Patent GB-655208-A (GB)
Title: Sleeve press
IPC: D06F71/28
Filed: 1948-07-16
Abstract: 655,208. Ironing presses. PROSPERITY CO., Inc. July 16, 1948, No. 19180. Convention date, Jan. 7. [Class 138 (ii)] A sleeve pressing machine comprises opposing pressing heads 1, 2 having relative opening and closing movements, a flexible U-shaped sheet metal wrapper 4 having its arms overlying the opposing faces of the heads, and an expanding form 3 on which the sleeve is dressed movable into and out of pressing position when the press heads are open, the form 3 including a spatulate body U-shaped in section, and an expander plate 5 in the body movable edgewise through the open edge of the body. The arms of the wrapper 4 are recessed to receive the body and converged toward each other at the open side of the U-formation to coact with the edges of the sides of the body and with the side faces of the expander. The press heads 1, 2 are supported by brackets 8 hinged at 10 to a bracket 11 forming part of the machine frame, and have a pivotal closing movement. The forms are mounted on a carriage 13 carried by two pairs of pivoted links 44, 47 so that the forms may be moved into and out of position between the press heads by means of cylinder and piston motors 40, 41 connected to one of the links by piston rods 42, 48 respectively. The motors are operated by compressed air. The motor 40 is stronger than and, when energized, overrules the motor 41. The momentum of the carriage 13 as it comes out is damped by means of a dash-pot 50 having a movable head 51 engaged by a shoulder 52 on one of the links. Each expander 5 is supported and operated by an angle lever 27 pivoted at 28 to the carriage 13. One arm of the angle lever is a leaf-spring extending upwardly into the body of the form and pivoted to the expander (Figs. 5 and 6, not shown), and the other arm is provided with an operating handle 31. The expander is held in operated position by a friction latch 32 pivoted at 33 to the lever 27 and has a shoe 34 coacting with an arcuate friction face 35. The movement of the latches is against a returning spring and they are released by air-operated piston rods 62 and cylinders 61, the rods 62 also actuating the levers 27 to withdraw the expanders into the body of the form. The press heads 1 are closed by means of an air-operated cylinder and piston motor 53, the piston rod 54 of which is pivoted to toggle links 55, 56 which are also pivoted to the heads 1. The heads 2 are operated by cylinder and piston motors 59, the piston rods 60 of which swing the heads 2 into pressing position after the movement of the heads 1. As shown in Fig. 4, each form 3 is double walled and includes a steam chamber 21 to which steam is supplied, to heat the form. The form is covered by padding 22 held in place by a resilient rod 23 anchored by a screw 24, Fig. 1. Each expander 5 comprises a strip of sheet metal covered by padding 26. Operation.-After pulling the sleeves over the forms 3 when in the dotted line position in Fig. 1 and clamping the cuffs on the upper ends of the forms by clamps CL, the levers 31 are operated to pull the sleeves taut by means of the expanders. An automatic timer is then started and air is admitted to cylinder 40 to move the carriage to the position shown in Fig. 1. Air is then admitted to cylinder 53 to move the heads 1 to closed position and then to the cylinders 59 to close the heads 2. After a predetermined time, the timer opens valves to exhaust all the cylinders except motor 41, and the weaker motor 41 can thus return the carriage 13 to its original position, where the sleeves are removed and the operation repeated.