US3395468A

US3395468A - Ironing machine

Info

Publication number: US3395468A
Application number: US486021A
Authority: US
Inventors: Roy F Schwegler
Original assignee: Ametek Inc
Current assignee: Ametek Inc
Priority date: 1965-09-09
Filing date: 1965-09-09
Publication date: 1968-08-06
Anticipated expiration: 1985-08-06

Description

IRONING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 9, 1965 ma; m7 ATTORN Aug. 6, 1968 R. F. SCHWEGLER IRONING MACHINE Filed Spt. 9, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Roy /-7 Jam/5645a ATTORNEY? United States Patent M 3,395,468 IRONING MACHINE Roy F. Schwegler, Rock Island, lll., assignor to Ametek, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 486,021 5 Claims. (Cl. 38-55) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE On ironing machine with a plurality of modules, each having a steam chest and an ironing roll, each roll having drive sprockets engageable by a chain, a drive unit having a drive sprocket also engageable with the chain and a slack take-up sprocket, the transmission having means to change the speed of its drive sprocket and being arranged so that a selected number of modules can be assembled as a unit and driven thereby.

This invention relates to laundry ironers and particu larly to an improved laundry ironer for flatwork.

Prior known ironers usually employ a multiplicity of parallel arranged ironing rolls between which and suitable heating means, laundry fiatwork is fed for effecting an ironing operation.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an ironer that is composed of substantially identical frame modules so that it can be extended or contracted by inserting or withdrawing a module to provide an ironer of a desired length.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an ironer in which a standard transmission is employed to accommodate the ironer regardless of the number of frame modules employed.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an ironer in which the transmission drives an endless chain that in turn drives all of the sprockets for the ironing rolls in the number of frame modules employed.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an ironer in which the transmission is capable of varying the speed of drive of the endless chain.

In one aspect of the invention, a laundry ironer may comprise a plurality of hot chest frame means of modular construction having a contoured upper surface over which the flatwork is caused to pass in performing an ironing operation. The frame means may comprise frame end members between which a hot chest extends and which chest is freely supported on angle brackets on said end members. The end members may include aligned slidable bearings for supporting an ironing roll that has an outside radius corresponding to the contour of the top of the hot chest. An endless tape extends around a plurality of such rolls that are mounted in succeeding modules, said ro-lls having perforated peripheral surfaces covered with padding, which latter is adapted to be forced into intimate contact with the contoured surface of the hot chest means. Laundry flatwork is adapted to be fed between said contoured surface and tape to perform the ironing operation.

In another aspect of the invention, the main drive to the ironer may be adjusted to vary the rate at which the laundry is ironed, and it may also be of modular construction to accommodate the modular construction of the frame means.

In still another aspect of the invention, the transmission may be independent of the ironing machine so that it may be readily removed as a unit.

The above, other objects and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings which are merely exemplary.

3,395,463 Patented Aug. 6, 1968 In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of an ironer, showing the driving means for the ironer rolls; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of part of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the principles of the invention are shown as applied to an ironer made up of a plurality of frame modules 10, each comprising end walls 11 and 12 between which a hot chest (not shown) extends and which latter is freely supported on angle members fixed to walls 11 and 12. This construction allows relative movement so that the chest can align itself to its roll and can also move when expanding and contracting under changes in temperature.

The end walls 11, 12 may include a plate 14 at each edge of which an angle member 15 may be attached, said member 15 including holes therethrough so that adjacent modules can be connected together by bolts 16 or the like.

The hot chests may be of a hollow construction including a contoured upper surface having a concave portion of a radius to be described later, and convex curved portions extending from said concave portion that mate with corresponding hot chest convex portions of adjacent hot chests in adjacent modules 10.

The side plates 14 may include aligned cut-out portions 19 adapted to receive bearing blocks 20 that are mounted for vertical sliding movement along ways 21 fixed to plates 14 on each side of the cut-out portions 19. The bearings 20 in the aligned cut-out portions 19 of each module 10 journal hollow shafts 22 that extend from each end of an ironing roll 23 for each hot chest, which roll when wrapped with suitable padding has a radius that mates with the radius of the concave portions of the corresponding hot chest.

