Patent GB-347656-A (GB)
IPC: D06F71/06
Filed: 1929-10-23
Abstract: 347,656. Safety devices for machinery. AMERICAN LAUNDRY MACHINERY CO., Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A.-(Assignees of Pauly, R. C. ; Norwood Station, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A.) Oct. 23, 1929, No. 32253. Convention date, May 11. Void [Published under Sect. 91 of the Acts]. [Class 80 (iv).] In a laundry press which is closed and opened by the action of fluid pressure on a piston mechanically connected to the toggle-links which move the press head, the exhaust valve of the cylinder in which the piston works is automatically maintained open when the press is open and the control-means for the exhaust valve cannot be operated to close the valve until after movement of the control-means for the fluid-pressure inlet valve in the valveopening direction to initiate the supply of fluid to the cylinder for the press-closing operation. The movement of the inlet-valve control-means in the valve-opening direction unlocks the exhaust-valve control-means, and the separate control-means for the inlet and exhaust valves must then be simultaneously and continuously operated until the press reaches safe closed position, whereupon the inlet and exhaust valves are automatically maintained open and closed respectively to apply and maintain the final heavy pressure. A lost-motion connection is provided in the exhaust-valve controlmeans and these are so interlinked with the inletvalve control-means that the movement of the exhaust-valve control-means in the valve-opening direction first closes the inlet valve and then opens the exhaust valve to permit the usual restoring- spring to open the press. The interlinking of the exhaust and inlet valve operating-means also renders necessary the positive actuation of the inlet valve, even if such member should be leaking, for the press-closing operation. The exhaust valve 64, Fig. 8, is a normally-closing valve which is maintained open when the press is open by the compression, within a cylinder 175, of a spring 180, by a piston 178, the rod 177 of which is pivoted to the press-head lever 6. The cylinder 175 is pivoted to a lever 125, which is shaped as shown and is pivoted at 127 and linked at 130 to the valve operating- stem 132, the pressure of the compressed spring 180 being greater than that of the normal closing-spring 67. The operating-means for the inlet and exhaust valves 42, 64, Fig. 3, comprise respectively levers 80, 105 pivoted at 81 and 106 to the machine frame. The lever 80 is linked to an arm 89 fast on a rock-shaft 147 and the arm 89 is linked to a lever 95, Fig. 5, which is shaped as shown and is pivoted at 97 and linked at 98 to the operating-stem 100 of the normally-closing inlet valve. By depressing the lever 80, the lever 95 is rocked clockwise, Fig. 5, to open the inlet valve. The lever 105 is linked to an arm 116, Fig. 3, loose on the rockshaft 147 and provided with a pin 115 which works in a slot 117 in a block 118 at the forward end of a rod 120 which is pivoted at its rear end to the lever 125. Depression of the lever 105 rocks the lever 125 counterclockwise, Fig. 8, to close the exhaust valve. Owing to the springs 180, 44, Fig. 3, both levers 80, 105 must be maintained depressed to maintain the fluid-pressure supply to the cylinder 30, of which the piston 32 is connected to the togglelinks, to close the press. As the press reaches safe closed position the piston 178, Fig. 8, rises in the cylinder 175, consequent on the movement of the head lever 6, to relieve the compression of the spring 180 so that the pressure of the operator on the lever 105 may now be relaxed and the exhaust valve maintained closed by its spring 67. Simultaneously and owing to the closing movement of the head lever 6, a piston 193, Fig. 5, rises in a cylinder 190 pivoted to the lever 95 to compress a spring 200 to exert a greater pressure than that of the normal closing-spring 44 so that the inlet valve is automatically maintained open. The interlock for the valve-operating means comprises an arm 140, Fig. 3, pivoted at 141 and provided with a notch 144 in which engages a roller 145 carried by the arm 116. The front end of the arm 140 is engaged by an arm 152 fast on the shaft 147 and consequently movable in unison with lever 80. Depression of the lever 105 to close the exhaust valve is therefore prevented until the lever 80 has been depressed sufficiently to rotate the shaft 147 and arm 152 enough to raise the arm 140 to unlock the roller 145. The press is opened by raising the lever 105 ; the lost-motion connection between the levers 105 and 125 first closes the inlet valve by the engagement of the roller 145 with the arm 152 and subsequently, when the pin 115 reaches the end of the slot 117, opens the exhaust valve.