US3439847A - Laundry machines - Google Patents

Description

April 22, 1969 A. w. SWAIN LAUNDRY MACHINES Sheet of3 Filed July 11, 1967 April 22, 1969 A. w. SWAIN 3,439,847

LAUNDRY MACHINES Filed July 11, 1967 Sheet 2 of s April 22, 1969 A. W] SWAIN 3,439,847

LAUNDRY MACHINES Filed July 11, 1967 Sheet 3 of 3 United States Patent 3,439,847 LAUNDRY MACHINES Anthony W. Swain, Clydesdale, College Road, Buxton, Derbyshire, England Filed July 11, 1967, Ser. No. 652,569 Claims priority, application Great Britain, July 20, 1966,

32,518/66; Oct. 11, 1966, 45,369/66 Int. Cl. A4111 /00 U.S. Cl. 22370 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A steam pressing machine for garments which can be adjusted to suit garments of different sizes in that the garment during pressing is supported at its top end on a head piece and on its bottom end is attached a base. The head piece and base are adjustable in height simultaneously and their Weights are counterbalanced one against the other to facilitate adjustment. The base and head piece move in opposite directions during adjustment.

This invention relates generally to a machine used in connection with the laundering and manufacture of garments of clothing and more particularly to a machine for the steam pressing of garments.

At present, there are machines for steam pressing jackets and other machines for pressing coats. Also, special sized machines must be made for pressing childrens garments.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a machine which may be adjusted to suit different sized garments.

Also, in the known machine, the garment to be pressed is wrapped round an envelope or bag which is inflated when filled with steam and so fills up the garment being pressed. This method has resulted in creases appearing across the pressed garment.

Therefore, it is an ancillary object of this invention to provide a machine which may press garments without said creases appearing.

According to the present invention, there is provided a machine particularly but not exclusively for the steam pressing of garments including a head-piece which is adapted to support the top of a garment, and a base to which the bottom of the garment may be attached, said base and head-piece being inter-connected by means so that their weights are counter-balanced, and each being movable upwards and downwards, said means being such that when the base is moved in one direction, the headpiece is simultaneously moved in the other direction for adjustment to suit a particular length of garment.

The base preferably comprises a table, and the machine includes a frame which passes through the table and the table is slidable thereon.

Preferably, the head-piece is also slidable on said frame. Preferably, the means for counter-balancing comprises a length of flexible member which passes over a support on the frame, and the ends of the flexible member are operatively connected to the head-piece and base respectively.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a machine embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of a part of the machine illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the machine part illustrated in FIG. 2; and

3,439,847 Patented Apr. 22, 1969 "ice FIGS. 4 and 5 are enlarged views of cloth clamps used in the machine of FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawings, and firstly to FIG. 1, a machine for steam pressing clothes comprises a head-piece 10 which includes a fibre glass moulding to simulate shoulders and a base which is a flat, elliptical-shaped table 12. The head-piece 10 and table 12 are supported as shown in FIG. 1 by an openwork frame indicated diagrammatically by 14. The frame 14 is elongated and extends vertically from a steam chamber 16 fed from a live steam pipe 18. Steam is ejected from the chamber 16 through a distributor nozzle 20 and between the table 12 and the steam chamber 16. Surrounding the nozzle and the lower end of the frame is a flexible bellows 22, to ensure that the steam passes upwardly to the garment on the machine whatever may be the position of the table relative to the steam chamber 16. The frame 14 passes through a central aperture in the table 12, through which aperture the steam also passes.

The machine is adjustable to suit different sized garments as the head-piece 10 and the table 12 to which the bottom of the garment is attached are movable in opposite directions and their weights are counter-balanced against each other. The table is shown in dotted lines in a low position for coats. When it is moved downwards in the direction of arrow 13 the head-piece 10 moves upwards.

This counter-balancing is achieved by the means illustrated in detail in FIGS. 2 and 3. The table 12 and head piece 10 are interconnected by a length of flexible member of which one end is attached to the table and the other to the head piece 10. In the example the length of flexible member is a length of belt of the type having teeth which provide positive engagement with the mating teeth of a sprocket or gear. One end of the belt 100 is connected to a moulding sub-frame 28 (FIG. 1) the other end to a table sub-frame 30. The sub-frames 28 and 30 are slideable on the frame 14 which consists of vertical parallel rods 29 extending from the chamber 16 up through the hole in the table 12 and a cross brace 31.

