US3197897A - Pressing machine - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 3, 1965 Filed Dec. 2, 1959 V. W. TUCKER ETAL PRESSING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS VINCENT W. TUCKER WALLACE F. GAYRING ROBERT G. KAELBER ALBERT KAGI United States Patent Oflice 3,197,897 Patented Aug. 3, 1965 by mesne assignments, to Ametek, Inc., New York,

N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 856,682 3 Claims. (CI. 38-41) This invention relates to pressing machines of the type conventionally employed for the pressing of laundered and dry cleaned articles.

One of the problems existing in pressing machinery is that the power transmitting linkage between the power means and the relatively movable pressing heads involves the use of relatively long levers and the like to permit the pressing head to be opened to a position substantially away from the pressing buck. Further, the use of levers of thissort, which require a long travel to close the head against the buck, necessitates the use of a power means having a long stroke, such as for example a fluid pressure cylinder of some length. The above arrangement has been adhered to chiefly because a small number of components can transmit a large amount ofpower during the pressing operation. However, the above system is inflexible to a certain extent in that the amount of power applied through the levers is proportional to the ad justed length of the levers. Therefore, if the leverage is adjusted to apply a certain amount of pressingipressure to an article of medium thickness, an article of greater thickness will receive more pressing pressure, and a thinner article will receive little pressing pressure. This is due to the substantially rigid nature of a system .of set levers. By connecting a long stroke cylinder near one end of a long lever, a large amount of pressing pressure can be applied at the press ng head, and this pressure can be varied only by the adjustment of suitable stops or the like. A further disadvantage of this type of system lies in the wearing of parts. The large forces exerted within the cylinder and on bearing surfaces cause greater wearing due to the long travel of the levers. Further, most of the loading is directly on the frame-of the machine through the pivotal mounting of the levers and the power cylinder.

It is therefore a main object of this invention to provide operating means for a pressing machine wherein a minimum number of parts are combined to move the pressing head against the pressing buck with uniform pressure regardless of the thickness of an article. being pressed.

Another object of this invention is to provide operating means for a pressing machine wherein a rearrangement of components achieves a more efiicient operation with less wearing of the material of the components.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pressing machine operating means which operates the machine while at the same time avoids excessive motion causing less wearing of the parts thereof. 7

Another object of this invention is to provide operating means for a pressing machine wherein the forces applied from the power means to the movable pressing member.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation of a pressing machine, with portions cut away to illustrate one embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a cut-away view of one embodiment of the invention on an enlarged scale, taken partly as a sectional view.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cut-away view of a portion of the machine, showing an embodiment of the operators controls for initiating operation of the machine.

FIGURE 4 is a cut-away top view of the embodiment f the invention shown in FIGURE 2.

Construction In FIGURE '1 there is shown a pressing machine having a frame 10 on which is mounted a table 9. Mounted on the, table 9 is a lower pressing member 11, which, in this case, is fixed. Pivotally mounted to the frame '10 as at a pivot 14 is a yoke 13. To one end of the yoke 13' is mounted a second or upper pressing member 12 which, in this embodiment,'is movable with respect to the lower pressing member 11.

In FIGURE 1 the solid line showing of the parts of the pressing machine illustrates the yoke 13 and the upper pressing head 12 in the closed position. That is to say, the pressing head 12 is in the position occupied when a pressing operation is being performed upon .an article supported by the lower pressing head 11. The dot-dash lines illustrate the disposition of the parts of the machine when the press is in the open position, or when no pressing operation is being performed.

A spring 20 is connected at one end to the yoke 13 and .at the other end to the frame 10 for urging the yoke 13 and pressing head 12 towards the open position when the head 12 is not otherwise disposed. j

A first power means in the form of a cylinder 16 is pivotally mounted to the frame, and the piston rod 15- thereof is connected to the end of the yoke 13 by fastening means 34. Also connected to the end of the yoke 13 is a toggle 27, which is pivotally connected as at 'pivot 33. Suitably mounted to the frame as by a bracket 21 or the like is a second power means or high power means in the through said means are'applied more directly through the form of a cylinder 18 for moving the pressing head 12 against the lower pressing member with vfull pressing pressure. This is accomplished by means of a lever which is pivotally mounted as at 25 to the frame 10; One end of the lever 23 is pivotally attached to the piston rod 17 of cylinder 18 as at a joint 22, and the other end of the lever 23 is pivotally attached to one end of the toggle 27 as at a joint 26. .A spring 24 connected between-thelever 23 and the frame 10 urges the lever in a direction to re-. turn the piston rod 17 of the cylinder to a position retracted within the cylinder, which would be when the yoke 13 is in the open position shown by the dash-dot lines.

