Patent GB-626514-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to garment and laundry and like pressing machines
IPC: D06F71/34
Filed: 1947-04-25
Abstract: 626,514. Ironing-machines. PROSPERITY CO., Inc. April 25, 1947, Nos. 11148 and 11149. Convention dates, May 1, 1946, and May 18, 1946. [Class 138 (ii)] In a pressing machine having co-operating elements which have a relative pressing movement, means are provided for collecting heated air produced by the elements. The collecting means comprises a hood arranged over the elements and a suction fan to deflect heated air rising from the elements into it. The elements may be vertically arranged or horizontally arranged with the hood enclosing the upper element. One or both elements may have internal heating chambers and means may be provided to conduct heated air collected by the hood to the chamber of the lower element. As shown in Fig. 1, the top surface and sides of the head of a swinging head type ironing machine are surrounded by a hood 9 which is connected by a pipe 10 and a swivel joint 11 to a blower-operated suction pipe 12. The suction is such that any hot air created by the head and rising from the back is sucked into the hood both in the open and closed positions of the press. Any steam from the garment is also sucked into the hood. In a modification, Fig. 8, a stationary hood 9A which partly overhangs the back is used, the head moving into the hood when the press is open. Fig. 9 shows the hood adapted for a swinging back type machine and Fig. 11 shows a modification for machines of the type having a form on which the garment is placed and which moves from a loading and unloading position into a chamber 23 where pressing is carried out by members 21, 22. A hood 9C projects over the loading/unloading position. A suction pipe 24 enters the chamber 23 and creates sufficient suction to remove any hot air rising from the form when it is at the loading/unloading position in addition to removing any created in the chamber. In each of the above constructions, the blower outlet may be connected to a drying tumbler, conditioning tumbler, heat exchanger or preheater. Fig. 13 shows a swinging hand machine in which a steam heated head is covered by a hood 122 to extract hot air as previously described, the outlet pipe of the blower being provided with a T-joint, one branch of which goes to exhaust and the other being connected to a chamber 110 on the buck so that hot air from the head may be used to heat the buck and dry its padding. A valve 138 is positioned at the T-joint. The top of the chamber 110 has perforations to allow the hot air to pass through the buck padding which is mounted on springs 113 and which comprises a layer of mineral wool, on top of which is a layer of flannel and covering both a cloth. Both the mineral wool and the flannel are porous and the construction is such that the bulk of the moisture collects in the flannel and is dried by the hot air. The valve 138 is coupled to the head arm so that when the press is open all the hot air from the hood goes into the buck to dry its padding and when the press is closed both the blower outlet pipes and the pipe from the buck are connected to the exhaust pipe, the hot air from the blower causing a down draught in the buck pipe and so drawing air and any steam from the garment through the buck padding. The valve 138 may be independently operated, if desired, and in a modification may be omitted, the blower outlet going direct to the buck. The underside of the buck and the inside of the hood have heat-resisting linings 119, 125. Specifications 598,855 and 602,375 are referred to.