The timing belt 100 passes over a sprocket 101 which is drivingly connected to and co-axial with an annulus 102. The sprocket 101 and annulus are unitarily rotatable on a central shaft 103 mounted on cross brace 31 of frame 14. A disc 104 is disposed within the annulus 102, the diameter of the disc 104 being only slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the annulus 102. The disc 104 has an eccentric bore and is located by an eccentric 105 mounted on shaft 103. In the position shown in FIG. 2, the sprocket 101 and annulus 102 can rotate freely as the table and head piece 10 are moved up and down.

When the table 12 and headpiece 10 are in the desired position the disc 104 is first of all rotated slightly on the eccentric 105 and then the disc jams on the annulus 102 and then pulls the whole assembly, sprocket 101, annulus 102 and shaft 103 round in the direction of the arrow 106. This slight movement is suflicient to tension longitudinally the garment being pressed.

The control of the tension in the garment is by manipulation of a lever 107 and a linkage system 108, 109, 110, the link 109 passing up through the table 12. The link 110 is an arm which is disposed horizontally and is connected to the disc 104 at two points 111, 112, to ensure a positive turning movement of the disc 104.

The central shaft 103 is spring loaded by a tension spring 113 connected to an arm 114 fast with the shaft 103. The position of the arm is fixed by an adjustable stop 115 which is a screw in a stationary bracket 116. Finally, the belt 100 has a spring guide 117 which holds it in engagement with the sprocket 101.

The head piece 10 is for supporting the top of the garment being pressed, and the bottom of the garment is attached to the table 12 by means of clamps 32 (see FIG.

5) and tensioning supports 34 (FIG. 4). The tensioning supports 34 are slidable along the table 12 in the direction of arrows 36 to suit garments of different sized bottoms. The supports engage the inside of the garments as shown in FIG. 4 and the engaging face is of synthetic resinous foam material, or other suitable material to provide a light frictional grip on the garment. The support 34 comprises basically a boss 119 slidable on a rod 120 which lies parallel and under a slot 121 in the table 12. Attached to the boss 119 is a lever 121A which passes through the base slot 121 and a support plate 122 which is engaged by the garment 123 as shown.

The bore of the boss has a slight taper 124 at each end but at opposite sides as regards the end of the bore.

Each clamp 32, as shown in FIG. 5, comprises an overcentre linkage comprising a bottom link 50 of which the ends are attached to the table 12, a toggle mechanism comprising a long link 51 and two short links 52 and the mechanism is completed by a substantially vertical inverted L-shaped link 53. Pivotally attached to the link 53 is a clamping plate 54, the point of pivotal attachment to said link 53 being at 55 which is above the central plane of the plate 54. Integral with the link 51 is an operator lever 55A.

In a position shown in the drawing, the clamp is in the engaged position with the pad 56 attached to the table 12 and in order to release the clamp, the lever 55A is pivoted anti-clockwise as shown in dotted lines and the pair of links 51, 52 of the toggle mechanism go over-centre and thereby release the clamp.

This clamping and releasing of the garment about the frame 14 is eflicient and simple and by virtue of the pivot 55 being located above the central plane of the plate 54, the bottom of the plate can be moved clear of the frame when the clamp is being moved to the clamping position. The clamping face of plate 54 is a layer of friction material such as synthetic foam material to provide a frictional grip on the garment. The pad 56 may also have this frictional material thereon.

In pressing a garment on the machine, say a jacket, the machine table and moulding are moved to the required position and the jacket is supported by the moulding 10 and draped round the frame 14. The bottom of the jacket is engaged by supports 34 and gripped by clamps 32 and is thereby attached to the table 12. When the garment has been so positioned on the machine, the lever 107 is pivoted anti-clockwise in FIG. 1 and this in turn causes the whole assembly comprising shaft 103, sprocket 101, annulus 102 and disc 105, as previously described, to rotate about the axis of shaft 103. This causes the right hand reach of the belt 100 to move upwards and the left hand to move downwards; thus the head piece tends to move upwards and the table downwards; this causes the garment to be tensioned and the amount of tension depends how far the lever 107 is pivoted to the left in FIG. 1. The amount of tension depends upon the fabric of the garment being pressed and when in position, the lever 107 can be hold there by slipping the lever into the appropriate one of a plurality of retainer slots 19.

When the pressing has been completed the lever 107 is positioned to the initial position, and the disc 104 returns to the initial position shown in FIG. 1 in which the sprocket 101 and annulus 102 can be freely rotated by movements of the table and head piece. The arm 114 stops return motion before return motion of the disc 104 so that the disc 104 becomes freed from the annulus 102.

Modifications of the above-described assembly may be made, for example, other linkages may be used to actuate the disc 104.

