US2516219A - Supporting and pressing board structure for ironing tables - Google Patents

Description

July 25, 1950 w. KlsLlNG 2,515,219

SUPPORTING AND PRESSING BOARD STRUCTURE FOR IRONING TABLES Filed Dec. 1e, 194e INVENTOR; M L. KIs/ ING Patented July 25, 195() sUPPoR'rG AND PRESSING `BOARD STRUCTURE-ron IRONING Y'IAlsms William L. Kislingg St. Louis County, Mo. Applicatiqn December 16, 1946, serialNo. 716,540

2 Claims. 1f.

This-invention relates vto improvements in pressing tables, and more particularly to an improved supporting and pressing board structure adapted for vuse" with steaming irons, such f as, for exampleg-tnosef supports .employed-inthefnislr ing of Woolen andl other textilesland fabrics, both before and after-'fabrication into garments and other products.

Inl thosef of the'textilelv industries which. require finishing operations particularly ofwoolen goods and thelike, itis'the. practice to fempl'oy'steaming irons. Such Airons prevalentlymclude'a heated sole-plate, and provisions :for emitting' steam through orffalongtlie'soleiplatefor the purpose of imparting acertain desirable amount of mois-v ture to the fabricl inv the course-of. ironing 'or pressing. A serious difficultyprevails in that it is usually desirable toemployaJ resilient pressingsurface, .usually of somei brous material, which tends after a short period of finishing operations, to becomeat least partially Saturated' with the condensa-te-lfroml'the. `steaming iron. According to prevailing practice yunderthese rdillicultiesr the pressing boards are either kept' out ofservce for considerable periods of tirne for drying, or alternately, are employed in soggy condition, thus seriously impairing the quality'of the Work. The presentfinv'ention. :has 4accordinglyVV a Yprime -objective Tot eliminatingi the noted difli'culties;v by providing for evaporation of condensate other- Wise accumulating in the pressing support, thus removing unwanted'moisture ata-frate equal to that of 'its accumulation.

A further and important object Ais attained in an ironing support or table in 'which the press ing surface is maintained at all-times under optimum conditions both lof temperature and moisture, `and is so constructed that it may be used indenitely without becoming fwaterllogged, thus resulting in a, uniform' quality of'wbrl:l at all times throughoutthe Work period.

Yet-another important o'bjectof the invention is attained in a combination ironing surface and iron' rest, so constructed and supplied by and from a common thermal source, that both" the ironing surface and the restare maintained at temperatures suchV as lto'keep the-Workboard under optimum operating` conditions at all times, with` the iron rest at a, tempera-ture which will prevent Aundesirable cooling or ,chilling-of thek iron betweenactive Work periods.

(Cl.A 33E-10.7,)

Ag-Still;urtheeimpertant;obiectiveris attained ina. novelvrnaterialor composition of an absorbe ent,v fibrous natura. suchthatitfl possesses thel property of? mstantly; receiving; such condensate as necessarily results `from the usemof atsteaning iron, and yet which by reeevap'orationfdisposes of tn'e condensate at least as fast as it would otherwise accumulate :in the pressingfisupport.`4

Theforegoing and numerous ctherfobectives Willmore clearly appear from the following/detailed description-'of a single exemplifying-enibodiment of the invention, particularly when con-'- sidered in connection with the accompanying drawinginwhich:

Fig. l isa top or plan -view of apressin'g table embodying the present improvements; 'l Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the assembly of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3-is afrontend elevation Aof the assembly;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation'in a vertical plane, particularly as viewedvalongiline 4.--4 of Fig. 1,V and Fig. 5 is a` sectional elevation in a vertical plane' longitudinally of the assembly, particularly that `portion valong line' 5 5; of Fig. 1.

Referring now by characters-of reference to the drawing, although the speciiic formyoflsubjacent support-for the pressing table proper, doesnot' of itself form part ofthe present improvements; it maybe noted for completenessas including a relatively heavy trifurcatebase preferably ofvcast construction, the legs or feet of which are indicated at I0, located at the extremities oiarms I-I, the latter being surmounted by a top-opensocket l2 provided with a set screw I3 which receives a tubular column I4 carrying at its top a tablesupporting plate member generally indicated-.at I5. Struts or braces, three of which are shown and indicated at I6, areV provided with formed ends (not shown) secured as will appear, to the board assembly as by bolts or rivets (not shown).

n The pressing table assembly Whichmay besaid collectively to` incl'ude'tho'se parts" above the supe port I5, includes by preference av relatively rigid, normally horizontal, stamped sheetv metal body in the nature of a shallow pan, shapedby ypreference substantially as outlined by Fig. 1, and including a bottom portion 2d'. vMarginally of the body, and preferably over its full perimeter, extend Vertical, right angular flanges 2 I. The depth of the shallow pan-likel support is determined in accordance with the depth or thickness 4of the pressing board proper, later to Abe described, having regard also for the diameter of the pref-k erably elongateV heatingv elements later VVto be referred to. The rigidity or the pan-like body structure 20-21 yiis/enhanced by an inverted Sangle orv channellmember, preferably the latterf as shown.' and `indicated `at 22, this reinforcement element extending longitudinally of and beneath the bottom 20 of the body over a portion of its length, and being welded thereto.