There is provided a framework 46 that is different from the modules 10 in that it forms the entrance to the ironer for starting and handling the ironed work to be passed through the ironer. The framework 46 includes aligned bearings 47 for journaling a shaft 48 for a purpose to be described later.

Referring to FIG. 1, the shaft 48 extends through both side walls of the framework 46 and supports a sprocket 48A on the outside of the far wall thereof. A chain 48B connects sprocket 48A to a sprocket 48C on a shaft 48D. Another sprocket 48E fixed to shaft 48D drives a chain 48F that passes around

sprockets

48G, 48H and 481 The sprocket 481 is fixed to a shaft that drives a roll that supports an endless belt or tape arrangement (not shown) which extends around another roll (not shown) that is located adjacent the convex portion of the first module 10. This arrangement provides a conveyor for feeding flatwork to the hot chests of the ironer, which conveyor is driven by the shaft 48 in the framework 46.

Referring to FIG. 1, sprockets 51, 52, 53 and 54 are fixed to shaft 48 and to one of the trunnions 22 of each of the rolls in the three modules 10. In FIG. 2, two modules 10 are shown, with two in dot-and-dash lines. An endless sprocket chain 55 connects all sprockets together and extends over a tightener sprocket 56, a drive sprocket 57, and thence back to sprocket 51. Shaft 48 and bearings 47 take the double tension load of the chain 55 to prevent uneven loading of the roll 23 nearest it. Shaft 48 also transfers power to the opposite side of the ironer and drives the infeed belt arrangement as previously de scribed.

A transmission or standard driving unit 49 may be provided for accommodating any desired number of modules 10. It may comprise a base 49A adapted to be located on the floor along one side of the multiple module ironer. A frame including parallel spaced walls 49B and 49C may be mounted on the base 49A, and it may pivotally support an arm 58 on which the tightening sprocket 56 is mounted on shaft 49D. A pivoted rod 60 pivoted as at 60A extends through an eye of an element 61 that slides in a slot 62 in arm 58 and thus is operatively connected thereto. Rod 60 supports a spring 63 between element 61 and an adjustable nut 64 threaded onto rod 60. The arrangement is such that when the rolls 23 are raised, chain 55 remains in driving relation with all of the sprockets by virtue of arm 58 pivoting counterclockwise against the force of spring 63.

Drive sprocket 57 is fixed to a shaft 65 that is journaled in aligned bearings in walls 49B and 49C, and to which shaft 65 another sprocket 66 is fixed. A sprocket chain 67 connects sprocket 66 to a sprocket 68 that is fixed to a shaft 69 which is journaled in aligned hearings in walls 49B and 49C. A V-belt pulley 7G, or the like, is also fixed to shaft 69 and it is connected to another pulley 71 that is fixed to a shaft 72 mounted between parallel arms 73, 73A, forming a frame-like construction, and in which the one ends of arms 73, 73A are pivoted on shaft 69.

Another pulley 74 is also connected to shaft 72 and it is belt-connected to an expansible V-groove pulley 75 geared to, or otherwise attached to, the output shaft of an electric motor 76 that is mounted on base 49A. The construction is such that pivoting of arms 73, 73A clockwise about shaft 69 will decrease the speed of rotation of drive sprocket 57; and movement of arms 73, 73A in a counterclockwise direction will increase the speed of sprocket 57.

A threaded nut 77 is pivotally mounted on pin 77A at the free end of arms 73, 73A and it threadingly receives a threaded rod 78 which is fixed against axial movement but permitted to rotate in a journal 79. A coupling 80 connects rod 78 to the output shaft of a reversible electric motor 81 mounted on an end plate of the frame 46. Accordingly, energizing motor 81 to cause it to rotate in a forward or reverse direction will rotate arm 73 about shaft 69 and vary the speed of chain 55 and hence the speed of rotation of the ironing rolls 23. This is because the expansible halves of pulley 75 will move apart as arm 73 is rotated clockwise as seen in FIG. 1. When this occurs, the effective diameter of pulley 75 becomes smaller so as to reduce the drive speed. When arm 73 is moved counterclockwise, the speed will be increased.

