Patent GB-604518-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to ironing machines
IPC: D06F65/06
Filed: 1945-06-18
Abstract: 604,518. Ironing-machines. HORTON MANUFACTURING CO. June 18, 1945, No. 15393. Convention date, June 16, 1944. [Class 138(ii)] An ironing-machine comprises a rotatable roll element 22 and a second ironing element 23, one of which is shiftable towards and away from the other element by power-driven mechanism, resilient means for urging one element towards the other when the two elements are in operative relation, and a device which is adapted to absorb energy from the power-driven mechanism when the shiftable element is moved away from the other element and for returning such energy to the powerdriven mechanism during movement of the shiftable element towards the other element whereby the load on the powerdriven mechanism is substantially equalized for all portions of the movement of the shiftable element. The invention is described as applied to a machine comprising, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, a shoe 23 which is mounted so that it may be moved to and from a horizontal roll 22. General description of machine. The roll 22 comprises a padded tube 40, Fig. 4. mounted on supports 41 carried by a shaft 42 which extends from a gear casing 44 located within, and supported by, a hollow head 21 at one end of the machine. The shoe 23 is carried centrally of its length by a pivot pin 25, Fig. 3, on an upstanding arm 26 which is rotatably mounted at its lower end on a horizontal rock shaft 27. To effect movement of the shoe. the upper end of a lever 30 on the shaft 27 pivotally supports a toggle device 31, 32 embodying a spring 34 which bears against the pivot pin 25 and serves, when the shoe is in ironing position, to force the shoe against the roll. The shaft 27 is adapted to be rocked by means of a curved lever 37 which is rigidly carried by the shaft and is controlled fror mechanism in the gear casing 44. A handlever 35 on the member 31 permits the toggle to be broken, and the arm 26 to swing rearwardly, in case of emergency. The driving motor 46, Fig. 4, is mounted on the cover 45 of the casing 44, and a fan 47 located on the motor is adapted to draw air into the head 21 through louvers 50. Roll-drive mechanism. The gearing enclosed in the casing 44 for driving the roll comprises a shaft 54, which is driven through gearing 52, 53, Fig. 9, from the motor shaft, and is adapted to drive, through a pinion 55, a gear 56 rotatably mounted on a shaft 57. A clutch 60 on the shaft 57 enables the gear 56 and shaft 57 to be connected in driving relation so that a pinion 61 on the shaft 57 then drives a gear 62 on the roll shaft 42. The clutch 60, Fig. 7, comprises a member 63 which is slidably mounted on the shaft 57 and is urged by a coil spring 70 towards the gear 56 so that pins 67 on the latter engage apertures 65 in the member 63. In order to disengage the clutch, an arm on a pivoted bell-crank lever 74 is adapted to be swung against a flange 73 on the member 63. Shoe-shifting mechanism. For controlling the operation of the shoe, a rotary cam 92, Fig. 3, which is carried on a shaft 91 in the gear casing, is adapted to be engaged by the rounded upper end 95 of a lever 94 pivotally supported on a tubular member 96. The lower end of the lever 94 has a pin and slot connection 97, 104 with a lever 100, which is mounted on a rock shaft 101 carrying a second lever 102 connected by links 103 to the lever 37 on the rock shaft 27. The cam shaft 91, Fig. 9, is driven through gearing 87, 90 from a shaft 82 which is driven in turn from the shaft 54 through gearing 80, 81. The gear 81 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 82 and may be clutched thereto by a finger 86 so as to cause the cam shaft 91 to be driven. The finger 86 is pivoted by means of a pin and slot connection 105, 120, Fig. 6, on a member 84 rigidly mounted on the shaft 82, and carries a tooth 106 for engagement with one of the notches on a member 83 rigid with the gear 81. A torsion spring 107, which surrounds the pin 105 and has arms 110, 111 for engaging, respectively, the member 84 and finger 86, is arranged so that it tends to pivot the finger into a position in whichthe tooth 106 engages the member 83. As the member 84 rotates, a member 115 is movable into the path of the end 114 of the finger 86 so as to cause the finger to swing about its pivot 105 and disengage the notch 106 from the member 83, the torsion spring 107 and slot 120 for the pivot 105 being so arranged that the tooth 106 is withdrawn entirely clear of the member 83. At the same time, the increasing engagement between the end 114 of the finger and the member 115 causes the rotation of the finger and the member 84 to be positively stopped. The notches in the member 83 have a straight near side 116 for obtaining positive driving engagement with the