IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINES FOR IRONING ARTICLES OF WEARING APPAREL AND FABRICS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents, 60,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINES FOR IRONING
ARTICLES OF WEARING APPAREL AND FABRICS." A communication from
nbroad by Thomas Shires Wiles and Alonzo Pelton Adams, both of Albany,
in the State of New York, United States of America.
ealed the 7th November 1876, and dated the 10th May 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th May 1876.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
MACHINES FOR IRONING ARTICLES OF WEARING APPAREL AND FABRICS."
This Invention relates to improvements in that class of machines for ironing
articles of wearing apparel and fabrics in which a hollow internally heated ironing
roller or rollers are used in combination with a clothed roller or rollers.
The first improvement consists in giving to these rollers varying forms according
to the nature and shape of the article to be ironed, thus for articles of a curved
form, such as shirt collars, tapering rollers are found to be most suitable, while fint
rollers may be used for cuffs or other articles made in one piece, and for other
kinds of cuffs rollers having a double taper outwards will be found most convenient.
The heated or ironing roller may be made with a creasing rib thereon, so that a
crease may be formed in the article being ironed.
The next improvement consists in making these rollers attachable to and
detachable from the ends of rotary shafts, by means of male and female screws, the
said shafts projecting beyond the framing of the machine.
The next improvement consists in the mode of heating the ironing roller by
means of a gas jet inside the roller, the gas being supplied to the jet through the
rotary shaft on which the roller is mounted, the shaft being hollow for that
purpose. The products of combustion are allowed to escape through a lateral
aperture in the rotary shaft into a flue which surrounds the shaft.
The next improvement consists in the mode of mounting the clothed roller, so
that it may rock slightly on its shaft, in order to equalize the pressure of the
ironing roller on the article to be ironed.
Го

page_text: The next improvement consists in mounting the hollow rotary shaft in moveable
bearings, so that the ironing roller may be raised off the other roller for the
purpose of enabling the attendant to place the article to be ironed in position.
To this end the rotary shaft is connected to a treadle, whereby it may be raised
when required, a counterweight being employed to bring the shaft back to its
position, and also to increase the pressure of the ironing roller on the article when
required.
The ironing roller may be made to turn by suitable gearing either at a faster
surface speed than the clothed roller, so as to produce a polished ironed surface, or
at the same surface speed as the clothed roller, so as to produce a lustreless ironed
surface.
The whole of the gearing is mounted in a suitable frame, which is held together
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
tho said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th November 1876.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
MACHINES FOR IRONING ARTICLES OF WEARING APPAREL AND FABRICS." A
communication from abroad by Thomas Shires Wiles and Alonzo Pelton Adams,
both of Albany, in the State of New York, United States of America.
This Invention relates to improvements in that class of machines for ironing
articles of wearing apparel and fabrics in which a hollow internally heated ironing
roller is used in combination with a clothed roller, the roller being placed outside
the framing of the machine.
In the improved machine constituting the subject of this Invention the ironing
or polishing rollers are shaped according to the nature of the article to be ironed,
thus for articles of a curved form, such as shirt collars, tapering rollers are found
to be most suitable, while flat rollers may be used for cuffs or other articles made in
one piece, and for other kinds of cuffs and other articles rollers having a double
taper will be found most convenient. For ironing articles that are intended to be
folded, such, for instance, as a turndown collar, the heated or ironing roller will be
formed with an annular projection or rib on its periphery to crease the article which
is being ironed in the line of the desired fold. These ironing rollers are attached
to their axles by means of male and female screws, which permit of their ready
displacement for the purpose of changing the same to suit various kinds of work.
The ironing rollers are heated internally by means of gas jets, the gas being
admitted thereto by pipes which pass through the roller axles. The gases of
combustion being allowed to escape through a lateral aperture or apertures provided
for the purpose.
The clothed or supporting roller is mounted so that it may rock slightly on its
axle in order to equalize the pressure of the ironing roller on the article to be
ironed.
To permit of the ironing roller being raised off the clothed roller when not in
use, its axle is mounted in movable bearings, the front one of which connected
with and controlled by a treadle to be worked by the attendant. Provision is
also made for varying the speed of both the ironing and clothed rollers, both with
respect to that of the driving shaft, and with relation to each other to suit the
character of work desired.
In the accompanying Drawing, Figures 1, 1ª, and 1b, are examples of three forms
of rollers used in the improved machine, the same being adapted to various kinds
of work. These rollers are represented in section and shew the mode of attaching
the same to their axles, and also the mode of heating the ironing rollers; Fig. 2 is

