Improvements in Calendering, Ironing, and like Laundry Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 30th July, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 30th May, 1899-Accepted, 29th July, 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Calendering, Ironing, and like Laundry Machines.
We, JAMES BRIGGS RUSSELL, THOMAS WARDROP, Junior, and JoHN STIRLING
YULE, all of 11, Pritchard Street, Charles Street, Chorlton-on-Medlock, Man-
chester, Mechanical and Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of
our said invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates chiefly to ironing machines as used in laundries for
ironing purposes, which said machines have heretofore comprised an ironing
board, carrying an ironing table, moved under an ironing roller by an arrange-
ment of friction drum and spur gearing, with one of the wheels of such gearing,
and its shaft, adapted to rise and fall to accomodate the various thicknesses of the
materials to be ironed, and consequently with a varying degree of mesh with the
other wheels, and a considerable noise in driving and reversing the table owing
to the amount of back-lash.
Now our invention has for its object to render the said machines noiseless,
and more easily adjustable in the hands of a laundress, and to that end, consists
in mounting the gear wheels in fixed bearings, with a constant mesh between
the teeth of the wheels, and of accomodating the various thicknesses of materials
to be ironed by the introduction of means for varying the distance between the
ironing board and ironing table, which consists, by preference, of inclines or
wedge-like formations on the said ironing board, and nobular projections, or
runners on the ironing table, or vice-versa.
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وو
At the front end of the ironing board I provide a regulating screw, long enough
to engage with a nut or eye
on the ironing table, and on being rotated by a
suitable hand-wheel to move the said ironing table up, or down, the inclines in,
or on, the ironing board, and thus raise, or lower, such ironing table to the
required height.
In lieu of the inclines being on the ironing board they may be on the ironing
table, and the nobular projections or runners be on the board.
To compensate for any wear on the anti-friction runners which carry the ironing
board we mount them on slightly eccentric studs with a nut to fix the studs
after raising the runner.
To allow for the mounting of the main gear wheel shaft we provide a hanger
bracket from the top part of frame, or cross-bar with the small spur pinion for
driving same upon a similar bracket.
In lieu of inclines for raising and lowering the ironing board we may employ
cams. links or screws, which we should consider a modification of our invention,
but for all practical purposes we prefer the inclines.
... 410041 dox of Tule 1898
JOHN G. WILSON & Co.,
Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Calendering, Ironing, and like Laundry Machines.
We, JAMES BRIGGS RUSSELL, THOMAS WARDROP, Junior, and JoHN STIRLING
YULE, all of 11, Pritchard Street, Charles Street, Chorlton-on-Medlock, Man-
chester, Mechanical and Electrical 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:―
60
وو
Our improvements relate chiefly to shirt front and shirt collar ironing machines.
Such machines as commonly constructed comprise an ironing table moved under
an ironing roller by an arrangement of friction drums and toothed gearing, and
the said drums, one of the toothed wheels, and the shaft which carries them are
mounted on a cradle or hinged support, which serves to raise and lower the.
ironing table to suit the various thicknesses of materials to be ironed, or to vary
the pressure of the ironing roller. With such arrangement the meshing of the
gear wheels with each other is very irregular and there is so much play between
the teeth that with the quick speed at which the wheels rotate and their alternate
reversal, the noise they make is very great, especially where a number of machines
are working together.
Now the object of our invention is to so construct and manipulate the machines
that they are practically noiseless and to so effect the adjustment of the ironing
board that the pressure of the board against the ironing-roll can be regulated
to the greatest nicety. To this end we mount the gear wheels on shafts carried
by fixed bearings, and we arrange the ironing-board to rest upon the peripheries
of the friction drums. Between the ironing-board and ironing-table we arrange
a series of inclines or wedge-like formations, and a corresponding series of nobular
projections, or runners. At the front end of the ironing-board we provide a
regulating screw adapted to engage a nut or eye" on the ironing-table, and
on being rotated move the ironing table up or down the inclines, and so regulate
the degree of pressure between the ironing table and ironing roller and upon the
object being ironed.
**
To make our improvements clear we have hereunto annexed a sheet of draw-
ings and we will now proceed to describe the same with the assistance of the
various figures and letters of reference marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a front exterior elevation and Fig. 2 a longitudinal section of an
ironing machine constructed in accordance with our improvements.
Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate in side elevation and part plan a detail of our invention
to a larger scale.
Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate modifications.
