Improvements in Machines for Ironing, Drying, Polishing, Calendering, or Finishing Cloth, Paper, or other Fabrics.
Year: 1894

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after Amend-
ment (under Section 18 of the Patents, &c., Act, 1883), as allowed by the decision
of the Comptroller General, of the 7th day of March 1898.
Date of Application, 5th Apr., 1894--Accepted, 5th May, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in Machines for Ironing, Drying, Polishing,
Calendering, or Finishing Cloth, Paper, or other Fabrics.
I, FRED CLOW WENDELL, Manufacturer, of No. 220, Pearl Street, Brooklyn,
Kings County, New York, United States of America, 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 ironing machines or mangles, and to analogous
machines, such as machines for drying, ironing, polishing, calendering or finishing
any fabric, as cloth, leather or paper, and aims to provide an improved machine
of this character which will be simple in its structural features, will occupy
comparatively little space while having an extensive ironing surface, and in which
a large proportion of the heat applied to the machine can be utilized in the ironing
operation.
Heretofore ironing machines have been constructed with steam heated drums,
some rotary (about which the material to be ironed has been carried by aprons
and rollers), and others stationary (across one side of which the material has
been dragged by an apron).
My invention is especially designed to improve the latter class of machines,
but certain of its features can be availed of generally in ironing or similar
machines.
In carrying out my invention I provide certain features of improvement which
will be hereinafter fully set forth.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate certain adaptations of my
invention as applied to an ironing machine,
Fig. 1 is a vertical section between the frame and drums, of a mangle constructed
according to the preferred form of my invention.
Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view thereof, the apron being omitted.
Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic elevation of a modified form of mangle, one half being
broken away.
Fig. 4 is a similar view of another modification, and
Fig. 5 is a similar view of still another modification.
Referring to the drawings, A is the frame of the machine, B the drum as a
whole, C the apron carrying the goods to be ironed, 1) the feed roller over which
this apron passes on entering the machine, E the delivery roller for the apron at
the exit of the machine, F the usual adjusting roller for adjusting the tension of
the apron and taking up the slack of either side thereof as usual, & G idler rollers
for the apron, H a reefing roller between the idler rollers, I the usual rack for
holding the reefing roller in its various positions, J another adjusting roller, and
K the return idler roller over which the apron passes to the feed roller.

page_text: Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, I will now describe the preferred form of my
invention. According to this construction I provide one or more oblong and
substantially flat hollow steam drums having preferably convex opposite faces ab,
and a rounded end face c, which faces constitute the ironing faces of the drum,
being substantially the entire outside thereof. The goods to be ironed are rubbed
or dragged over these faces in any manner, as by the apron C, being carried
successively over the first face a, then across the rounded end c, and back over the
second face b. Preferably the entrance and discharge ends of the opposite faces
are within the bulge of their convexity, and the apron enters and leaves in contact
with these entrance and discharge fates, whereby by its tautness the apron
maintains intimate contact of the goods against the remainder of the convex
portions of the respective ironing faces of the drum.
Preferably improved moisture escape grooves are provided in the ironing faces
according to my invention. These grooves, lettered, are formed across the entire
width of the ironing facés, are inclined relatively thereto, and the further side of
each groove is slightly rounded at its junction with the face to facilitate the passage
of the goods.
Preferably a plurality of analogous substantially flat drums are employed, grouped
together in as close proximity as convenient, and disposed in substantially parallel
planes. In Figure 1 four of these drums are shown, the lowermost lettered B',
the next B2, the next B³, and the next B, and the apron C traverses the ironing
faces of one, then those of another, and so on, traversing successively the respective
faces of all the drums in either direction. The apron traverses the drum B¹ first
and B last, whereby the goods rise from the bottom to the top of the machine and
are delivered at the top, traversing a tortuous or circuitous path of substantially
continuous ironing surface.
Various means for transferring the apron and the goods it carries from the
ironing face of one drum to the adjacent face of the next drum may be employed.
I prefer to provide transfer rollers for this purpose. Preferably a plurality of
rollers are employed, four being shown in Fig. 1 where they are lettered L', L², L³
and L respectively. The first carries the apron and its goods from the delivery
end of the ironing face b of the lower drum to the entrance end of the ironing
face of the succeeding drum. The next performs the same function between the
two succeeding ironing faces, the next the same between the next faces, and the
last L carries the apron and its goods from the top face of the drum B upwardly
and away from the ironing faces, whereupon the apron passes over this roller and
rearwardly over the delivery roller E, at which point the ironed goods may be
removed in any manner.
It is best to continue the ironing surface around the transfer rollers by providing
an intermediate ironing face between each drum and the next, which face at one
end coincides with the face of the one drum, and at the other end meets the
tace of the next drum, whereby in their transit from one drum to the next the
goods are continuously ironed and the ironing surface is a substantially continuous,
tortuous ironing surface.
These ironing surfaces e may constitute the walls of a steam jacket or drum,
giving a heating surface as well as an ironing surface. This may be accomplished
by providing an auxiliary steam drum B5, on one side of which are all the faces e²,
and the other side of which, as well as its end, is also utilized to form ironing
faces and g. By disposing the other drums horizontally and the auxiliary drum
vertically, the latter can embrace the ends of all the horizontal drums, all the
transfer rollers, and provide a long substantially vertical ironing face f from the
top of the machine to the face of the lower drum. Thus the goods entering at
the feed roller ID at the top of the drum B will traverse downwardly its ironing
fare f, then turn under on its face g, and go to and around the faces cand e of
the respective drums before reaching the delivery end of the machine. Preterably
the face f is convex, and the feed aller D is disposed inside the bulge of its
"

