US3696523A

US3696523A - Steam air garment finisher

Info

Publication number: US3696523A
Application number: US139458A
Authority: US
Inventors: Michael G Beeley; Richard D Thompson
Original assignee: McGraw Edison Co
Current assignee: McGraw Edison Co
Priority date: 1971-05-03
Filing date: 1971-05-03
Publication date: 1972-10-10
Anticipated expiration: 1989-10-10
Also published as: FR2124767A5; DE2210670A1; GB1347796A; CA969898A

Abstract

A batch box steam air finisher having the operating advantages of typical batch box finishers while yet further having the operating advantages of typically high cost tunnel-type finishers. This disclosed finisher has an enclosure with an internal completely confined conveyor for carrying garments in single file individually past specific conditioning discharge means and specific air whip drying means, and also has additional conveyor means for automatically loading and/or unloading a batch or group of garments into or from the enclosure and specifically into the control of or from the control of the confined conveyor automatically, whereby a common finishing cycle can finish more than one garment.

Description

[451 0ct.,l0, 1972 United States Patent Beeley et al.

2,880,878 4/1959 Collette......................2l1/1.5 3,644,085 2/1972 Beeley ....223/70X et m an M am T Gm .n Mm mm Primary ExaminerJohn J. Camby Lake City, both of Utah [73] Assignee: McGraw-Edison Company,

Assistant ExaminerHarry B. Ramey Attorney-Charles F. Lind Elgin,

[57] ABSTRACT A batch box steam air finisher having the operating advantages of typical batch box finishers while yet further having the operating advantages of typically [22] Filed: May 3, 1971 [21] App]. No.: 139,458

high cost tunnel-type finishers. This disclosed finisher has an enclosure with an internal completely confined conveyor for carrying garments in single file individually past specific conditioning discharge means and specific air whip drying means, and also has additional conveyor means for automatically loading and/or unloading a batch or group of garments into or from the enclosure and specifically into the control of or from the control of the confined conveyor auto- [56] References cued matically, whereby a common finishing cycle can UNITED STATES PATENTS finish more than one garment.

2,845,786 8/1958 Chrisman.....................68/5 C 16 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDnm 10 um sum 1 OF 3 y pson lnven'rors Micheal GBeele Richard D.Thom

PKTENTEDHBI 10 I972 SHEET 3 BF 3 Eom w STEAM AIR GARMENT FINISHER In finishing many types of garments, it is necessary frequently only to subject the garment to a conditioning fluid such as steam which softens the material fibers and thereafter to dry the garment with a flow of heated dry air. The concept has been commercially practiced both with what is termed a tunnel-type finisher and with what is termed a batch-box type finisher.

In the tunnel-type finisher, a conveyor carries a garment typically hung on a hanger or like form through a finisher unit that is opened at both ends, where the inlet end provides a conditioning type chamber of atmosphere and where the opposite outlet end provides a drying chamber or atmosphere. The advantages of this type finisher are that successive garments are typically conveyed in a single file parallel orientation where the conditioning fluid typically of steam can be discharged directly against the garment for thorough penetration and conditioning of the garment; while thereafter the garments again as conveyed in single file can pass between relatively narrow drying chamber tunnel walls where drying air can be circulated at a relatively high velocity over the garment to shake or flap the wrinkles from it.

In a batch box finisher, a cabinet defines an enclosure and means are provided for holding a garment within the enclosure and then subjecting the entire enclosure to an atmosphere of conditioning fluid, typically steam, for conditioning the garment and thereafter for venting the enclosure and passing a drying fluid, typically heated air, over the garment. The combination of the steam atmosphere and air movement over the garment, plus possibly some mechanical shaking of the garments by an auxiliary shaker unit, result in an adequate finishing of most garments. Typically the cabinet is sufficiently large to finish more than one garment in a common finishing cycle.

One advantage the tunneLtype finisher has over the batch box type finisher is effective steam conditioning; since the steam can be discharged directly against the garment as it is passed single file through the tunneltype finisher conditioning chamber, whereas the garments in the batch box finisher normally are hung side by side and thereby can only be subjected to an atmospheric-type conditioning fluid and not to direct discharge. However, the counterpart advantage the batch box finisher has over the tunnel-type finisher is it requires significantly lower boiler horse-power since the steam confinement is more on a lingering basis in the batch box finisher than in a tunnel-type finisher, and consequently the costs are less and the batch box finisher is much more suited for smaller installations such as neighborhood cleaning centers rather than industrial finishing plants.