(A) is the machine frame, (B) is the usual heated ironing roller, (C) the ironing
board, and (D) the ironing table. The ironing board is sustained partly by a
set of friction drums (E) mounted on shaft (F) and partly by a set of runners (G)
and guide rails (H).
"
39
The shaft (F) is mounted in fixed bearings (I) (in lieu of being mounted on
n cradle or lever arm as heretofore) and is driven by driving shaft (J) through
large spur wheel (K) and pinion (L). These latter are constantly in full gear
with each other and consequently the noise heretofore occasioned by such wheels
having a varying gear, due to the raising and lowering of the cradle, is avoided.
The spur wheel (K) is also in constant gear with a spur pinion (M) for driving
the ironing roller (B) and the whole of the gear wheels are encased by a guard (N).

page_text: The ironing table (D) is of any suitable formation with a covering of india-
rubber and blanket material and the top surface of the table is normally in
rubbing or touching contact with the ironing roller (B).
By rotation of the drums (E), first in one direction and then in the other, the
ironing board (C) and ironing table (1) are caused to travel to-and-fro under tho
ironing roller (B) and so iron any object placed upon the table. To effect the
proper "setting" of the table to the roller, and to vary the degree of contact or
pressure between the table and roller, we form a set of inclines (0) upon the upper
face of the ironing board (see Figs. 2, 3 and 4) and upon the lower face of the
ironing table (or its base) we arrange a set of nobular or curved projections by
preference, in the form of half-round rods (P) which are designed to rest upon
the said inclines as shewn. At the front end of the ironing board we provide
regulating screw (Q), mounted in a small upright nut (R), and engaging at its
extremity with a lug or "eye" (R¹) on the base of the ironing table. By the
rotation of the screw it travels through the nut (R) and causes the ironing table
to move up or down the inclines (O) on the ironing board, and thereby
raise or lower the table, and vary the contact the ironing roller.
a
In this way we allow for the ironing of objects of different thickness, or the
ironing of objects requiring different degrees of pressure.
To keep the table (D) square with the ironing roller and to prevent its rising
off the ironing board, we fix angle plates (S) along each edge of the ironing
board, and cause the half-round rods or nobular projections (D) to project beneath
such angle plates as shewn more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4.
In lieu of being on the board, the inclines may be on, or in the base of the
table, and the nobular projections on the board. The lug (R¹) is of a character
which allows it to rise and fall with the traverse of the screw.
In Fig. 5 we shew a modification in which links (T) are used in lieu of inclines,
and in Fig. 6 we shew another modification in which the inclined base of the
ironing table, and the inclined upper face of the ironing board, serve to effect the
raising and lowering of the table under the operation of the regulating screw.
In some cases we may regulate the table from both ends or from the rear end.
The inclines (0) and rods (P) may extend completely across the table and
board, and there may be two, three or more sets.
To keep the runners (G) up to the board and to compensate for wear, we mount
them on a fixed stud (U) which is eccentric to its support, and which latter on
being rotated is capable of raising the runner to an extent equal to the eccentricity
of the stud and thus compensate for a large amount of wear.
Whilst chiefly for shirt ironing machines our improvements are applicable to
other machines of a like character.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we wish it to he
understood that we do not confine ourselves to the exact details, relative pro-
portions or dimensions of our improved table adjusting devices as the same may
be varied without departing from our invention, and what we claim is :-
1. In a calendering, ironing or like machine, an ironing board and an ironing table,
means intermediate for regulating the height of the table-consisting of inclines
and projections.-a regulating screw and nut on the board and a lug or eye or
the table, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. In a calendering, ironing or like machine, an ironing table and an ironing
board, a set of links connecting such table and board, a regulating screw and nut
on the board, and a lug or eye on the table, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
3. In a calendering, ironing or like machine, an ironing table and an ironing
board with inclined abutting faces, a regulating screw and nut on the board, and
lug or eye on the table, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

page_text: 4. The improvements in calendering, ironing or like machines, arranged,
combined and acting, substantially as herein set forth.
1000
JAMES BRIGGS RUSSELL,
THOMAS WARDROP, JUNIOR,
JOHN STIRLING YULE.
By John G. Wilson & Co.,
Patent Agents to the Applicants.
JAMES BRIGGS RUSSELL,
THOMAS WARDROP, JUNIOR,
JOHN STIRLING YULE.
By John G. Wilson & Co.,
Patent Agents to the Applicants.