US2271146A - Steam garment finisher set - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 27, 1942. P. E. NORRIS I STEAM GARMENT FINISHER SET Filed Jan. 5, 1940 Patented Jan. 27, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STEAM GARMENT FINISHER SET Perry E. Norris, Chicago, Ill. Application January 5, 1940, Serial No. 312,538

1 1 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for steam finishing garments and pressing the same at the time of manufacturing or after cleaning and also to assist in the process of steam cleaning or dry cleaning such garments, with other. and further objects and purposes in view, as follows:

The primary purpose of the steam garment finisher set, comprising my invention is to pro, vide a head having steam chambers inside the casing or shell of a finisher head, whereby the steam under pressure is held in a chamber or multiplicity of chambers and combining therewith a chamber having suitable perforations leading through the outer shell thereof from a vapor chamber, and to provide more or less dry vapor or wet steam as may be necessary to heat and finish the material of a garment, according to the requirements as to the degree of dry heat or moisture essential to the proper treatment and shaping of the garment.

Another object is to provide a readily accessible adjustable needle valve assembly to permit the entry of any desired amount of steam into the vapor chamber and to control the condition of dryness as Well as the amount of steam and moisture passing from the steam pressure chamber into the steam vapor chamber, and provide such assembly in a single readily replaceable unit.

A still further object is to include with the steam garment finisher set one or more finisher heads combining the elements of the set, wherewith a control is provided, cooperable with pressure exerted against the head or heads to allow more or less steam to pass through the finisher, as may be desired, according to the amount of pressure exerted against the head by the operator when pressing the material of the garment against the finisher body, and also to provide more or less moisture, according to the condition, kind or quality of the garment material.

Other and further objects and purposes will appear during the progress of the description, as

illustrated by the drawing, which, it is specifically understood, is for the purpose of illustration only, as the design of my invention may be changed to meet the contingencies of reduction to practice within the scope of what is claimed.

Of the drawing: I

Fig. l is a longitudinal section of an egg form finisher head, illustrating in detail the internal structural formv and mechanism.

- Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional detail of. an

auxiliary manual and spring operated steam valve control, for use as part of the set.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of a clamping device to hold valve as of Fig. 2 open.

Fig. 4 represents a fragmentary portion of a head shown in longitudinal section illustrating a push button control.

Like numerals and characters indicate like parts throughout the drawing and character letters combined with any numeral indicates deviations in the design of similar parts.

The steam garment finisher set, as illustrated, consists of a head as of Fig. 1, a control valve as of Figs. 2 and 3, as follows:

The setup for the installation of the steam finisher, set consists of steam supply means for the following mechanical structure consisting of the finisher head substantially the same as that illustrated by Fig. '1 which consists of a hollow body I,,having an inlet port 2, adapted tobe mounted on an upright steam feed pipe, a transverse partition 4 dividing said hollow body I into a steam pressure chamber 3 having an inlet 2, a vapor chamber 5 being formed onthe upper side of partition or floor 4, a multiplicity of small perforations P (preferably of a size about No, 55 drill being used) communicating with the atmosphere are disposed through the upper shell of chamber 5. A supporting pillar is provided in the chamber 5 between the par tition 4 and the inner side of the upper shell of body I, to prevent thepartition 4 from bulging because'of pressure in the steam chamber 3. A multiplicity of these pillars may be provided in the larger size heads for the purpose of reinforcement. A needle valve assembly is provided and consists of a unit which is a hollow studfl disposed through the top of the finisher head body I and through the chamber 5 and is threaded into the partition 4 also entering steam pressure chamber 3. The bore of stud I is threaded internally to receive a needle valve adjusting screw 8, the pointed end of which projects into steam passage 9 of sleeve 1 which has vents l0 communicating with chamber 5 from chamber 3.

The steam under pressure in chamber 3 passes through passage 9 intosteam vapor chamber 5, whence the vapor passes out through perforations P, the heat transmitted through partition 4 from chamber 3 tends to dry out the slight amount of steam usually permitted to pass into the steam vapor chamber 5. This steam heat serves to prevent the condensation of moistureas long as sufficient live steam under pressure is in the chamber 3; thus a limited volume of steam,

being permitted to enter the chamber the vapor exuding fromthe perforations P will be comparatively dry when used. In case of any condensation a sump S is disposed lower than the floor formed by partition 4 and a drain D is provided for any water of condensation to spot moisten material placed thereunder if desired.

