IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PRESSING, SMOOTHING, AND FINISHING GARMENTS OR PARTS OF GARMENTS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Osbourn, of Peckham, in the County of
Surrey, Tailor, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PRESSING,
SMOOTHING, AND FINISHING GARMENTS OR PARTS OF GARMENTS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Osbourn at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
May 1863.
I, FREDERICK OSBOURN, of Peckham, in the County of Surrey, Tailor,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR PRESSING, SMOOTHING, AND FINISHING GARMENTS OR PARTS OF GARMENTS," to
be as follows:-
My Invention of "Improved Apparatus for Pressing, Smoothing, and
Finishing Garments or Parts of Garments," relates to a novel arrangement or
construction of parts whereby the smoothing iron employed for the purpose of
pressing, smoothing, and finishing garments or parts of garments may be heated
by the flame of gas, and the gaseous products of combustion carried away, so
as to prevent annoyance and inconvenience to the operatives.
My Invention further relates to an improved arrangement of the parts for
supporting the smoothing iron and other working parts.
The first part of the Invention consists in adapting to the smoothing iron a
flexible tube, whereby the gaseous products and smell arising from the com-
bustion of the gas may be conveyed away from the smoothing iron. To this
end the smoothing iron may either be provided with an outer casing or jacket,
into which the gases may pass, instead of allowing them to escape into the work

page_text: room, and from this jacket they may be conveyed away through the exit or
flue tube above mentioned; or a chamber may be made in the smoothing iron
itself to receive these gases, and to this chamber the flexible flue tube may be
adapted, so as to convey away the gaseous products from the interior of the
smoothing iron. For convenience, the flue tube may be placed alongside the
gas tube when gas is employed as the heating material, but if oil, hydro-
carbons, or other substance be used for heating the iron, the flue tube
must be arranged and adapted to the iron in the manner most convenient for
the operator, so as to interfere as little as possible with his movements.
The next part of the Invention [relates to the mode of mounting the
smoothing iron. This instrument is attached to one end of an arm which
passes between two pairs of antifriction rollers, so that it may be drawn in or
out in a horizontal direction with facility. These rollers are mounted in a
frame which turns on a vertical pin or stud, so that by the combination of the
in and out motion of the arm and the horizontal swinging motion of the frame
the smoothing iron may be passed in any direction and over any part of the
work table, the smoothing iron itself also having an independent motion in a
pin or stud at the end of the horizontal arm. The work to be operated upon
is placed upon a sleeve board, which being hinged is capable of rising and
falling in a vertical direction when acted on by a treadle beneath, and also of
turning on a fixed central pin in a horizontal direction.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Frederick Osbourn in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th November 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
OSBOURN, of Peckham, in the County of Surrey, Tailor, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Frederick Osbourn, Her special license that I, the said Frederick Osbourn,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Frederick Osbourn, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,

page_text: the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "APPARATUS FOR
PRESSING, SMOOTHING, AND FINISHING GARMENTS OR PARTS OF GARMENTS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Frederick Osbourn, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frederick Osbourn, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My Invention of improved apparatus for pressing, smoothing, and finishing
garments or parts of garments, relates to a novel arrangement or construction
of parts, whereby the smoothing .iron employed for the purpose of pressing,
smoothing, and finishing garments or parts of garments may be treated by the
flame of gas, and the gaseous products of combustion carried away, so as to
prevent annoyance and inconvenience to the operatives.
My Invention further relates to an improved arrangement of the parts for
supporting the smoothing iron and other working parts.
The first part of the Invention consists in adapting to the smoothing iron a
flexible tube, whereby the gaseous products and smell arising from the com-
bustion of the gas may be conveyed away from the smoothing iron. To this
end the smoothing iron may either be provided with an outer casing or jacket,
into which the gases may pass, instead of allowing them to escape into the
work room, and from this jacket they may be conveyed away through the exit
or flue tube above mentioned; or a chamber may be made in the smoothing
iron itself to receive these gases, and to this chamber the flexible flue tube
may be adapted, so as to convey away the gaseous products from the interior
of the smoothing iron. For convenience, the flue tube may be placed along-
side the gas tube when gas is employed as the heating material, but if oil,
hydrocarbons, or other substance be used for heating the iron, the flue tube
must be arranged and adapted to the iron in the manner most convenient for
the operator, so as to interfere as little as possible with his movements.
The next part of the Invention relates to the mode of mounting the
smoothing iron. This instrument is attached to one end of an arm which
passes between two pairs of antifriction rollers, so that it may be drawn in or
out in a horizontal direction with facility. These rollers are mounted in a