The toggle 27 is illustrated on an enlarged scale in FIG- URE 2. From FIGURES 1 and 2 it will becomeobvious" that the toggle 27 represents. a disjointed lever assembly including a toggle arm 31, a toggle arm extension 32, and a toggle latch support 36 which together form the main body of the toggle 27. The toggle arm 31, toggle arm extension 32, and the .toggle latch support 36 are pivotally attached to eachother by means of a pivot shaft 30, so that when the arm 31 andtog'gle latch support 36 are aligned along a single plane, they form a unit acting as a direct power transmitting link between the upper end of the lever 23 and the lower end of the yoke 13. One end of the toggle arm 31, namelyv the toggle arm extension 32, extends beyond the pivot shaft 30. into the toggle latch support 36. Pivotally mounted on the toggle latch support-36, as by a pin 41, is a latch assembly 37. The latch assembly 37 includes a pivotal latch 29, first latch extension-39 and second latch extension 38A. The first latch extension 39 of the latch assembly 37 is engaged by the plunger 28A of the dashpot 28 for releasing the latch 29 from engagement with the toggle arm extension 32 when air under pressure enters the dashpot through the line 42. When-the plunger 28A moves thefirst'latch extension 39, the pivotal latch 29 moves out of;engagement with. the toggle arm extension 32 and the second latchextension 38A seats in a recess 38 of the toggle. arm extension 32 to movethe toggle arm extension 32 downwardly andthus move the entire toggle 27 to a position such as is shown by'the' dot-dash lines of FIGURE 1. A spring 40. is connected to the first latch'extension 39, for instance, for urging the latch 29 so as to be in position forengaging the ex tension 32 ofthe toggle arm 31.

The operator control 35 is shownin greater detail in FIGURE 3. Herein it will be seen that the leading edge of the table 9 may be formed in a channel shape in which is mounted a pivot block 52. Switch buttons 50 and 51 are pivotally connected to the pivot .block 52 by means of pivot pin 53, and are constantly urged outwardly by any suitable means such as a spring 54. Micro switches 55 and 56 are suitably attached to the table 9 and are operated respectively by the switch buttons 50 and 51. In this illustration only two switch and switch button arrangements are shown. However, three arrangements may be employed according. to conventional practice. In that event, switch'56 and switch button 51 would be connected in series to another similar arrangement, not shown, to constitute a conventional two-hand control for initiating the, operation of the pressing machine. The switch 55 and switch button 50 are connected to means for releasing the pressing. machine from its operations at any time following initiation of said operations. g I It will be noted in FIGURE 4 that toggle arm extension 32 is partially cut back to indicate and illustrate the position of the extension in toggle latch-support 36. The latch 29 is eliminated in this view, so as to allow a clearer view of the toggle and its parts. a

i 1 Operation The operation of; the pressing machine may be as tollowsr Qperationof the'switch button 51 to operate the switch 56 permits current to flow to'a solenoid valve, not shown, which in turn'causes air under pressure to flow to the zero pressure cylinder 16. The piston rod 15 is then extended to the. position shown in FIGURE 1, moving the yoke 13 and pressing head'12 to a zero pressure position. A zero pressure position is that position of the pressing head where the urging of the head transfer cylinder, in this case cylinder 16, towards the lower pressing member 11 isequal to the urging of the return spring 20 of the pressing h'ead 12 tothe open position. The zero pressure 'position of the pressing head 12 is most advantageously 'at a point just above the lower pressing head 11, and may be determined bythe use of a needle valve (not shown) inserted'in the air supply line for'the cylinder 16, wherein more or less pressure passed by the needle valve lowers the pressing head 12 respectively more or less with respect'to the lower pressing head 11. I As the yoke 13 moves from the dot-dash line position to the solid line position, the toggle arm 31 and the toggle latch support '36 of the toggle 27 move from their open dot-dash line position to a. position in alignment with each other as shown by the ,solid lines and also in FIG URE 2, with this action occurring through thepi'voting of toggle 27 about joint 26 i'n .a clockwise direction and the pivoting of toggle arm 31 about shaft in a counterclockwise direction.

At this time, another valve means, not shown, may be actuated in response to movement ,of the toggle 27 or the yoke 13 to permit air under pressure to enter the cylinder 18v through the line 19. This causes the piston rod 17 of cylinder 18 to be extended, moving the lever 23 about its pivot 25 to exert force directly through the toggle 27 to the end of the yoke 13 and thus cause the head 12 to move against the pressing head 11 with full pressing pressure.