Distributed along the bottom 20 of the shallow pan-like body or frame of the board, is a, length of heating coil, those portions of which indicated at 23, and lying inside of the body 2li-2l, are preferably continuous and are distributed in back-and-forth relation in such manner as evenly to impart heat to the different areas of the table. The heating element 23 may consist of enclosed electrical resistance units or other heated lengths of rod, but, by preference and as shown, it con- 4 ing of any superposed loading and otherwise probable distortion.

The depth or thickness of the absorbent board element 21, say one-half to one inch, is preferably such that it projects slightly above the upper margins of the flanges 2|, thus precluding any possible interference with the margins of the ironing surface, by the flanges. As is customary in ironingorjpressing operations, the element 21 may be wrapped within a fabric" cover 30, the margins of which are brought down over the anges 2l, thence beneath the board and kept sists of one-quarter inch tubing of copper or some i other thermally conductive metal. Whatever the nature of the heating coil 23, it is greatly preferred that this be of dry type, i. e. that itdoes not emit steam, nor otherwise introduce moisture below the ironing surface. and thermal conductivity of copper tubing renders it especially useful for forming up the elements 23. In pressing boards of average commercial size, a length of the order of twenty to twenty-five feet of such tubing will be formed into back-and-forth, primariiy longitudinal passes of the tubing. The heating element such as tubing 23 is preferably generally fixed in position along and to the bottom 20 of the body, as by a number of hold-down clips 25. These are conveniently of L shape form, including two short horizontal elements connected by a vertical leg, the horizontal parts being vertically spaced to an extent approximating the outside diameter of the tubing, and the lower portion of each clip being welded, for example, directly to the metal of the bottom 20 of the body or pan..

In the preferred arrangement the inlet end 24 of the tubing 23 is supplied by steam from a suitable boiler or steam generator (not shown) the outlet end of the tubing shown at 26 being connected directly or indirectly to a trap, boiler return system or otherwise connected in a suitable steam circuit. It may here be noted that the board assembly embodying the present improvements is particularly adapted for use with a steam system together with separator facilities, a pressing iron and adjunctive facilities therewith, all of the general order of those disclosed in U. S. Patent 2,071,128, issued to this applicant February 16, 1937, and entitled Steam Separator and Superheater. When present improvements are utilized in and with a system of this order, the steam outlet or discharge 2E from the coil 23, may lead directly or indirectly to a trap such as M of the noted patent. In such an arrangement, the steam now into, through and out of the distributed length of tubing 23, will take place in the directions indicated by the arrows (Fig. 1).

Directly overlying the several passes of the heating element 23 and preferably directly upon or substantially adjacent the tubing, is a pressing board or mat of fibrous nature later to be described, and indicated at 21. In order to assure the permanent planar characteristic of the board 21 and to keep it in a substantially horizontal position in the different parts of the board, the bottom 20 of the pan or body serves to carry a plurality of intermediate supports such as inverted channel elements 2B. These are of a height or depth approximating, perhaps only slightly exceeding, the diameter of the tubing 23, and thus serve the purpose of longitudinally stiffening the pan-like body structure. and of relieving the tub- The flexibility l under moderate tension by any suitable means, for example, hooks 3| and cross tension springs 32. At the rear end of the board assembly, and as a partial cover lfor this end of the board and serving yas an iron rest, is a planar, normally horizontal member 33 preferably formed of a nonrusting, highy conductive sheet metal, such as aluminum. The iron rest is conveniently provided with certain marginal fianges as may be required, these flanges being indicated at 34, but being omitted along that margin of the iron rest which lies immediately adjacent the pressing surface proper. The preferred relation between the surface of the iron rest 33 and the ironing surface identified with the adjacent portions of the cover 30, is or may be substantially a iiush relation with some slight disparity in the levels of the two surfaces. y

Referring now more particularly to the nature and function of the board 21, this is preferably substantially rectangular in form, say over twothirds of its length from back to front, although toward the front or nose end of the board it is characterized by convergent sides similarly to the plan of the pan-like body, these convergent sides meeting in a rounded nose portion conforming by preference to the internal shape of the supporting body 213--2 I. Numerous experiments, extending over a number of months and involving trials of practically all fibrous materials possible to be employed tofform the member 21, have resulted in a distinct preference for a mineral fiber, and a further preference fora material possessing at least a moderate thermal insulation characteristic. It is necessary that the board proper or mat 21 be characterized by a reasonable power of iiuid absorption or absorptive capacity; that it be porous, first for absorbing a liquid such as water, and again forthe purpose of readily giving oif this moisture in the form of steam or vapor, when the board is heated. By preference also this element is of matted form, as distinguished from a woven ber. It is a choice also that this mat be imperforate, in the sense that it is not provided withv any distinct, formed apertures or passageways therethrough. As a choice resulting from numerous trials, asbestos fibers of a relatively coarse nature, say in which ninety percent of the iibers are of one-half to one inch in length, has proven superior to other materials, and to yield better results than asbestos bers of lesser average length, and distinctly better than any matted fibers of others materials.

