Improvements in Ironing Machines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 27th Sept., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ironing Machines.
I HERBERT JOHN HADDAN of the Firm of Herbert & Co. Patent Agents of
18 Buckingham Street Strand W.C. London Civil Engineer do hereby declare the
nature of this invention a communication to me from abroad by Frederick Howe
Gibbs of the City of Syracuse County of Onondaga and State of New York, United
States of America Solicitor of Patents 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 improvements in ironing machines used in laundries for
ironing the bosoms of shirts more particularly, though the machine may be used for
ironing other starched goods in substantially the same manner, and my present
improvement consists in a machine which will produce a finish upon the goods ironed
by the same, of varying degrees of smoothness ranging from a high gloss finish, which
is an extremely smooth and hard finish, to the dull lustreless finish, more generally
known as a "domestic" finish; and the invention consists in certain peculiarities of
detail construction and arrangements of parts substantially as will be hereinafter more
particularly specified and specifically pointed out in the claims.
In the annexed drawings similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in
all the views in which
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved machine showing the general
construction.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my improved machine looking at the same from the
left of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same with the driving pulley partly broken away
to better illustrate the details of construction hereinafter specifically referred to;
Fig. 4 is a top plan view the right hand end of which is broken away because
deemed unnecessary for the purposes of illustration;
Fig. 5 is a detail view of a portion of my machine showing the arrangement of the
heating device used for heating the ironing roll the details of arrangement of which
will be hereinafter particularly pointed out;
Fig. 6 is a detail view showing a broken section of the central bracket suspended
beneath the main frame of my machine in which bracket the treadle shaft T is
journalled showing the box & thereof to be adjustable by means of set screws c¹ c¹ at
top and bottom of said box.
Fig. 7 shows the heating apparatus for my machine.
At one end of the frame A is a rod W upon which slides a block W₁ provided with
a set screw w to secure it in the desired position on said rod.
The block W is provided with an opening at its upper end into which passes the
rod P which carries the pipes through which gas and air under pressure are conducted
to the interior of the ironing roll B, while the set screw S secures the rod P and its
connections at the desired elevation.
The roller C may be of wood or metal and is usually covered with some softer
facing material such as rubber or cloth wound thereon.
The roll B is heated by gas drawn from pipes usually used to supply illuminating gas
to the building in which my machines are used, and as pressure is usually less after a
considerable number of jets are burning than during the day it is desirable that the
pipe K, through which said gas passes into the roll B may be shifted eccentrically in
its relation to the axis of said roll B so that the flame issuing therefrom may at all
times impinge against the inner surface of said roll to maintain the requisite
temperature thereof.
In ironing shirt bosoms I have found that different degrees of polish may be given

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to the surface of the same by causing the heated roll, under which said shirt bosoms
pass, to travel at different degrees of velocity graduated from a high rate of speed,
which imparts the extreme gloss or "laundry" finish, down to a slow speed uniform
with the speed at which the surface of the shirt is projected under said roll which
produces simply a pressing and drying of the surface of shirt bosoms, the result being
the lustreless finish known as a
66 domestic" finish.
In my improved machine A represents the main frame or standard which supports
the mechanism thereof within which main standard slides the supplemental frame A.'
which slides vertically in ways or guide-grooves formed preferably of a series of
strips a a bolied, or otherwise secured, to the frame A between which strips the
laterally projecting ends of said supplemental frame A' are held. Carried by the
frame A¹ are the table C carrying roller C₁ shaft and gear C. Meshing with
the gear Cis a pinion D carried on a shaft D' upon which shaft is carried the
driving pulley H upon which runs the driving belt, not shown.
At the upper end of the supplemental frame A¹ are boxes cc in which boxes the
shaft is held. Upon the shaft D' is carried the pinion D meshing with and always
in engagement with the gear C so that when power is applied to the driving pulley
said gear, shaft Cupon which it turns, and the carrying roll C¹ secured thereon,
are constantly in motion and the speed of the same is uniform. at all times. The
shaft D¹ and its connections are supported in boxes B₁ in which said shaft is
held.
On said shaft D' at one end is carried said pinion D, rigidly secured to said shaft,
while at the other end the gears hi run normally loose on said shaft, the gear
meshing with the gear h¹ and the gear i meshing with the gear which gears are
rigidly secured on the short shaft H' which is secured by a bracket L to the frame A
at the left side thereof. Meshing with the gear is a gear k secured rigidly to the
roll B which is heated from within by gas conducted therein by means of the pipes
and the burner illustrated, the peripheral face of said roll being highly polished so
that it performs the function of an ironing roll, the varying degrees of speed of said
roll regulating the style of finish imparted to the articles ironed thereby. When it is
desired to give a high degree of finish and gloss to the surface of the shirt bosom the
gear his pinned to the shaft D by means of a pin passing into the eye y, and the roll B
will, by means of the connecting gearing, be caused to travel at a high rate of speed
at which time articles ironed on my machine will receive a gloss finish as they are
passed beneath the ironing roll B. When it is desired to iron the bosoms of shirts
and produce what is known as the "domestic" finish the gear is allowed to run
loose on the driving shaft D1, the pin is inserted in the eye y', securing the pinion i
so as to turn with said shaft, and a slower rate of speed is imparted to the driving
roll B because said pinion i is smaller and the gear i¹ is larger comparatively than said
gears h and h, and the short shaft upon which said gear runs will be driven at a
slower rate of speed and impart a correspondingly slower motion to the periphery of
the ironing roll B through the medium of the gear k on said roll. It may be well to
state that the gears and are rigidly secured together and to the short shaft M on
which they run.
In practice my invention is operated as follows:
The parts are geared as may be desired to produce the gloss or
« domestic "finish
and set normally in the position indicated by Figs. 1, 2, and 3. When it is desired
to iron a shirt on my improved machine the operator takes his position at the front
side of the machine with one foot on the treadle G and a bosom board with a shirt
secured thereon is set on the table C. The treadle G is then depressed thus raising
the table C and the roller C¹ by means of the toggle joint E E illustrated in said
Figs. 1, 2, and 3 causing the roll to be brought nearly in contact with ironing
roll B, previously heated, and the pressure of said roll upon the surface of the shirt
bosom dries the same.
When said roll B is speeded for rapid motion it polishes the surface of the shirt
bosom to a high degree of gloss this being assisted to a greater or less degree by
the difference in speed at which the two rolls B C travel which speed may be changed