It still appears however, that the tunnel-type finisher has better finishing characteristics than the batch box type finisher possibly because of the direct discharge conditioning of the garments and because of the high velocity air whip drying, which typically cannot be duplicated by merely passing additional volumes of steam and/or air through a batch box finisher.

This invention relates to, and an object of this invention is to provide, a garment finisher which has characteristics of both a tunnel-type finisher and a batch box type finisher, where garments are finished in groups or batches in a common finishing cycle but where the garments are individually subjected during this common finishing cycle to direct steam conditioning and/or to high velocity air whip drying.

Another object of this invention is to provide a garment finisher having an enclosure and having a conveyor system completely confined within the enclosure for carrying garments individually supported thereon and successively through specific conditioning and dry ing areas, whereupon desired finishing characteristics can be obtained.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for systematically loading garments onto or unloading garments from the internal or enclosure confined conveyor system noted in the preceding object, where a group of garments can be loaded by an operator onto an auxiliary conveyor outside the finisher enclosure, where thereafter the auxiliary conveyor and garments as loaded thereon can be brought to inside the finisher enclosure and the garments first automatically loaded onto the confined conveyor system, and then automatically unloaded from the conveyor system onto an auxiliary receiving unit and collected, and where thereafter the auxiliary receiving unit and garments collected thereon can be removed from the finisher enclosure.

These and other objects of this invention will be more fully understood and appreciated after referring to the following specification, the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the subject finisher with part of the exterior casing being broken away for clarity of disclosure;

FIG. 2 and FIG. 2a are plan type views as seen generally from line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational type sectional view as seen generally from line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an elevational type view as seen generally from line 4-4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an elevational type view as seen generally from line 5-5 in FIG. 3, except with the mechanism in an alternate position; and

FIG. 6 is an elevational type view as seen generally from line 6-6 in FIG. 5.

The finisher unit 10 shown has a casing 12 with opposed end walls 13, opposed front and

rear walls

14 and 15, and opposed bottom and

top walls

16 and 17, thereby defining an enclosure 20 which is generally closed except for an access opening 22 in the front wall 14. A closure door 24 is mounted by vertically located pivot pins 26 for rotation about the center of the door 24 within the access opening 22. When the door 24 is closed, being aligned with the front wall 14, the enclosure is not necessarily air or steam tight but only nominal steam or air leakage occurs from the enclosure 20.

A conveyor 30 is mounted adjacent the casing top wall 17 being entirely within the enclosure generally as a loop. The conveyor can be of any known construction, but is shown here as having end sprockets 32 about which a typical link chain 33 is trained. A split pipe 34 can surround the chain with clearance to provide underlying support therefor at locations apart from the sprockets, the pipes in turn being connected by brackets 35 to the casing. Secured to the chain across selectively spaced single links of the chain and depending from the pipe split are clips or brackets 36,

each of which has a flat vertical surface and tab 37 which inclines upwardly from the surface outwardly of the conveyor loop 30. A hanger hooks over each tab 37 and there are 6 or 8 brackets 36 equally spaced around the loop 30 to support the adjacent garments parallel to the conveyor runs while having edge clearance between them. A guide bar 43 is supported outwardly spaced adjacent the clips below the tabs 37 to engage the hanger and keep it flat against the clip and parallel to the conveyor movement.

The conveyor has runs 38 and 39, and a partition 40 extends from the bottom wall 16 to the top wall 17 between the runs. A pair of steam tubes 42 are located on opposite sides of the conveyor run 38 and extend almost between the bottom wall 16 and top wall 17. The tubes discharge steam generally toward the conveyor run 38 and slightly in the same direction as the conveyor movement away from the opening 22; which minimizes leakage of the steam from the opening. A wall, 44 faces the partition 40 along a portion of the conveyor run 39, and the wall and partition define an air whip type drying tunnel 46. The distance between the partition 40 and the wall 44 preferably is only 4 inch to 6 inch so that a garment carried on the conveyor aligned parallel to the conveyor just fits with only slight clearance with the walls. A blower 48 is supported from the rear of the casing and has its inlet opening 49 to draw in the outside ambient air which is then discharged to within a passageway or duct 52 defined by walls and 44 and walls 53 therebetween (FIG. 2). A hood 55 above the top wall 17 turns the air flow in the duct 180 for discharge from top opening 56 downwardly to within the unit tunnel 46. A gear motor unit 58 is mounted on the top wall 17 and connected to one sprocket shaft 59 for rotating the sprocket 32 keyed thereto and for powering the conveyor 30; and a motor (not shown) is also provided for powering the blower 48.

