Patent GB-747419-A (GB)
Title: Garment pressing machine
Inventor: SCHULTZ ROY MILTON
IPC: D06F71/02
Filed: 1953-07-06
Abstract: 747,419. Ironing presses. FREEMAN, D. A. July 6, 1953, No..18725/53. Class 138 (2). [Also in Group XXIV] A garment pressing machine comprising a head 22 arranged for movement into and out of engagement with a stationary buck 21, has means mounted on the machine frame and operatively connected to the head 22 for holding the head in a temporary rest position adjacent but spaced from a garment placed on the buck, means for thereafter moving the head into pressing engagement, control means for the last-mentioned means, and means for causing the operatively connected means to hold the head in a temporary rest position spaced from the buck subsequent to the pressing operation. Means may be provided for steaming the garment before pressing and for vacuum treating it after pressing, the steaming and vacuum treating operations being automatically carried out with the head in the temporary rest position. In one embodiment (Figs. 1, 4, 5, 10, 13) the press is pneumatically operated by means which can be rendered inoperative to enable the head to be manually moved into and out of pressing engagement. In a second embodiment (Figs. 16, 17) the press is operated by an electric motor. First embodiment. Pneumatic means.-This includes a valve structure 25 (Fig. 4) and a cylinder assembly 26 (Fig. 5). The valve structure 25 is connected to a pneumatic source at 26<SP>1</SP> and includes a cut-off valve 27, an intake valve 28, an exhaust valve 30 and a pressure regulating valve 36. The outlet side of valve 36 is connected through a post 51 and flexible pipe 54 to the cylinder assembly 26. The pneumatic pressure transmitted to the assembly 26 is proportional to the downward force applied through a plunger 38, a movable plate 40, and a spring 42 to a diaphragm 44 and valve head 46 by manual operation of a control lever 74 carried on the press head 22. The valve 27 is operated by a hinged lever 32 engaged by one arm 60 of a bell-crank lever 56 pivoted at 57. The other arm 61 of lever 56 is actuated by means of a lever arrangement comprising a short link 63 pivoted to the frame of the machine at 64 (Fig. 1) and a longer link 65 pivotally connected to a pedal 67 at a point 68 offset with respect to the pivotal axis 70 of this pedal. The lower end of arm 61 is engaged by a pin 66 pivotally connecting the links 63, 65. When the pedal 67 is in the horizontal position shown in Fig. 1 the pneumatically operated mechanism is rendered inoperative and the press must be operated manually. The pedal 67 is pivoted at 70 to a main foot lever 71 which is pivoted at 73 to the base of the machine. Valves 28, 30 and 36 are controlled by the lever 74 which is connected through a rod 75, bell-crank lever 77 and a rod 81 to a lever 83 rockably mounted at 84. The lever 83 carries a stud 87 on which is mounted a roller 871 adapted to engage the plunger 38. From the stud 87 extends an arm 85 adjustably mounted on the lever 83 and carrying a roller 90 adapted. to engage a hinged operating lever of valve 28. Valve 30 is similarly operated by a roller 93 on an arm 86 pivoted at 84 and adjustably fixed to the lever 83. By depressing control lever 74 rod 81 is pulled upwardly and moves lever 83 counterclockwise, thereby opening valves 28, 36 and closing valve 30. On releasing the lever 74 the head 22 returns to the position seen in Fig. 2 (not shown) and the lever 83 moves clockwise closing valves 28, 36 and opening valve 30 to exhaust the cylinder 26. The cylinder assembly 26 comprises a piston 95 mounted in a cylinder housing 94 journalled on the frame at 97. The piston 95 has a rod 96 carrying a latch cam 98 (Fig. 6, not shown). The cam 98 comprises two parallel flange pieces between which a latch plate 102 is pivotally mounted on a pin 103. The flange pieces are formed with like slots (as 106 in flange 101) each slot having a ledge portion 107 with a lip 108. The latch plate 102 has a similar slot but its ledge portion has no lip. A latch adjusting nut 113 threaded on a post 112 bears against the pivoted latch plate 102 and varies the position thereof with respect to the flange pieces so as to alter the holding effect of the lip 108. A pin 115 extends through the slots in the latch plate and flange pieces, and is secured at both ends to arms 116 rigidly secured to a push link 118. The link 118 is pivoted at 122 to a back lever 121 and at its other end to a front toggle member 123. Lever 121 is pivoted to the base at 73 and to a link 124 at 125. Link 124 is pivoted at 126 to an arm 23 carrying the head 22. An adjustable bumper cap 128 on the link 118 is adapted to engage a bumper cup 127 on the lever 121 to straighten the toggle linkage 121, 124 and close the press. The member 123 is pivoted to the frame at 129. When pin 115 is on the ledge 107 as seen in Fig. 5 the head 22 is held in the preliminary-closed position as seen in Fig. 2 (not shown). On depressing the control lever 74 the piston 