US2313824A - Garment pressing machine - Google Patents

Description

March 16, 1943. w. A, HGCH v I GARMENT PRESSING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 31, 19:59

INVENTOR. 'm a/ rfl H064 A rQRNEys March--16, 1943. w. A. H H

GARMENT PRESSING mcnnw Filed Au 31, 1939 a snets-sheet- 2 k E m ATTORNEYS MACHINE No.2.

MACHINE 1110.1.

March 16, 1943 w. A. HOCH 2,313,324

v GARMENT PRESSING MACHINE Filed Aug. 31, 1939 s Sheets-sheaf s ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 16,1943

GARMENT PRESSING MACHINE;

Walter A. Hoch, Forest Hills, N. Y., assignor to New York Pressing Iron Co. Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Xork Application August 31, 1939, Serial No. 292,761

6 Claims.

' My invention relates to a new and improved pressing machine.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a power-actuated machine for pressing garments, having an improved two-hand control and improved means for holding the press closed under pressure, if the two-hand control is released after thepress-head has moved a predetermined distance towards the buck.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pressing machine which is operated by a suitable motor, such as a piston and cylinder, and having improved means which are wholly independent of a by-pass valve or valves for maintaining thepressure, after the head of the press has been substantially or wholly? closed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of this type, wholly independent of a toy-pass valve or valves, whereby the machine will be opened if the operator releases one or both of-the manual controls, before the machine has been substantially or wholly closed. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of this type having improved exhaust means for opening the press, after the pressing operation has been completed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine having a minimum number of parts and which will be simple to construct and to operate.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved control system whereby one operator may operate'a single press or operate a plurality of presses.

' Other objects of my invention will be set forth the press shown in Fig. 1, and certain auxiliary parts, taken'alonga line which is'perpendicular toithe arrow 'whichiis designated by 2 in 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the table of the press, taken along the line 3- 3 of Fig. l. 1

FigMl' is a diagrammatic view of the control system which is us'edin connection with the press which'is illustrated in Fig. 1.

nected an: to the'link l0.

' in Fig.2,

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the improved control system, as applied to two presses which are operated in tandem.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the table of the tandem-operated presses, according to the first embodiment.

The invention is shown as applied to a press of conventional construction and it is not limited to any particular type of press. The press has a frame I, a buck 2, a head 3 and a table 4. The head. 3 is connected to a pivoted frame which includes an arm 5. Said arm 5 is pivotally connected at 6, intermediate its ends, to the frame of the machine. The'pivoted frame of the head 3 also includes an arm 1, which is rigid with said frame. The arm 5 has a boss 8. The arm 7 is pivotally connected at 9 to a link III which is pivotally connected at I I to a sector l2. The sector or knee lever I2 is pivotally connected at I! to a second sector or knee lever 18. The second sector 13 is pivotally connected at 19 to a link 20, which is pivotally connected at 2| to the frame of the machine. The first sector I2 is pivotally connected at I4 to a link 15 whichis pivotally connected at 16 to the base of, the frame I In Fig. 1, the full-line positions of the links it and 20 correspond to the closed position of the press and the broken-line position of the sector 18 corresponds to the open position of the press. r a

The tension spring 22 has one end connected to a hook 23 which is rigidly connected to the frame I. The other end of said tension spring 22 is con- 22 merely serves to open the press when the exhaust is opened. The tension spring 22 can be connected to any oi the moving parts of the press. The. .left-handend of the spring22 can be connected to the base of the frame at it. The sector i8 is also pivotally connected to atransverse rod 25 which is located within a clevis 2 6, which is rigidly connected to the piston rod 21. ,Thepiston rod 21 is connected to a piston 28,, which reciprocates in a cylinder 29. The clevis 26, is-