During the normal preferred finishing cycle of the unit thus far described, a plurality of garments are loaded or hung from the conveyor brackets 36 and carried around the enclosure on the conveyor 30. During the conditioning phase of the cycle, steam is discharged from steam outlet pipes 42, which thereby is directed against the individual garments as the garments are successively passed between the pipes. Moreover, the entire enclosure assumes a steam-like atmosphere which further thoroughly conditions the garment. The duration of the conditioning cycle and conveyor speed are preferably such that each garment passes between the steam discharge tubes 42 at least once, but the same might happen two, three or even more times for thorough garment conditioning. After the conditioning phase of the cycle has concluded, the blower 48 is operated and a plurality of vent openings 60 (FIGS. 1 and 2a) located in the top wall 17 of the unit are uncovered, the same normally being closed by .a gravity type damper plate 61. A heat exchanger 62 (FIG. 2) is located in the air duct 52 so that the air is heated before being discharged into the enclosure 20, to vent the enclosure atmosphere and further to dry the garments therein. During the drying phase of the conditioning cycle, the air discharge is at a high velocity downwardly to within the air whip or drying tunnel 46 and passes directly over the garment therein which vibrates rapidly and shakes the wrinkles out. The duration of the drying phase of the finishing cycle again is sufficiently long that each garment passes through the tunnel unit 46 at least once and possibly many more times where the garment is subjected directly to the high velocity air for shaking the wrinkles from it. The entire enclosure 20 also serves as a drying chamber since the air is circulated therein before eventually being vented from openings 60.

Specific means for both automatically loading and unloading the garments from the finishing unit conveyor 30 will not be described. The door 24, it has been noted, is mounted for at least 180 rotation about central pivot means 26 and thereby has opposing

faces

66 and 67 which are interchangeable toward the enclosure or outwardly away from the enclosure. Similar sets of indexing and receiving

structures

68 and 69 respectively are mounted on each face, so to simplify the disclosure, reference will be made to one set of the structures.

The indexing structure 68 includes a shaft or rod 70 that slopes downwardly from adjacent the upper edge of the door generally aligned below the upper central pivot pin 26 and extends to where its terminal end 71 is inwardly beyond and slightly spaced above the tab 37 of the conveyor 30 (FIG. 3). The shaft 70 has formed thereon a plurality of

pins

74 and 76, which pins 74 are all aligned with one another and spaced uniformly along the shaft and which pins 76 are likewise all aligned with one another and uniformly spaced along the shaft but in staggered relation to pins 74 and roughly at 90 offset from them. The shaft 70 is journaled in bracket 77 for rotation through approximately 90 so that the pins 74 which are normally on the top of the shaft can be moved to one side, and the pins 76 which are normally on the opposite side of the shaft can be moved to the top (FIG. 4). A lug 78 is provided on the shaft to abut the bracket to limit the shaft rotation, and a tension spring 80 connected between the lug and bracket tends to return the shaft to its normal position, as above noted, where the pins 74 are oriented on the top side of the shaft. A power cylinder 82 is connected on the top wall 17 of the casing 12 with its rod 84 protruding through an opening 85 in the top wall and abutted against the lug 80 keyed on the shaft 70. Actuation of the power cylinder 82 thereby rotates the shaft through approximately so that the pins 74 are now on the side and the pins 76 are now on top of the shaft.

