Improvements in Ironing Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in Ironing Machines.
We, JAMES BRIGGS RUSSELL, THOMAS WARDROP, Junr, and JOHN STIRLING YULE all
of II Pritchard Street, Charles Street, Chorlton-on-Medlock Manchester, Mechanical
and Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of our said invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to the ironing boards or tables of ironing machines, and to
the operation and use of such boards in ironing shirt fronts and cuffs, especially in
conjunction with the machine for which we made Application for Letters Patent
No. 16587 on the 30th day of July 1898.
As at present made and used ironing boards do not permit of two half fronts of
two separate shirts being ironed simultaneously and laterally, i,e, from edge of shirt
bosom to the body of the shirt or vice-versa and do not allow of the half fronts being
ironed without the risk of creasing and in the general construction of machines the
use of two boards end to end is impractical.
The object of our invention is to permit two half-fronts of different shirts to be
ironed simultaneously and laterally, also two shirt cuffs, and by a duplicate arrange
inent of boards, allow of four half fronts of four shirts being under treatment in the
same machine, either for 'ironing or 'glossing' and with the same or variable
pressure against the ironing roll, and each set of boards independently controlled,
with the great advantage of effecting better ironing and a quicker rate of
treatment.
In accordance with our invention, we employ an ironing board or table slightly
wider than the half portion of a shirt front with a curved gap at or near the centre
of the board and opening on to one of its longitudinal edges and the length of such
board upon each side of the gap (which constitutes a neck band opening) is about
equal to the length of a shirt front. In one piece with such board and upon the
opposite longitudinal edge, we arrange a cuff board, joined only at the central part
to the main or shirt board, and producing longitudinal gaps, in or through which the
sleeves of the shirts may lie, or pass in placing the cuffs on the cuff board. The
ironing board lies parallel with the ironing roll and is fed beneath such roll with
the cuff-board foremost, hence, with the half portions of the fronts of two separate
shirts on the respective ends of the board with their neckbands lying in the gap
aforesaid, the edge of each half-fiont and cuff comes first beneath the roll and perfect
ironing is the result.
In lieu of arranging the boards with the neck band opening in the centre, one half
of the opening may be at one end of the board and the other half portion at the other
end, but we prefer the opening to be in the centre as aforesaid.
Or we may arrange
two full width ironing boards end to end with a complete neck band opening at the
two opposite ends and mount such boards upon a base or support cominon to both,

page_text: and by feeding the boards side-ways beneath the ironing roll, per mit either a half,
or full shirt front being ironed, or a half front and cuff on each board.
By arranging one table or set of tables on one side of the roll and another table or
set of tables on the other side, four half fronts and four cuffs, or (with the full width
tables) four full fronts can be treated by the one machine. To limit the traverse of
each set of boards we provide stops or buffers on the frame sides or rails of the
machine and on the boards.
To accomodate the extra length of board we lengthen the ironing roll and the
table-supporting parts of the machine and we regulate the height of each table by
the arrangement of wedges described in our former specification, but we do not limit
the use of our improved tables or boards to the said machine.
Tono
THOMAS BRIGGS RUSSELL
THOMAS WARDROP, JUNR
JOHN STIRLING YULE
By John G. Wilson & Co
Agents.
'Improvements in Ironing Machines.'
We JAMES BRiggs Russell THOMAS WARDROP Junior and JOHN STIRLING YULE all
of 11 Pritchard Street Charles Street Chorlton-on-Medlock Manchester Mechanical
and Electrical Engineers do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertamed in
and by the following stateinent :-
Our invention relates to the ironing boards or tables of ironing machines and to the
operation and use of such boards in ironing shirt fronts and cuffs especially in con-
junction with the machine for which we made Application for Letters Patent
No. 16587 on the 30th day of July 1898.
As at present made and used ironing boards do not permit of two half fronts of two
separate shirts being ironed simultaneously and laterally, i,e, from the edge of the
shirt boson to the body of the shirt or vice-versa and do not allow of the half fronts
being ironed with out the risk of creasing and in the general construction of machine
the use of two boards end to end is impracticable.
The object of our invention is to permit two half-fronts of different shirts to be
ironed simultaneously and laterally also two shirt cuffs and by a duplicate arrange-
ment of boards allow of the four half fronts of four shirts being under treatment in
the same machine, either for 'ironing' or 'glossing' and with the same or variable
pressure against the ironing roll, and each set of boards independently controlled
with the great advantage of better ironing than heretofore and a quicker rate of
treatment.
On the accompanying drawings, Fig. I illustrates a sectional elevation, and Fig. 2
a plan of an ironing machine embodying our invention.
Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate to a larger scale certain modifications of the ironing
tables.
In accordance with our invention we employ an ironing board on table (A) slightly
wider than the half portion of a shut front with a curved gap (B) at, or near the centre
of such board or table, and opening on to one of its longitudinal edges as illustrated
The length of the table upon each side of the gap (which constitutes a neck-band
opening) is about equal to the length of a shirt front. In one piece with such table
and upon the opposite longitudinal edge and nearest the ironing roller (C) we arrange