page_text: "
at will as herein described, the relative speed depending upon the style of finish desired
upon the bosom.
The speed is quite rapid in case a gloss" finish is required
"domestic" finish is desired the speed on the periphery of the heated roll B
is identically the same as the speed at which the shirt bosom is projected under said
but if a
roll B.
I have found in practice that the "domestic" finish can be imparted to a shirt
bosom in no other way than by speeding the heated roll B to exactly the same degree
as that attained by the surface of the shirt bosom to be ironed thereby, as it is
necessary to avoid all friction between the roll B and the shirt bosom because even a
slight degree of friction will cause more or less gloss to appear in the finish of the
shirt. After the shirt has been passed beneath the roll B the operator releases the
pressure on the treadle G and allows the same to return again to its normal position
this being facilitated by the weight of the supplemental frame A' and the parts carried
thereon and the speed of return is augmented by the spring e secured at one end to
the toggle joints E¹ and at the other end to a tie rod el. To provide against jarring
the machine by too sudden elevation of the treadle GI provide the cushion of rubber,
or analogous material, G¹ which, upon elevation of the treadle G, abuts against the
tie rod thus limiting the movement of said treadle vertically.
It will be seen from the foregoing that my machine answers the purpose of a gloss
and "domestic" finishing ironing machine and as I understand the state of the art,
I am the first to produce a machine by means of which the "domestic" finish may
be imparted to the surface of shirt bosoms ironed thereon and the method by which
said result is accomplished consists in pressing and drying said shirt bosoms by
passing the same through my machine in contact with the heated roll and causing
the surface of the shirt bosom to travel at the same speed as does the peripheral face
of said heated roll B which travels in the same direction as the shirt passing thereunder.
By this method and by this method only, can a "domestic" finish be given to the
surface of shirt bosoms ironed by machinery.
I am aware that it is not new to "domestic" finish shirt bosoms by hand labour,
but I believe that I am the first to accomplish said result by a machine constructed
for that purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. In an ironing machine a heated ironing roll held in fixed bearings, an adjustable
carrying roll in a vertically movable frame, connecting gearing between the two
rolls and a two part toggle-joint-treadle for raising said frame and connections to
bring said rolls together for the purpose specified, all constructed and combined
substantially as shown and set forth.
2. In an ironing machine a fixed driving shaft, a vertically adjustable shaft
positively connected by gearing with said driving shaft, a carrying roll on said
adjustable shaft, an ironing roll held in fixed bearings and gears on a supplemental
shaft connecting said roll with said driving shaft all constructed and combined sub-
stantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.
3. In an ironing-machine, a pair of continuously rotated rollers, one of which is
in fixed bearings and heated from within, in combination with a frame bearing
the other roll and sliding in vertical ways on the main frame, substantially as
described.
4. In an ironing-machine, a pair of continuously rotated rolls, one of which is
in fixed bearings and heated from within, in combination with a vertically sliding
frame carrying the other roll and the gears connecting the rolls, substantially as
described.
5. In an ironing-machine, the combination with the ironing roll in fixed bearings,
the carrying roller and its sliding frame mounted in vertical ways, the rocking arms
supporting said frame, and the treadle actuating said arms to raise or lower the frame
and roller, substantially as described and shown.

page_text: 6. In an ironing-machine, the combination with the hollow roll, of a heating
apparatus projected into said roll and radially adjustable with relation thereto, sub-
stantially as described.
7. In an ironing-machine, the combination with the hollow ironing roll of a
heating pipe projecting therein, the rod projecting from the main frame, and the
supports for the heating pipe adjustable thereon, substantially as described and
shown.
8. In an ironing-machine the combination with the hollow ironing roll and a
heating pipe extending therein, of the socketed block supported from the main frame,
the rod supporting said pipe and adjustable in the block by a set screw, substantially
as described.
9. In an ironing-machine, the combination with the hollow ironing roll and a
heating pipe extending therein, of a rod projecting from the main frame, the block
adjustable thereon, and the rod supporting pipe and adjustable in the block, whereby
the pipe is made adjustable axially and radially with relation to the roll, sub-
stantially as described.
10. In an ironing-machine, the combination with the ironing roll in fixed bearings,
the carrying roll and its sliding frame mounted in vertical ways, the rocking arms
continuously supporting said frame, and the adjustable treadle connected to said
arms to raise and lower the frame and roll and govern their position, substantially as
shown.
11. In an ironing machine, a pair of continuously rotating rolls, one of which is
in fixed bearings and beated from within, in combination with a vertically sliding
frame carrying the other roll, a table above which said roll projects, and the gears
connecting said rolls, substantially as described.
Dated this 26th day of August 1890
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C., Agents to Applicant.