page_text: convexity, whereby the apron presses against the greater part of the surface of
this face.
Steam will be admitted to the various drums, and the water of condensation
drawn therefrom, in any suitable manner, as for example through the steam holes h
and the outlets i for each drum, shown in Fig. 1.
My invention comprises an improvement in driving the apron C, which consists
in making each of the transfer rollers L a drive roller for the apron. This may
be accomplished by driving these rollers by any suitable means, such as a spur
gear N on the shaft of each roller, idlers () between and meshing with these spur
gears for communicating motion from one to the other, and drive pinion P meshing
with one spur wheel or idler for supplying the power to drive all. Thus the four
drive rollers are disposed at points most advantageous for the peculiar sinuosity
of the belt, and can be driven in a very simple manner.
Each transfer roller may be yieldingly mounted, so that in case of inequality in
the thickness of the goods ironed there will be no danger of jamming at the
circular ironing faces e. To this end each roller is mounted on a pivoted slotted
link Q, which receives the shoe j, of the shaft of the roller, in its slot, and carries
a spring acting to force the shoe and roller toward the face e, this motion being
arrested by the end k of the slot in the link. Each link is carried by an eye R,
bolted to a corresponding cross brace S of the frame A. To permit a slight
upward movement of the transfer roller, I provide a slight hollow m in the ironing
faces and e where they join above this roller, into which hollow the roller can
rise when it yields upwardly.
The frame A shown, is constructed with a cross brace S for each of the
horizontal drums, which drums are connected to the frame in any suitable manner
as by their lugs n which are bolted to the inner faces of the frame. To stop the
downward movement and sustain the weight of the transfer rollers I prefer to tap
a screw-stop T into the frame under each link Q, by adjusting which stop the lower
position of its transfer roller can be determined.
Preferably a guard U of thin sheet metal is provided to protect the feed roller D,
over which guard the goods are fed to the apron C.
at
In operation the operator will feed the goods to the apron over the guard
the top of the vertical drum and the goods will then traverse the various ironing
faces and be removed from the apron at the discharge roller E. The pieces of
goods will be fed in one after another, and in their transit will be dried, smoothed
and polished, leaving the machine completely finished. Any jamming of the goods
at the face e, or any unusual tension of the apron, will be compensated by the
vielding transfer rollers. The bends gc and e will be particularly effective in
imparting a polish to the surface of the goods.
It will be seen that my invention provides an improved machine which will be
effective in operation, light in weight, exceedingly compact, and in which almost
the entire surface of each heating drum is utilized for contact with the goods to
be treated. By utilizing nearly the entire sides of the drums the necessity of
covering them with non-conducting substances to prevent waste of heat is avoided,
and the maximum results are obtained from the heat used. By disposing the
drums in such manner that the apron traverses over several sides of each, and
arranging them as close together as will conveniently permit the passage of the
apron and goods on their opposite faces, great compactness for a very extensive
ironing surface results. In practice the machine shown in Fig. 1 gives an ironing
surface in excess of 15 metres in length, while the length of the entire machine is
about 25 metres and the height about metres.
The vertical and horizontal drums can be united together by bolts V at top and
bottom, the intermediate drums of the horizontal series being in engagement with
the vertical drum simply by grooved joining faces W.
The invention is not limited to the particular construction or use shown, but may
be as well employed in other arrangements of the different parts of the machine;

