US2368946A - Ironing machine - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 6,- 1945.

H. M. RUMBAUGH IRONING MACHINE Filed June 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .FIG. 3.

I INVENTOR Feb. 6, 1945. H. M. RU QAUGH 2,368,946

I IRONING MACHINE Filed June 26, 1940 2 Shets-Sheet 2 6 FQZG.7.

Patented Feb. 6, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I,

llughhl f u lffugfi i t t ifrgh, Pa; Application June26, ljllitsssiizzfm 342,489 I e 7 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and improved ironing machine particularly adapted for domestic use and especially to an electrically heated power operated type of ironer.

A prime object of the present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive ironer and a machinethat will facilitate and expedite ironing operations and particularly the ironing of garments having sleeves such for example as' shirts, although my machine is capable of operating on all articles customarily ironed in homes. A further object of my invention is to provide a new and improved ironing machine embodying a construction wherein an ironer shoe is located between a rotatable roll member and' the position adapted to be occupied normally bythe operator, said ironer shoe being peripherally unobstructed and of a girth so as to enable telescopingly drawing thereover, a sleeve of a mans shirt of normal range of sizes for performing an ironing operation on the sleeve while positioned on the ironer shoe.

Characteristic and important features of my invention include a relatively large ironer roll, in which the driving mechanism for the roll may be installed and an ironer-shoe of a relatively small size, said roll and shoe being supported and capable of being brought into and out of ironing position by simple, efficient and easily operable means.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate applications of my invention:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of an ironing machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2, an end elevational view;

Fig. 3, a longitudinal sectional view particularly showing the roll and the roll driving mechamsm; f

Fig. 4, a sectional view taken on the line IV-IV Of Fig; 3;

Fig. 5, a diagrammatic view of the ironing shoe;

Fig. 6, an enlarged detail sectional view taken on line VI'VI of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7, a front elevational view embodying a. modified form of my invention;

Fig. 8, an end Fig. 7; and I t Fig. 9, a view similar to Fig. 7 showing a garment positioned on the machine for ironing and particularly showing a sleeve of the garment in Position on the ironer-shoe.

Referring to the drawings and first to the form of Figure 1, 5 indicates a base made of any suitable material upon which the ironer is supported. 8 designates a padded horizontally extending roll of relatively large diameter, and 1 an ironershoe elevational view of the form of' y will enable a sleeve of the ironing machine, this shoe being of relatively small size and of a configuration such as of a garment to be applied thereon. 1 Y As illustrated and as preferred, the roll 6 is supported from the base 5 by means of a pivotally mounted vertically extending upright havinga terminal extension 8 approximately at right angles to the vertical portion 9 of the supporting element. The ironer-shoe l is supported from the base 5 in a manner somewhat similar to the supporting means employed for the roll, and, as illustrated, comprises avertieally extending arm I ll pivotally connected with the base 5 at H. The upper end of arm III has a cross-section of approximately the width of the shoe to permit a sleeve of the garment to pass thereover. The

' supporting upright for the roll is also pivotally connected to the base as at 12.

My invention of the form of Fig. 1, contemplates movements of the roll and the shoe towards and-away from each other. The means illustrated for performing this operation include,

an operating lever l3 having its lower end connected with the lower end of portion 9 of the pivotally mounted roll support by a pin i4, and connected at [5, with a link I 6, the latter leading therefrom to the lower end of the shoe support to which the other end of link i6 is connected, by a pin M, thus effecting a toggle connection between the lever and the respective lower ends of the roll and shoe supports.

The roll driving mechanism may be located within the hollow roll 6 and comprises any well known and conventional drive. As shown diagrammatically, I8 designates .an electric motor, Is a reduction gear case secured to the motor casing and adaptedior receiving any suitable gear reduction mechanism. The motor and gear case are supported within the hollow roll by a non-rotatable hollow shaft or tube 20, said tube 20 in turn being supported by spiders 2i having bearings 22. Shaft 20 projects outwardly from the roll and through a sleeve 23, the latter beingheld .between a, collar 24 and a nut 25 mounted on the screw threaded end of the hollow shaft 20. 26 designates a drive shaft'extending from the gear case and through a drive element 21, fixedly secured to the hollow roll. Drive shaft 26 is flattened at or adjacent its end as at 28 for cooperation with element 21, a collar 29 and a screw 30.

