US2230145A - Garment pressing mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 28, 1941. ac. Lx-:cHLER GARMEINT PRESSING MECHANISM 5 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Aug. I5, 1936 Jan. 28, 1941. B, Q LEgHLER 2,230,145

GARMENT PRESSING MECHANISM Filed Aug. s, 193e 5 sheets-sheet' 2 Jan. 28, 1941.

B; C. LECHLER @.fsu'r PREssING Mmcmmsnlv Filed Aug. 3, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ,n v/N am m HMA [22N W. y NNN Hz; |fl| /Qw a m ...3i www. l \N Etw Ni QN SEQ Q QN mmwnww w maw un Mum@ Patented Jan. 28, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GARMENT PRESSING MECHANISM Application August 3, 1936, Serial No. 93,978

5 Claims.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in power operated garment presses, and more particularly to such improvements in automatic valve mechanisms for controlling the operation of such presses.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail, with parts in section and parts in plan, of the controlling valve mechanism, taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar detail view, with parts in elevation and parts in section, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig, 2;

Figure 4 is a detail View of the same mechanism and the actuator therefor, this mechanism being shown in the assembly near the center of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the iluid pressure actuating mechanism and the controls therefor, and shows also diagrammatically tandem control for two presses;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through a diiferent form of valve mechanism taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 7 is a full elevation looking at Fig, 6 from the left.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved garment pressing mechanism which is simple, powerful and accurate both in construction and operation, in which a garment pressing device is moved to and from the working position and a final pressing action of slight movement but great power is imparted to press the garments; to provide in such a mechanism, a novel and very simple and reliable valve mechanism for controlling the fluid pressure to move the parts and to exert the final powerful garment pressing action; to provide simple but reliable autoi' matically acting fluid pressure operated means for applying the powerful pressing action, and for holding it at the option of the operative; to provide in such simplified mechanism against stalling and back action of the mechanism; to provide a controlling valve mechanism in which there is maximum elimination of mechanical parts and at the same time great simplicity of the air pressure controlling means concomitant with increased smoothness and reliability of action,

Referring now to the embodiment of the invention illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, it is shown applied to a garment pressing machine having a frame comprising a base I and vertical legs or members 2 supporting a horizontal table 3. Mounted upon and projecting upwardly from the table 3 is a pillar or gooseneck 4 on top of which is mounted a lower or stationary pressing buck 5. The embodied means for supporting and actuating the upper or movable pressing buck I0 comprises a lever Il, pivotally mounted at a median point I2 on a pillar I3 which is integral with and extends upwardly from the general frame of the machine. The upper buck I0 is mounted to have resilient and conforming pressure upon the garments being pressed, and so far as concerns the present invention any suitable means for effecting this pressure may be employed. As shown, a knife edge pivotal mounting is furnished by a V-shaped recess I6 formed in the top of the buck into which .projects a narrower V-shaped knife edge projection Il which is fixed on and projects from the outer part of the arm H. The buck I0 is resiliently supported by a plurality of springs I8, I9 and 20, which press the members I6 and I1 yieldingly together, While permitting resilient rocking of the buck Hl. Either or both of the bucks may be supplied with heating means, and as shown the upper buck Il) is so equipped, steam being supplied to the interior thereof by a pipe 2 l. In the embodied form of actuating means for the lever il and the buck lil (Fig. 1), they are held in the elevated or' idle position by suitable resilient means, and from that position they are preliminarily swung downwardly into position closely adjacent to the work, and then the work pressure is exerted on the garments by pneumatically operated mechanism, working against said resilient means. As embodied, the resilient moving means comprises twin tension springs 36 and 3l, which are fixed at their lower end to a yoke 32, which is pivotally mounted at 33 on the machine frame. These springs at their upper ends are fastened to rods 36 and 31, xed to and projecting from a yoke 38, which is pivoted loi at 39 to the lever I I near` the opposite end thereof from the buck I9. These springs maintain the lever and buck resiliently in the elevated or idle position, and automatically return them to that position after the pressing operation is completed.

