Improvements in Ironing Machines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 19th May, 1891-Accepted, 20th June, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ironing Machines.
We JAMES BINGHAM ALLIOTT and JOHN MCCLURE CALDWELL PATON
both of the Park, Nottingham in the County of Notts, Engineers do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to that class of ironing machines in which the ironing is
effected by drawing the material to be ironed over the polished surface of a through
heated by steam or by other suitable means, the material to be ironed being pressed
against the trough by a cylinder or roller suitably covered with flannel or other
porous material, such roller or cylinder being itself sometimes heated and being
rotated so as to draw the material to be ironed between itself and the heated
trough.
In the ordinary operations of the laundry it is very advantageous to be able to
pass articles through the ironing machine without having to put them first into a
drying stove, and where this is done the articles to be ironed of contain a con-
siderable amount of moisture which being driven off by the heated surface of the
trough becomes lodged in the flannel or other covering of the cylinder and roller
and has to be removed from the same; as otherwise the covering becomes saturated
with moisture and incapable of absorbing that driven off from the articles passed
through the machine, so that the articles to be ironed remain moist and are not
properly ironed. For the purpose of remedying this defect, the trough has been
made in parts with spaces between them or with openings through the trough by
which part of the steam driven off from the article to be ironed can escape. This
however does not entirely prevent part of the steam and moisture lodging in the
flannel or other covering of the cylinder, and this moisture has to be removed if the
working of the machine is to proceed continuously and satisfactorily.
The object of our invention is to drive off or evaporate any moisture which has
lodged in the covering after the latter has emerged from the heated trough, so that
it is thoroughly dry before entering the trough again and thus capable of absorbing
the steam driven off from the damp articles to be ironed, and our invention consists
in improved arrangements for this purpose.
One of our improvements consists in arranging above the cylinder or roller one
or more hollow bars formed on their undersides to the shape of the cylinder or
roller and placed into contact with the covering of the same, and heat these bars by
steam or hot air. By preference we use several of such bars with spaces between
them, or one broad bar may be used with or without recesses or perforations
through the same. The pipe connections for conveying steam or hot air to the said
bar or bars are so arranged that the bar or bars can be easily removed from the top
of the cylinder or roller when the latter has to be taken out or lifted. By contact
with the heated surface of the bars the moisture in the covering of the cylinder qr
roller is evaporated and escapes through the spaces between the bars or recesses or
perforations in the same or after the covering has passed the bars and the covering
is thereby dried before it again enters the trough. The evaporation and drying
may be further promoted by arranging above the bars and cylinder a hood of wood
or sheet metal with a pipe for carrying off the steam or vapour rising from the
cylinder or roller covering, either by natural draught or draught induced by
ventilating fan or equivalent means.
In some cases where the cylinder or roller itself is not heated by steam, we
perforate the shell of said cylinder or roller, or form the same of rings covered
with wires, wire netting, perforated sheets or their equivalents, and make one of
the cylinder trunnions hollow and connect the same to an exhaust fan. By this

page_text: means the steam and moisture passing into the covering is drawn inside the hollow
cylinder and carried off by the exhaust, air being at the same time drawn through
the covering and drying the same.
In some cases instead of connecting the interior of the cylinder with an exhaust
fan we connect the hollow trunion to a blowing fan and blow preferably hot air in
at the trunion to find its way out through the flannel over a large surface, or we
arrange a pipe in the interior of the cylinder with openings or nozzles towards the
top and connect the same to a blowing fan and blow air that is preferably heated
through the pipe and nozzles, which air passing in a strong current through a
narrow surface of the covering of the cylinder carries off the vapour and moisture
contained in the covering. The arrangements herein last described with reference
to cold cylinders may be used either without or in combination with the heated
bars hereinbefore described.
Dated this 18th day of August. 1890.
W. T. EMMOTT,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ironing Machines.
We JAMES BINGHAM ALLIOTT and JOHN MCCLURE CALDWELL PATON,
both of the Park, Nottingham in the County of Notts, Engineers, 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-
Our invention relates to that class of ironing machines in which the ironing is
effected by drawing the material to be ironed over the polished surface of a trough
heated by steam, or by other suitable means, the material to be ironed being
pressed against the trough by a cylinder or roller suitably covered with flannel or
equivalent porous material, such roller or cylinder being itself sometimes heated
and being rotated so as to draw the material to be ironed between itself and the
heated trough.
In the ordinary operations of the laundry it is very advantageous to be able to
pass articles through the ironing machine without having to put them first into a
drying stove, and where this is done, the articles to be ironed often contain a con-
siderable amount of moisture, which when driven off by the heated surface of the
trough becomes lodged in the flannel or other covering of the cylinder or roller and
has to be removed from the same, as otherwise the covering becomes saturated with
moisture and incapable of absorbing that driven off from the articles passed
through the machine, so that the articles to be ironed remain moist and are not
properly ironed. To remedy this defect, the trough has been made in parts with
spaces between them or with openings through the trough by which parts of the
steam driven off from the article to be ironed can escape. This however does not
entirely prevent part of the steam and moisture lodging in the flannel or other
covering of the cylinder and this moisture has to be removed if the working of the
machine is to proceed continuously and satisfactorily.
The object of our invention is to drive off or evaporate any moisture which has
lodged in the covering after the latter has emerged from the heated trough so that
said covering is quite dry before entering the trough again and thus capable of
absorbing the steam driven off from the damp articles to be ironed, and our
invention consists in improved arrangements for this purpose.
On the drawing appended hereunto an end view of an ironing machine fitted with
our improvements is shewn. The frame represents the end-framing of the
machine, a similar framing being placed at the other end of the machine and stayed
to the former by suitable connections. The end frames c support the steam heated
trough a extending between them. Steam is supplied to the trough through branch

