Patent GB-879726-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to garment pressing machines
IPC: D06F59/02
Filed: 1958-07-16
Abstract: 879,726. Garment pressing and drying apparatus. PARIS, A. F. July 16, 1958 [July 16, 1957], No. 22809/58. Class 34(1) A garment pressing machine in which the garment, e.g. a knitted sweater, is subjected to a flow of steam and then to a flow of drying air in known manner, comprises a cylindrical base casing 10, Fig. 3, equipped with means for delivering steam and air under pressure .and conical casing 10a provided with a central vertical post 11, Fig. 1, supporting a coaxial air cylinder 12 for a piston 12a, the rod 13 of which is operatively connected by a crosshead 49 and pivoted links 44 with a pair of pivoted expander plates 14 carrying adjuster plates 45 adapted to engage the interior of the body of a garment along lines at opposite sides thereof below the sleeve openings, and a sleeve expansion device 35, 36 is coupled to each plate 14 so that when the plates 14 are moved outwardly by the downward movement of the piston, the devices 35, 36 are simultaneously expanded whereby the body and sleeves of the garment are subjected to wrinkle-removing tension. Each sleeve expansion device comprises a pair of arms 35, 36, the arm 35, at one end, having rollers engaging in a slot 37 of a shoulder portion 24 whilst its other end has a slot 39 engaged by a roller on the outer end of the arm 36, the inner end of which is adjustably pivoted, by a pin 42, on one plate 14 to which a suitably shaped adjuster plate 45 is pivoted at 46 against the action of a spring 47. The shoulder portion 24 is pivoted at 29 to a collar portion 23 secured in fixed relation to the cylinder 12. The arms and shoulder portions may be moved manually against the action of friction rollers described with reference to Fig. 9 (not shown) to vertical positions, as shown in Fig. 3, in order to dress the garment on the machine. Stops, e.g. 30 Fig. 1, are provided to limit the downward and upward pivotal movements of the portions 24. Downward movement of the piston rod 13 is limited by inserting any one of a number of rods 48 of different lengths between an apertured plate 12c on the top of the cylinder 12 and the cross-head 49. The waist of the garment is received around a pair of members 51, Fig. 13, secured to the casing portion 10a and provided throughout with perforations 51<SP>1</SP> Fig. 3, selectively coverable by baffles 52 movable up and down on fixed rods 53 through the agency of cords 52<SP>1</SP>. Nylon panels 51a extend form the members 51 to a plate 21 fixed below the collar portion 23 and the panels are carried by rods 60 secured to the members 51 and engaging in recesses in the plate 21. The steam supply pipes (not shown in Fig. 1) terminate just below the plate 21 and are directed laterally towards the sleeve expansion devices. The top of the casing portion 10a is closed by a partition 56 Fig. 13, suitably notched to allow passage of the cylinder 12, steam pipes 50, the plates 14, rods 60 and front and rear bars 16, 17. The bars 16, 17, support the cylinder 12, plate 21, collar portion 23 and a transverse bar to which the plates 14 are pivoted, as desscribed with reference to Figs. 7 and 8 (not shown). In another embodiment described with reference to Fig. 16 (not shown) the sleeve expansion arms are pivotal, relative to the collar portion which has integral shoulder portions, about vertical hinges, whereby the arms are extendable at right angles to the collar portion to facilitate dressing the garment on the machine. Friction material 54, 54<SP>1</SP> Fig. 3, is provided on the baffles 52 and a front plate 27 carried by the collar portion 23, to frictionally engage the associated portions of the garment.