page_text: frame which turns on a vertical pin or stud, so that by the combination of the
in and out motion of the arm and the horizontal swinging motion of the frame,
the smoothing iron may be passed in any direction over any part of the work
table, the smoothing iron itself also having an independent motion on a pin or
stud at the end of the horizontal arm. The work to be operated upon is
placed upon a sleeve board, which being hinged, is capable of rising and falling
in a vertical direction when acted on by a treadle beneath, and also of turning
on a fixed central pin in a horizontal direction.
In the accompanying Drawing Figures 1 and 2 represent in full size my
improved smoothing iron, Fig. 1 being a vertical transverse section, and Fig. 2
longitudinal vertical section of the same.
a
.
The body or box A of the smoothing iron is made of cast iron, and is made
hollow, as shewn in Fig. 1; the gas tube a passes from end to end of the iron,
and is furnished on its under side with a series of nipples or gas jets from
which the gas issues, and when ignited the flame impinges on the foot of the
iron held in a central position in the interior of the iron by means of the
block b at one end of the iron. In this block 6 is secured another tube c,
which contains the nozzle d of the supply pipe e; the tube c has a perforation f
on its side which is for the admission of the common atmosphere for the
purpose of mixing with the ordinary coal gas which is supplied through the
pipe e. The side holes 9, 9, are for the purpose of admitting air to the interior
of the iron in order to support the combustion of the gas inside the iron. The
ignition of the gas is effected by placing a light at the aperture h, below the
block b. The opposite ends of the iron and gas tube a are sealed by a brass
plate i. The tube or escape pipe j is for conveying away the gaseous products
arising from the combustion of the gas; this tube is of metal to a certain
height, when a flexible tube k, Fig. 1, is attached. This tube is also provided
with a universal joint l, so that it may be turned with facility in either
direction. The dish m is for catching any water that may be formed by
condensation in the escape pipe j, and this water will be consumed by the
heat from the gas. The iron is worked by the handle n, which has a ribbed
wooden ferrule and is supported by wrought-iron uprights o, o; the joint p
for the reception of a guide rod hereafter to be described.
is
Figures 3 and 4 represent the arrangement of parts in which the smoothing
iron is combined with a suitable table and other appliances required for
employing it for the purposes for which it is intended. Fig. 3 is a front
elevation, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the machine complete. The framing
is held together by the stay bolt a and surmounted by a wooden table b. To
the joint p on the smoothing iron is connected a guide rod c, Fig. 4, which

page_text: slides in between two pairs of antifriction rollers d, d, mounted on the swivel
frame e, which revolves horizontally on the vertical pin f; the ironing board g
is made to work on a hinge formed in the box h, and the pressure which is
necessary to give in pressing or smoothing garments is given by the foot of
the attendant acting on the treadle i which communicates its motion through
the levers and rods shewn in the Drawing to the ironing board 9. The
pipe j communicates with an ordinary gas main for supplying gas to the iron,
and to which is attached a regulating cock and a length of flexible tube so
as to admit of the iron working along the board; k is the tube for the escape
of the foul air from the iron, to this tube is attached a flexible tube which is
fastened on a nozzle leading into a receiver or box which can be formed
either of light iron or wood and fixed in any convenient position to suit the
locality of the machine. This receiver is placed at a slight angle in order
to carry off any water that may arise from the combustion of the gas.
Having now described my Invention of "Apparatus for Pressing, Smoothing,.
and Finishing Garments or Parts of Garments," and having explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to
me by Letters Patent, as aforesaid,―
First, the general arrangement and construction of instruments, apparatus,
or machinery herein set forth.
Second, the application as herein set forth of gas combined with the admix-
ture of the common atmosphere or other gases for heating the irons or similar
smoothing or pressing instruments to be employed in the ironing, pressing,
smoothing, or finishing garments or parts of garments.
Third, the mode herein set forth for carrying off the gaseous products
arising from the combustion of the gases from the irons or smoothing
instruments.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Osbourn, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-seventh day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
F. OSBOURN, jun*.
1, Gordon Road,
Peckham.
F. OSBOURN. (L.S.)