page_text: pipes a' a from the general steam pipe connected to a boiler. The cylinder d,
covered with flannel or other porous material e is supported at each end by
trunnions d' resting in suitable bearings d' held and sliding in guides el of the frame c.
It is shewn heated by steam entering through a branch pipe from the main
steam pipe b. This branch pipe is made either flexible or provided with
telescopic arrangements for permitting the roller to be lifted off the trough
without breaking the steam joint. A similarly flexible or telescopic attachment
for carrying off the condensed water arranged in any suitable usual manner is
fitted to the trunnion at the opposite end of the cylinder.
One of our improvements consists in arranging above the cylinder one or more
hollow bars formed on their underside to the shape of the cylinder or roller
and placed into contact with the covering of the same. These bars extending
for the whole length of the cylinder are heated by steam through flexible steam
pipes and are provided with similar flexible connectious at the other end for
the removal of condense water. These pipes are made flexible in order that
the steam heated bars fmay be readily removed from the cylinder or roller din
order to permit the same to be raised for the removal or adjustment of its
covering e. To facilitate the removal of the bars they are carried upon the
machine frame ends by means of sliding lugs 2 cast on or attached to the bars f
and are forced into and held in contact with the covering e of the cylinder d or
withdrawn from it when required, by screwed spindles / threaded through lugs
of the frame and fitted with hand wheels, or by equivalent incans. By contact
with the heated surface of the bars f the moisture in the covering e of the cylinder
or roller d is evaporated and escapes through the spaces between the bars fand
after the covering has passed the bars, or the latter may be formed with recesses
or perforations for this purpose. The covering is thereby dried before it again
enters the trough a. The evaporation and drying may be further promoted by
arranging above the bars and cylinder d a hood g of wood or sheet metal with a
pipe or flue g for carrying off the steam or vapour rising from the cylinder
covering e, either by natural draught or by draught induced by an exhaust fan
connected to pipe g' or by equivalent means.
In some cases where the cylinder or roller & itself is not heated by steam we
perforate the shell of said cylinder or roller, or form the same of rings covered
with wires, wire netting, perforated sheets or their equivalents, and connect one or
both of the cylinder trummions to an exhaust fan or its equivalent. By this
means the steam and moisture passing into the covering e is drawn inside the
cylinder and carried off by the exhaust, air being at the same time drawn through
the covering and assisting in drying the same.
In some cases instead of connecting the interior of the cylinder with an exhaust
fan, we connect one or both of the hollow trunnions by pipes similarly arranged as
the steam pipes to a blowing fan or its equivalent and blow cold or preferably hot
air in through the trunnion or trunnions to find its way out through the flannel or
other covering e over a large surface.
In some cases when blowing air into the cylinder or roller d exhausting air
or vapour from it, it may be desirable to cover a portion of the exposed part of the
roller with a light shield, preferably of metal, for the purpose of preventing the
too free egress or ingress of the air through the large surface of the roller which
would otherwise remain uncovered.
In some cases instead of blowing air into the interior of the cylinder or roller d
and allowing it to become diffused in the same, we arrange a pipe in the interior of
the said cylinder or roller passing out through one or both trunnions and connect
the same to a blowing fan or its equivalent. The pipe in the interior of the
cylinder or roller we make with openings or nozzles directed towards the top and
blow air that is preferably heated through the pipe and nozzles, which air passing
in a strong current through a narrow surface of the covering of the cylinder or
roller carries off the vapour and moisture contained in the covering.
The arrangements hereinbefore described with reference to cylinders or rollers

page_text: not heated by steam may be used either without or in combination with the heated
bars hereinbefore described, and with or without the hood g.,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we. declare that what
we claim is :
In an ironing machine in which the material to be ironed is drawn over and
pressed against the surface of a heated polished trough (a) by means of a rotating
cylinder or roller () covered with flannel or equivalent porous material (+).
Firstly, the arrangement of one or more moveable heated bars (f) or the com-
bination of said bars with said trough and cylinder or roller, which latter may be
or may not be heated, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by
the drawing and for the purpose set forth.
Secondly, the combination with said trough and cylinder or roller, which latter
may or may not be heated, of one or more moveable heated bars (f) and a hood (g)
and pipe () with natural or forced draught, substantially as hereinbefore described
and for the purposes set forth.
Thirdly, the construction of said cylinder or roller with perforations or their
exhaust fan or its
equivalent and porous covering in combination with an
equivalent connected by pipes to one or both of the trunnions of said cylinder or
roller, substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
Fourthly, the construction of said cylinder or roller with perforations or their
equivalent and porous covering in combination with an exhaust fan or its
equivalent connected to one or both of the trunnions of said cylinder or roller and
of one or more heated moveable bars (/) substantially as and for the purpose
hereinbefore described.
Fifthly, the construction of said cylinder or roller with perforations or their
equivalent in combination with a blowing fan or its equivalent connected by pipes
to one or both of the trunnions of said cylinder or roller, for the purpose of blowing
cold or heated air into said cylinder or roller, substantially as and for the purpose
herein before described.
Sixthly, the construction of said cylinder or roller with perforations or their
equivalent in combination with a blowing fan or its equivalent connected by pipes
to one or both of the trunnions of said cylinder or roller for the purpose of blowing
cold or heated air into the same, and one or more heated moveable bars (/) sub-
stantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
Seventhly, the construction of said cylinder or roller with perforations or their
equivalent in combination with a blowing fan or its equivalent connected by pipes
to one or both of the trunnions of said cylinder or roller for the purpose of blowing
cold or heated air into the same, one or more moveable heated bars (f) and a
hood () substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
Dated this 16th day of May 1891.
W. T. EMMOTT,
Agent for the Applicants.