In normal use, an operator can hang the hook of a conventional hanger onto the shaft 70, which ordinarily would permit the hanger to slide down the shaft under the influence of gravity, except the hanger is restrained by the vertically oriented pin 74. There typically would be the same number of pins 74 on the shaft 70 as there were holding brackets 36 on the conveyor 30, and a hanger can be hung on the shaft for each pin 74. Merely by rotating the door the loaded shaft 70 is carried to inside the enclosure and specifically points toward the conveyor 30 in a position to release each hanger successively onto the adjacent conveyor clips 36. To accomplish this, the power cylinder 82 is actuated to rotate the pins 74 to the side which releases all hangers, the lower most release pin thereby permitting its hanger and garment thereon to drop onto the corresponding tab 37 of the conveyor (FIG. 3). When the shaft is so indexed, all pins 76 correspondingly are rotated to now be on the top so that each of the remaining hangers slides down from the pin 74 until restrained by the next lower now vertical pin 76. As the power cylinder 82 is released and the spring 80 returns the shaft to its normal position, each hanger is once again released (this time by pin 76) to slide down the shaft until restrained by the next lower now vertical pin 74. For smooth and fast transfer, the conveyor 30 is preferably moving at its set rate all the while, and the shaft is indexed so that by proper adjustment the lower most hanger is transferred onto the passing clip 36. A switch 87 can be triggered by a cam plate 88 rotated by sprocket shaft 59 (FIG. 1) to actuate the power cylinder 82 automatically, the switch being connected in an appropriate indexing circuit (not shown) so that each hanger as originally restrained on a shaft pin 74, would be released onto a separate conveyor clip 36. Preferably the circuit would be such that after all hangers had been released from the unloading mechanism 68, the indexing circuit would become inactive.

It is noted that there are two such indexing or release mechanisms 68 located on opposite sides of the door 24 so that while the one mechanism is inside the enclosure the other mechanism 68 is located outside of the enclosure and an operator can be loading unfinished garments onto the mechanism for the subsequent finishing cycle.

As has been noted, located beneath each of the indexing mechanism 68 there is supported a receiving mechanism 69. This structure is quite simple and includes a bar 90 pivoted at its lower end about bracket 92 for movement between a generally vertical position (phantom 9OU in FIG. 3) and an upwardly inclined lowermost position (phantom 90D in FIG. 3). In this lowermost position, its free end 93 is outwardly spaced from the line of the conveyor 30 so that it avoids any interference with the hangers and garments carried by the conveyor 30. The bar is not stable in its vertical position 9OU and tends to fall to its lowermost position 90D but can be easily held in any intermediate position 9OI (FIG. 3) such as against the uppermost garment on the indexing mechanism 68.

A push-off or unloading mechanism 95 is provided in the cabinet 12 for conveyor 30. The mechanism 95 includes a bar 96 supported by shaft 98 which in turn is rotatable in bushing 99. As supported, the bar 96 is generally horizontal and in line with the stem or neck portion of the hanger as carried on the bracket 36 of the conveyor. The bar 96 is normally held by a spring 100 connected between the casing and a lug 101 keyed to the shaft in a retracted position (FIG. 3) where there is no interference with a hanger carried onthe conveyor so that the hanger can move unrestricted therepast. However, the bar can be shifted by means of a power cylinder 102 connected between the lug 101 and the casing to cross the line of the conveyor 30 where it vertically clears the conveyor bracket 36 but engages the stem portion of the hanger on the conveyor. The hanger thereby is moved by conveyor movement upon engaging the crossing bar 96 upwardly along its supporting tab 37 of the bracket until it drops off such tab and falls onto a pin 104 carried by the bar 96. The pin 104 is inclined downwardly slightly with its free end aligned vertically over and extended outwardly beyond the receiving bar in its lowermost position so that the hanger drops off the pin 104 onto the bar 90 and slides down the bar until restrained against the door or another garment already on the bar. An unloading circuit (not shown) can be provided to be completed automatically if desired at the end of the drying phase of the finishing cycle to actuate the power cylinder 102 and hold the unloading mechanism crosswise to the path of movement of the conveyor 30 until all hangers are transferred from the conveyor. This might be sensed by a limit switch (not shown) in the unloading circuit that is actuated to release said circuit after one complete revolution of the conveyor 30 the limit switch being actuated by a cam plate (not shown) connected by an appropriate speed reducing gear train (not shown) driven by the sprocket shaft 59.