In the power-operated means for doing the pressing, as embodied, a rod 41 is pivotally connected at its upper end 48 to the end of the arm Il, and its lower end rod 41 is pivotally connected at 5U to a lever 5|. The embodiedrform of actuating means (Figs. 1 and 5) comprises a cylinder operating by air pressure and having- ,the arm to the working position against the action of springs 39 and 3| and are movable in opposite directions, under interposed air pressure to effect the short but heavy pressing movement. As embodied, a cylinder 54 is pivotally suspended at its top end by means of upwardly projecting arms 55 and 56, which are pivotally supported at 51 upon the machine frame. Within cylinder 54 is a lower piston 59, to which is Xed a piston rod 6|), projecting through the bottom head of the cylinder and pivotally connected at 6| to the other end of the lever 5|. Piston rod 6|) is hollow to provide an air conduit into the space between the pistons, as will be later des-cribed. Also within the cylinder 54 is an upper piston 63, to which is fixed a piston rod 64, which projects through the upper head of the cylinder. Piston rod 64 at 65 has a pin-and-slot connection with one end of a lever 66, which is pivotally mounted at 61 upon the machine frame. Pivotally connected to the opposite end of the lever 66 at 68 is a rod 69. The other end of rod 69 is pivotally 4connected at 10 to a bent lever 1|, which is pivotally supported at 12 upon the machine frame, the other end of the lever -being pivotally connected at a median point 13 to the lever 5|. n

The manner of operation of the precedingly described mechanism is substantially as follows:

When the press is idle and the buck l0 is in the elevated position, in which it is resiliently held by the springs 39 and 3|, the pistonsI 59 and 63 are in the upper part of the cylinder 54, as shown at the right in Fig. 5. Air is rst admitted into the top of the cylinder 54 above the pistons, and they are driven downwardly together,

this movement swinging lever 5| about its Divot 13 on lever 1|, and with it the lower end of rod 41. The upper end of rod 41 concurrently rocks about its upper pivot connection 48, and during this movement arm swings counterclockwise about pivot I2, and at the end of this movement buck ID is just above the work resting on buck 5, and rod 41 and lever 5| are in the straightline relation shown in Fig. l. During this joint movement of the two pistons, lever 66 also has been rocked clockwise about its pivot 61, and it in turn has rocked through a very small arc the lever 1|, this movement being substantially idle so far as concerns the operation of the machine. When the mechanism is in this position, the buck I8 is just above the garments resting on the stationary buck 5 and is ready to receive the short movement and heavy pressure required to press the garments. The air pressure is now relieved above the piston 63,and air pressureisintroduced between the twgo pistons throughthe conduit in hollow piston rod 6|). By this pressure piston 59 is held at the 'bottom of the cylinder 54, holding pivot point 6| stationary, and piston 63 is thereby insuring against injury to the operatives hands by the mechanism. This manually actuated valvecontrol primarily brings the arm and the buck I0 to the operative position just above the work, and thereupon air-pressure operated means are automatically called into operation to-put on the powerful pressure for pressing thev garments. Means are incorporated withv the aforesaid mechanism for insuring certain and smooth institution and operation of the automatic mechanism, as will hereinafter be more fully described. As embodied, air pressure is supplied frorn any suitable source to a pressure header 8|. A pipe 82 connects from the header' 8| tov the first of the two series connected manually operated valves, that is, a valve mechanism 83, which is spring-closed and manually opened. The valve has at one end an air chamber 84, into which the pipe 82 connects, the chamber being normally under the air pressure. The valve is double having valve disc 85 admitting pressure to the mechanism and valve 86 normally exhausting to the atmosphere. The valve discs are connected by a rod 81, one end of the rod projecting from the opposite end of the valve casing for manual operation. A spring 88 cooperates with the vair pressure in the chamber 84 to hold the valve 85 normally clo-sed against the air 4pressure-from the header 8|. The air chamber 84 communicates with the air passage 89 when valve 85 is opened by manual actuation by the operative, and by the same movement valve 86 cuts off the exhaust. Each of the manuall controls for opening the valves to let the air pressure into-the machine comprises a lever 90, pivotally` mounted at 9| on the valve casing, the tail end 92 of the lever contacting with the external end of the valve rod 81, so that when the levers 9|) and 95a are pressed by the attendant the air will be passed through the valve to operate the machine. Air passagev 89- in the rst valve 83 connects by a pipe 94 with the air chamber 84a of a second valve 96, which puts` valve 96 in series with lthe valve 83. The two valves are preferably identical instructure and the corresponding parts of valve 96 are indicated by the same reference numerals with exponents a added. When valves 83 and 96 are closed, the air passages 89 and 89a communicate with the atmosphere through vents 93 and 95a. From the air passage 89a the pipe 911conveys the air pressure through flexible pipe 98 into the top end of the cylinder 54. Thus when the hand levers and 99EL are simultaneously pressedr by the operative, the air pressure from the header 8| is admitted above the pistons 63 and 59, moving them downwardly together andswinging the arm' and buck I0 up to the working position, as previously described. l

