Improvements in Ironing Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: .
Improvements in Ironing Machines.
I, AUGUST METZGER, of 10 Hohenstrasse Homburg, v. d. Hohe, Germany,
Machine-Maker, 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 an ironing machine which differs from similar inventions
by its simple and practical construction and by its working capacity.
On the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention;
Fig. 1 shows the machine in front elevation.
Fig. 2 shows the machine partly in front elevation and partly in section on the
line X-X of Fig 1.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of part of the machine.
Upon a frame, not unlike that of a lathe, a suitable heating device-which, as
shown on the drawings, may be a charcoal or coke fire, or, if preferred, a gas fire,
or burner is arranged in such a manner that the heating gases in order to escape
through the chimney must pass through a chamber and through the tubular
stays R in the direction of the arrow. In this manner the greatest part of the
heat generated is absorbed by the polished cover plate B of the frame which serves as
the ironing plate_proper.
An endless band D of felt or similar material moves
above this plate B. The band is propelled by any suitable driving gear and is
firmly pressed by a suitable contrivance against the ironing plate B. The clothes
or other articles to be ironed are in this manner passed between the hot plate B and
the felt band and are ironed in their passage.
In the particular method illustrated on the annexed drawings, the driving gear
consists of a crank handle G, the rotation of which is transmitted, by the pair of
front toothed wheels G1, G2, to a chain wheel F and from the latter to the chain
wheel F2 (Fig. 3) by means of the endless chain F. The two rollers C, C',
around which the aforementioned felt band travels, are connected directly to the
two chain wheels F, F2. The rollers C, C', are carried in lateral bearing plates P
and are both capable of being moved or adjusted (in the same manner as the
grinding rollers of the grinding mills) by means of a suitable shifting device Ś so
that the felt band D can be held at the proper tension.
In order to iron articles of any desired thickness it is necessary that the rollers
should not press stiffly and without yielding on the plate B, but, that they should
press with a certain amount of resiliency. At the same time it is necessary that
the rollers should be capable of being readily brought into close proximity to or
of being separated from the ironing plate. Both these purposes are attained in
the simplest, and, at the same time, in the most practical manner, by means of a
peculiar mechanism which holds the rollers in position on the frame. This.
mechanism constitutes an important part of my invention.
Fitted on each end of the driving shaft g is an arm H¹ which is, by means of the
pin z, secured, at its upper end, to one end of the plates P. In the same horizontal
plane in which the shalt g is situated is, at each side of the machine, a lever H
which is fulcrummed at g¹ to the frame and which is connected by means of a pin z
to the other end of the plates P. The levers H are connected by means of the
chains J to the arms k', on shaft K, draw bars M and treadle L in such a manner
that the levers H and with them the arms H' and the whole roller arrangement
can, by a parallel movement, be adjusted in position vertically. By depressing the

page_text: treadle L the roller arrangement can be raised up from the ironing plate, its
movement being guided and controlled by the levers H and arms H¹.
.
Between the two rollers C, C' there are a number of pressure rollers C² of the
same diameter and which are also carried by the plates P. These rollers are for
the purpose of evenly pressing the endless felt band against the ironing plate B.
When fixing these rollers C³ in position care must be taken to place them at
suitable intervals apart, so that the steam arising from the ironing, which passes
through the felt band, should not be retained by the rollers but allowed to escape
freely into the atmosphere.
The construction of the heating device is of secondary importance so long as
care is taken to conduct the hot gases-in-the manner hereinafter described.
In order to prevent the hot plate B being over-heated, the chamber k should
have, at a suitable distance from the plate B, a horizontal partition or division
plate W, against which the hot gases impinge and are divided into two streams,
one of which escapes direct into the chimney through the pipe R (which may be
regulated by a throttle valve or other suitable closing device) and the other over
the partition W and ironing plate B on its way to the outlet pipe or flue R. In
this way the plate P is uniformly heated and its temperature can be easily
regulated.
On the treadle side of the machine a feeding table O is fitted, at about the
same height as the ironing plate B, and, at the opposite side of the machine, a
discharge and collecting table O' is also fitted. These tables are of the same width
as the ironing plate B.
For small machines it is sufficient to use a roller C₁ covered with felt and which
is carried by the levers H, instead of the rollers C, C¹ and felt band. In this case
the wheels G1, G2 can be removed from the shaft g and pin z to the oscillating
upper end of the lever H and pin ¹ at the same side of the machine.
The operation of the machine is exceedingly simple. After the plate B has been
sufficiently heated the treadle L is depressed and the rollers lifted up off the
ironing plate. The clothes or other articles are now placed on the feeding table
and are pushed forward until they are seized by the first roller, that is to say, by
the near end of the felt band. The crank handle G is now turned in the direction
of the arrow II (Fig. 2) and the felt band caused to travel in the direction of the
arrow III. The pressure on the treadle L is now released and the rollers are
allowed to rest on the clothes and press them uniformly against the hot plate B,
whilst they are being drawn by the felt band in the direction of the arrow I.
When an article is ironed, or the rotary motion of the felt band is interrupted, the
rollers can be raised in a simple manner, such as, for instance, inserting a piu in a
link of the chain J and in a hole made in the frame.
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
consider novel and desire to claim is :-
1. An ironing machine having a working endless band D of felt or other similar
material passed over a roller C, which is carried at one end of the machine on
oscillating levers H and is rotated by means of gear wheels G, G₁; said oscillating
levers being actuated by treadle mechanism (chains J, levers K', and rods M) in
such a manner that the roller C¹ can be raised up from or lowered down on the
ironing plate, without interrupting the working of the driving gear, substantially as
herein before described with reference to the drawings annexed.
2. A modification of the machine as claimed above, characterized by having
arms H¹ on the driving shaft, the oscillating ends of which carry a roller C rotated
by the shaft g which latter is turned by the gear wheels G1, G2, said arms being
securely connected with the levers H, so that an endless band D stretched over
the rollers C, C can be easily raised up from or brought down on the ironing plate,
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings annexed.

page_text: 3. A modification of the machine claimed above having several rollers arranged.
at determined distances apart on the common bearing plates (P) of the
rollers C, C¹, for the purpose of obtaining a uniform pressure of the endless...
band D on the ironing plate B, substantially as hereinbefore described with.
reference to the drawings annexed.
Dated this 4th day of June 1894
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.