US2629183A

US2629183A - Garment drier

Info

Publication number: US2629183A
Application number: US147987A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arron O Lovelace
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1950-03-06
Filing date: 1950-03-06
Publication date: 1953-02-24
Anticipated expiration: 1970-02-24

Description

Feb. 24, 1953 A. o. LovELAcE GARMENT DRIER Filed. March 6, 1950 E C A L E V O l. O A

INVESTOR Patented Feb. 24,` 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GARMENT DRIER Arron 0. Lovelace, Fort Worth, Tex.

Application March 6, 1950, Serial No. 147,987

2 Claims.

This invention relates to dry cleaning equipment and has reference to improvements in garment driers.

An object of the invention is to provide a garment drier construction in which the wet or damp garments may be quickly positioned for drying, and quickly removed therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a garment drier which will dry more garments as compared with conventional driers of the same size.

l Another object of the invention is to provide a drying arrangement in a blower type garment drier whereby excess air by-passes the garment when only one garment is being dried, and thereby preventing the garment from being blown out of the device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a garment drier which does not require the use of clamps on the garments being dried for holding the same in drying position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a drier of the described class which will not stretch the garments, but will operate without Igetting the garments out of shape.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings and the following description.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a garment drier embodying the features of the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the new drier and showing the position of garments during the drying operation.

Figure 3 is a broken perspective view of the garment guides and the lsteam ring.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the drier stack and showing two pairs of trousers being dried therein.

In Figure 1 the numeral 5 designates a housing having four sides 6, an upper surface 'I and a. bottom 8. There is an annular opening 9 in the center of the upper housing surface 'I which is enclosed by an upwardly directed cylindrical stack I 0. The opening 9 is in the form of an upwardly directed flange which slidably receives the lower end of the stack IU, and whereby the latter may be located relative to said opening and at the same time be easily removed when desired. Within the upper end of the housing 5 and secured to the walls 6 there is a cross brace I I having T fittings relatively near its center for securing a pair of upwardly directed substantially parallel looped guides I3, as shown in detail in Figure 3. In assembly, it will be noted that the guides I3 are spaced from the inner wall of the cylindrical stack IIJ. There is a steam ring I4 supported on the cross brace Il and around the upwardly projecting guides I3. The upper surface of the ring I 4 is provided with orifices I5 and the entire ring is covered with fabric IB, such as toweling. A supply pipe I1 including a manually operated valve I8 is connected with the steam ring I4. As will become apparent in the description of the operation, the steam ring I4 is employed only when it is desired to raise the'nap or soften wrinkles on the garments being dried.

Within the bottom portion of the housing 5 there is a motor I9 mounted on a bracket 20 and having an upwardly directed fan 2I connected with said motor for moving air upwardly through a, heat exchanger 22 positioned thereabove, and upwardly and outwardly through the stack li). As shown in Figure 2, the heat exchanger 22 is secured to the walls 6 by means of brackets 23. The heat exchanger 22 is connected with a steam supply pipe 24 and a return pipe 25 which pass through the wall of the housing 5. An air inlet in the form of a screen grill 26 is provided in one of the walls 6.

There is a vertically directed tubular standard 21 secured to one of the sides of the housing 5 and receives an angular rod bracket 28 in its upper end. A set screw 29 provides vertica1 adjustment of the bracket 28, the upper horizontal end of which is arranged to be positioned over the upper end of the drying stack I0. The horizontal portion of the bracket 28 is provided with a multiple of downwardly directed bends 30 for holding and locating garment hangers 3| upon which the garments 32 to be dried are suspended.

The operation of the drier is best illustrated in Figure 2. The heat exchanger 22 is heated by circulating steam through the steam supply pipe 24 and return pipe 25. The garments 32 suspended on the garment hangers BI are individually positioned over the guides I3, and the air from the fan 2i inflates and blows the garments against the inner wall of the drier stack I0. The air, which passes through the heat exchanger 22, eiectively dries the garments 32. It will be noted that the garments 32 may be quickly positioned in place, and that there are no clips or other weights to cause the garments to sag or stretch. When dry, the garments may be quickly removed by merely lifting the garment hangers 3l. If only one garment is being dried, the same is positioned over one guide I3 and the side of the garment opposite said guide is blown against the opposing wall of the drier stack I0, and the excess air passes therearound without blowing the garments out of the top of the stack.

As shown in Figure 4, trousers 33 are suspended by their cuis by means of trouser hangers 34. Each pair of trousers is positioned over one of the guides I3, and the side of the garment opposite the guide is blown against the inner wall of the stack l0, with the same effect as described in the foregoing.

The described form ofthe invention is not restrictive, but may be made in many ways Within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a garment drier, a drying stack having a relatively large opening in the upper end thereof and adapted to receive the garments to be dried therethrough, at least one vertically projecting garment guide positioned within said stack, means blowingY hot air upwardly through said stack, said guide being spaced relative to the inner wall of said-stack at a distance whereby a garment placed over said guide will contact the latter and said inner wall when said garment is Y inflated by said blowing means, a garment supporting bracket positioned above said guide and adapted to removably suspend the garments to be dried within said stack,

2. In a garment drier as deiined in claim l, the construction wherein said guide is comprised of substantially parallel elongated members arouately joined at their upper ends. Y

ARRGN O. LOVELACE.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,027,894 Alcorn et al Jan. 14, 1936 2,443,069 Gayring June 8, 1948 20 2,487,045 Durf et a1, Nov. s, 1949 Petre -g Nov. 19419