Referring now to the automatically operated air pressure means for exerting the further powerful pressing action on the garments (Figs. 2 to 5), avalve mechanism is yprovided for 'releasing the air pressure previously exerted above the pistons, and for introducing air pressure between the pistons. As embodied, a valve II is mounted on a bracket I I I mounted on the machine frame. This valve comprises a chamber H2, into. which the compressed air from the header 8| is normally admitted through a pipe H3. Within the chamber is a double valve, having a valve disc 'H4 within chamber H2 and normally closing a port from chamber H2 into an air passage H5. Disc II4 is mounted on a rod IIS, and on the other end of the rod is mounted a valvedisc II1, this disc having an actuating rod or projection I3 eX- tending through and projecting outside the valve casing. A spring H9 is in compression between the Valve disc H4 and a screw-plug |25 which closes the end of the valve. Both the air pressure from pipe H3 and the spring H9 normally hold the valve disc H4 in closed position. A pipe |21 communicates from air passage H5, by means of a flexible pipe |28, to the air passage within the hollow piston rod 60 whereby the air pressure is introduced between the pistons 59 and 53 when valve ||4 is automatically opened by the mechanism just at the end of the movement of the buck I0 up to the work ready to exert the heavy pressure thereon.

The means for actuating valve mechanism I I0 to automatically exert the heavy pressure on the garments is operated by the movement and position of the mechanism which swings arm to bring the buck I into position just over the work lying on the buck 5,.as just described. Means are .likewise pro-vided for insuring certainty in the y operation of the valve mechanism IIIJ, and also devices for holding the pressure on the work until released by the operative. As embodied (Fig. l) an arm is xed to, and extends downwardly from, the lever 66, and the actuating device which engages valve II@ is mounted in the end of the lever |35, the parts being proportioned and positioned `so that the valve will be actuated automatically immediately on the two pistons reaching the bottom of the combined down stroke, at which time the .lever arm |35 is at the extreme left end of its travel in Fig. 1. The arm |35 swings backwardly toward the right during the independent upward movement of the piston 53. The embodied form of valve actuating means v comprises a head |35, integral on the end of the lever arm |35 (Figs. 1 and 4) Within the hollow head |36 is mounted a longitudinally reciprocable pin |31. This pin is urged outwardly, to the left in Fig. 4, by a compression spring |38 coiled about the reduced shank |40 of the pin |31 and in compression between the rear of the pin head an-d the back end of the recess |4| within the head |36. The forward movement of pin |31 is limited by a lock nut |42 screw-threaded on the rear end of the shank I 4t, which projects rearwardly from the back of the head 3B. The spring |38 is more powerful than the spring I I9 plus the force of the air pressure on disc I i4 (Fig. 2) so as to provide sunicient yielding pressure to readily and quickly open the valve at IM and close it at H1.

The holding means for effecting delayed or continued pressure on the Work, as embodied, operates by the air pressure. As so embodied (Figs.

