Patent GB-426075-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to garment or ironing presses
IPC: D06F71/06
Filed: 1933-12-20
Abstract: 426,075. Ironing - presses. CHERRY TREE MACHINE CO., Ltd., and DOWELL, G., Cherry Tree, Blackburn. Dec. 20, 1933, No. 35812. [Class 138 (ii)] The press is lightly closed by the admission of fluid pressure to a cylinder 15 which, through a piston and connecting rod 14, rocks a bellcrank lever 10 about its pivot 16, one arm of the bell-crank forming a toggle with a link 11 pivoted to the head lever. Heavy pressure is applied by admission of fluid pressure to another cylinder 17 which may be concentric with the cylinder 15. The piston in this cylinder is connected to a lever 18 which rocks about the pivot 16 of the bell-crank and carries a pivoted pawl member 19 which, after the press has been lightly closed, is rocked by a spring to engage under the free end of the bell-crank and, on the lever 18 being raised by the piston in cylinder 17, continues the counterclock rotation of the bell-crank for further straightening the toggle and applying the heavy pressure. In order that the bellcrank may always be in the same position immediately prior to the engagement of the pawl 19 therewith, despite variations due to wear &c. in the thickness of the padding and so that a uniform final pressure may be applied, the bell-crank 10 and link 11 are connected to an eccentric 23, Fig. 4, which is connected to a lever 25 whereby on rotation of the lever the effective length of the toggle can be adjusted. This adjustment is effected by the engagement of the lever 25 with a cam 26 pivoted about the pivot 16 of the bell-crank and connected to an adjusting screw 27 which may be rotated manually by a nut 29. In the form shown an automatic adjustment also is provided and is actuated by each successive press-opening motion until the toggle has been lengthened by the required amount. For this purpose the nut is formed with a ratchet wheel 30 engaged by a pawl 32 carried by a lever 31, and a catch 35 is pivoted to the bell-crank. When the toggle 11, 10 at the end of the press closing movement is nearer the straight line position than is desired, the catch 35 engages the lever 31 and, on the press being opened, swings it clockwise. On release of the lever 31 a spring 33 restores it and in so doing causes the pawl 32 to move the ratchet on at least one tooth and advance the cam 26 more into the path of the lever 25. The pawl 19 is linked to a bell-crank lever 48 of which one arm abuts against a lug 47 on the stem 43 of the press-opening valve 45 so that this valve is kept open and another valve 44 on the stem 43 for controlling the fluid pressure supply from pipe 76 to the heavy pressure cylinder 17 is kept closed until the press is lightly closed, at which stage the end of the bell-crank 10 frees the pawl 19 which is then rotated by the spring 46 so as to engage under the end of the bell-crank for applying the heavy pressure, the spring 46 simultaneously opening valve 44 and closing valve 45. Press closing is effected by depression of push buttons 59, 68b which must be maintained depressed manually until they are automatically and mechanically maintained depressed by levers 60, 66 linked to the heavy pressure lever 18. The bell-crank 10 is linked to an exhaust valve 71 so as to open the latter when the press is closed. On opening the press, by depressing valve stem 43, the fluid pressure from cylinder 15 exhausts quickly at first through the valve 71 and valve 70 which has been opened by the spring 68<c> at the beginning of the press-opening movement ; as the bell-crank rotates clockwise and the press reaches open position, the valve 71 closes and the exhaust takes place more slowly through a pipe 82 and needle valve 68<a> thereby cushioning the end of the opening movement. Exhaust from the cylinder 17 is through a pipe 78, valve 45 and pipe 79. The opening valve of one press may be linked with one of the closing valves of another press, the arrangement permitting either only one press to be open or both to be open at any one time but preventing both being closed simultaneously.