page_text: a cuff board (D) joined only at the central part to the table (A) as illustrated and pro-
ducing longitudinal gaps (E) in, or through which the sleeve of the shirt being ironed
may lie, or pass in placing the cuffs upon the cuff board.
The ironing table is fed beneach the ironing roller (C) with the cuff board (D) foremost,
hence with the half portions of two fronts of two separate shirts on the respective ends
of the ironing table (A) with their neck-bands lying in the gap (B) the outer edge of
each half front and caff comes first beneath the ironing roller and thus all tendency
or risk of creasing the cuff or front at or near such edges is avoided.
In lieu of arranging the gap (B) in the centre of the ironing table (A), one half
may be at one end and the other at the opposite end of the table, as shewn by dotted
lines in Fig. 2. Or we may arrange two full width ironing tables (F) (see Fig. 3),
end to end, with a complete neck-band opening or gap (G) at the two opposite (or
inner) ends. With this arrangement we may simultaneously iron two full width
fronts or two half fronts or a half front and a cuff on each board.
The machine is made wider to suit the extra length of ironing table, and the
method of feeding the ironing table to the ironing roller (C) is (by preference) that
described in our said former specification, i,e, by inclines or links.
A further feature of our invention consists in duplicating the ironing table, ie,
providing an ironing table (or set of ironing tables) to work on each side of the
machine. For this purpose the rails or guides (H) are lengthened and two ironing
boards (A) employed also two foot treadles (J), (K) for reversing the motion of the
ironing roller. The treadle (J) operates in the usual way through rock shaft (L)
and lever (M) acting upon a pin (N) upon the sliding shaft (0) connected to the
strap fork (P). The treadle (K) operates upon the same shaft through rock shaft (Q)
lever (R) swivel (S) and pin (T).
Each table is operated independently of the other table, the operators feeding the
tables beneath the roller alternately i,e, one ironing whilst the other is fixing the
shirt front and cuffs on the table. Stops (U) are provided to prevent the table
being drawn too far back.
By so arranging two sets of tables four half fronts and four cuffs or with the full
width tables four full fronts and four cuffs can be treated in one machine.
In Fig. 4 we shew a further modification of our invention which consists of two
halves only of the tables shewn in Fig 3.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be perforined we wish it to be understood
that we are aware of the Specification of Sutcliffe's Patent No. 28403 of 1897, and that
we do not claim anything described and claimed therein; that we are aware
that it has previously been proposed to make ironing machines with boards or tables
constructed in two parts for receiving two half shirt fronts; and that it has also
been proposed to provide ironing machines with means which permit of ironing shirt
fronts in any desired direction, and we make no general claim to such inventions,
but we declare that what we claim is
I In ironing machines an ironing table adapted to hold two halves only of
two shirt fronts or two full width fronts and feed such half or whole fronts under
the ironing roller simultaneously and laterally so as to permit the outer edging of
each half-front or cuff to come first beneath the ironing roller, substantially as herein
set forth and illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
2: In ironing machines, a double set of ironing tables one on each side of the
ironing roller, and each adapted to hold two halves only of two shirt fronts or two
full width fronts, and feed such half or whole fronts beneath the ironing roller
simultaneously and laterally so as to permit the outer edging of each half-front or
cuff to come first beneath the ironing roller substantially as here set forth and
illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
3-In ironing machines, the, arrangement of parts substantially as herein set
forth and illustrated in Figs. I and 2 of the accompanying drawings and for the
purpose aforesaid.

page_text: 4: In ironing tables the combination of shirt front and shirt cuff ironing tables,
substantially as set forth and shewn in Fig 3 of the accompanying drawings and for
the purpose aforesaid.
5: In ironing tables the arrangement of shirt front and shirt cuff ironing tables
substantially as set forth and shewn in Fig 4 of the accompanying drawings and for
the purpose aforesaid.
JAMES BRIGGS RUSSELL
THOMAS WARDROP. JUNR.
JOHN STIRLING YULE
By John G. Wilson & Co
Agents.