US907673A - Method for producing pliant creases in laundrying. - Google Patents

Description

H. BECHTOLD 6L R. E. YOUNG.

METHOD FOR PBODUGING PLIANT GBEASES IN LAUNDBYING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1a, 190e.

- 907,673. Patented Dec. 22, 1908.

/fmwl md `and journaled on a fork at the end of a car UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY BECHTOLD AND ROSCOE E. YOUNG, OF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

METHOD vFOR PRODUCING PLIANT CREASES IN LAUNDRYING.

Original application filed November 13,

Serial No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HARRY BnonroLD and Roscon E. YOUNG, citizens of the United States, residing at Pasadena, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Method for Producing Pliant Greases in liaundrying, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the production of pliant creases in laundrying, for example, in starched goods, such as collars. In such articles there is a tendency to rupture or splitting at the folds, particularly at the ends of l the fold.

The main object of this invention is to produce suflicient flexibility at these parts to avoid premature breakage thereat without defacing the finish of the article, and without unduly interfering with the stiffness thereof.

The invention is also applicable generally to starched articles which tend to crack at any place, as by reason of wear, for example, on cuffs, and also wherever extra flexibility is desired, as at button holes, the invention providing for production of local flexibility at such parts.

The method consists, broadly, in subjecting starched laundrying articles, while the starch is wet and plastic, to pressure at the part, such as a fold, which is to be rendered pliant, thereby expressing sufficient starch to reduce the stiffness when dried` and ironed and thus practically reducing the liability of cracking of the goods at the folds, etc.

This application is a division of our application Serial No. 402,030, filed Nov. 13, 1907.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an apparatus suitable for carrying out the method.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on line x2-2 in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a plan of the machine. Fig. 4 is a plan, and Fig. 5 a section of a part of an article showing the eifect of the method hereon. Fig. 6 is a section on line 0r6-5c in The frame 1 of the machine, is provided with brackets 2 for supporting the table 3 on which the article is placed and supported. Said table has a cover or pad 4 of fabric or other suitable material. A pressing and wetting roll 5 having a peripheral pad or rim 6 of absorbent fabric or material, is mounted to travel over this table, being carried by Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 22, 1908.

1907, Serial No. 402,030. Divided and this application filed May 18, 1908.

rier 7 Whose rear portion is mounted to slide in a block 3, mounted by trunnions 9 on frame 1 to allow of up and down motion of the roll 5. Near its forward end the bar 7 passes through a hole 10 in a block 1l slidable vertically in guideways 12 on frame 1. The forward portion of bar 7 which slides in block 11 is square to prevent the bar from turning and to maintain roll 5 in a vertical plane. Block 11 is held or suspended in position by springs 13, 14, below and above the same, the upper spring 14 being adjustable, as to pressure, by screw 15.

Bar 7 is reciprocated by a crank 17 on a shaft 1S journaled in the frame 1, said crank being connected to said bar by a connecting rod 19; A loose pulley 20 on shaft 18 is operated by a belt 21 and carries a clutch member 22 which can be engaged with a clutch member 23 on the shaft, by means of an incline 24 on a controlling frame or member 25. Said controlling member has a projection or stud 26 extending through a slot 27 in frame 1 and connected or attached to a block 28 which slides on rods 29 which are attached in fixed position on frame 1, member 25 being thereby guided on frame 1. Controlling member 25 has a handle 30 at its forward end and is notched at 31 to be engaged by a spring catch 32, see Fig. 3, which has a thumb piece or extension to enable it to be released from the notch. Springs 34 are attached to block 23, and to a cross head 35, on a rod 36 which passes through the back of frame 1 and is screw threaded to receive a nut 37 whereby the tension of the springs may be adjusted. Bar 7 has a shoulder or projection 39 which is engaged by the block 23 when the latter is retracted by the springs 34, to draw the bar to retracted position.

Means are provided for moistening or wetting the presser roll 5, said means comprising a Water tank 40, and rolls 41 42 for delivering water therefrom to roll 5, said rolls 41, 42 being faced or covered with absorbent padding 43 to carry the Water. .Roll 41 is journaled in frame 1, and the supporting springs 13, 14 for the roll 5 are so adjusted that when the roll 5 is in retracted position said roll will rest on the roll 41. Roll 42 is journaled in bearings and is slidable vertically in guideways 44, and pulled upward by springs 45 so that roll 42 always bears on roll 41. Water tank 40 has inclines 46 engaging with inclines 47 on the base of frame 1, so that by pushing the tank rearwardly, to position shown in dotted lines in lig. 2, it is raised to bring the water therein in contact with roll 42. Roll 41. is continuously rotated from driving pulley 2O through belt 48 running over said pulley and over a pulley 49 on the shaft of roll 41. 'Ihe resulting continuous rotation of rolls 4], 42 causes water to be drawn from tank 40 when the latter is raised, and to be distributed over roll 41, and when the roll 5 is in retracted position, shown in lig. 1, the roll 5 takes up moisture from roll 41. Tank 40 is supplied with water from a receiver 53, through a flexible tube 54, a iioat operated valve 55 being providedto maintain a definite level of water in the tank.