Where it is desirable to have steam in greater volume issuing through perforations P, a manual pressure operated valve II is provided, as per Fig. 2, consisting of a suitably threaded tubular coupler shank I2 with a hexagon shoulder H having a tubular piston I3 extending downwardly into a cylinder It, the lower end of the piston I3 is provided with a perforated head l9- having a thin expansible pressure sealing lip I5 made of any suitable material and which projects forwardly of the peripheral margin of pis-- ton head l9 and is adapted to act as a stop against the lower end of the cylinder IE to limit the downward movement of piston 13 as well as to provide sealing means against the by-passing of steam around piston I3, said piston extends into cylinder I6, which has an extended external hexagonal flange E around the female threaded base I I and which provides a seat for a. coil spring I8 disposed upwardly against shoulder H. A-hollow screw 2| having a head 22 which provides a valve member across port 2!! and is threaded through the head I4 of piston I3 and also acts as an assembly screw to hold the piston I3 in assembled relationship with the cylinder IS.

A casing I of the head as of Fig. l, which has valve assembly II combined therewith, functions 'as follows:Pressure against head I causes the piston I3 to be depressed, moving valve 2-2 to open port and permit the passage of more or less steam into pressure chamber 3, depending upon the amount of pressure exerted on top of the head I by the operator. The needle-valve 8 may be adjusted to meet any need while using the valve II or the needle valve assembly may be entirely removed and the hole in the outer shell through which the assembly is disposed may be plugged.

If less steam is desired than when the piston I3 is depressed, the screw 2| in the valve II is provided with passage 24 through the center thereof which is open at all times; desired to maintain a hotter head than would be possible if the chamber 3- was only permitted to receive steam at such times as the valve II was open, as would be the case if no passage were provided through the screw 2!, to permit a restricted but constant supply of steam to enter the chambers in the body of the head, a pin 25 is shown inserted through *the passage 24 and which may be removed to permit the passage of more steam as desired.

It will, therefore, be seen that if the valve- II is held wide open the head will be hot and more volume of steam delivered but if standing normally the head will be cooler and the vapor rising therefrom will be supplied via passage 24: only.

The structure of the valve assembly 26 illus trated by Fig. 4, consists of a sleeve 21 inserted through the top of body I. The sleeve 2! is shown to rest upon the top of partition 4 to which it is held by assembly screw I which has a passage a9 therethrough, another hollow screw I 29 being slidably disposed through and having a flange resting against the inwardly flanged upper-end of sleeve 2T; a button 26 being threadedly attached to the upper end of hollow screw Where it is 29 which is internally threaded and has an adjustable needle valve a8 disposed therethrough, 'so that when the head I is under steam pressure and the button 26 is depressed, the flow of steam from pressure chamber 3 is cut off by the seating of the end of needle valve a8 into passage a9. This efiect is desirable where a completely dry finisher head is required, after steaming a garment on said head, or some other head of the set during the finishing process. The stud screw a1 serves the same purpose as the stud I of Fig. 1.

The steam garment finisher set generically includes the combination of Fig. 2 with Fig. 4, the sub-combinations consist of 1. The combination as shown in Fig. 1.

2. The combination of Figs. 1 and 2.

3. The combination as of Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

4. The combination as of Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, wherein the forked clevis device is engaged below the flange E and above the flange H compressing the spring 18 tohold a valve member 2| away from the seat 20- and allow a large volume of steam to enter the chamber 3 of the valve head I.

Having described the objects, purposes, struc-'- ture and operationof the steam garment finisher set, constituting my invention, so as to enable those versed in the art to make and use the same, I claim:

1 A steam garment finisher head comprising 'a hollow body portion, an inlet for steam disposed at the under side of said body portion and contiguous with a steam pressure chamber, a floor-like partition across'the hollow in said body andforming the floor of a secondsteam vapor chamber disposed on the opposite side of said partition, the outer Wall of said body comprising a shell surrounding the last named chamber and being perforated to permit. the egress of steam, a needle valve assembly comprising a sleeve dis posed through the outer shell of said body and through said last named chamber and into said partition and having a passage leading from said steam pressure chamber through the end of said sleeve and into the second named chamber, an adjustable needle valve disposed in said sleeve and registering with said passage to regulate the flow of steam through said passage, said head adapted to couple onto a steam control valve attached between. said head and a supporting'steam supply line, said control valve being capable of operation by pressure: exerted by material being pressed. against the; head for finishing.

