Patent GB-790582-A (GB)
Title: Garment press
IPC: D06F71/06
Filed: 1956-02-02
Abstract: 790,582. Ironing presses. FORSE CORPORATION, [formerly FORSE EQUIPMENT CORPORATION]. Feb. 2, 1956 [Feb. 7, 1955], No. 3297/56. Class 138 (2). A garment press having a press head 11 movable into engagement with a garment on a buck 3 for exerting pressure on the garment, includes holding means adapted to be placed upon the garment on the buck in the path of movement of the press head from its inoperative position into its pressing position, for exerting a slight pressure on the garment to hold the same in its desired position while allowing the operator to smooth out wrinkles or the like in the garment, the holding means being operatively connected with the actuating mechanism for the press head in such a way that the holding means is automatically withdrawn from between the press head and the garment when the press head during its movement into pressing position has reached a predetermined position. The invention is applied to the press described in Specification 784,964, and comprising a rocker arm 8 pivotally mounted at 7 on the frame of the machine and pivotally connected at 9 to a pressure lever 10 carrying the press head 11. The rocker arm is also pivotally connected at 12 with a member 13 fixedly connected to and forming an arm of a cam member 14 having cam surfaces 16, 17. The arm 13 constitutes a link of a toggle mechanism the other link 18 of which is pivotally connected at 19 to the arm 13 and at 20 to an an arm 21 whose position can be adjusted by a rod 20b and hand wheel 20c. Pivotally connected to the lever 10 are a roller 22 adapted to engage the cam surfaces 16, 17, and a member 23 connected to a piston-rod 26 of a piston 26a in a fluid-pressure cylinder 27. Springs 24 urge the member 23 downwardly. The rocker arm 8 is urged to tilt in a clockwise direction in Fig. 3 by springs 31 connected to arms 30 suspended from the pivot 12. Movement of the press head is softened by a shockabsorber 32 having an arm 34 (Fig. 7) pivotally connected at 35 to a connecting-rod 36 pivotally connected at 37 to the cam member 14. A valve actuating member 42 pivotally mounted at 43 on the machine frame is connected by a rod 40 to a manually operable handle 39 pivoted at 38 on the rocker arm 8. The valve actuating member 42 has stems 51, 52 for operating valves 53, 54, respectively, and is releasably held in its two operative positions by the engagement of a roller 44 on the member 42 with two cam surfaces 49, 50 on a spring-biased pivoted cam bar 45. A fluid-pressure cylinder 60 (Fig. 7) pivotally connected at 59 to the machine frame has a piston 61 and piston-rod 62 pivotally connected at 63 to a bolt 64 adjustably connected to a member 65. The member 65 is rigidly connected to finger holders 66, 66a carrying fingers 70, 70a, respectively (Fig. 8). The fingers 70, 70a are preferably in the form of curved leaf-springs and may be adjustable relative to the holders 66, 66a. One end of the holder 66 is pivotally connected at 67 to a link 68 which is itself pivotally connected to an ear 69 on the machine frame. The member 65 has rigidly connected thereto an ear 72 which pivotally supports a link 73 carrying a roller 74 for co-operation with a cam 75 having cam surfaces 76, 77. An adjustable screw abutment 79 extends through an ear 78 rigidly connected to the member 65. An adjustable length hook member 81 pivotally connected at 80 to the connecting-rod 36 is arranged for cooperation with a roller 82 carried by an arm 83 of a bell-crank lever 84 which is pivotally connected at 85 (Fig. 3) to the machine frame. A hook 86 adjustably connected to the bell-crank lever 84 is arranged for co-operation with a roller 87 carried by a member 88 connected to a foot pedal 89 pivotally supported at 90. The pedal 89 carries stems 91, 92 for operating valves 94, 93, respectively. Operation.-With a garment placed in position on the buck 3 the pedal 89 is depressed by the operator and retained in this position by engagement of the hook 86 with the roller 87 as seen in Fig. 3. Valves 93, 94 are thereby opened and closed respectively and pressure fluid admitted at 97 (Fig. 10) enters the cylinder 60 and moves the piston 61 against the bias of a spring 105 so as to tilt the members 64, 65 and holder 66 about the pivot 67. Roller 74 is simultaneously moved upwardly along the cam surface 76, thereby causing the holder 66 in addition to tilting about the pivot 67 to be moved upwardly as permitted by the link 68. The roller 74 then rolls downwardly on the cam surface 77, thereby allowing the weight of the holder 66 to bring the fingers 70, 70a down into clamping engagement with the garment on the buck. When any wrinkles have been removed the operator raises the handle 39 so as to move the valve actuating member 42 from the Fig. 5 position to a position in which the roller 44 engages the cam surface 49. Valves 53, 54 are thereby closed and opened respectively and pressure fluid enters the cylinder 27 to move the press head 11 into the Fig. 3 position. During this movement the connecting-rod 36 has lifted the hook 81 almost into engagement with the roller 82. Before the roller 82 starts moving on the cam surface 17 the hook 81 will lift the roller 82 and turn the bell-crank lever 84 so as to unhook the hook 86 from the roller 87. A spring 95 returns the pedal 89 to its original position in which the valve 94 is open and the valve 93 closed. Under the influence of the spring 105 the fluid will escape from the cylinder 60, and the weight of the holders 66, 66a will return them to their original position. An additional spring 106 softens this return movement of the holders. The fingers 70, 70a are thus withdrawn at the instant when the roller 22 starts rolling on the cam surface 17 in order to cause the head 11 to exert its final pressure. The press is re-opened by pulling the handle 39 downwardly.