tooth 106 and an outwardly-flared forward side to permit easy withdrawal when the finger is swung outwardly. The disengaging member 115 is supported at one end on a rock shaft 121 extending through the tubular member 96 and also on an extension 122 of the cam shaft 91, the member 115 being adapted to be shifted out of the path of the finger 86 in a direction parallel to the axes of the members 83, 84, against the action of a spring 123. Each of the four lobes 93 of the cam 92 engaged by the lever 94 has a constantly receding portion for withdrawing the shoe from the roll, and a rising portion comprising a sharply-sloping portion for effecting the first part of the inward movement of the shoe before the spring 34 is compressed and a more gradual slope which acts while the spring 34 is being compressed. During a single revolution, the cam is stopped both at each high point (i.e. when the shoe is in contact with the roll) and at each low point (i.e. when the shoe has been swung outwardly). The pin and slot connection 97, 104 between the levers 94. 100 is arranged so that, near the end of the movement of the shoe towards the roll, the pin engages the outer end of the slot so as to increase the effective leverage of the lever 100 at the time when the load due to the spring 34 is greatest. The shoe and its support are mounted so that they tend to move away from the roll and thus hold the lever 94 in engagement with the cam 92. Reduction of motor load. A plunger 124, Fig. 4, which is slidable against a spring 127 in a socket 125 in the gear casing, has a conical head 126 bearing upon the periphery of the cam 92. As the cam rotates, a rising surface of the cam 92 causes the plunger to move inwardly and thus progressively compress the spring 127. During this action, the lever 94 engages a receding surface of the cam to permit the shoe 23 to move away from the roll, and, since the spring 34 is at this time tending to assist the motor, the compression of the spring 127 absorbs energy and exercises a braking action on the mechanism. When the shoe is next shifted towards the roll. the lever 94 contacts a rising portion of the cam, and, in the final part of its movement, acts to compress the spring 34. At this time, the plunger 124 contacts a receding portion of the cam and the energy previously stored in the spring 127 tends to drive the cam forwardly and thereby assists the motor to move the shoe. Operation and control of machine. Assuming that an article has just been ironed, the rock shaft 121 is turned so that a finger 131, Fig. 6, on an operating arm 130 carried by the shaft engages the adjacent arm of the bell-crank lever 74 in order to disengage the roll clutch 60. Further rotation of the shaft 121 then causes a second finger 132 on the arm 130 to engage a cam surface 133 on the member 115 so as to shift the latter laterally out of the path of the finger 86 so as to cause rotation of the cam 92 and movement of the shoe away from the roll. An extension 134 on the pivot pin 97 is then in position to prevent return movement of the bell-crank lever 74 and engagement of the roll clutch 60. A spring on the rock shaft 121 returns the latter, with the operating arm 130, to the initial position, and, in so doing, the member 115 again moves into the path of the finger 86 so that, after the latter has rotated through one revolution, the shoe will be stopped in outer position. Further actuation of the rock shaft 121 will then cause the finger 132 again to set the shoe-moving mechanism into operation, the roll clutch 60 being still disengaged. When the shoe has substantially completed its inward movement, the extension 134 shifts so that the bell-crank lever 74 permits the spring 70 to cause engagement of the clutch 60 and start the roll. With this arrangement, the motor is not called upon to drive the roll at such time as it is employed in shifting the shoe. By suitable manipulation of the rock shaft 121, an article may be pressed between the roll and shoe, without rotation of the former. The outer end of the rock shaft 121 is bent to provide a rearward arm 135, Fig. 1, which is connected with a link 136 downwardly disposed in the head 21. The lower end of the link 136 is connected to a triangular lever 137 rigid with a tubular member which is rotatably mounted in the head 21 and provided with a socket for receiving the end of a hand lever 143. Both the socket in the tubular member and the cooperating end of the lever 143 are of regular polygonal form whereby the handle may be inserted so that it may be disposed in whichever of a variety of different positions is most convenient for the work being ironed; if desired, it may be positioned for actuation by the operator's knee or elbow. The machine may also be set for foot operation, in which case the triangular lever 137 is connected by a cable 151 to a treadle. Specification 604,584 is referred to.