Improvements in Apparatus for Ironing Body Linen and other Garments or the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 17th Feb., 1898-Accepted, 23rd Apr.,
1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Ironing Body Linen and other
Garments or the like.
I, WILLIAM LITLER BRADFORD, of The Crescent Iron Works, Salford, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:
-
This invention relates to the construction of apparatus for ironing body linen
and other garments, or the like, and the improvements are as follows:
First, an improved arrangement of the driving gear which consists of two
friction pulleys working together, one (being by preference made of wood and of
larger diameter than the other) is fixed on the roller shaft, and the other (prefer-
ably of iron) is so constructed that it can rock slightly in a radial direction on
its axis so as to ensure the surface of one pulley always resting truly and accu-
rately in contact with that of the other, even when as it frequently happens, their
shafts are not precisely parallel.
This friction gear is worked by a treadle and levers and as the fixed and
larger pulley is upon the ironing roller shaft the one motion of the treadle
simultaneously presses the roller against the iron, and the two pulleys together,
thus applying pressure to, and starting the rotation of the rollers at the same
time.
:
Secondly I arrange the steam heated roller with the steam supply and the
condensed water outlet at the one end leaving the opposite end of the roller.free
and unimpeded.
The steam is carried through the upper part of the roller shaft, and the con-
densed water pipe through the lower part thereof and after passing through the
journal this pipe is bent down so as to remove the condensed water from the
bottom of the roller.
Thirdly I make the iron (which is preferably heated by gas) of an improved
design whereby the products of combustion are prevented from escaping into the
room and are carried off by a pipe passing either through the roof or into a
flue.
The iron is of a box form, concave on the side next to the steam heated roller,
being open on the lower side for the admission of air, and having a ventilating
pipe or pipes attached to the upper side as above described.
Dated this 17th dore of a 100%
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicant,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Ironing Body Linen and other
Garments or the like.
I, WILLIAM LITLER BRADFORD, of The Crescent Iron Works, Salford, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to the construction of apparatus for ironing body linen a
and other garments, or the like, and the improvements are as follows:-
First, an improved arrangement of the driving gear which consists of two
friction pulleys working together, one (being by preference made of wood and of
larger diameter than the other) is fixed on the roller shaft, and the other (prefer-
ably of iron) is so constructed that it can rock slightly in a radial direction on
its axis so as to ensure the surface of one pulley always resting truly and accu-
rately in contact with that of the other, even when, as it frequently happens, their
shafts are not precisely parallel.
This friction gear is worked by a treadle and levers, and as the fixed and
larger pulley is upon the ironing roller shaft, the one motion of the treadle
simultaneously presses the roller against the iron, and the two pulleys together,
thus applying pressure to, and starting the rotation of, the roller at the same
time, to facilitate which action I propose to make the bearings of the roller shaft
and also the iron itself self-adjusting to the axis of the roller shaft.
Secondly In the event of the roller being heated by steam which is preferable,
I arrange the steam heated roller with the steam supply and the condensed water
outlet at the one end, leaving the opposite end of the roller free and unimpeded.
The steam is carried through the upper part of the roller shaft, and the con-
densed water pipe through the lower part thereof, and after passing through the
journal this pipe is bent down so as to remove the condensed water from the
bottom of the roller.
Thirdly I make the iron (which may be heated by gas or steam) of an
improved design whereby, in the case of those heated by gas, the products of
combustion are prevented from escaping into the room and are carried off by a
pipe passing either through the roof or into a flue.
The iron is of a box form, concave on the side next to the steam heated roller,
being open on the lower side for the admission of air, and having a ventilating
pipe or pipes attached to the upper side as above described.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the construction of ironing machine
which I prefer, and in which all the above named improvements are combined
in one machine.
Fig. 1 is a side view of the said machine.
Fig. 2 is an end view thereof and Figs. 3, 4 and 5 shew detached parts hereafter
more particularly referred to.
a is the framing of the machine, b is the ironing roller and b¹ the shaft thereof,
62 is the large friction pulley for driving the same, c is the drum or small friction
pulley on the driving shaft c¹, and d is the iron.
The drum or pulley c is so formed (see Fig. 3) as to be capable of rocking in
what I call a radial direction on its axis, that is to say it can assume a position
more or less inclined from the perpendicular, its axis or shaft c¹ being horizontal.
The boss of the pulley is curved gradually outwards from the centre of its
length (as seen at Fig. 3) and it is driven from its shaft c¹ by a disc at either

page_text: side thereof fast on the shaft c¹ and provided with bolts or rods 3 passing through
holes in the pulley c as shown.
Thus although the pulley c can be inclined or rock sideways on its shaft c¹,
it is rotated thereby.
The shaft of the friction pulley is carried by bearing blocks 3 capable
of moving upon slides 6, and I prefer to provide these blocks 63 with bosses
or projections 6 (see Fig. 4) which fit in sockets in the bushes 65 through which
the shaft b' passes, so that allowance is thus made for a slight inclination of the
said shaft b¹ if the treadle 66 rod 67 and levers 68 do not raise or lower it in a true
horizontal position, parallel with the shaft c¹.
I also prefer to mount the iron d upon a pivot at d* Fig. 1 so that it can rock
slightly if the roller b is not quite truly raised to its surface.
The roller bis heated by steam from the pipe e the condensed water escaping
by the pipe el. These pipes e and el pass through a fixed gland e³ (Fig. 1) on
which the end of the shaft b¹ can rotate. The pipe e' is bent down to the lower
part of the roller b as seen at Fig. 4.
The iron d is concave to fit the roller and hollow and open at the lower side
(as shown at Fig. 5) the perforated pipes d' throwing their jets of flame against the
concave part, the fumes being carried off by the outlet pipe d³. d³ admits gas,
and d admits air to the casting d³ in which the pipes d' are fitted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The combination in an ironing machine having an ironing roller capable
of being moved into action, of a friction roller upon the ironing roller shaft, with
a friction roller upon the driving shaft capable of being rocked or inclined upon
the said driving shaft, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
2. The combination of an ironing roller (capable of being moved into contact
with a concave iron) with a treadle and connections raising the ironing roller
into contact with its iron and raising a friction roller on the ironing roller shaft
into contact with its driving drum or roller, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3. The steam heated ironing roller having the steam supply pipe and the
condensed water outlet at one end, leaving the other end of the roller free and
unimpeded, substantially as herein before described.
4. The improved gas heated iron, open at the lower side for admission of air
and having a ventilating pipe or pipes fitted to the upper side, substantially as
herein before described.
T: 15th day of February 1898
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicant,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.