guided between stationary guides .30 which are rigidly connected to the frame of the machine. Tension springs 31 and 3m normally keepthe piston in its retracted position, which is shown in broken lines in Fig. 1, and which corresponds to the'op'en position of the press. Each of said springs 3| and 31a has one end thereof fixed to a respective lug of cylinder 29, and its other end connected'toa respectiveend of rod 25, as shown The tension spring Referring to Fig. 4, this shows an inlet pipe 32 which may be connected to a suitable source of fluid under pressure. This fiuid is preferably air. Th pipe 32' has an extension 33 which is connected to a first valve-casing 34. This casvalve 311) abuts its seat and it prevents the compressed air from passing into the pipe 35, and the valve 31a clears its seat so that air can exhaust freely from the valve-casing 34, above the seat of valve 31b. The valve-casing 36 is provided with a valve-stem 38 which has valves 38a and 38b. Said valve-casing 36, alsohas a spring 39a.

tion shown in Fig. 4, so as to prevent the air from exhausting out of valve-casing 68a. The force of the compression spring 58 is greater than the force of the compression spring 63, so that the valve 62 is normally held away from its seat, in the position shown in Fig. 4.

When the valve 62 is in said normal position,

' .air can exhaust out of the valve-casing 68a through the outlet 6| b. When the lever 48 is The valve- casings 34 and 36 and their respec- V tive valves and controls are identical. The valvecasing 36 has-an outlet pipe 48. In the normal positions of the valves 38a and 386, the valve 38?) prevents the compressed .air from passing through the valve-casing 36 to the pipe 48.

In said normal position the valve 38a clears its seat so that air can exhaust freely from the valve-casing 36 through the outlet 36a, above the seat of valve 38b. The valve stems 31 and 38 are provided with any suitable and separate controls. These controls may be manually controlled levers 4| and 42 which are respectively pivotally mounted at 4 la, 42a. These levers may be turned by means of push buttons 43, 43a.

. Since the casings 34 and 36 and their respective valves are located in series, it is necessary to de-' is in the full-line position shown in Fig. 4. The

lever 48 is maintained in said normal position by means of a compression spring 58. The outlet end of the pipe 48 is connected to a valve-casing 5|. A valve 52, having a spindle 53, is located in said casing 5|. The spindle 53 is connected to an actuating piston 54.

A compression spring 55 maintains the piston 54 in the normal position shown in Fig. 4, in which valve 52 clearsits seat. The valve-casing 54 is connected by means of a pipe 56 to the cylinder 29, intermediate the ends of said cylinder.

The port 56a of the pipe 56 is spaced from the median lateral planeof the cylinder 29. The valve-casing 5| is connected to a pipe 51. pipe 5'lis connected to pipes 58 and 59, through a coupling 68. .The inner wall of said coupling 68is provided with an annular projection 6| so as to form a constricted opening. This con.- stricted opening may be formed in any other manner and its purpose is to retard the flow of the air through the pipe 51. The cross-sectional area of said'co'nstricted opening is less than the respective cross-sectional areas of the bores of the pipes 51, 58 and59, and said pipes 51, 58 and Said turned to the broken-line position, the valve' 62 is moved against its seat so as to prevent the air from exhausting through the outlet 6"). 'The pipe 59 is also connected, through a coupling 64 (also having a constricted bore portion) to a valve-casing 65. The constricted bore portions of couplings 68, 64, and 18 are of identical area, and said couplings are generally the same in all respects. Said valve-casing 65 has avalve 66, which is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 4, by means of a compressionspring 61, so that valve 66 normally abuts its seat. Hence the compressed air'cannot flow through the valve-casing 65, until the lever 48 has been moved to its broken-line position- When this is done, the valve 66 is moved away from its seat so that communication is established between the pipe 59 and the branch pipe 32a of the inlet'pipe 32.