In like manner, there is a receiving bar 90 located on each side of the door so that it is ready to receive and hold the garments as finished in the cabinet 12 without having to shift the position of the door. It is possible then to shift the door 180 where the operator can unload the finished garments on the outside receiving mechanism 69 (FIG. 1) and then load unfinished garments onto the overlying index mechanism 68, while a subsequent finishing cycle can concurrently be started on unfinished garments previously hung on the now inside indexing mechanism 68.

Means can also be provided for powering the door through its 180 movement, such means including for example a power cylinder connected to rack 112, the rack being guided by slide 113 to engage and rotate a gear 1 l4 keyed to the pivot pin 26 of the door. By appropriate adjustment of stops (not shown) engageable with the rack, for example, actuation of the power cylinder to one end position will move the rack and consequently rotate the door to a first closed position while actuation of the power cylinder to its other end position will rotate the door a full from said closed position to its opposite second closed position.

It is possible to provide a control started by manual actuation of a start button for rotating the door and beginning the operation of the conveyor 30. Thereafter where the door is in its new closed position as sensed, for example, by limit switches engaged by the rack 1 12, the control can begin the unloading from indexing mechanism 68 and start the conditioning cycle. The conditioning cycle including the appropriate steaming and drying phases thereof can be controlled by adjustable timers. At the conclusion of the finishing cycle, the control can automatically actuate the unloading mechanism power cylinder 102 for returning the garments from conveyor 30 to the support of the door on the receiving mechanism 69, and thereafter automatically rotating the door once again and repeating the above for a second consecutive conditioning cycle. At the end of this finishing cycle, after all garments have been collected on the inside mechanism 69, the blower 48 would merely be stopped but the door would not be rotated and no subsequent finishing cycle would begin unless started by the operator. This means that an operator can load one support mechanism 68, start the first finishing cycle and in the next few seconds unload the other side of the door then load it, and then leave the finisher unattended while the first and then a second finishing cycle occured: only then being required to return to the finisher to unload all finished garments carried on the door.

What is claimed is:

l. A steam air finisher operable during a single finishing cycle for finishing a plurality of garments each individually held on a hanger or generally like form, comprising a cabinet defining an enclosure having an access opening, a door for closing the opening, a first conveyor located entirely in the enclosure and having means for holding the hangers and garments thereon, means for operating the first conveyor whereby the hangers and garments thereon are carried throughout the enclosure, means operable for conditioning the garments and means operable for drying the garments, said conditioning means and said drying means each being disposed in the enclosure and each being on both sides of the first conveyor, a second conveyor carried on the door and having means for holding a corresponding plurality of hangers and garments thereon as there might be held on said first conveyor, the second conveyor being disposed outside the enclosure when the door is in one operative position whereby an operator can readily load the hangers and then unfinished garments thereon onto the second conveyor and the second conveyor being disposed inside the enclosure and proximate the first conveyor when the door is in another operative position and closing the access opening, means for operating the second conveyor when the door is in the other operative position whereby the hangers and garments thereon are transferred from the second conveyor to the first conveyor, means carried on the door and being proximate the first conveyor when the door is in its said other operative position for receiving the hangers and garments thereon from the first conveyor, means for releasing the hangers and garments thereon from the first conveyor for transfer to the receiving means, and the receiving means being disposed outside the enclosure when the door is in the said one operative position whereby an operator can readily unload the hangers and now finished garments thereon from the receiving v means.

2. A garment finisher according to claim 1, wherein the cycle for finishing the garments includes a conditioning phase and a drying phase where the respective conditioning means and drying means are separately operated and each operation being of such duration that every hanger and garment thereon on the first conveyor individually passes the respective conditioning means and drying means.

3. A steam air finisher according to claim 1, wherein means are provided for moving the door under power between the two operative positions.

4. A steam air finisher according to claim 1, wherein said door has thereon two complete sets of respective second conveyors and receiving means, thereby being operable when the door is in its one and other operative positions of presenting one each of the second conveyors and receiving means in said indicated relation with the first conveyor.

5. A steam air finisher according to claim 4, wherein the door is pivoted about a central pivot whereby movement between the operative positions is rotational and whereby the door closes the access opening in each operative position.

6. A steam air finisher according to claim 1, wherein the releasing means is located inside the enclosure and is movable between a non-interferring position and an operative releasing position relative to the hangers as carried on the first conveyor, and means for actuating the releasing means between said positions.