page_text: for example any means, such as rollers alone, may be used for moving the goods
over the faces, and the invention may be used for any machines for drying, polishing,
calendering or finishing, any such goods as leather or paper.
Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of a modification in which horizontal drums only
are used, and the goods are shifted from the top face of one drum around the
transfer roller and to the next drum by a series of tapes W', which pass over small
rollers W opposite the end of each drum, and then around the transfer roller
between the two drums, and so on until at the last transfer roller the tapes ride
around a return wheel X, from which they return over an idler X to the lower
small roller W". As the apron leaves the ironing face and passes onto the transfer
roller the tapes Whold the goods against the face of the apron and move therewith
from the lower to the upper side of the transfer roller, thereby preventing displace-
ment of the goods on the apron, until they are in position for the next drum.
Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of a siniple modification in which the drum here
lettered Y has two branches, the lower one Y¹ having convex lower ironing face
and concave upper ironing face, over which faces the apron here lettered C rides,
while the upper branch has a convex space against which the apron rides after
traversing a roller lettered Y2 which transfers it from the lower to the upper
branch. Presser rolls p press the apron or goods against the concave face of the
branch Y. The interiors of the several branches of the drum Y are hollow and
in communication. The apron passes over the feed roller D, along the ironing
faces of the drum, around the discharge roller E, and back over an idler to the
feed roller.
Fig. 5 shows a modification similar to Fig.
except that the drum here lettered Z
has its branches constructed with plain flat ironing faces, and presser rollers,
lettered g, are employed for holding the apron lettered C5 against all these faces.
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 machines for ironing and similar purposes, an oblong drum having frictional
polishing ironing faces on its opposite sides against and across which the goods to
be treated are successively passed, and means for pressing the goods against and
rubbing them over the ironing faces of said drum successively and in opposite
directions, on the different faces, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In machines for ironing and similar purposes, an oblong drum having ironing
faces on its opposite sides, and an intervening ironing face on its end connecting
said faces on its sides, over which faces the fabric to be treated are successively
passed, and means for pressing the goods against and rubbing them over said
ironing faces, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
al
3. In machines for ironing and similar purposes, a stationary drum having
curved frictional polishing ironing face on its one side, and a frictional polishingg
ironing face on its opposite side, and means for pressing the goods to be treated
against and rubbing them over one ironing face of said drum in one direction to the
end of such face, and means for receiving said goods after traversing said face and
pressing them against and rubbing them over the other ironing face of said drum
to the end thereof in the opposite direction, whereby the goods traverse the
respective faces of said drum successively, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
4. In machines for ironing and similar purposes, a stationary heated drum
having a frictional polishing ironing face on one of its sides, and a convex frictiona!
polishing ironing face on its other side, an apron passing across said convex face
and pressing the goods to be treated thereagainst and rubbing them thereover in
one direction, and means for pressing said goals against and rubbing them over
the other of said ironing faces of said drum in the opposite direction, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
5. In machines for ironing and similar purposes, a stationary drum having

page_text: frictional polishing ironing faces on two of its sides, and a curved intervening
frictional polishing ironing face between and connecting said ironing faces, and
means for pressing the goods against and rubbing them over one of the ioning
faces on one of the sides of the drum, and an apron moving against said inter-
vening face and across the ironing face on the other side of the drum and pressing
the goods against and rubbing them over said faces successively, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
6. In machines for ironing and similar purposes, an oblong drum having
frictional polishing ironing faces on its opposite sides, in combination with means
for pressing the goods against and rubbing them over one of said ironing faces in
one direction, then transferring them to the other side of the drum, and then
pressing them against and rubbing them over the other ironing face of the drum
in the opposite direction, substantially as set forth.
7. In machines for ironing and similar purposes, an oblong drum having
convex ironing faces on its opposite sides, in combination with an apron for carrying
the goods to be treated against said faces, whereby the fabric to be ironed can
be passed successively over said faces, and by reason of the convexity thereof
will be held by said apron in intimate contact therewith, substantially as set
forth.
8. In machines for ironing and similar purposes, an oblong drum having
ironing faces on its opposite sides, in combination with an apron embracing both
sides of said drum, a feed roller carrying said apron to the entrance end of one
face of said drum, and a transfer roller over which said apron passes at the delivery
end of the other face of said drum, whereby the fabric to be treated can be fed
on to said apron, and will be drawn by the latter across the one face of the drum and
then back across the other face of the drum, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
9. In machines for ironing and similar purposes, an oblong drum having ironing
faces on its opposite sides, in combination with an apron for carrying fabric to be
treated against said faces, a feed roller over which said apron passes in approaching
the entrance end of the first ironing face, a transfer roller over which said apron
passes at the delivery end of the other face, and a curved ironing face embracing
said apron opposite said transfer roller, whereby the fabric is successively drawn
over said ironing faces of said drum, and then over said curved ironing face while
traversing said transfer roller, substantially as set forth.
10. In machines for ironing and similar purposes, a drum having an ironing face,
in combination with an apron for carrying the fabric to be ironed against said face,
a yielding transfer roller over which said apron passes at the end of said face, and
a concave ironing face fixed relatively to said drum, and opposite said roller,
and embracing the fabric while passing thereover on said apron, whereby the
fabric is ironed while traversing said roller, and the latter can yield to prevent
jamming of the fabric against said curved face, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
11. In machines for ironing and similar purposes, a plurality of stationary drums
disposed in proximity, and each of said drums having an ironing face on its side
adjacent to the ironing face of the next drum, in combination with means for
carrying the goods to be ironed in contact with and rubbing them against said
faces successively, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
12. In machines for ironing and similar purposes, a plurality of oblong drums
having convex ironing faces on their opposite sides, in combination with a transfer
roller between the adjacent drums, and an apron for carrying the fabric to be
treated and traversing successively the opposite faces of one drum, said transfer
roller, and the face of the adjacent drum, substantially as set forth.
13. In machines for ironing and similar purposes, a plurality of drums disposed
in proximity, and having ironing faces on their adjacent sides, in combination with
a curved ironing face between said drums and connecting the ironing faces thereof,

