opposite sides of the piston for creating a pressure in the liquid to move the piston in the cylinder whereby the buck is moved into pressing engagement with the shoe, an electric motor for driving the impeller, a yoke around said cylinder and having a portion between said carriage and said table top for transmitting the pressing forces to said carriage without substantially stressing the table.

NOBLE H. WATTS.

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