Patent GB-817806-A (GB)
Title: Garment collar shaping machines
IPC: D06F71/22
Filed: 1956-06-29
Abstract: 817,806. Ironing presses. FREEMAN, D. A. June 29, 1956 [July 8, 1955], No. 20266/56. Class 138 (2). A garment collar shaping machine comprises a pair of lateral shaping blocks 32, 33 disposed symmetrically in relation to a front shaping block 34, these shaping blocks being adapted to enter the collar opening of the garment and being each detachably mounted on a separate guide block 44, 44a, 78 supported by a base member 28 of the machine, and mechanism for moving at least the guide-blocks carrying the lateral shaping blocks towards each other to permit a garment to be applied to or removed from the machine and away from each other for shaping the collar. The shaping blocks 32, 33 are detachably secured by pins 37 to base blocks 38 which are bolted to actuating blocks 39, 40 mounted on the guide blocks 44, 44a. The guide blocks 44, 44a are slidable in slots 46, 46a in the base 28 by means of bell-crank levers 53, 52 pivoted at 55, 54 respectively. The bell crank levers have slotted ends engaging bolts 48, 49 on the blocks 44a, 44 and a pin 59 on a slider 61. A push-rod 64 is pivotally connected at one end to a yoke 63 on the slider 61 and at the other end to a manually or otherwise operated rocker arm 72 pivoted at 73. Counter-clockwise movement of the rocker arm 72 moves the rod 64 and slider 61 rearwardly against the action of a spring 66 and, through the bell-cranks 52, 53, causes the shaping blocks 32, 33 to be moved towards each other. The slots 46, 46a and guide blocks 44, 44a are shown straight but may be curved. The front shaping block 34 is carried on a base block 42 bolted to an actuating block 75 provided with a number of pairs of threaded holes 76 to enable the position of the block 34 to be adjusted. The block 75 is rigidly attached to or integral with the guide block 78 which carries pins 79, 80 extending downwardly through a slot 81 in the slider 61. A spring 85 biases the block 78 to its forward position which is determined by an adjustable stop-bolt 87. Operation of the rocker arm 72 to move the slider rearwardly and cause inward movement of the shaping blocks 32, 33 also produces rearward movement of the block 34. Electric heating elements are incorporated in the shaping blocks or in the blocks supporting them. Alternatively gas, hot water or steam heating means may be used. A shirt supporting canopy 36 is attached to a block 94 having a portion 95 resting on a block 96 containing an electric heater 91. The heater 91. also serves to heat a pressing - plate 102 having an upstanding portion 103 engaged on opposite sides by slidable pressing blades 104, 105 bolted to the shaping blocks 32, 33. A rotary switch (not shown) has the following four positions: (i) Off; (ii) Rear block 96 on; (iii) Rear block and side blocks 32, 33 on; (iv) all four blocks on. This enables the whole collar or only parts of the collar to be ironed at will. Each heater may be provided with its own thermostat. Fig. 9 shows a modification in which the pressing blade 104 is hinged to the shaping block 33a which is pivotally secured to a base 106 by a pin 37a. A spring 107 biases the block 33a away from the blade 104 which is located in a groove in the plate 106. In a further modification (Fig. 10) the pressing blades 104<SP>1</SP>, 105<SP>1</SP> slide in grooves in the block portion 95 and are maintained in position by a bent-over edge of the pressing plate portion 103<SP>1</SP>. Coil springs 104a, 105a bias the blades towards their respective shaping blocks. In a still further modification (Fig. 13, not shown) the shaping block is integral with a base block, and the actuating block is provided with a plurality of bolt holes so that the shaping block may be bolted into any desired position. The shaping block contains a heater the terminals of which extend through the base block and can be inserted into any pair of a plurality of sockets in the actuating block. Fig. 15 shows an embodiment in which the front shaping block 34 may be moved or held stationary as desired. Thus the block 34 is provided with a latch 150 pivoted at 149 and having downwardly depending portions 151, 152 adapted to engage notches (as 153) in the slider or base 28 according to the position of the latch 150. In a further embodiment (Figs. 27, 30) the outside of the rear part of the collar is ironed by means of an ironing block 218 pivotally mounted on a plate 217 by means of arms 219, 220. The block 218 is normally biased towards the collar by a spring 222 attached to a strip 223 connecting the arms 219 220, and can be moved against the spring bias by pins 224, 225 carried by bell-crank levers 206, 207. These levers 206, 207 operate lateral shaping blocks (as 210) as in the first embodiment. These blocks are provided with pressing blades 214, 215 for operating on the inside of the collar. A latch 227 co-operates with the cross-strip 223 to hold the ironing block 218 in its retracted position. The latch 227 is pivoted on a bracket 228, is spring biased upwardly, and is released by means of a pin 229 when a pivoted pattern plate 230 is moved down on to the shirt. The shaping blocks may be provided with means for applying a spray of steam or hot water to the collar. Collar tip supporting portions (as 275, Fig. 27) may be adjustably mounted on each side of the front shaping block 272. A buttonhole supporting strip 278 is also provided. The lateral shaping blocks may have serrated or roughened portions (Figs. 33, 34, not shown) to prevent slipping of the collar thereon. Control means (Fig. 31).-By moving the handle 248 of a valve 246 to the right, compressed air from an inlet 247 is supplied to an air cylinder 243 to move a piston 242 and the slider 203 to the right, thus moving the shaping blocks towards each other. Movement of the handle to the left from the position shown in Fig. 31 opens the cylinder 243 to exhaust through a pipe 244, valve 246 and an exhaust 246c. This permits the spring 66 or 208 to move the shaping blocks to their expanded positions under the action of a throttle valve 245. A valve 262 having an operating handle 258 controls the supply of steam or hot water to the lateral shaping blocks 209, 210. The handle 258 has an arm 257 with a finger 256 engaged by one arm of a pivoted bell-crank lever 252. The other arm of the lever 252 co-operates with the tip of a dog 250 coupled to the handle 248. Springs 259, 260 act on the handle 258 and lever 252 respectively. When the handle 248 is moved to the left, the dog 250 is moved upwardly and snaps the handle 258 to open the valve 262 for a short time. Return movement of the dog 250 will be permitted by yielding of the spring 260.