Improvements in Ironing Machines for Ironing Collars, Cuffs, and Shirt Fronts.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Apr., 1899
Complete Specification Left. 8th Jan. 1900-Accented 10th Mar. 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ironing Machines for Ironing Collars, Cuffs,
and Shirt Fronts.
JAMES RITCHIE, 48, North Frederick Street, Glasgow, North Britain, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Machine consists of a metal frame, on which is mounted a hollow cast iron
roller heated by air & gas under pressure. There is also an under drum for carry-
ing ironing board which is rolled horizontally back & forwards between the
heated roller & drum. The drum being mounted on a saddle in two halves
which is fixed to the metal frame with a cross shaft. There is also two upright
spindles with springs to raise & lower the saddle by two hand wheels & to have
a locking position to keep them in place, this is meant to adjust the pressure
equally on both sides of the drum. The two screws with springs are fixed on
to two sockets which are raised & lowered by an eccentric, whereby it can be
raised & lowered to give any pressure required, also it can be lowered two inches
thus allowing the ironing board to come away from the heated roller clear, in
case of any one's finger being caught in the roller. This eccentric is left in a
position that it can be instantaneously dropped either by a worm wheel or ratchet
wheel & pal, thus relieving any one's hand instantaneously, in the case of being
caught between roller & ironing board, & no other machine having been con-
structed on this principle the machine is also geared by five pinion wheels &
enclosed in case, & this allows the under drum & table to drop clear, without
coming out of gear.
Improvements in Ironing Machines for Ironing Collars, Cuffs,
and Shirt Fronts.
JAMES RITCHIE, Sawmill Road, Partick, Lanark, formerly of 48, North
Frederick Street, Glasgow, Laundry Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in machine for ironing collars, cuffs
and shirt fronts, whereby a uniform pressure is given all over the article on the
ironing surface. In order that my invention may be clearly understood I have
annexed a drawing to show the working and illustration thereof. I show an
ironing machine without the ironing table. In Figures 1 & 2 I show a saddle (79)

page_text: which is made in two halves both working independent of the other. This
saddle is hinged at the back on the spindle (h), and supported at the front by
the springs shown, which are fixed on to the spindles (ii). The saddle also
supports (at the centre) the drum which when revolved causes ironing table
to travel backwards and forwards as desired by the operator. The spindles (2)
are screwed into cylinders or sliding blocks (e e) which are free to move up or
down through the cross rail of machine. These sliding blocks are supported on
two eccentrics (dd) fixed on the horizontal shaft (f) which passes through the
two side frames. At one end of shaft (f) is fixed a worm wheel (). Then on
a vertical spindle (opposite worm wheel ) is fixed a worm (a) and at the top
a hand wheel (c). If more pressure is required between the article and the
ironing surface all the operator requires to do is to turn the hand wheel (c)
which revolves worm (a) and it working in worm wheel (b) turns shaft (f). The
saddle is then raised owing to its resting on the springs which are connected
to spindles (ii) and they are screwed into sliding blocks which rest on eccen-
trics (d). Thus the saddle being raised causes ironing table to press against
roller () and in this way gives the desired pressure. The adjustment of springs
is for the purpose of setting the drum to run exactly parallel with the roller ()
and is attained in the following manner. The spindles being screwed into sliding
blocks (ee) can be screwed out or in as desired, by turning small hand wheels
so that one side of the saddle can be raised while the other side is lowered so
as to bring drum parallel with roller. After the adjustment is completed the
lock nuts (7) are screwed down and prevent spindles shifting. If when the
eccentrics are full up and there is still not enough pressure the saddle can be
raised by screwing up both spindles and lifting saddle at both sides equally. The
method for keeping the gear wheels always in gear is as follows. The main
driving pinion (m) drives direct on to spur wheel (n) (which is keyed to drum
shaft) and on to the roller spur wheel (p) through intermediate wheel (2). The
centres of the drum shaft and that containing the main driving pinion (m)
being almost in one horizontal line the saddle would require to be dropped a
good distance before the spur wheel would be out of gear, so that the drop given
to the saddle by the throw of the eccentrics is not sufficient.to allow this, and
consequently the wheels remain more or less in gear as the saddle is raised or
lowered. The mechanism for reversing the board is composed of a piece of
iron (s) formed in the shape of an L (screwed on one end for nut) and this placed
in a horizontal position passes through a hole in the top cross rail of machine.
Then a spring is slipped over it at the back of cross rail, and the nut is then
screwed on to keep spring in position. The upright (c) is only for supporting (s)
when weight of ironing table comes on it. When the ironing table travels
backwards it strikes against (s) compresses the spring and is then thrown back
on to the drum when the operator reverses the direction of machine by shifting
belt guide with the foot. This prevents the necessity of operator going to back
of machine to press back table on the event of it going too far thus preventing
many accidents which otherwise occur very frequently.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is —
(1) The raising and lowering arrangement of saddle and the adjustment of
springs.
(2) The arrangement of gearing whereby with the lowering of saddle the wheels
always remain in gear.
(3) The arrangement of sliding rod for reversing the board automatically.
J 1
1
1
1000
JAMES RITCHIE.