US2795874A - Ironing machine - Google Patents

Description

June 18, 1957 A. F. WIDIGEN' momma MACHINE Filed Nov. 26, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR flL'aEnr F M010 ATTORNEYS linited States Patent IRONING MACHINE Albert F. Widigen, Davenport, Iowa, assignor to American Machine and Metals, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application November 26, 1954, Serial No. 471,274

4 Claims, (Cl. 38-55) This invention relates to flatwork ironing machines and particularly to a chain drive arrangement therefor.

In ironing machines for ironing flatwork, a plurality of parallel spaced rolls can be located along the bed or frame of the machine. The ironing rolls cooperate with contiguous arcuate shaped heated ironing surfaces, the material to be ironed passing therebetween. It is necessary to provide for movement of the rolls toward and away from the contiguous ironing surfaces. Because of this required movement of the rolls, difficulty has been involved in providing suitable simple drive arrangements.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved and simple arrangement for driving the rolls of an ironing machine.

In one aspect of the invention, the rolls of an ironing machine are driven by a tangential chain, said chain engaging sprocket wheels mounted on each of the shafts carrying the rolls. The supports for the rollers are arranged to move vertically in the frame of the machines, there being a yieldable means to urge said rolls toward their respective ironing surfaces. Retaining means or shoes are provided on each support for holding the chain in driving relationship with the sprockets regardless of the vertical movement of the roll supports as material passes along the ironer.

These and other objectives, advantages, and features of the invention will become apparent from the following desciption and drawings which are merely exemplary.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side view of a machine embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of details of the roll mounting means and the chain retaining means, parts being broken away for clarity;

Fig. 3 is a view taken in the direction of line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional plan view of an ironer roll showing a bearing construction.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view looking in the direction of line 55 of Fig. 3.

The invention will be described in conjunction with an ironer of the type illustrated in Patent No. 1,763,190, issued. June 10, 1930.

Frame of the machine carries the material feed arrangement 11 and discharge arrangement 12, these being elements which are known in the art. Driving motor 13 is connected by means of belt 14 with the drive wheel 15, drive wheel 15 being carried by shaft 16 mounted in main frame 10 of the machine. Sprocket 17 also is fastened to shaft 16, sprocket 17 driving chain 13 which operates drive wheel 19 carried on shaft 20 of the machine. Shaft 20 also has sprocket 21 connected thereto which drives tangential chain 22, chain 22 passing over sprocket 23 and the take up mechanism including sprocket 24 carried on the spring loaded block 25, spring 26 urging said sprocket 24 downwardly so as to take up any slack in chain 22. Rods A serve as guides for the block 25.

In the interests of clarity, ironing rolls are not shown but are carried on shafts 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34, said shafts having sprockets 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, and 42, attached thereto for driving the rollers. The rolls have bands carried therebetween and cooperate with appropriately shaped contiguous ironing surfaces 43 which are heated by suitable arrangements as known in the art.

One of the roll supports 23-33, inclusive, will be described, the others being similar. Sprocket 36 (Fig. 2) is carried on shaft 28, said shaft being mounted on bearing block or support 44, support 44 being slidable in slots or apertures 45 of the side frame 46 of frame 10 of the machine.

Springs 47 are adjustably carried in brackets 48 mounted on side frame 46. Spring 47 will allow shaft 28 to move upwardly as material is passed through the ironer and enters the space between the ironer roll and mating or contiguous ironing surface. In order to insure that the drive chain 22 will be in proper contact with each of the sprockets, as material is passed through the machine, retaining means indicated generally by 50 is mounted by means of bolts 51 (Fig. 3) to bearing support 44. Retaining means 50 includes an overhanging arm or shoe 52 attached to bracket 52A, said bracket being fastened by bolts 5213 to bearing support 44. The shoe 52 is spaced from sprocket 36 a sufficient distance to permit the chain 22 properly to engage sprocket 36 and yet not ride ofi? the sprocket as the rolls move relative to each other.

Each of the sprocket arrangements 28-33, inclusive has a retaining means as just described. The end sprockets 35 and 42 are carried in vertically movable roll bearing boxes similar to supports 44 except it is not necessary to have a retaining shoe means thereon inasmuch as the directional lead of the chain is such as to insure proper engagement. In the intermediate rolls the directional lead is approximately tangential. As material passes along the ironer, the rolls will move upwardly and downwardly relative to each other and because of the retaining means, the chain will be kept in proper engagement with the roll driving sprockets.

In a preferred form sideframe members 46 are vertically movable relative to frame 10, such being raisable and lowerable by eccentric operated rods 63 located on each corner, the rods being operable by suitable drive mechanism. Sprocket 23 preferably is carried by one of the side frame members 46 so as to be movable therewith as the side frames 46 are moved to change the adjustment of the ironer rolls. The spring loaded block 25 will automatically serve to take up slack in the chain and will compensate for movement of a roll singly or in group.