7. A steam air finisher operable during a single finishing cycle for finishing a plurality of garments each individually held on a hanger or generally like form, comprising a cabinet defining an enclosure having an access opening, means for closing the opening, a first conveyor located entirely in the enclosure and having means for holding the hangers and garments thereon, the loading and unloading of hangers and garments thereon onto and from the first conveyor being through the access opening, means for operating the first conveyor whereby the hangers and garments thereon are carried throughout the enclosure, means operable for conditioning the garments and means operable for drying the garments, said conditioning means and said drying means each being disposed in the enclosure and each being on both sides of the first conveyor, said conditioning means including means for discharging steam from opposite sides of and toward a path of movement of the first conveyor and directly against the garments as they individually pass therebetween on the first conveyor, said drying means including closely spaced walls extended generally parallel to and facing from opposite sides thereof a path of movement of the first conveyor, and said drying means also including means to draw in air, means to heat the air, and means to discharge the air to between the spaced walls at a relatively high velocity for flow over and past the garments as they individually pass therebetween on the first conveyor.

8. A garment finisher according to claim 7, wherein the cycle for finishing the garments includes a conditioning phase and a drying phase where the respective conditioning means and drying means, are separately operated and each operation is of such duration that every hanger and garment thereon on the first conveyor individually passes the respective conditioning means and drying means.

9. A garment finisher according to claim 7, further including a second conveyor located outside the enclosure and operable to pass through the access opening to inside the enclosure whereby an operator can readily load the hangers and then unfinished garments thereon onto said second conveyor to be carried thereon through said access opening to inside the enclosure and proximate the first conveyor, and means for operating the second conveyor whereby the hangers and garments thereon are transferred from the second conveyor to the first conveyor.

10. A garment finisher according to claim 7, further including means located inside the enclosure and operable to pass through the access opening to outside the enclosure, whereby said last named means can receive hangers and garments thereon inside the enclosure from the first conveyor and carry them through the access opening to outside the enclosure to be unloaded by an operator.

11. A garment finisher according to claim 10, further including means for releasing the hangers and garments thereon from control of the first conveyor for transfer to the control of the receiving means.

12. A steam air finisher operable during a single finishing cycle for finishing a plurality of garments each individually held on a hanger or generally like form, comprising a cabinet defining an enclosure having an access opening, a door for closing the opening, means mounting the door for rotation about its centrally located vertical axis whereby the door closes the access opening in each of two operative positions approximately 180 rotatably apart where one door side faces inside the enclosure and the opposite door side faces outside the enclosure, and vice-versa respectively, means carried on the door and projected from both the one and opposite door sides thereof for holding the hangers and garments thereon whereby in each operative position a hanger holding means is inside the enclosure and a hanger holding means is outside the enclosure, and means in the enclosure operable for conditioning the garments and for drying the garments.

13. A steam air finisher according to claim 12, wherein means located inside the enclosure is operable to accept control of the hangers and garments thereon from the hanger holding means and to convey the hangers and garment thereon to an orientation relative to one another within the enclosure different from the corresponding orientation while on the hanger holding means.

14. A steam air finisher according to claim 13, wherein said hanger holding means is disposed to hold the hangers and garments thereon in the orientation where they are in adjacent packed front to rear full width relation, and wherein said conveying means is disposed to hold the hangers and garments thereon in the orientation where they are in adjacent extended or edge to edge generally aligned relation.

15. A steam air finisher operable during a single finishing cycle for finishing a plurality of garments each individually held on a hanger or generally like form,

comprising a cabinet defining an enclosure having an access opening, a first conveyor located entirely in the enclosure and having means for holding the hangers and garments thereon, means operable for conditioning the garments and means operable for drying the garments, said conditioning means and said drying means each being disposed in the enclosure and each being on both sides of the first conveyor, means for operating the first conveyor whereby the hangers and garments thereon are carried throughout the enclosure and individually and sequentially past the conditioning means and the drying means, a second conveyor having means for holding hangers and garments thereon, the second conveyor in one position being disposed outside the enclosure whereby an operator can readily load the hangers and the then unfinished garments thereon and adapted to pass through the access opening to another position and disposed inside the enclosure proximate the first conveyor, means for operating the second conveyor whereby the hangers and garments thereon are transferred from the second conveyor to the first conveyor, means for releasing the hangers and garments thereon from the first conveyor, and means operable for receiving the hangers and garments thereon from the first conveyor and carrying same through the access opening to outside the enclosure whereby an operator can readily unload the hangers and now finished garments thereon from the receiving means.