42i, 3, and 4), a bent lever |48 is pivoted at |49 on a bracket |58, which is fixed to and projects from the valve casing. 'I'he head |5| of the lever arm rests against the projecting end H8 of the valve stem. In the opposite end of bent lever |48 is mounted a screw-threaded pin I 54, the

inner end of which abuts against the outer end of a pin mounted to move longitudinally in a boss |56 in the casing |51 of the auxiliary holding valve. The inner rounded head of pin |55 abuts against a diaphragm |58, mounted within the chamber |59 to form an air-tight partition. A port |60 communicates between the valve chamber' |59 and the air passage H5 previously described. To further insure certainty and smoothness of action, and to guard against possible play or variation in, the movement of the parts, as embodied, an air-actuated interponent mechanism is provided whereby a movable member is interposed between the head |5I of the bent lever |48 and the actuating pin |31 of the lever arm |35. In said mechanism, as embodied, a valve casing |54 is mounted upon or integral with the structure of the Valve HD. Within the chamber |85 of this valve is a diaphragm |65, forming an air-tight partition within the chamber. Reciprocably mounted in the valve casing is a pin |61, having a rounded head |68 resting against the diaphragm |55, the shank of the pin extending outside the valve casing. A coiled spring |69 is in compression between the back of the head of the pin and the valve casing to hold the pin lightly to the diaphragm. Pivotally mounted at |1| to the outer end of pin |61, exteriorly of the valve casing is a block-like interponent |12, this interponent being movably mounted within and supported by a rectangular, apertured frame |13, mounted on and projecting from the valve casing. The rear part of chamber behind the diaphragm |66, communicates by a pipe |14 with the air pressure pipe 91 previously described herein.

The manner of operation of the precedingly described actuating and holding mechanism is substantially as follows:

To direct the air pressure between the pistons to automatically impart the heavy pressure to the work: This is done by actuating double valve H4, H1. When the valve handles 80 and 9GB are manually actuated, the air passing through pipes 91 and 88, drives both pistons 58 and '53 downwardly together, thereby swinging arm II in the counter-clockwise direction and bringing the buck I just above the work, and during this movement lever 66 and arm |35 swing in clockwise,

direction. During this movement of the pistons, the air pressure also passes from pipe 91 through pipe |14, and the resultant pressure in valve chamber |65 moves interponent |12 outwardly into alinement with the head I5| of lever |48, that is, from the position of Fig. 3 to that of Fig. 4. Just as lever I 35 reaches the end of its clockwise movement just described, pin |31 engages the back of the pivoted interponent |12, and with strong yielding pressure moves the double valve H4, H1 to the left in Fig. 2. This opens the port at H4, letting the air pressure into pipe |21, and closes the port at I I1, shutting of the exhaust. Thus the air pressure from pipe |I3 passes through chamber H5, pipe |21, and hollow piston rod 6U to move piston E2 upwardly, while piston 5S is held at the bottom of the cylinder, as already described.

To automatically hold the heavy pressure on the work until manually released by the oper-ator: Immediately on the opening of valve H4, as previously described, the permanent maintained air pressure from the header 8| passes through the port |69 into air chamber |59, whereupon diaphr-agm |58 projects pinv |55, and arm |48 holds the double valve H4, ||1 in the open posivtion until the air pressure in chamber |59 is manually released by the operative as later described. 'I'his manual release of the air pressure from the holding mechanism comprises a valve chamber I8I, communicating by a pipe |82 with a port on the pressure side of the air chamber |59. Valve chamber I8| is provided with a disc |83 normally pressed by spring |84 to close a port |85 which communicates with the atmosphere. The stem |88 of the valve .|83 projects from the casing, and a pivoted handle |81 is mounted on the casing, and when swung by the operator opens the valve |83 and relieves the air pressure from the chamber |59. Thereupon spring ||9 closes valve ||4 and opens Valve ||1, and connects pipe |21 with exhaust pipe |9I, thereby relieving the pressure between the cylinders, and permitting the springs 30 and 3| to swing the arm clockwise back to the open or idle position.