The sprockets 36 to 42, inclusive, may have a special tooth form to enable locking the chain rollers onto the pitch line by the force of the chain pull. The contour of the tooth faces can be designed to exert force on the chain so as to produce this elfect to urge the chain rollers toward the axis of the sprocket as the chain roller or element tends to move radially.

As an example of one manner of providing an improved bearing arrangement for keeping the chain sprocket in line with the chain, reference may be made to Fig. 4. Sprocket 35 is mounted on shaft 53, shaft 53 carrying roll 54. Side frame members 55, 56 have slots 57, 58, respectively. Bearing block 59 (corresponding to bearing support 44 of Fig. 3) has flanges 60 preventing side movement thereof. Taper roller bearings 61, 62 are arranged so as to oppose each other and thus maintain axial location of the shaft. The bearing block in side frame 56 is longitudinally movable in side frame 56, said block carrying taper roller bearing means 59A.

By this arrangement, when the shaft expands or contracts due to temperature, the sprocket position will not be aifected. been used.

It should be apparent that details of construction can be changed without departing from the spirit of the in- Vention except as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1; In a flatwork ironer, the combination including frame means, a plurality of ironer rollers longitudinally spaced along said ironer, said rolls having bearings on each end thereof and cooperating with ironing surfaces mounted on said frame means, material being passable along said ironer between said rolls and surfaces, supports for said bearings, means movably mounting said supports on said frame means so that said rolls can move away from said ironing surfaces as material passes through, yieldable means urging said rolls toward said ironing surfaces, sprocket means connected to each of said rolls, chain means extending along said sprockets for driving the same, driving means connected to said chain, and retaining shoe means mounted on said supports and extending over the sprockets on rolls having tangential relationship with said chain, said shoe means being movable with its support and being spaced from said sprockets to maintain said chain in driving contact with said sprockets irrespective of movement-of the rolls.

2. In a flatwork ironer having concave ironing surfaces and a plurality of substantially parallel ironer rolls spaced along said ironer, said rolls moving material along said ironer and into contact with said ironing surfaces, the combination including frame means, bearings on each end of said ironer rolls, supports for said bearings mounted on said frame means, said supports being vertically movable relative to the passage of material along said ironer, sprockets means connected to each of said rolls, yieldable means urging said supports in a direction so that said rolls tend to hold material in contact with said ironing surfaces as the material passes along the machine in ironing relation thereto, chain means extending along said sprockets for driving the same, driving means connected to said chain, and shoe retaining means mounted on said supports where the chain has substantially a tangential relationship with the sprocket driven thereby, said shoe means being carried on and movable with its support so as to prevent the chain from moving away from the center of the sprocket involved.

3. In a flatwork ironer having concave ironing surfaces and a plurality of substantially parallel ironer rolls spaced along said ironer, said rolls moving material along said In previous devices, sleeve bearings have ironer and into contact with said ironing surfaces, the combination including frame means, bearings on each end of said ironer rolls, supports for said bearings mounted on said frame means, said supports being vertically movable relative to the passage of material along said ironer, sprocket means connected to each of said rolls adjacent one end thereof, yieldable means urging said supports in a direction so that said rolls tend to hold material in contact with said ironing surfaces as the material passes along the machine in ironing relation thereto, chain means extending along said sprockets for driving the same, driving means connected to said chain, shoe retaining means mounted on said supports where the chain hassubstantially a tangential relationship with the sprocket driven thereby, said shoe means being carried on and movable with its support so as to prevent the chain from moving away from the center of the sprocket involved, axial movement restraining means connected with said bearings adjacent the ends to which the sprockets are attached, and means slidably supporting the bearings at the opposite ends of the rolls relative to said frame means.

4. In a fiatwork ironer, the combination including a frame means, a plurality of ironer rolls longitudinally spaced along said ironer, said rolls having bearings on each end thereof and cooperating with ironing surfaces mounted on said frame means, material being passable along said ironer between said rolls and surfaces, supports for said bearings, means movably mounting said supports on said frame means so that said rolls can move away from said ironing surfaces as material passes through, adjustable yieldable means urging said rolls toward said ironing surfaces, sprocket means connected to each of said rolls, chain means extending along said sprockets for driving the same, driving means connected to said chain, and retaining shoe means extending over the sprockets on rolls having tangential relationship with said chain, said shoe means being movable with its support and being spaced from said sprockets to maintain said chain in driving contact with said sprockets irrespective of movement of the rolls, said shoe means including brackets connecting it to its related support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,378,795 Johnston May 17, 1921 1,513,012 Schey Oct. 28, 1924 2,044,158 Dunlop June 16, 1936 2,584,598 Leisenring Feb. 5, 1952

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