Patent GB-609070-A (GB)
Title: Ironing machine
IPC: D06F65/06
Filed: 1946-03-05
Abstract: 609,070. Ironing-machines. TRIGGS, W. W. (Bendix Home Appliances, Inc.) March 5, 1946, No. 6814..[Class 138(ii)] - An ironing-machine comprises a roll 10, a shoe 8 positioned under the roll, a support 102 extending forwardly from the shoe, a pivoted member 88 extending downwardly from the support 7, a supporting table 7 extending forwardly from the shoe and over the extension, a lever 86 pivoted under the shoe and extending downwardly therefrom, and means attached to the lower end of the lever for moving the shoe into and out of contact with the roll. General arrangement. The roll 10 is mounted on a shaft 11, Fig. 1, which is supported at one end only by an extension 14 of an upright casting 12 carried by a table 13. The table portion 7 extends along the front edge of the shoe and, in its ironing position, the shoe is disposed directly under the roll. Control mechanism. Both the roll-drive and the means for moving the shoe to and from the roll are controlled by cam and clutch mechanism disposed on a shaft 23, Fig. 10. On this shaft is rotatably mounted a worm wheel 21, which is driven by a motor through a worm 18, Fig. 1, and belt and pulley mechanism. A sprocket 28, which drives the roll through chain gearing, is slidably and rotatably mounted on the hub 24 of this worm wheel, being normally urged for driving engagement by a spring 30 so that projections 32 on the sprocket engage notches in a clutch member 26 secured on the hub 24 of the worm wheel. The cam 22 co-operates with a cam follower 62, Fig. 11, to oscillate a lever 64, which is carried on a shaft 66 controlling the movement of the shoe. The cam 22 is adapted to be intermittently clutched for rotation by a clutch member 42 which is tiltably mounted on pins 41, 43, Figs. 11 and 13, on the face of the cam and has a projecting end 42A normally urged by springs 41A, 43A into one of the slots of the clutch member 26. For disengaging the clutch parts 26, 42A, a projection 44 on the member 42 is contacted by a pivoted crescent-shaped lever 46 which is movable upwardly against the action of a spring 48A by a link 53 upon the energization of a solenoid 52, Fig. 11. On actuation of the solenoid, the end 50, Fig. 13, of the lever 46 is disengaged from the projection 44 so that the member 42 is clutched to the member 26. and the member 42. with the cam 22. then rotates in counter-clockwise direction for a half-revolution to the position shown in Fig. 13. In this position, the projection 44 contacts by a camming action with the opposite end 54 of the lever 46 so that the clutch parts 26, 42A are again disengaged, and the cam is stopped by engagement of the orciection 44 with a stop 56 on the lever 46. Should the solenoid 52 be de-energized, the lever 46 will tilt under the action of spring 48A, and the cam 22 and member 42 will continue rotation to their original position by the pull of a spring 58, Fig. 11. In order that the clutch members 26, 32 for the roll-drive may be operated in correct sequence with the actuation of the shoe, a cam 38, Fig. 10, positioned on the side of the cam 22 is nrovided for causing a forked member 36 to contact a flange 34 on the hub of the sprocket 28 so as to disengage the clutch members 26, 32. Roll-driving raechanism. The roll is driven through gearing inside the roll from the sprocket 28 on the control shaft 23, the sprocket having a chain drive to a shaft carrying two sprockets 72, 74, Fig. 1, which drive, respectively, through chains two sprockets 76, 78 freely mounted on a shaft 80. The shaft 80 carries a gear meshing with an internal gear in the roll, and the sprockets 76, 78 may be selectively clutched to the shaft 80 according to the desired speed of the roll. Mechanism for moving the shoe. The shaft 66, which is controlled by the lever 64 from the control shaft 23, is connected by a lever 91, Fig. 3, with a lever 86 pivoted to the underside of the shoe. This lever 91 comprises a portion 94 rigid with the shaft 66 and a portion 92 which is pivoted at 93 to the lever 86. A pivoted member 96 on the portion 92 is provided with a camming surface 98 which is positioned so as to contact a pin 99 on the portion 94 and thereby lock the members 92, 94 together. In addition to the lever 86, the shoe is supported by two levers 88, the top pivots of which are secured to the ends of bracket extensions 102 on the underside of the shoe. With this arrangement of the levers, it is possible, when the shoe is in its lower position, and the two portions 92, 94 are unlatched, by pulling on a member 100 to swing the whole assembly towards the front of the machine about the lower pivot of the lever 86. Operation of machine. Assuming the roll to be in lowered position, a lever 120, Figs. 1 and 14, is first turned to provide for the heating of the roll and then to cause operation of the driving motor whereby the worm wheel 21 and clutch members 26 are continuously rotated. The goods are then fed from the table 7, and a knee-control lever 140 is actuated to close a switch 144 and energize the solenoid 52, so that the lever 46 permits engagement of the shoe clutch members 26, 42, whereby the cam 22 is rotated with the worm wheel 21 so as to lift the shoe into engagement with the roll by means of a lever 64 and shaft 66. As the cam 22 rotates, the cam 38 contacts the projection 40 on the member 36 to permit engagement of the roll clutch parts 26, 32 for rotation of the roll prior to the time when the shoe contacts the roll. At the end of a half-revolution of cam 22, the projection 44 on member 42 contacts the end 54 of lever 46 and disengages the clutch members 26, 42, and the cam 22 is held in this position by the projection 44 engaging the stop 56. After ironing, the knee-control lever 140 is again actuated to de-energize the solenoid 52, whereby the spring 58 returns the cam 22 to its original position and the shoe drops to the lower position.. Should it be desired merely to use the machine for pressing, i.e. without rotation of the roll, a second knee-control lever 150 is actuated and held in position, to close a second switch 152 in parallel with the switch 144 in order to energize the solenoid 52, and. by means of a wire 154 and levers 156, to hold the roll clutch parts 26, 32 out of engagement. The main control lever 120, which projects over the lip of the roll, has a vertical shaft extending through the casting 12 and carrying at its lower end a notched cam plate 124, Fig. 14, which cooperates with a spring element 128. The different positions of this cam plate close electric switch connections in (a) the circuit of the driving motor, (b) the heating circuit of the shoe, and (c) both these circuits. Emergency release. For emergency release of the shoe when in ironing positions, the knee-control lever 140 may be actuated. Alternatively, the control lever 120 may be turned to either of its two " off " positions to break the main electric circuit or to either of its two extreme positions in which levers 130, 132, 134, Fig. 14, actuate the member 100 so as to break the connection between the members 92, 94, whereby the shoe returns to its lower position; from this position, the whole shoe assembly may be swung forwardly of the machine. Miscellaneous features. A thermostat 108, Figs. 1 and 3, for regulating the heating element in. the shoe is positioned underneath each end of the shoe, being associated with an indicator dial 110 which is disposed in the table portion 7 and adapted to be inspected through an opening 112 in the top of the table. The shoe and table portion are formed of hollow construction by providing an underplate which also encloses the thermostat.