page_text: & Bide view of the machino, the position of the rollers being indicated by dotted
lines, and Figures 3 and 4 are clevations partly in section of the same taken in the
lines respectively X, X, and Y, Y, of Fig. 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows.
In the several Figures 1, 10, and 1b represents the ironing or polishing roller, and b
the clothed or supporting roller. The ironing roller is formed with its outer end
closed, a small hole as only being pierced therein to permit of a lighted taper or
match being introduced to light the gas. The inner end of the ironing roller
threaded internally, and is screwed into the internally tapered end of the hollow
axle c, Fig. 2, which projects beyond the framing of the machine, as shown at d.
The
The ironing roller is heated by gas according to the plan described in the Specifi-
cation of a Patent taken in the name of the present Patentec, bearing date the
Twenty-fifth day of November, One thousand eight hundred and soventy-four,
No. 4052, the gas supply pipe being enclosed in a stationary air pipe which passes
through the axle c, the details of this arrangement aro already shewn in Fig.1; e is a
lateral opening on the taper end of the axle c communicating with a fluo f
which surrounds the axle and is carried by the axle box, a front view of this flue is
shewn at Fig. 5. The clothed rollerb consists by preference of a metal roller covered
with vulcanized india-rubber, and faced with cloth or equivalent fabric.
form of this clothed roller will be a counterpart of the ironing roller. The nave
of the clothed roller is bored with a double taper outwards in order that when
mounted on its axle h, Fig. 2, it may rock thereon and yield to any inequalities
of pressure of the ironing roller, and thereby distribute the pressure over the articles
being ironed. The hollow axle c is mounted in moveable bearings i, j. The
bearing i is mounted on centres k, k, (see Fig. 3) to allow of its rocking and the
bearing j is fitted in a slide on the front frame. This arrangement is for the pur-
pose of lifting the ironing roller off the clothed roller and preventing its scorching
the cloth covering. To the bearing j is attached a pair of rods 1, the lower ends of
which are secured by nuts to a saddle pieco l, which is pivotted to a pair of
levers m, m, having their fulcrums at n, n, on the main framing. These levers m
carry a box o, in which weights p can be placed as desired for holding down the
ironing roller a, and adjusting the pressure of the same roller on the articles being
ironed. Jointed to the box o is a treadle lever g, which has its fulcrum at the end
of the fulcrum rod r, which is pendent froin one of the tie rods of the main framing.
On the attendant pressing down the treadle lever 9 the levers m will be caused to
raise the rods I, which will lift the bearing f, and with it the axle c and its ironing
roller. To retain the ironing roller in its raised position the treadle lever q is caused
to hitch on to one or other of the shoulders 8 (Fig. 4) in the lower part of the inain
framing. The machine is driven by a band from any prime mover passing round
the fast pulley t on the driving shaft u, which transmits motion through spur
gearing to the axles of the rollers a and b. The shaft u is provided with a feather
to receive the hub of a sliding pinion 1, which gears on to a spur wheel 2, carried
by a stud axle projecting from the main framing. On the hub of the wheel 2
is a pinion 3 which gears into a spur wheel 4 mounted on a stud axle of the
framing. On the hub of this wheel is a pinion 5 which gears into a wheel 6, also
mounted on a stud axle. On the hub of this wheel 6 is a pinion 7 which gears
into a spur wheel 8, keyed on the axle h of the clothed roller b, and through this
train of gearing the motion of the driving shaft is transmitted to the axle h of
the clothed roller. Supposing, however, it is desired to increase the speed of this
roller relatively to that of the driving shaft u the pinion 1 is shifted by means of a
fork (not shewn in the Drawing) into gear with the wheel 6, the train of wheels and
pinions 2, 3, 4, and 5 will then run idle. Keyed to the axle h is a spur wheel 9,
which gears into a pinion 10 on the hub of a spur wheel 11, carried by a shaft
having its bearings in the end frames. This wheel 11 gears into o pinion 12
mounted loosely on a stud axle projecting from the framing, and into this pinion 12
When
gears a pinion 13, that slides upon a feather upon the axlo c of the roller a.
this pinion is in the position shewn in the Drawings the roller a will have a
surface speed greater than that of the roller b, and it will consequently act as a

page_text: callendering roller. When, however, the goods under treatment do not require to
glaze the pinion 13 is slidden (by a fork or equivalent means not shown in the
Drawing) into gear with the wheel 9, when the surface speed of the roller a will
be reduced to an equality with that of the roller b.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in the Con-
struction of Machines for Ironing Articles of Wearing Apparel and Fabrics," as
communicated to me from abroad, and explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent I claim,-
The arrangement of machinery above described, whereby with the aid of specially
shaped rollers I am enabled to iron with or without a gloss at pleasure articles of
wearing apparel of various conformations, and also narrow piece goods.
Secondly. The means above described whereby the ironing roller may be raised
and held out of action.
Third. The means above described for ventilating the detachable heated roller.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Tenth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
H. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)