When the garment is first passed over the plate 122 of each support and the support is pulled to the left as shown in FIG. 4. The plate 122 engages the garment 123- and pulls it to the left. However, by reaction the garment 123 tends to pull the support to the right, but is prevented from doing so when the operator releases the handle of the support, as this reaction rocks the support slightly and the ridges at 125 and 126, where the tapers 124 meet the bore, engage the rod and prevent sliding of the support to the right.

In order to release the support, the support is rocked slightly anticlockwise to release the ridges 125, 126 from the rod so that it can be pushed to the right to release the garment. Thus, the support locks automatically in the position in which it is set, a very favourable feature as the operation can be carried out very quickly. The rod is preferably serrated or roughened to further assist the locking action.

As steam is involved, it is desirable to construct the apparatus of a non-rustable material, although practically any material would be suitable. Also, the apparatus may be constructed with rounded off corners to prevent catching on the garment being pressed.

The basic frame 14 and sub frames 28, 30 may, of course, be altered substantially without departing from the scope of the invention, and various baffle plates may be incorporated for the prevention of excess steam leakage.

The distance between the head piece 10 and table 12 is infinitely variable and, therefore, almost any garment may be pressed on the machine.

Because of the counter-balancing, manipulation of the table and moulding requires very little physical effort, a considerable advantage in an industry where most machine operators are women.

It is intended that there be interchangeable mouldings to suit different shapes and sizes of garments, and each may be provided with sliding extensions, for example, such as indicated generally by 44 in FIG. 1.

Also shown in FIG. 1 is a holding arm 46 with a holding pad 48. The arm 46 is attached to the moulding 10 and can be pivoted downwards so that the pad 48 will hold jacket lapels during pressing.

Also, the support 16 is in upper and lower parts, the upper part being rotatable on the lower part. The machine is mounted on the upper part and so can be rotated as indicated by arrow 49 in FIG. 1.

The apparatus may be readily modified for pressing ladies skirts. The moulding is removed and a pair of opposed, spring loaded, semi-elliptical members are positioned in its place, which members are embraced by the skirt waist band during pressing. Any other suitable means may be used for engagement by the waist band.

What I claim is:

1. A machine for the steam pressing of garments including a head piece which is adapted to support the top of a garment, a base having means for engaging the bottom of the garment and counterbalancing means interconnecting said base and head piece so that their weights are counter-balanced, and each being movable upwards and downwards, said counterbalancing means being such that when the base is moved in one direction, the head piece is simultaneously moved in the other direction for adjustment to suit a particular length of garment.

2. A machine according to claim 1, including an upright frame and wherein the base comprises a table slideable on said upright frame, which frame passes through an aperture in the table.

3. A machine according to claim 2, wherein the headpiece is slideable on said frame.

4. A machine according to claim 3, wherein the counterbalancing means comprises a support on the frame and a length of flexible member which passes over said support, the ends of the member being respectively operatively connected to the head piece and the table.

5. A machine according to claim 4, wherein the length of flexible member is a length of toothed belt and the support is a sprocket rotatable on said frame.

6. A machine according to claim 5, wherein there is a control linkage for manually turning the sprocket in a direction to cause the head piece to move upwards and the table to move downwards whereby when there is a garment at the machine it may be tensioned longitudinally by having the weight of the table hanging on the garment bottom.

7. A machine according to claim 6, including a shaft on which the sprocket is rotatable, an annulus rigidly connected to said sprocket, and a disc mounted within the annulus and on an eccentric rigid with said shaft, the linkage being connected to said disc so that upon operation of the linkage the disc firstly rotates on the eccentric to a limited extent, then locks with the annulus and then causes rotation of the annulus, sprocket and shaft as a unit to raise the head piece and so lower the base.

8. A machine according to claim 7, wherein the shaft has a stop arm and there is a stop against which the arm can abut to limit its rotation in the direction which would cause raising of the base and lowering ofthe head piece.

9. A machine according to claim 7, wherein there is a spring connected between the stop arm and the frame urging said arm to abut said stop.

10. A garment pressing machine according to claim 1, wherein the means for engaging the bottom of the garment 6 include members arranged on the base to clamp the bottom of the garment and cause the garment to form a hollow enclosure.

11. A garment pressing machine according to claim 10, wherein the means for engaging the bottom of the garment further include pads slidably mounted on the base and adapted to engage the interior of the garment to form a taut garment wall around the enclosure.

12. A garment pressing machine according to claim 11, further including means for introducing steam into the interior of the hollow enclosure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1914 Hamburger 22368 11/1965 Paris 223-70

Images