The ironer-shoe 1 constitutes an important and characteristic feature of my invention; As illustrated, it lncludesa hollow casing 3| made of some suitable insulating material, for example, 1

Bakelite or other heat resisting material. 32 designates an electrical resistance element preferabl'y made of strips of mica with the resistance coils wound thereon as particularly shown by Fig. the wires a and b leading outwardly through an end of the shell. The ironing element proper 33 is positioned in the hollow shell or casing 3| in such a manner that the operator is protected while using the ironer from acci-,

dental contact therewith. This element 33 may may be made from any suitable metal and has an outer surface to conform-with the shape of the roll. a j Attention is called to the large open-ended air chamber 34 within the casing which acts as a cooling space for the casing. In this construction the resistance element may be placed very close to the metallic ironing element 33.

Among the. advantages of the relatively small shoe, in addition to being able to apply a sleeve of a garment thereon, are: that the shoe has small square inch material contacting area resulting in increased pressure per square inch,- thus improving quality of ironing, and reducing the time; providing an even temperature and a quick recovery; and the provision of a shoe structure of less cost of manufacture, of less weight andallowing the. employment of a smaller heating element. In the modified form of my invention as illustrated in Figs. 7, 8' and 9, I have shown the roll 8 and the ironer-shoe I mounted in a different manner from that shown in the form of Fig. 1. In this form of my invention the rotatable roll 8 is mounted on a fixed supporting upright in place of the pivotally mounted upright employed for supporting the roll in the form of Fig. 1. This upright comprises a vertical extending portion 9a and a terminal extension 8a, the support is secured to the base by a flanged portion 35 and screw bolts 38.

In this form of my invention I moving the ironing-shoe towards and away from *the fixedly supported roll' 8 instead of movin both the roll and the ironing-shoe towards and away from each other as in the form of Fig. 1. To accomplish these movements the shoe mounting is the same as in the form of Fig. 1, and includes the vertically extending arm .01 upright Illa pivotally secured to the base 5 at Ila. In this form of Fig. 7, I employ the pivotally mounted-lever [3a having its lower end connected to the base at Ma and a link IBa connecting the lower end of support Ilia to the lever l3a at' I Ba.

It will be noted that the supportsfor the roll and the shoe are located at opposite ends of said elements and at opposite ends of the base thereby providing a structure that will produce a uniform pressure at all contacting points between ing and forming hard spots, the padding retain- Q contemplate aseaase of the shirt designated 31 is shown in ironing position on the ironer-shoe, with a cufi 38 proiecting over an end thereof and the other end of the shoe and its supporting member covered by a shoulder of the shirt, part of the shirt is conveniently bunched for manipulation as indicated by the numeral 39.

,When in this position on the shoe, the pressurehandle is pushed @downward applying pressure and starting rotation of the roll. The operator then grasps the two extreme ends of the positioned sleeve while theroll" moves, sliding .the shirt sleeve over the smooth shoe until one half of the sleeve is ironed, then he releases the handle which automatically stops the roll and shifts the sleeve to the unironed portion and repeats the above operation. In other words, one

half of the circumference of the sleeve is ironed and .then the other half. The shirt sleeve slides over the shoe and turns around simultaneously with the rotation oi. the roll, for example, a half of the circumference of the sleeve and at the same surface speed as the roll. Only a portion of the entire sleeve is thus ironed at one operation. The machine is then stopped and the remaining portion or the sleeve circumferentially is next ironed. When the sleeve is positioned, the operator can with both hands push the shoe toward the roll which will cause, the roll to assist in holding the sleeve while the operator lets go with one hand and pushes the lever down, or, the operator can immediately push the lever down when ing its elastic qualities much longer than in a structure having a large ironer-shoe.

Figure 9 particularly shows a method that may the sleeve is positioned and then return the hands to adjacent opposite ends- With the first method, the sleeve canbe stretched and then held'in a stretched condition while the remaining distance of the handle is forced down to apply pressure. I

As pointed out in the preceding paragraph, in

ironing a sleeve, there is not more than a complete revolution of the'roll when the .shoe is opened and the sleeve is rearranged which eliminates warping or jamming around the support. The only portion that is pulled around the'support is the unironed'part, which is ironed as it is withdrawn.

It will be understood that I have provided an ironing machine in which. both the roll and the shoe are open at both ends and are unobstructed throughout their lengths, thus greatly simplifying theapplication of garments thereto and the removal therefrom. 1 It will be understood that the reason for employing a support vfor the shoe of a girth not exceeding the approximate girth of the shoe as shown by the. drawings, is to provide a construction for also telescopically receiving a sleeve of a mans shirt of normal range of sizes whereby the shoe and its support cooperate in performing an ironing operation as herein described and particularly illustrated by Figure 9.