In Figs. 6 and 7 a diierent form of valve mechanism for exerting and controlling the final pressing movement is` shown. 'I'he structural features of this valve are very simple, comprising only a few substantially rectangular plates and blocks which may be readily cored or machined from the exterior and which require relatively little work of either kind. The valve has no external movable parts, and is assembled by bolting the plates and block together, as by screw-bolts |99. In the body or block 200 is formed an air chamber which communicates by a pipe 202 with the operative-controlled air valves 90 and 90a, as by the pipe 202, which is the same as the pipe |14. Air chamber 20| communicates by an air passage 203 with an air chamber 204, having an exhaust port 239. A double valve has a disc 201, controlling the port between chamber 20| and air passage 203, and a valve disc 209, controlling the port between air passage 203 and an air chamber 204, the two valve discs being carried on a rod 208 to move together. A coiled spring 2I0 acts to normally hold valve 201 closed and valve 209 open. This double valve has an actuating pin 2|3 projecting from the rear of valve disc 209, and projecting through the wall of the valve casing, and this projecting end is engagedy by the'pin |31 to operate the valve.

Another air chamber 2 I9 is formed in the rear part of the valve block and communicates by an air passage 220 with an air chamber 22|. A double valve has a valve disc 222 which controls the port between the chamber 2|9 and passage 220, and a valve disc 224 which controls the port between. the passage 220 and an air chamber 22 I the discs being connected by a rod 223. A coiled spring 225 normally holds valve 222 closed and valve 224 open. A diaphragm 23| constitutes the outer wall of the air chamber 22|, and on the outside of this diaphragm is an air chamber 232, the other wall of which is a diaphragm 233, and outside the diaphragm 233 and between it and the outer casing of the valve structure is an air chamber 234. A spacing device 235 is interposed between the diaphragms 23| and 233 to maintain them in spaced-apart relation and to communicate pressure and movement from one to the other.

Air chamber 204 has an exhaust port 239, and an air passage 240 communicates between air passage 203 and air chamber 232. An air pipe communicates between the pressure header 8| and air chamber 2| 9, and corresponds to air pipe |I3 previously described and bears the same numeral. An air pipe communicates between air passage 220 and the hollow piston rod 80, and has the same function as pipe I 21 previously described and'b'ears the same number.4 An air passage 243 communicates between air passage 220 and chamber 234. An exhaust port from air chamber 234 connects into pipe |9|. The valve rod 223 at its right-hand end has a rounded projection, making a socket fit within a hollow plate 245, mounted on the diaphragm 23|, whereby pressure against the diaphragm will open valve 220 and close Valve 224 against spring 225.

The operation of the mechanism just described is substantially as follows:

When the air pressure is admitted by the manually operated valves 90 and 90a, air chamber 20| is put under pressure at the same time that the air pressure through pipe 98 drives both pistons downwardly together to swing arm I tobring the pressing buck I0 to the work. At the end of this movement, pin |31 engages head 2|3, pushes it inwardly, and thereby closes valve 209 and opens lvalve 201. 'Ihe air pressure, passing through passage 203 and port 240, enters chamber 232, and by moving diaphragm 23| to the left closes valve 224 and opens valve 222. This admits the air pressure from the header 8| through pipe ||3 into passage 220, and also through passage 243 into air chamber 234, and diaphragm 233 is therefore moved to the left and placed under pressure to hold valve 222 open. Pin |31 in the meantime has receded from the head 2|3, and valve 201 has closed and valve 209 has opened, and air chamber 233 is exhausted to the atmosphere through port 239. The pressure in chamber 234 will be maintained andv will hold valve 222 open and valve 224 closed until the pressure in pipe |21 and chamber |34 is released by the operative tripping the valve |83.

That is, the heavy pressure will be maintained on the work until the operative trips'valve |83.