In the method of operation as carried out according to this invention, the article to be operated on is starched and while the starch is still wet and plastic, said article, for eX- ample, a collar, indicated at 50 in Figs. 4 and 5, is subjected to pressure at the place 51 or places where extra flexibility is desired. By such pressure, the starch is squeezed out and partially removed from such places, so that when the article is dried and ironed these places will contain less starch and will be less stiff than the body of the article. Simultaneously with the pressure, we may apply water to the compressed place so that the starch which remains thereat is diluted, thereby further decreasing the stiffness at such places when the article is dried and ironed. This method is carried out in the above described machine as follows z-The article 50, for example a collar, is, after starching and while still wet, placed on the pad 4 of table 3, with the portion of the collar that is to be rendered pliable, in the path of roll 5. By then pulling handle 30, controlling member 25 is drawn forward, causing incline 24 thereon to press pulley 20 into position to cause engagement of the clutch members and enabling the pulley 20 to rotate the shaft 18. Such rotation of shaft 18 causes reciprocation of bar 7 with the roll 5 carried thereby between the portions shown in full and dotted lines in Fig. 1, and causes said roll to traverse a portion of the article 50, and to press out the starch therefrom and serve as a destarching means. The

presser roll is narrow, so that the starch can be pressed out laterally from the destarching line. A portion of the starch is taken up by the absorbent pressure applying portion 6 of the presser roll. rl`he roll 5 being kept wet by the water supply means described, it applies water to the place pressed by roll 5 and dilutes the starch thereat. This application of water to the destarching presser means also keeps said means clean or prevent it from clogging with starch, and removes starch therefrom at each contact. Similarly Ythe roll 42 keeps the roll 41 clean and itself cleaned at each wetting operation, by contact with the water in tank 40. On the subsequent drying and ironing of the collar this portion thereof remains relatively flexible. hen the operator has finished work, the member 33 is pressed to release bar 25, which is retracted by springs 34 releasing the driving clutch for shaft 18, and in such movement of bar 25 the block 28 strikes the projection 39 on bar 7 to return said bar to fully retracted position, if it has not already been moved to such position by the driving shaft. The pressure of the presser roll5 on the article can be adjusted by means of screw 15.

The destarching operation, in case of awing tip collar, is applied to the fold of the wing'tips. ln the case of a turn down collar it is applied to the ends only of the seam or fold line, as shown in Fig. 4, those being the parts most subject to rupture, the entire seam line being moistened in usual manner by the usual seam moistener, in a subsequent operation, or if desired the above process may be applied to the entire fold. The operation is also applicable in any part of a starched article, such as a cuff, which is weak or liable to crack.

After the above described destarching operation along the line of the crease, the article is dried and ironed in the usual manner and the relatively small quantity of starch along the line of the crease enables the article to be folded along each crease in ironing, with comparatively littleY liability of cracking or breaking of the cloth at the fold.

The apparatus above described is not claimed herein as it forms the subject of above named application of which the present application is a division.

The dilution and partial removal of the starch at the folding line or point is performed while the article is in the wet state and it is preferred to remove only such amount of the starch at the folding line as will produce pliability at this point, leaving sufficient starch at this point so that after the article has been dried and ironed the finish at the point will be perfect and the appearance such that there is no indication of the removal of starch except as it may be determined by the existence of pliability at this point.

Vlhat we claim is 1. The method of rendering a portion of a starched laundry article pliable, which consists in removing starch from such portion and simultaneously applying water thereto, before the starch has been dried.

2. The method of producing a pliant crease in a starched laundry article, which consists in subjecting the article, while the starch is in a wet, plastic condition, to pressure along the line of the crease, thereby expressing a portion of the starch therefrom, applying Water along the line of the crease and subsequently drying and ironing the article.

. 3. The method of rendering pliant a portion of a starched laundry article, Which consists in subjecting the article to pressure of an absorbent medium, While the starch is in a Wet, plastic condition, thereby removing starch from the article at the place of application of the pressure, and applying Water to the absorbent medium.

4. The method of rendering pliant a portion of a starched laundry article Which consists in subjecting the article to pressure of an absorbent medium, While the starch is in a Wet, plastic condition, thereby removing starch from the article at the place of application of the pressure, and removing the starch Jfrom the absorbent medium.

In testimony whereof, We have hereunto set our hands at Los Angeles California 20 this 12th day of May 1908.

HARRY BECHTOLD. ROSCOE E. YOUNG. In presence of- GEORGE T. HACKLEY, FRANK L. A. GRAHAM.

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