I claim: r

1. In an ironer of the character described an ironer roll, an ironer shoeof a girth to telescopically receive a sleeve of a man's shirt of normal range of sizes and having a heatedpressing face having a, relatively narrow material-contacting area, a support at an end thereof approximately of a girth not exceeding the girth of said shoe; said shoe being located between said roll and the position adapted tobe occupied normally by the operator, said shoe and support being peripherally unobstructed so as to enable drawing said sleeve thereover, a power drive connection for rotating said roll, and means engageable by an operator in and said position for moving the shoe towards away from the roll.

' sleeve of a man's shirt of normal range of sizes and having a heated pressing face having a relatively narrow material-contacting area, a support at an end thereof approximately of a girth not exceeding that of said shoe, said shoe being located between said roll and the position adapted to be occupied normally by the operator, said shoe and support being peripherally unobstructed so as to ber being disposed at a lower elevation than the upper edge of said roll, a support extending from enable drawing said sleeve thereover, a power drive connection for rotating said roll, and toggle means depressible by anoperator in said position for effecting relative movement or the roll and shoe.

3. An ironer of the class described having a roll, a base member, an upright member rising from the base member, a non-rotatable shaft extending laterally from the upright member into one end of said roll, means Journalling the roll on said'shaft, roll-driving mechanism enclosed by the roll and mounted by the inner end of said shaft, a drive shaft housed in the roll extending from said mechanism on the opposite side to thenon-rotatable shaft in alignment therewith and attached to the roll, an arm rising from and pivcum to said base, a shoe carried by the arm in parallelism to the roll, said shoe being located between said roll and the position adapted to be occupied normally by the operator, said shoe and arm for a distance leading fromthe shoe being relatively attenuated and peripherally unobstructed, and means attached to the arm and base engageable and operable from said position to move the shoe with an article telescoped there- 'on into ironing position relative to the roll.

4. In an ironer of the type where the shoe is located between the roll and the position adapted to be normally occupied by an operator, a support extending from one end of said shoe, and a support extending from one end of said roll, the other end of said shoe and other end of said roll being free, said supports being connected to opposite ends of the base and means operable from said position-to move one of said supports relatively to the other support to place the shoe and roll imand out of ironing relation.

5. In an ironing machine of the type where the shoe member is located between the rollmember and the position adapted to be occupied normally by the operator, said shoe member having a distal end, the upper edge of said shoe memthe other end of the shoe member, said shoe member and roll member being free of periph- 'eral obstruction and one of said members being of a size and shape to allow telescopingover it, the sleeve of a normal size man's shirt, and means, operable from said position to place the shoe and roll in and out of ironing relation;

6. In an ironer of the character described. abase member, a rotatable ironer roll, an ironer shoe of a girth for telescopingly receiving a sleeve of a man's shirt of normal range of sizes for performing an ironing operation on said sleeve while solely positioned upon said shoe, an upwardly extending support for the shoe attached to said shoe and extending from anend portion thereof to the base member and attached thereto, said support being of a girth not exceeding the approximategirth of said shoe, said shoe being located between said ironer roll and the position to be occupied normally by the operator, said shoe and support being peripherally unobstructed so as to enable telescopically drawing said sleeve thereover, and means for eilecting relative movement of the shoe and roll.

7. In an ironer of the type wherein the shoe is located between the roll and the position adapted to be normally occupied by an operator, a base, a support extending from one end of said shoe, a. support extending from one end of said the shoe and roll in and out of ironing relation,.

said ironer shoe being of a girth for telescoping'ly receiving asleeve of a man's shirt of normal range of sizes for performing an ironing operation on said sleeve, said first mentioned support being-substantially of a girth not exceeding the girth of said shoe, said shoe and first mentioned support being peripherally unobstructed so as to enable drawing said sleeve thereover whereby a sleeve and body portion of said shirt may be telescoped over and gathered or bunched on said first mentioned support while the other sleeve of said shirt surrounds the shoe in position to be ironed, the construction thereby enabling successive changes in the positioning of the shirt relative to the shoe so that single-thickness ironing of the sleeves and ironing of other portions of the shirt is attained.

' HUGH M. RUMBAUGH.

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