Means are provided in accordance with one feature of the invention for operating two pressing machines in tandem, and such an arrangement is .shown diagrammatically in Fig. 5. When the machines are operated separately, the` valves and 252 are closed, and where one machine is operating independently there will be no pipe connections between the two machines. 'I'he automatic control for the two machines, as em-l bodied, comprises a valve 254, which communicates by a pipe 259 with the air pressure pipe 91 which is controlled by the manually-operated valves 90 and 90a. The valve 254 has a diaphragm 2482, the air pressure form pipe 259 acting on the diaphragm within a chamber 263. In contact with the opposite side of diaphragm 282 is the stem 264 of a valve 265, which valve controls an exhaust port opening from the air chamber 288. A spring 281 normally holds the valve 285 closed, except when pressure is admitted to chamber 283 to open the exhaust valve against the pressure of the spring 281. Chamber 288 communicates by a pipe 288 with the pipe |82 (previously described) which is in the exhaust line between the pressure chamber |59 of the valve mechanism shown in Figs. 21, and 3., and the operative-actuated release valve |83. When the machines are operated in tandem, and the valve handles 90 and 90ab are actuated to open the valves to put the pressure for the initial stroke on the left-hand press, the air pressure through pipe 259 will open the exhaust valve 285 and take the holding pressure off the other press; and in like manner when the lvalve handles 90c and 90cl are operated to put the heavy pressure on the right-hand press, the holding pressure will be relieved on the other press.

The invention in its broader aspects is not' limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described, but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and Without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What I claim is:

1. In a garment pressing mechanism having a pair of cooperating pressing bucks, at least one of saidpressing bucks lbeing movable to and fro between the work pressing position and an idle position, a mechanism including a plurality of levers, a cylinder having two independently movable pistons, means for moving the pistons together and separately and separate connections from the pistons to said levers for moving a pressing buck to and from the work pressing position and for exerting heavy pressure on the work, valve mechanism for supplying fluid pressure to said mechanism to move said pressing buck to the work pressing position, valve mechanism operating automatically to apply fluid pressure to said mechanism to press the buck heavily against the work, means supplied with fluid pressure by the opening oi said last-mentioned valve mechanism and operating automatically to maintain fluid pressure to hold the heavy pressure again the work, manually operated valve mechanism for releasing the pressure on the work, and means for moving said pressing buck away from the work pressing position to the idle position.

2. In a garment pressing mechanism, a pair of bucks, means including a multiple piston cylinder for bringing one of the bucks to the Work, an air supply therefor including an automatically closable' valve and Workman-operated means for opening the valve, and means including an air supply to effect heavy pressure upon the work and a valve therefore operated by the mechanism, and fluid pressure means operating to hold said Valve open to continue the heavy pressure on the Work.

3. In a garment pressing mechanism, in combination a pair of pressing elements, one of said elements being movable, means for moving one of said pressing elements, including a cylinder having two pistons and connections therefrom to said pressing element, the connections from one piston moving said pressing element to and from the Work,the connections from said other piston acting through said first-mentioned connections to press. said pressing element heavily on the work, said connections comprising a medianly pivoted lever connected at one end to a piston rod and devices connected to the other end of said lever for eifecting said heavy pressure.

4. In a system of garment presses comprising first and second presses, the combination of control means for operating said presses by fluid pressure comprising separate fluid-pressure means for the first and second presses to impart closing and heavy ironing pressure movements separately to the respective presses, separate operative-actuated means including control valves to control the admission of fluid pressure separately to said fluid-pressure means for each press, separate means on the rst and on the second presses respectively for holding the heavy ironing pressure thereon, said holding means being operated automatically by valves actuated by the movement of its respective press, each press having a separate fluid-pressure release Valve for releasing said holding pressure, and a connection between the uuid-pressure control valve for the nrst press and the release valve for the second press to automatically operate said release valve to open the press by the turning on of the fluid pressure for closing the rst press, and a connection between the fluid pressure control valve for the second press and the release Valve for the first press to automatically operate the release valve for the rst press to open the press by the turning on of the fluid pressure for closing the second press, whereby one press is released of ironing pressure as closing pressure is applied to the other press.

5. In a garment pressing mechanism having stationary and movable pressing elements, a fluid actuated member for forcing said movable Dressing element heavily against the work on said stationary element, a valve for admitting uid pressure to actuate said member, a second valve, means comprising a pressure operated pivoted arm adapted to be operated automatically by the admission of fluid pressure through said valve to open said second valve to maintain uid pressure upon said actuating member and thereby to maintain the heavy pressure upon the Work.

BRUNO' C. LECHLER.

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