Patent GB-653173-A (GB)
Title: Laundry machine
IPC: D06F47/06
Filed: 1948-02-26
Abstract: 653,173. Ironing presses; washing and drying-machines. KAHN, L. M. Feb. 26, 1948, No. 5791. Convention date, April 16, 1943. [Class 138 (ii)] A laundry press comprises a support having means for guiding each of a pair of bucks between a pair of separated loading stations positioned on opposite sides of, and forwardly from an operating station juxtaposed to a head, the path of movement of the bucks being such that an operator positioned between the loading stations and in front of the head can load and move the bucks to the operating station without changing the location of her position, means being provided at the operating station for relatively moving the head and a buck towards one another to press articles between them. A table 81, Figs. 2, 3, is supported on legs 21 and has two hinged leaves 85, 86, each of which has a hinged flap 87, 88. The leaves and flaps are supported in the working position by hinged struts such as 101. A generally U-shaped track 89 having a central slot 90 is provided on the table leaves and flaps and the two bucks 25, 26 ride on the track by means of rollers 92; pins 91 on each buck extend into the slot 90. A head 27 is supported over the table 81 by means of an arm 29 which is pivoted to the table by a pin 84 and locked in its working position by a pin 84a. The bucks 25 or 26 are positioned under the head by a spring-pressed pin 103 engaging a detent 102 on the buck. Tracks 95 are provided on the table so that the buck may be moved from under the head to enable work to be repositioned. The buck is raised into contact with the head by a plate 37 which is attached to a plunger 35. The plunger is raised by a cam 34 which is rotated by an electric motor 30. When the plunger is fully raised the cam 34 breaks a switch in the circuit of the motor 30 so stopping the press in the position of maximum pressure between the head and buck. The motor is re-started by a manual change-over switch and the cam 34 breaks a second switch to stop the motor when the plunger is at its lowest position. A solenoid in the circuit of the electric motor or a switch operated by the plunger 35 is used to break the circuit of an electric heater for the head 27 during the whole of, or during the heavy load-period of the motor operation time. In a modified construction the bucks 25, 26 are attached to pivoted horizontal arms and the track 89 and slot 90 are omitted. Each buck is mounted on its arm by spring-pressed pins engaging a slot; the buck can thus be moved along the slot to clear the head when it is necessary to re-position the work. The arms can be looked to each other at an angle of 90 degrees so that the bucks may be swung as a unit. When it is desired to use the machine as a washing and drying machine, the bucks are removed and the head is either removed or swung out of the way. A pair of lugs 139, 140 which during the ironing operation are lowered out of the way are raised through slots in the table 81 and a tank 145 is pivotally mounted upon them. This tank is connected by a spring 148 to the frame of the machine and by a spring link 150 to a lever 152. This lever may be fulcrumed in one of three alternative positions on a bracket 154 and its other end is connected through a link 155 to the plunger 35. The tank 145 is consequently rocked by movement of the plunger 35, its amplitude being adjustable by varying the fulcrum of lever 152. To enable the motor 30 and thus the plunger 35 and tank 145 to operate continuously the cam-operated switches and the change-over switch which are used in the ironing operation are byepassed by another switch which is also arranged to disconnect the head heating element. The tank 145 has a door 158, a soap box 160, a water inlet pipe 161 and a drain pipe 162 and contains a perforated clothes drum 159 which rolls from one end of the tank to the other as the tank rocks. Guides 165, 166, 169 in conjunction with trunnions 167, 168 on the drum raise the drum at the ends of its travel and stop its movement to prevent it hitting the tank ends ; the guide 169 also prevents the drum floating in the centre part of its travel. The drum has a door 171 and internal lifter 170. When it is desired to spin-dry the clothes the drum is positioned at the right-hand end of the tank 145 as shown in Fig. 8 and is connected to a pulley 183, Fig. 10. The pulley is connected to a shaft 178 supported in a rotatable sleeve in the wall of tank 145. When the shaft 178 is rotated relative to the sleeve a pin on the shaft can enter a slot on the sleeve and a spring urges the shaft to the right as shown in Fig. 10 to enable pins on a plate 177 carried by the shaft to engage corresponding holes on the trunnion 167 of the drum 159. A similar spring-restrained shaft is engaged with the trunnion 168 at the other end of the drum. The pulley 183 is belt driven from the electric motor 30 through a driving pulley 184 and to prevent the tank 145 being rocked while the drum is being rotated a clutch is arranged between the motor 30 and the plunger 35. The operating lever for this clutch also controls a clutch between the motor and the drum driving pulley 184 so that one clutch is engaged when the other is disengaged. The drum contains a movable partition 172 which, for the spin-drying operation, is moved to reduce the space occupied by the clothes so that they are positioned more evenly around the drum to reduce out-of-balance vibration. The partition is locked in either of its positions by rotating it slightly to engage lugs 173. Slots are provided through which the lugs 173 can pass when the partition is moved. Slots are also provided for the lifters 170 and these are wide enough to allow the slight rotation for locking the partition in position. The concave shape of the partition and the adjacent end wall of the drum help to position the clothes around the drum periphery, during the spin drying operation.