2. A steam garment. finisher comprising a casing having a steam inlet] communicating with a first chamber and 'a floor-like partitionforming a second chamber, a needle valve assembly including a stud having a. passage therethrough and. carrying an adjustable needlevalve register ing with a port forming a part of said passage communicating with saidfirst chamber, said needle valve assembly unit disposed in axial alinement with openings through the outer shell of the casing. and'saidpartition, being threadedly secured into said partition, the casing forming said second chamber beingperforated to provide egress for steam, said second chamber being provided with a sump-for water of condensation, said sump lying belowthe floorlevel formed by said partition, said needle valve assembly forming a unit removable from the outer side of the head in its entirety for replacement.

3. A steam garmentfinisher as of claim 2 having a drain opening for ea-id sump providing means to dry out steam in the second chamber and utilize water of condensation to spot moisten material placed across said drain.

4. A steam garment finisher as of claim 2, the needle valve assembly being disposed in line with the inlet opening and removable through the inlet.

5. For combination with a steam finisher head of the kind described, a steam valve unit comprising an inlet and an outlet, said outlet adapted to screw into the head of the steam finisher, the inlet adapted to be attached to a steam supply line, said inlet being extended to form a cylinder having a head disposed towards said inlet, a port through said head, a valve member inserted through said port and threadedly attached unitary to a piston forming an extension of said outlet, the head of said valve member seating in said port, the head of said piston being perforated to allow steam to pass through said outlet,

said valve member having a passage there'- through to permit steam to enter said outlet when said valve member is seated across said port in said cylinder head, the inlet end and the outlet end of said steam valve unit being flanged, a compression spring surrounding the external side of said cylinder and being held in operative position by the flanges,- said inlet and outlet being movable toward one another to permit the egress of steam through said outlet, the passage through said valve member being open at all times.

6. A valve device as of claim including a pin through the passage extending through the valve member.

7. The combination in a steam finisher head of a valve operating unit comprising a stud threadedly inserted through a partition dividing said head into two chambers and consisting of a sleeve threaded over the end of the stud projecting into one chamber, said sleeve having an inwardly projecting flange, said sleeve having ports leading therethrough into said chamber, said stud having a passage communicating with said ports, a sleeve disposed through the opening formed by the flange of the first-named sleeve and being connected with an operating button slidably disposed and protruding through and above the upper outer surface of said steam finisher head, the second sleeve being internally threaded and having a needle valve disposed therethrough and adapted to adjust the amount of steam flowing through the passage in saidstud, said stud projecting into both chambers and being removable from either chamber, said button operable by the pressure of material being pressed across the upper face of said finisher head.

8. A sub-combination of the steam garment finisher set including a steam valve unit as of claim 6 whereby a limited continuous flow of steam is permitted to flow into a garment finisher head, said head having a steam pressure chamber, a partition and a steam vapor chamber, a needle valve assembly extending through said last named chamber and into the first named chamber, and providing adjustment means to limit the flow of steam between the first and second chamber.

9. A steam garment finisher head as of claim 7 and combining therewith a steam valve unit comprising an inlet and outlet, said outlet adapted to screw into the head of the steam finisher, the inlet adapted to be attached to a steam supply line, said inlet being extended to form a cylinder having a head disposed towards said inlet, a port through said head, a valve member inserted through said port and threadedly attached unitary to a piston formingan extension of said outlet, the head of said valve member seatin in said port, the head of said piston being perforated to allow steam to pass through said outlet, said valve member having a passage there through to permit steam to. enter said outlet when said valve member is seated across said port in said cylinder head, the inlet end and the outlet end of said steam valve unit being flanged, a compression spring surrounding the external side of said cylinder and being held in operative position by the flanges, said inlet and outlet being movable toward one another to permit the egress of steam through said outlet, the passage through said valve member being open at all times.

10. A sub-combination as of claim 5 including a clamping device having oppositely disposed prongs for engagement with the flange surrounding the inlet and the flange surrounding the outlet, said prongs straddling the opposite sides of the two flanges and compressing the described spring thereby holding the valve unit in open position.

11. A sub-combination including a steam garment finisher head as of claim 1 and a valve capable of being attached to said head, said valve having means combined therewith movable by pressure exerted around said head to open said valve, said valve adapted to close automatically when pressure on the head is released.

PERRY E. NORRIS.

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