From the foregoing it is evident that a standard transmission has been provided for a multiple module ironing machine which transmission is an independent unit of the ironing machine and can be used to drive the rolls of an ironing machine independently of the number thereof.

Although the various features of the improved ironer have been shown and described in detail to fully disclose one embodiment of the invention, it will be evident that changes may be made in such details, and certain features may be used without others without departing from the principles of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In an ironing machine, a plurality of modules, each having end frames aligned transversely of said ironer; a hot chest extending between the end frames of each module over which laundry flatwork is adapted to be passed to perform an ironing operation; a plurality of shafts and ironing rolls mounted on said shafts, one for each module, mounted above its corresponding hot chest; roll driving sprockets on each roll shaft; a unitary standard transmission for driving all of said sprockets, said transmission including a frame, a tightening sprocket pivoted on said frame that lies in the same plane as said other roll driving sprockets and is in engagement with said chain; a transmission drive sprocket mounted in said frame and lying in the same plane as said other roll and tightening sprockets, and in engagement with said chain; and means for driving said transmission drive sprocket.

2-. In an ironing machine as in claim 1 wherein there 4 is a variable speed means for driving the transmission drive sprocket.

3. In a roll-type ironing machine, a unitary transmission for driving a plurality of sprockets, each connected to the ironing roll of a multiple modular ironing machine, comprising in combination a base; a stationary frame mounted on said base; a belt tightening sprocket pivotally mounted in said frame and adapted to engage a chain for driving the sprockets on said ironing rolls; a drive sprocket for said chain mounted for rotation in said frame; another sprocket mounted within said stationary frame for rotation about the axis of rotation of said drive sprocket; a shaft journaled in bearings within said stationary frame; a sprocket connected to said shaft; a chain connecting said other sprocket and the sprocket connected to said shaft; a frame pivoted to said shaft; a pulley on said shaft belted to a pulley on said pivoted frame; another pulley on said frame, belted to a pulley on said stationary frame, one of said last two pulleys being expansible; means for driving one of said last two pulleys; and means for pivoting said pivotal frame.

4. In a roll-type ironing machine, a unitary transmis sion for driving a plurality of sprockets, each connected to the ironing roll of a multiple modular ironing machine, comprising in combination a base; a stationary frame mounted on said base; a belt tightening sprocket pivotally mounted in said frame and adapted to engage a chain for driving the sprockets on said ironing rolls; a drive sprocket for said chain mounted for rotation in said frame; another sprocket mounted within said stationary frame for rotation about the axis of rotation of said drive sprocket; a shaft journaled in bearings within said stationary frame; a sprocket connected to said shaft; a chain connecting said other sprocket and the sprocket connected to said shaft; a frame pivoted to Said shaft; a pulley on said shaft belted to a pulley on said pivoted frame; another pulley on said frame, belted to a pulley on said stationary frame, one of said last two pulleys being expansible; means for driving one of said last two pulleys; and reversible power-operated means for pivoting said pivotal frame.

5. In a roll-type ironing machine, a unitary transmission for driving a plurality of sprockets, each connected to the ironing roll of a multiple modular ironing ma chine, comprising in combination a base; a stationary frame mounted on said base; a belt tightening sprocket pivotally mounted in said frame and adapted to engage a chain for driving the sprockets on said ironing rolls; a drive sprocket for said chain mounted for rotation in said frame; another sprocket mounted within said statationary frame for rotation about the axis of rotation of said drive sprocket; a shaft journaled in bearings within said stationary frame; a sprocket connected to said shaft; a chain connecting said other sprocket and the sprocket connected to said shaft; a frame pivoted to said shaft; a pulley on said shaft belted to a pulley on said pivoted frame; another pulley on said frame, belted to a pulley on said stationary frame, one of said last two pulleys being expansible; means for driving one of said last two pulleys; a nut pivoted to said pivotal frame, an axially fixed rotatable screw threaded into said nut; and a reversing electric motor for rotating said screw.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 913,726 3/1909 Hecker 3856 X 2,486,095 10/1949 Armstrong 74-23017 X 2,739,397 3/1956 Rose 38-52 2,795,874 6/1957 Widigen 38-55 3,118,239 1/1964 Suits et al. 38-55 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

G. V. LARKIN, Assislant Examiner.