16. garment finisher according to claim 15,

wherein the cycle for finishing the garments includes a conditioning phase and a drying phase where the respective conditioning means and drying means are separately operated and each operation is of such duration that every hanger and garment thereon on the first conveyor individually passes the respective conditioning means and drying means.

Claims

1. A steam air finisher operable during a single finishing cycle for finishing a plurality of garments each individually held on a hanger or generally like form, comprising a cabinet defining an enclosure having an access opening, a door for closing the opening, a first conveyor located entirely in the enclosure and having means for holding the hangers and garments thereon, means for operating the first conveyor whereby the hangers and garments thereon are carried throughout the enclosure, means operable for conditioning the garments and means operable for drying the garments, said conditioning means and said drying means each being disposed in the enclosure and each being on both sides of the first conveyor, a second conveyor carried on the door and having means for holding a corresponding plurality of hangers and garments thereon as there might be held on said first conveyor, the second conveyor being disposed outside the enclosure when the door is in one operative position whereby an operator can readily load the hangers and then unfinished garments thereon onto the second conveyor and the second conveyor being disposed inside the enclosure and proximate the first conveyor when the door is in another operative position and closing the access opening, means for operating the second conveyor when the door is in the other operative position whereby the hangers and garments thereon are transferred from the second conveyor to the first conveyor, means carried on the door and being proximate the first conveyor when the door is in its said other operative position for receiving the hangers and garments thereon from the first conveyor, means for releasing the hangers and garments thereon from the first conveyor for transfer to the receiving means, and the receiving means being disposed outside the enclosure when the door is in the said one operative position whereby an operator can readily unload the hangers and now finished garments thereon from the receiving means.

8. A garment finisher according to claim 7, wherein the cycle for finishing the garments includes a conditioning phase and a drying phase where the respective conditioning means and drying means are separately operated and each operation is of such duration that every hanger and garment thereon on the first conveyor individually passes the respective conditioning means and drying means.

12. A steam air finisher operable during a single finishing cycle for finishing a plurality of garments each individually held on a hanger or generally like form, comprising a cabinet defining an enclosure having an access opening, a door for closing the opening, means mounting the door for rotation about its centrally located vertical axis whereby the door closes the access opening in each of two operative positions approximately 180* rotatably apart where one door side faces inside the enclosure and the opposite door side faces outside the enclosure, and vice-versa respectively, means carried on the door and projected from both the one and opposite door sides thereof for holding the hangers and garments thereon whereby in each operative position a hanger holding means is inside the enclosure and a hanger holding means is outside the enclosure, and means in the enclosure operable for conditioning the garments and for drying the garments.

15. A steam air finisher operable during a single finishing cycle for finishing a plurality of garments each individually held on a hanger or generally like form, comprising a cabinet defining an enclosure having an access opening, a first conveyor located entirely in the enclosure and having means for holding the hangers and garments thereon, means operable for conditioning the garments and means operable for drying the garments, said conditioning means and said drying means each being disposed in the enclosure and each being on both sides of the first conveyor, means for operating the first conveyor whereby the hangers and garments thereon are carried throughout the enclosure and individually and sequentially past the conditioning means and the drying means, a second conveyor having means for holding hangers and garments thereon, the second conveyor in one position being disposed outside the enclosure whereby an operator can readily load the hangers and the then unfinished garments thereon and adapted to pass through the access opening to another position and disposed inside the enclosure proximate the first conveyor, means for operating the second conveyor whereby the hangers and garments thereon are transferred from the second conveyor to the first conveyor, means for releasing the hangers and garments thereon from the first conveyor, and means operable for receiving the hangers and garments thereon from the first conveyor and carrying same through the access opening to outside the enclosure whereby an operator can readily unload the hangers and now finished garments thereon from the receiving means.

16. A garment finisher according to claim 15, wherein the cycle for finishing the garments includes a conditioning phase and a drying phase where the respective conditioning means and drying means are separately operated and each operation is of such duration that every hanger and garment thereon on the first conveyor individually passes the respective conditioning means and drying means.