The release of the pressing head 12 to the Zero pressure position and thence to the open position may be achieved by operating the release switch button 50 and micro switch 55 to admit air to the dashpot 28 and for exhausting air from the high pressure cylinder 18 and the zero pressure cylinder 16 respectively. However, automatic means such as a timer may also be employed for releasing the pressing head 12 from full pressure position to the zero pressure position.

It will become obvious from the foregoing that operation of the zero pressure cylinder is sufiicient-to move the pressing head and the yoke into azero pressure position adjacent the lower pressing head. This action also moves the toggle arm and toggle latch support of the toggle 27 into alignment, or into operating disposition. At this time, only a short movement of the yoke is required to move the pressing head against the lower pressing headwith' full pressing pressure. Thus, the high power cylinder need only move the lever 23 shortly about its pivot .to exert force directly through the toggle to the yoke 13. Because of this newarrangement of the parts of the pressing machine, the lever 23 may be formed so that the lower end connected to the cylinder is much longer than theopposite end connected throughthe toggle to theyoke.- ,Thus a great mechanical advantage is realized within the pressing machine. Since some power loss is realized through the exertion .of force through the mounting means for the high power cylinder and the lever, this power loss may be overcome due. to the new short-stroke operating means. Due to the disposition of the lever 23, the force exerted at joint 26 is much greater than at 22, and more usable forcesistransmitted through the toggle to the yoke;

An embodiment of the invention having been shown and described for the purpose of illustration, it is to be understood that the invention may be modified .from time to time, and that the appended claims are to be construed in the true spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A pressing machine including a frame and a relatively movable pressing head, first power means for moving said pressing head to a zero pressure position, second power means for moving said pressing head against a pressing member with full pressure, and means operatively connecting said second power means with said pressing head, said connecting means comprising, in part, togg e means, a lever, and a rod, said toggle means including a toggle arm and a toggle latch support, said arm and said support movable into alignment with each other in response to movement of said pressing head into a zero pressure position for forming a power transmitting means between said second power means and said pressing head, and a latch means mounted on said toggle latch support for engaging said toggle armwhen said support and said arm are in alignment 2. A pressing machine including a' frame, a pressing member mounted on saidfrarne, a movable pressing head, high pressure means for moving said movable pressing head against said member with full pressing pressure, and meansforming an operative'power connection'between said pressure means and said pressing head, said connecting means including a toggle, andsecond power means for moving said pressing head to a zero pressure position and for aligning said toggle between said first pressure means and said'pressing head. i

3. The combination according to claim 2, said toggle comprising, in part, a toggle arm and a toggle latchsupport, a toggle latch being mounted on said support,- said toggle latch maintaining said toggle aligned.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Daly 38-40 Gregoire 38-41 Pendleton 1 38-41 Daly 38-41 Jacker 38-41 Daly 38-41 1,987,389 1/35 Daly 38-41 2,075,299 3/ 37 Pendleton 38-41 2,242,480 5/41 Raynolds 38-41 12,651,125 9/ 53 Cole et :al 38-41 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

THOMAS J. HICKEY, DAVID 'J. WILLIAMOWSKY,

Examiners.

Claims (1)

1. A PRESSING MACHINE INCLUDING A FRAME AND A RELATIVELY MOVABLE PRESSING HEAD, FIRST POWER MEANS FOR MOVING SAID PRESSURE HEAD TO A ZERO PRESSURE POSITION, SECOND POWER MEANS FOR MOVING SAID PRESSURE HEAD AGAINST A PRESSURE MEMBER WITH FULL PRESSURE, AND MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID SECOND POWER MEANS WITH SAID PRESSING HEAD, SAID CONNECTING MEANS COMPRISING, IN PART, TOGGLE MEANS, A LEVER, AND A ROD, SAID TOGGGLE MEANS INCLUDING A TOGGLE ARM AND A TOGGLE LATCH SUPPORT, SAID ARM AND SAID SUPPORT MOVABLE INTO ALIGNMENT WITH EACH OTHER IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID PRESSING HEAD INTO A ZERO PRESSURE POSITION FOR FORMING A POWER TRANSMITTING MEANS BETWEEN SAID SECOND POWER MEANS AND SAID PRESSURE HEAD, AND A LATCH MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID TOGGLE LATCH SUPPORT FOR ENGAGING SAID TOGGLE ARM WHEN SAID SUPPORT AND SAID ARM ARE IN ALIGNMENT.

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