95 is moved upwardly, and the latch cam and pin 115 move to position A in Fig. 5, and the press is thereby closed. The pin 115 is caused to remain on the ledge 107 by the lip 108 and a spring 131 which tends to pull the cylinder assembly clockwise. On releasing the lever 74 the head 22 is returned to a preliminaryopen position (which is the same as the preliminary-closed position) by means of a spring 132. To open the press fully, the cylinder assembly is rotated to the position shown at B in Fig. 5, by depressing a pedal 140 pivoted at 141 and linked at 138 with a lever 133 which has a curved arm 135 adapted to engage a roller 136 on the cylinder housing 94. The pin 115 is thereby unseated from the ledge 107 and the head can be raised to the position shown in Fig. 1 with the aid of the spring 132. The head may be opened without becoming latched in the preliminary-open position, either by holding the pedal 140 down, or by adjustment of the nut 113. Two-handed control (Fig. 13).-The control lever 74 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 143 and spaced from a safety lever 142 a sufficient distance to prevent operation of both levers with one hand. The lever 142 is fixed to the shaft 143 and is normally held in its raised position by a coil spring (not shown) surrounding the shaft 143. A cam 147 keyed to shaft 143 actuates a plate 150 pivoted at 148. The plate 150 has an aperture 151 through which extends a pin 152 on a short arm 1521 of lever 74. Spring-biased latches 153, 154 mounted on the plate 150 have tongues 155, 156 respectively which project into the aperture 151 and allow the pin 152 to travel in only one direction about the periphery of the aperture. The arrangement is such that the safety lever 142 must be depressed before the lever 74 can be depressed to close the press completely, and must be released before the control lever can be raised to open the press. Steaming and vacuum applying means.-Steam may be supplied through the press head, but in the example a housing 168<SP>1</SP> contains a steam valve controlling a spray nozzle 168 within the buck 21. The housing 168<SP>1</SP> also contains a vacuum valve, suction being applied through the nozzle 168. The front end of member 123 is linked by a pin- 200 and a bifurcated arm 198 to the main foot lever 71. The link pin 200 has outwardly extending ends adapted to engage trip levers to operate the steam and suction valves. When the head is moved manually to its preliminary-closed position, one end of link pin 200 engages a steam trip lever 178 (Fig. 1) carried by a leg 173, thereby deflecting the leg 173 and operating the steam valve. The other end of link pin 200 engages a vacuum trip lever 191 (Fig. 10) but this is free to move in a clockwise direction and a leg 188 carrying the lever 191 is undisturbed. Steam is thus applied, but not suction, until the press is fully closed. When the press head is moved to the preliminaryopen position, the levers 178, 191 are again engaged by the pin 200, but a stop 192 prevents the lever 191 from turning anticlockwise and the leg 188 is operated and suction applied. Lever 178 is depressed and leg 173 remains undisturbed. Steam may also be applied at any time by the operator, by depressing a foot pedal 186, and vacuum by depressing another pedal (not shown). The pressure of the steam and suction applied may be adjusted by the operator by means of control knobs (170 for the steam) mounted at the front of the machine. The knob 170 is mounted on a differential bolt 172 connecting the leg 173 to a second leg (Fig. 11, not shown) which is fixed to a shaft 177 linked to the steam valve. By turning the knob 170 the position of the leg 173 and therefore of the lever 178 can be adjusted in relation to the actuating link pin 200. An " off " position is provided in which the pin 200 does not engage the lever 178. A similar control is provided for the suction means. The steam pedal 186, the vacuum pedal (not shown), and the main foot lever 71, with the power pedal 67 in its lowered position, enable the operator to perform the entire pressing operation manually if desired. A semi-automatic operation is also possible, in which the press is closed manually, but the application of steam and suction is automatic. Second embodiment. A reversible capacitor-type motor 208 (Fig. 16) replaces the valve structure 25 and cylinder assembly 26 of the first embodiment. The motor 208 is mounted on the lever 121 and is connected through worm gearing 213, 214 to a shaft 215 carrying a cam disc 217 and cam spring member 217<SP>1</SP> (Fig. 17) which co-operate with a roller 218 mounted on the push link 118. Freely mounted on the shaft 215 are a rack gear 221 and limit switch 222. The limit switch is bolted to the rack gear which is rotated by a slidable rack 224 connected by a cable 225 to the control lever 74 on the press head. A magnetic type brake 226 has a brake shoe 227 normally held in engagement with a braking wheel 212 on the motor shaft 211. The shaft 215 is carried by a pair o