The pipe 5 is also connected to a branch pipe 68, which is connected to a pipe 69 by means of a coupling 18. The pipe 69 is connected to the valve-casing H of a second pilot-motor, in which a second pilot piston 12 is located. A compression spring '13 holds the second piston 12 in the normal position shown in Fig. 4. One end of the spindle Had the piston 12- then abuts the upper 7 wall of the lever 48. The pipe 69 is'also con-,

nected to a branch pipe 14, which is connected to the valve-casing 15 of the manually controlled exhaust valve 11. Said valve-casing 15 has an exhaust outlet 76. A compression spring 18 holds valve 11 against its seat in thenormal position shown in Fig. '4, thus normally preventing the air from exhausting from the valve-casing 15. The valve 11 can be depressed so as to clear its seat and to permit the air to exhaust out of the valve-casing .15, by means of a manually controlled lever 19, which is pivotally mounted at 88.

piston 46. The first pilot piston 46 is thus automatically depressed so as to turn the lever 48 to its broken-line position, and the spring 63 raises the valve 62,so asto. prevent'th'e air from exhausting through theoutlet 6 lb; Thisqoperation is performed very rapidly, so as to prevent any substantial, loss of compressed air.,.-Whi1e the -air is flowing through the-pipe 44, it is also flowing through the pipe 40 into the casing and out of casing 5| through the pipe 51; Of course, when the valve-spindles 31 and 38 are manually depressed, their respective valves 31a' and 38a abut their respective seats in the valvecasings 34 and 36, in order to prevent the air from exhausting through the outlets 34a and 36a.

The constriction which is provided by the coupling 68 retards the flow of airinto the pipe 59. Hence the first pilot piston 46 is operated so as to turn lever 48 to its broken-line position, thus permitting spring 63 to move the valve 62 against its seat, before there is any substantial flow'of compressed air into the cylinder 29, and before any substantial movement of the motorpiston 28.

Some of the compressed air flows through the pipe 68 into the casing H, this flow of the air being retarded by the coupling 18. The second pilot-piston 12 is therefore operated almost simultaneous'ly with or shortly after the first pilotpiston 46, and the spindles of both pilot-pistons I2 and 46 therefore maintain the lever 48 in its broken line position, thus moving valve 66 away from its seat. The compressed air can therefore flow from branch pipe 320 into the pipe 59, to the port 59a of the cylinder 29. The piston 28 is thus operated at regulated speed, so as to close the press. The operator must maintain the buttons 43 and 43a. in their depressed and operative positions until the piston 28 has passed beyond and cleared'the port 56a of the pipe 56, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 4.

If the operator releases one of the control'buttons 43 and 43a before the piston has reached said broken-line position, the valves of the casings 34 and 36, or one of said valves, are moved back to the normal position shown in Fig. 4. The air will therefore exhaust out of the valve-casing 34or 36, whose control button has been released. This exhaust is very rapid throughpipe 44 and the compression spring 41 will therefore rapidly move the piston 46 back to its normal position, and the spring 58 will rapidly move the lever 48 back to its normal position, thus moving the valve 62 away from its seat and permitting the air to exhaust out of the casing 60a. The air can also exhaust out of the casing H through the pipes 69, 68, 5'1, the valve-casing 5i and the pipe 40 and through one of the valve- casings 34 and 36, if one or both buttons 43 and 43a is released.

The tension springs 22, 3| and3la, will then operate to open the press.

: As soon as the piston 28 has moved to the broken-line position shown in Fig. 4, the compressed air flows through the pipe 56 to the valvecasing 5!, thus actuating'the piston 54 and moving the valve 52 against its seat. The supply of compressed air to the cylinder 29 through the pipe 40 is then cut off but the air pressure is continued through the pipe 32a, the valve-casing 65and the pipe 59. The pipes and 32 are respectively inlet pipes which supply fluid under pressure to thecylinder 29atthe inlet of said cylinder 29, through respective intermediateconnecting means. The compressed air or other fluid which is thus supplied may be designated as motive fluid, as it operates the piston 28. The pressis thereupon either maintained in the closed position or it is moved slowly to final closing position. For example,the pistons 12,54'and the like can be replaced by diaphragms. Whenever I refer to means in the claims, said designation includes one device or a plurality of devices. The speed of movement of the piston 28 isregulated by the needle valve N, which regulates the now of air out of the front end of the cylinder 29.