It is obviously desirable to provide for a reasonable maintenance of form of the asbestos mat. This may be done by admixing a suitable binder therewith at the time of forming the mat. Such binder should, however, be of a proportion distinctly minor in relation to the volume of the fiber, by preference and with best results, under ten percent by volume. A choice of binder evenly admixed with the asbestos while the binder is in 15 liquid or semi-liquid form is a thermosetting resin, although other binding materials, for eX- arnple, a proportion of Portland cement, plaster of Paris or other hydrosetting minerals, will sufce. Such binder should be kept for best results within the limits of proportion above stated.

The necessity for larger proportions of binder in the mat 2l', is minimized in the present case by the rm subjacent support thereof, and the support of the mat over relatively close centers, as will be apparent from the locations of the chan nels 28 and the intervening tubing elements 23. Any tendency otherwise existing for the mat to spall off along the margins or corners is protected against by the vertical flanges 2i, within which the mat nts by preference rather closely.

The selection of an insulation material and a preference for a mineral ber such as asbestos, operates to eifect a more even distribution of heat through the mat 2'! than would be the case were 'a more shallow layer or even a layer of the same thickness of other materials, employed over the heating elements 23. In practice it has been determined that substantially all portions of the pressing surface are kept within a very few degrees of the same temperature, thus making for evenness and uniformity of the work. The selection of coarse asbestos, and the minimization of binder, further conduce to a desirable and permanent resilience.

The purposes and functions of the various elements ar-e thought to have become fully apparent from the foregoing detailed description of a preferred form and arrangement thereof, but it may be noted that as steam is emitted from the iron (not shown) it is necessarily reduced in temperature by the work such as a fabric over which the iron is being operated. No matter how dry the original source of steam, at least some momen tary condensation will occur in and below the fabric in work. The pressure in coil 23, hence the temperature thereof, is such that the mat and cover are at all times and in all parts of the board high enough so that, to the extent that any condensation actually occurs in the mat, reevaporation quickly takes place as may actually be observed in practice. Thus the mat and cover are kept at all times under optimum conditions of temperature and moisture to produce the best quality of ironing operation and finish.

It should be noted as a particular advantage, f

that the heating coil 23 includes at least four partial lengths in the example shown, which extend directly under the iron rest 33, and thus serve to maintain the iron rest at a temperature not much if any lower than the best operating temperature of the iron. In this manner, there is avoided any tendency otherwise noted with cold iron supports to chill the sole plate between actual work movements.

It will now have appeared that the embodiment described serves fully to attain each of the several objectives hereinabove particularly pointed out, vand others implied from the more detailed description. Such detail of description, relating solely to a selected example, should be understood in an informative rather than a limiting sense, because of the numerous variants possible within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a pressing board assembly for use with steaming irons, a relatively rigid table, a column supporting said table, a foot structure on said column, strut braces, a plurality of which extend from a lower portion of the column to an outermost portion of the table, the table being in the form of a shallow metal pan including a bottom with upright bounding flanges, a steam heating coil of copper or like thermally conductive material entering at the back end of said board and extended in distributed fashion substantially over the bottom of the pan and having its exit at the entrance endl of the board, the coil diameter being substantially less than the depth of the pan-like structure forming the table, xed supports intervening the several passes of the distributed heating coil, an asbestos board overlying but substantially adjacent the heating coil, said board being formed of asbestos fibers and a binder retaining the bers in a distinctly matted relation, and being highly thermally insulatively and moisture absorbent, a fabric cover over the asbestos board, the asbestos board being marginally retained in place by the marginal flanges of the pan and overlying the center and front areas only of the latter, an iron rest formed of a highly conductive sheet metal provided with downwardly extending side marginal flanges fitting between said upright flanges of the pan, the rest overlying a portion of the heating coil so as normally to be maintained in a heated condition thereby.

2. In a pressing board for use with a steaming iron, a supporting column, strut braces having their lower ends connected thereto andextending upwardly and outwardly therefrom, an elongated pan mounted on the upper end of said column and connected to the upper ends of said braces and provided with upright bounding flanges substantially about its entire periphery, a channel beam connected to the under side of said pan and extending longitudinally of the latter to reinforce the same, an elongated heating element within said pan and extending longitudinally of the latter for substantially the full length of the pan for several times, said element being shallower than the height of said flange, and an elongated asbestos board of a width tting within said ilanges, and stiifener elements secured to the inner surface of the bottom of said pan and extending substantially longitudinally of the latter to maintain it in planar form and being of a height to extend to at least the height of said heating of said heating element, said board supported on said stiffener elements to form a heating chamber between the under side of said board and the opposed surface of the pan bottom.

WILLIAM L. KISLING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Smith et al Apr. 19,

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