Improvements in Ironing Machines.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 21st June, 1886.
Complete Left, 12th Mar., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 15th Apr., 1887.
Improvements in Ironing Machines.
I, FRANK DOWLING of Stevenage in the County of Hertford, Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
An improved ironing machine capable of being driven by hand or other motive
power & suitable for ironing collars, linen & other materials.
The machine consists of a suitable wooden or iron frame or table provided with
ledges on each side to admit an ironing board and allow it to run between them upon
rollers or friction wheels. A shaft carried in bearings fitted on each side of the frame
is provided with a pinion gearing in a rack fixed on the under side of the ironing
board; or sometimes I prefer to use a small roller on the shaft, over which and
another similar roller parallel to and adjustable to or from it is stretched a leather or
other suitable belt nearly as wide as the ironing board. In place of the belt a cord
or chain passing round the roller & fitted to the ironing board at each end may be
substituted.
The shaft is also fitted with a spur or friction wheel gearing into another wheel on
the ironing roller shaft, the ironing roller consisting of a hollow cylinder of iron
running in bearings carried by two arms hinged or fitted at one end to the frame of
the machine & and provided at the other end with an adjusting screw & wheel on each
side of the frame to raise or lower the ironing roller as required. Or the adjustment
may be effected by cams or worm wheels gearing into worms fitted on a cross
shaft.
If the ironing roller is heated by gas it is open at each end and has a suitable
burner or series of burners inserted inside with a proper allowance of air for
combustion

page_text: The hand wheel or driving pulleys may be fitted on either shaft but preferably on
the shaft which carries the pinion or roller.
A belt shifter is provided to reverse the machine & the ironing board may be
arranged to carry an arm each end which in coming in contact with the reversing
lever at any required part of its travel may be made to reverse the direction of the
machine.
The ironing board is drawn along by the pinion or by the friction of the moving
belt or cord as the case may be, and the ironing roller revolves on the ironing board
by means of the gear at the same time as the board is moving under it.
D
1
1000

page_text: I, FRANK DOWLING, of Stevenage in the County of Hertfordshire, 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:
The object of this invention is to provide a simple and improved ironing machine
suitable for ironing collars, cuffs and such like articles.
In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine and
Figure 2 is a plan with the ironing board removed.
The machine consists essentially of a frame or table A. A provided with ledges B. B.
preferably of hard wood between which an ironing board C is capable of sliding--
D. D are rollers running upon spindles which may serve also as tie bars for the
frame.
The driving shaft E may be provided with fast & loose pulleys and also has a
pinion F which gears into the rack G. fixed on the underside of the ironing board.
On the further end of the shaft E is fitted a small toothed wheel H gearing into
another wheel I. fixed on one end of the ironing roller J. which roller consists of a
hollow cylinder open at each end and into one end of which is inserted a gas tube
carrying a series of burners to heat the roller. At the other end may be provided a
chimney K to carry off the products of combustion, or the ironing roller may be
arranged to be heated by steam or fire if prefered.
The ironing roller J. is carried by two arms L L. provided with bearings for the
roller and attached at one end to the frame of the machine the other end of the arms
being provided with a suitable adjustment which may consist of a screw M. on which
is a worm wheel N engaging with a worm O. on a cross shaft, capable of being turned
by the handwheel P. By this means the ironing roller may be equally adjusted on
both sides in one operation, but this is not essential. The handle 1. is for operating
the belt shifter to reverse or stop the machine, but a foot-lever or other arrangement
may be used.
In place of the rack and pinion hereinbefore described I may fix a roller on the
shaft E and over it and another roller extend a band or belt the friction of which
against the ironing board will give motion to it. Or the ironing board may be
provided with a chain engaging in a chain wheel on the shaft E. The machine may
be driven by hand or any other available power prefered.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :
1. In an ironing machine the adjustable arms bearings for the ironing roller attached
at one end to the body of the machine and fitted at the other end with suitable means
of adjustment.
2. In an ironing machine the rack & pinion or gear substantially as described for
moving the ironing board under the ironing roller.
3. In an ironing machine the worm gear with attachments for adjusting the arms
or bearings substantially as described.
4. The arrangement and combination of the arms, gear and adjustment with other
parts constituting an ironing machine substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.