Patent GB-598855-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to garment and like presses
IPC: D06F71/32
Filed: 1945-09-21
Abstract: 598,855. Ironing-presses. TRIGGS, W. W. (Prosperity Co., Inc.). Sept. 21, 1945, No. 24437. [Class 138 (ii)] A garment or like press comprises a heatinsulating cabinet 8, a lower press element 2, an upper press element 4 movable towards and from the lower element, a hood 9 on the cabinet for normally housing the upper press element and having an opening for the passage of this element, a shield member 10 which is movable out of and into the hood portion 9 with the upper element, a closure 12 which normally extends across the open front of the shield and the opening in the hood 9, and mechanism for actuating the upper press element 4, shield member 10, and closure 12. The hood 9 is entirely closed except on its front overhanging side, and the shield 10, which is pivoted at 11 to the cabinet 8, is closed on all except its front and rear sides and normally telescopes within the hood 9. Upon actuation of the press to closing position, the shield 10 moves out of the hood 9 in advance of the upper press element 4, the closure 12 is withdrawn, and the upper element is brought into contact with the lower element 2. The lower buck 2 is mounted above a horizontal table portion 3 of the cabinet 8, and the movable press head 4 is carried by the end of a lever 5 which is pivotally mounted at 6 on the frame 1. The head 4 may be heated by steam or electrically. The closure 12 is in the form of a heat-insulating curtain which runs over guide rollers 13 near the top wall of the shield 10, being anchored at one end 14 to the hood 9 and connected at its other end to springs 15 anchored to the hood or cabinet. With the curtain 12 disposed across the head 4, the heat within the cabinet is confined and the operator is prevented from coming into contact with the press head. During closing of the press, the shield 10 is caused to move to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the curtain 12 being gradually withdrawn upwardly so as to expose the face of the head 4 as it nears the surface of the buck 2. A. lever arm 26 for actuating the shield 10 is mounted on the pivot pin 11 of the shield 10, and ispivoted at 25, Figs. 1 and 4, to the upper end of a piston 20 reciprocating in a cylinder 19. This cylinder is carried by one end of a pivoted lever 21, the .opposite end of which is normally held by a spring 23. The actuating means for the pressing head 4 comprises a cylinder 27, which is pivoted at 29 to the frame and carries a piston 28 connected to the joint of a pair of toggle links 33, 34 which are pivoted respectively to the lever 5 at 36 and the frame 1 at 35 ; when the piston is actuated, the toggles 33, 34 move the head 4 to closed position against the action of a spring 37. The cylinder 19, 27 are connected in a pneumatic system which is controlled by a valve 38, Fig. 4. A manually-operated lever 39, when moved upwardly, opens the inlet end 41 and closes the exhaust end 42 of the valve 38 ; air then passes to one side of a diaphragm 50 in a chamber 51 so as to cause the stem 52 of the diaphragm to contact with a lever 46 which locks the valve 38 in open position. With the valve 38 open, air passes from the valve through conduits 53, 54 to the lower end of the cylinder 19 so that the piston 20 moves the shield 10 out of the hood 9 in advance of the head 4. During this movement of the shield 10, the curtain 12 is gradually withdrawn from the face of the head 4, since it is anchored at its upper end 14 to the hood 9. Air also passes from the valve 38 through conduits 53, 55, 58, 60, to the lower end of the cylinder 27 so that the piston 28 causes the head 4 to be moved towards the buck 2 ; a throttle valve 56 in the air circuit to the cylinder 27 reduces the air pressure in the cylinder to such an extent that the movement of the head is slow and merely follows up the outward movement of the shield 10. When the shield 10 reaches its outermost position, the arm 26 contacts a spring-pressed thimble 61 controlling a valve 64 in the air circuit; in so doing, air is permitted to pass through the valve 64 to the cylinder 27 so as to actuate the piston 28 under full air pressure and thereby close the press into final position. To open the press, the lever 39 is moved downwardly so as to operate a valve 70 to permit air to be exhausted from the pressure side of the diaphragm chamber 51 through conduits 71, 72 ; the stem 40 of the valve 38 is then moved under the action of the spring 43 so as to close the intake 41 and open the exhaust 42. As the piston 20 of the cylinder 19 returns to its starting position, the arm 26 moves out of contact with the thimble 61 and air is exhausted from the cylinder 27 so that its piston 28 returns to its original position and opens the press. Air pressure is constantly applied to the upper end of the cylinder 19 through the conduit 85 for the purpose of returning the piston 19 and hood 10 to the starting position, but, as the pressure face on the lower side of the piston is of greater area than that on the upper side, the piston will always be moved upwardly whenever air is applied to the lower end of the cylinder 19. Should the advance edge or other part of the shield 10 be momentarily stopped by coming into contact with an obstruction, such as the hand of the operator, the reaction of the air in the piston 20 causes the cylinder 19 to move downwards against the action of the spring 23 so as to open an exhaust valve 81 which is so connected in the air circuit with the cylinder 27 that the latter is opened to exhaust. The piston 28 then returns to its starting position under the action of the spring 37 so as to open the press head 4, although the shield 10 does not return to the normal position. If desired, the opening of the press may be controlled by a timer.73, Fig. 4, which is of the type in which pressure from the diaphragm chamber 51 builds up in a tank 73 to a pre-determined degree, when it operates an exhaust valve 75 ; a screw 74 permits the time of closure to be adjusted. The cabinet 8 may be provided with a fan 86 for removing exhaust, the heat of which may be reclaimed or used for conditioning the garments. Three presses, A, B, C, each disposed in a cabinet, may be arranged adjacent to each other for control by a single operator. The room in which the presses are located may be air-conditioned and its temperature and humidity kept constant.