, Thereforeall by-pass valves and mechanical means for operating the same are wholly eliminated, because the air is supplied to the motor cylinder 29 immediately through two branch lines when the control buttons are actuated, and

air pressure is maintained through one of said .b-ranch lines, even when the control buttons are released, if the distance of head 3 from buck 2 is less than a predetermined distance. When the control buttons 43 and 43a are released, after the piston 28 has reached its broken-line position, the air can exhaust out of the casing 46, but itcannot exhaust out of the casing H as long as valve 71 abuts its seat, so that the piston 12 maintainsthe lever 48 in its broken-line position so that the valve 62 is held in its closed position by 'spring 63.

After the completion of the desired pressing period, the operator actuates the lever 19 so asito depress the valve 11. The compressed air which is located in the casing 1| above the piston 12 can then exhaust through the outlet 16 of the casing 15. Both branch lines are thereupon exhausted, so that the opening spring or springs 22 and 3| and 3la can then open the press.

The system shown in Fig. 5 is the same in principle as that shown in Fig. 4. Similar parts havethere'fore been designated by the same reference numerals in Figs. 4 and 5. For example, Fig. 5 shows two pairs of control buttons43 and 43a, one pair for each machine.

The exhaust lever 8| of Fig. 5, which has the same function as exhaust lever 19 of Fig. 4, controls the exhaust of machine No. 2. The exhaust lever82 of Fig. 5 controls the exhaust of machine No. 1. The exhaust lever 83 also controls the exhaust of machine No. 2. The casing which is associated with exhaust lever 83 is connected to pipe 68, by means of an intermediate pipe 85, so that the casin H of machine No. 1 is connected by means of said pipe 85 to the casing which is associated with exhaust lever 83. In the same manner the casing which is associated with said lever 8| is connected by means of an intermediate pipe 86 to the casing H of machine No. 2.

The two machines shown in Fig. 5 have respective tables, each table being provided with a pair of control buttons 43 and 430. However the tablefor each machine also has a pair of manually operable release or exhaust levers so that the operator can open either machine without moving from the table of the particular machine at which he is then stationed.

While the improved control and operating system has been shown as applied to a garment press whichhas a stationary buck and a head which is movable towards said buck and away spring 61 will bias said valve 66 to a normally closed position, until the pilot device 46 is actuated. The invention is .not restricted to any specific means for manually or automatically operating the various valves, asthe essential feature of the invention, in its broader aspect, com-, prises the control operations described herein.

For convenience, certain of the parts have been designated by reference numerals in these claims, but such claims are not restricted to the specific parts or means which.

designated Likewise the inlet-and-exhaus't devices in casings 34 and 36 may have exhaust valves which are not connected to the respective inlet valves 31b and 38b. The invention. also includes numerous valuable sub-combinations which can be used independently'of the complete device illustrated herein. a 1

" Ihave described preferred embodiments of-the invention, but numerous changes and omissionscan be made without departing from its spirit.

