Patent GB-466623-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in machines for performing ironing, pressing, polishing, rolling, brushing and like operations on leather and/or other pliable sheet material or/and articlesmade thereof
IPC: C14B1/44
Filed: 1936-03-06
Abstract: 466,623. Leather-working machines. TURNER TANNING MACHINERY CO., Ltd., and SCHETTLER, G. A. March 6, 1936, No. 6843. [Class 76] A machine for ironing, rolling, polishing, brushing, &c. leather and other sheet material comprises a tool e.g. an iron 1, supported by a carriage 2, traversed to and fro over a table 84, the tool and work being moved out of and into contact by power driven means which are only operative at times when this relative movement is to be imparted i.e. at the end of an operative stroke and at the beginning of the next. The catching of the edge of the work by the iron is thus avoided. The carriage is traversed along slides 6 by actuation from a motor 8 mounted upon it. The iron is mounted on the carriage by means of a pair of arms 10 carrying a bar 13 which supports the iron by means of a universal joint. The arms 10 are supported by links 16 pivoted on crank-pins 17 on a shaft 18 to allow lifting of the iron. The traverse of the carriage is effected by a rack 19 engaged by duplicate pinions 21 and driven by the motor 8 through gearing 24, 25 and twin clutches 26 alternatively engaged by automatic means comprising a lever 32, engaged by stops 33, 34 on the slide 4, a spring toggle 36, 37, and a sliding member 38 having cam surfaces to effect a sliding movement of the shafts 22 of the clutches. The spring toggle operates in the known manner to cause a sudden movement of the member 38 and the dis-engagement of one clutch and engagement of the other and consequent reversal of the movement of the carriage 2. To provide for keeping both the clutches in neutral, so that the carriage may be stopped, the lever 32 is engaged by a detent device operated through connections 58, 59 from a treadle 60 which is depressed to render the detent inoperative and start the machine. By adjustment of the stops 33, 34 the traverse of the carriage and iron can be varied. During the traverse of the carriage the iron is raised and lowered by two pairs of pivoted trip members 62, 63, 64, 65 and a half-cycle clutch mechanism driven from the shaft 27, which drives the traversing mechanism, through a worm and worm-wheel 68, 69, the clutch mechanism being so arranged that the shaft 18 is stopped either at the upper or lower dead centre with the iron either raised or lowered for an interval depending on the distance between the trip members. This is effected through a stop lever 70 on a shaft 71, a stop disc 72 having diametrically opposite gaps and a clutch-lever 74 freely mounted on the shaft 71 and a. clutch 77. As the iron is traversed a roller mounted on a lever fast on the shaft 71 engages first one and then the other of a pair of trip members e.g. 62, 63, the inner member tilting to allow its passage but the outer one acting on the lever to engage the clutch and release the stop lever 70, the shaft 18 then turning for half a revolution to raise the iron. On the return stroke the outer trip member yields but the inner acts on the lever to actuate the clutch and associated mechanism so as to lower the iron in a manner similar to that described for raising it. The machine is provided with a table 84, supported by springs 86 and having a resilient ironing sheet 85 tensioned by a spring adjustment 119-121. The table is also adapted to rock on pivots 88 slidably supported in brackets. Additional pressure may be applied to the work by treadle operated toggle levers 95, 96. In order to enable the iron to be raised at any point during its movement a push rod 66, Fig. 5, is provided having a pair of cams which engage a roller 103 on the stop lever 70. The iron may also be lifted when at rest by operation of the lever 67 which through a link 110, Fig. 2, and lever 108 operates a plunger 107 to actuate the push-rod. A hand lever 111, which can be moved into engagement with lugs 113 on an arm on the shaft 35, is provided to enable small movements of the iron to be made. The iron is heated by electric current conveyed through bus-bars 115 and pick-ups 116, 117 on the carriage and the heating elements are so arranged that the iron can be rapidly heated up from cold after. which some of the heating elements are cut out. In place of the resilient sheet a conveyer belt may be employed which may automatically be moved forward in steps equal to the width of the iron. Suitable mechanism for this purpose comprises a continuously running motor, a clutch, a single cycle motion and treadle controlled operating means. The shaft of the worm gear 24 may be formed at its lower end as a screw dipping into oil, contained in the casing 2, which is thus distributed to the mechanism.