page_text: a transfer roller between said drums adjacent to said curved ironing face, and an
apron passing over said roller and traversing successively the ironing face of one
drum, said curved ironing face, and the ironing face of the adjacent drum,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
14. In machines for ironing and similar purposes, a plurality of oblong drums
disposed in proximity, and having ironing faces on the opposite sides, in combination
with a drum opposite the end of said drums and having a curved ironing face at
one side communicating between the adjacent ironing faces of said oblong drums,
and an outer ironing face on its opposite side communicating with the opposite
ironing face of one of said drums, a transfer roller between said oblong drums
within said curved ironing face, and an apron traversing successively said outer
ironing face, the ironing face of the drum with which said outer ironing face
connects, said transfer roller, and the curved ironing face opposite it and the
ironing face of the succeeding drum, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
15. In machines for ironing and similar purposes, a plurality of horizontally
disposed oblong drums having ironing faces on their outer sides and arranged in
proximity, in combination with a vertical drum, curved faces on its inner side
communicating respectively between the adjacent ironing faces of the adjacent
horizontal drums, and having a substantially vertical outer ironing face com
municating with the ironing face of the end drum of said horizontal series, transfer
rollers between the adjacent faces of said horizontal drums, a feeding roller opposite
the outer face of said vertical drum, a delivery roller beyond the last drum of the
horizontal series, and an apron passing over said feeding roller and traversing
successively the outer face of said vertical drum, the opposite face of the horizontal
drum in connection therewith, the curved ironing face between said drum and that
adjacent to it, the transfer roller between said drums, the corresponding ironing
faces and rollers of the succeeding drums, and said delivery roller, whereby said
apron traverses the opposite sides of said drums, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
16. In machines for ironing and similar purposes, an ironing face constructed
with a moisture-escape groove, d, inclined relatively to the line of the face and
having a curved wall merging into the surface of the face to permit the free
passage of the goods over such groove, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
17. In machines for ironing and similar purposes, a sinuous frictional polishing
ironing surface, in combination with an endless apron for carrying the goods to be
ironed in contact with said surface, traversing the latter throughout all its
sinuosity, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
18. In machines for ironing and similar purposes, a plurality of ironing surfaces
disposed in proximity and one above another, in combination with an endless apron
for carrying the fabric to be ironed traversing successively all such ironing
surfaces, and moving in a sinuous path, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
19. In machines for ironing and similar purposes, the drums B and B having
opposite ironing faces, the curved ironing face e communicating between said faces
and having the recess m at top, in combination with a transfer roller yieldingly
mounted within said face e opposite said recess m, and an apron traversing said
ironing faces and passing over said roller, whereby when the latter yields it can
move into said recess m, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
20. In machines for ironing and similar purposes, the drums B1, B2, B3 and B*
having ironing faces on their opposite sides, in combination with curved ironing
faces e communicating between the adjacent faces of adjacent drums, transfer
rollers L, L, L' between said drums respectively, gears N on said transfer rollers,
idlers (meshing with said gears, and drive-pinion P driving one of said idlers, and
an apron traversing the respective ironing faces and each of said transfer rollers,

page_text: whereby the driving power is applied to said apron between each of said drums,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 5th day of April 1894.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent.