Improvements in Mangling or Ironing Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 15th Oct., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mangling or Ironing Machines.
1, FRANK BALDWIN of 401 E. 23rd Street, in the City County and State of
New York, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 :-
means
My invention relates to an improvement in steam mangling or ironing machines
and has for its object to so construct a mangling or ironing machine of this
description that an endless belt will be constantly in close frictional engagement
with the convexed faces of spaced stationary irons and to provide a
whereby the belt may be adjusted to and from the irons and tension exerted upon
the belt to a proper degree and a further object of the invention is to provide a
machine of the character described which will be exceedingly simple, durable,
economic, and effective in operation.
The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several
parts as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this
Specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in both the views. Figure is an end view of the improved machine and
Figure 2 is a central vertical section through the same.
Two or more stationary, horizontally-aligned, heating irons 10 are supported at
their extremities in a frame preferably consisting of two spaced end pieces 11 which
may be connected by rods, bars, beams, or in any approved manner.
The irons are
stationary upon their supports, being fixed thereto and are so located that a space 12
intervenes between their adjacent side surfaces. The irons are hollow, having
closed ends and are segmental or curved in cross-section, their under surfaces being
convexed. Steam, hot-air, or other heating agent, is introduced by suitable pipes 13
in one end of the irons which heating agent exhausts or discharges at the opposite
ends. The entire under or convexed faces of the irons are constantly, when the
machine is not in use, in engagement with the upper member 14 of an endless belt A,
as shown in Figure 2. This belt travels over two pulleys 15 preferably drum pulleys
attached to shafts 16 journaled in the frame, one at each upper side of the machine
a short distance in front of the outer edges of the irons. One of the shafts is a
drive shaft, being provided with a driving pulley 17 and both shafts are journaled
in adjustable boxes 18 held to slide in the frame, as shown in Figure 1. More or
less tension is imparted to the belt through the medium of a pulley 19 under which
the lower member 20 of the belt is passed at or near its centre. The tension
pulley is preferably as long as the belt is wide and its bearings are vertically
adjustable in the frame of the machine by the manipulation of screws engaging with
the bearing boxes, as shown in Figure 1, or in any other approved manner.
A table 21 is located at each side of the machine adjacent to its side pulley 15 one
of which tables is adapted to support the articles to be mangled or ironed and the
other to receive said articles when mangled or ironed. The pulley of the delivery
side of the machine is preferably provided with a guard 22.
In the operation of the machine, the articles to be mangled or ironed are passed
over the guard 22 and introduced between the upper member of the belt and the
under face of the iron adjacent to the guard. The clothes are damp when
submitted to the action of this iron and while passing under the said iron the water
in the clothes is vaporized to such an extent that when the clothes reach the open
space 12 before engaging with the next iron a maximum percentage of the vapor
escapes and the clothes pass comparatively dry to the next iron and are perfectly
smooth and in most cases almost entirely and in some cases entirely dry when they

page_text: reach the receiving table 21. The belt serves the dual capacity of a carrier and a
compressing agent as it maintains the clothes or articles to be operated upon in
positive and close contact with the convexed faces of the irons. The clothes are
far better mangled or ironed when passed over a hot convexed surface than over. a
concaved surface as they cling to the former with much more tenacity than to the
latter surface and the travelling belt may be much more conveniently made to
attach itself to a convexed surface than to a concaved one.
It is evident that the device is exceedingly simple, durable, and economic in its
construction and it is further evident that the machine is most efficacious in
operation.
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. In a mangling or ironing machine the combination, with fixed heating irons
having a space intervening between their opposed surfaces, of an endless belt
travelling in close proximity to the surfaces of said irons, substantially as described.
2. In a mangling or ironing machine the combination, with stationary heating
irons having a space intervening between their opposed surfaces, of an endless belt
mounted to revolve in practical engagement with the under surfaces of the irons and
under the space intervening between said irons and a tension device connected with
the belt whereby its pressure upon the irons may be regulated, as and for the
purpose specified.
3. In a mangling or ironing machine the combination, with heating irons having
convexed under faces and located a distance apart, of an endless belt mounted to
travel in engagement with the convexed surfaces of the irons and below the space
intervening between said irons, as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In a mangling or ironing machine the combination, with chambered heating
irons curved or segmental in cross-section and locate a distance apart the under
surfaces of said irons being convexed and a heating agent introduced into the
chambers of the irons, of an endless belt travelling in close proximity to the
convexed surfaces of the irons and a tension device connected with the belt, as and
for the purpose specified.
Dated this 13th day of September 1892.
F. BALDWIN,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.