I claim: 1. A press which has a buck and a head which is movable towards said buck and away from to the first pilot device 54 when the head is at a predetermined distance from the buck so as to close the first branch line from the motor, the second branch line being connected to the motor through a second control valve 66 which is biased to a normally closed position, said second control valve 66 being located in a casing 65, said casing 65 being connected above the valve 66 to the first branch line after the first valve 52,- a second pilot device 46 connected to the first branch line in advance of first control valve 52 and after said inlet-and-exhaust devices, said second pilot device 46 being operable by the motive fluid in the first branch line, said second pilot device 46 being associated with operating means adapted to open thesecond control valve 66 when said second pilot device 46 is operated by the motive fluid in the first branch line, a first exhaust valve 52 conactuated by said second pilot device 46, a third pilot device 12 connected to the first branch line at a point between the first control valve 521 and the first exhaust valve 62, said third pilot device 12 being located and operative to actuate said operating means in the same direction as the second pilot device 46 so as to hold the second control valve 66 open and to permit the closing of the first exhaust valve 62 when said third pilot device 12 is actuated, a manually operably exhaust valve 62 connected to the casing of the third pilot device I2. 2. A device according to claim 1 having means adapted to diminish the rate of flow, of the motive fluid between the first control valve 2' and the first exhaust valve 62 and also having second means adapted to diminish said rate of flow between the motor and the second control valve 66 and also havingthird means adapted to diminish said rate of flow from the casing of first control valve 52 to the casing ofthird pilot device 12, in comparisonwith the-rate: of of said fluid to the-casingof second pilot dev ce 46. 3. In a-press, the'combination of a movable ave been thus presspart, .a fluid-operated motor connected to. said movable press-part, said motor operatingsaid press-part whenfluid under pressure is supplied to said motor, a first branch-line and a; second branch-line, each branch-line having an inlet end which is connected to a source of fluid under pressure, each branch-line having an out v let end which is connected to said motor to supply fluid under pressure to said motor when the re-:; spective branch-line is open, each branch-line having a valve, thevvalve of the first branch-line being biased to normal open position, the valve of the second branch-line beingbiased to normal closed position; pilot mechanism, said pilot, mechanism having a first means operative to open the valve of the second branch-line, and a'sec- 0nd means operative toclose the valve of the first branch-line, said first branch-line having'apair of manually controlled valves which are arranged in series, means interconnecting the first. means of the pilot mechanism with the pair of valves to render the first means operative only upon the actuation of the pair of valves to work ing position, means responsive to a predetermined movement of said press-part to render the second.

means of the pilot mechanism operative, and;

means for maintaining the valve of the second branch line open after the predetermined movement 4. In a press, the combination of a movable press-part and a fluid-operated motor connected to and adapted to actuate said movable presspart, a first inlet branch-line and a second inlet branch-line which are respectively connected to a source of fluid under pressure and which are respectively connected to said motor throughrethe predetermined movement.

spective valves to the inlet of said motor in order.

to supply motive fluid thereto, pilot mechanism, said pilot mechanism havinga first means operative to open the valve of the second branch-line,

and a second means operative to close the valve of the first branch-line, said first branch-linehaving a pair of manually controlled valves, means interconnecting'the first means of the pilot mechanism with the pair of valves to render the first means operative only upon the actuation of the pair of valves to working position, means responsive to a predetermined movement of said: press-part to render the second means of the pilot mechanism operative, and means for maintaining the valve of the second branch line openafter 5. A combination according to claim 4 in which the'second branch-line has a manually operable 1 exhaust valve and the first branch-line has a, second exhaust and normally open exhaust valve,

and automatic pilot means operable to close the second exhaust valve substantially when fluid admitted to the motor.

6. A'pressing machine comprising a movable press-part, a cylinder having a piston which isconnected to said press-part and which is adapted to actuate sa'id press-part, said cylinder having open the second control-valve and to maintain said second control-valve open as long as said first pilot-means is connected to a source of fluid under pressure, the first pilot-means being connected to the first branch-line in order to receive motive fluid therefrom, second fluidoperated pilot-means adapted to close the first control-valve and to maintain said second control-valve closed as long as said second pilotmeans receives fluid under pressure, the second pilot-means being connected to a port of said 10 cylinder, said port being located rearwardly of the cylinder-inlet so that fluid under pressure is admitted from the cylinder to the second pilotmeans only after the piston has cleared said port in the operating stroke of said piston away from said cylinder-inlet, and manually controlled means adapted to exhaust said cylinder and said pilot-devices.

WALTER A. HOCH.

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