Improvements in or Applicable to the Construction of Presses for Pressing Linen and for Analogous Uses.
Year: 1887

page_text: Improvements in or Applicable to the Construction of Presses for
Pressing Linen and for Analogous Uses.
I, WILLIAM KENnedy, of Lewes, in the County of Sussex, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said 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 improvements in or applicable to the construction of
presses for pressing household linen, articles of clothing and for analogous uses.
The Invention consists essentially, in the construction of the press with a series of
any required number of independent guided shelves or press boards of any required
dimensions and weight, and between any adjacent ones of which the articles to be
pressed are placed, and with means adapted to separate the series of such shelves
or press boards at any required place into two sections in such a manner as that
any article or articles within the press between any two adjacent press boards thereof
may at any time he got at and removed such as when sufficiently pressed or when
required for use, and as that any article or articles desired to be pressed can be
inserted into the press at any required part thereof between any two adjacent press
boards; so that among other advantages, ready access for the placing and removal of
goods is afforded to all parts of the press without disturbing the articles contained
between the other press boards thereof, and consequently any article can be placed
where it will receive more or less pressure as desired.
On the accompanying Drawings. Fig. 1, represents in front elevation partly
in section, a press constructed in accordance with such Invention. Figure 2,
represents a side elevation thereof, also partly in section. Fig. 3, represents a
sectional plan view thereof. Figs. 4 to 6, represent detail views of another modi-
fication of the means of effecting the separation of the press boards ;-Fig. 4 being
an end olevation partly in section ;-Fig. 5, a section thereof through a—b, and·
Fig. 6, a sectional plan view.
7, represents the framing of the press which may be constructed of stout wooden
standards or of angle iron suitably braced and tied together. The standards form
guides for a series of independent press boards, 8, of which there may be any required
number, and which may be of any required length, breadth and thickness, and may

page_text: each either be made of a single thickness of wood, or in half thicknesses cross grained
or transversely disposed relatively to each other, and may if required be strengthened
or weighted by an intermediate sheet of iron or of lead, or by a surrounding frame of
iron or in any suitable manner.
Each press board is adapted or fitted at its corners with freely turning- runner-
wheels, 9, carried in suitable bearings,-10, screwed or otherwise secured to or pro-
jecting from the odges of the press board or from attached framings, the runner
wheels being preferably so disposed as to engage with the inner sides or corners
of the said standards, and being of utility in minimizing friction, and operative
with the standards in guiding the movements of the press boards in a vertical
direction.
The apparatus is preferably so constructed as that the separation of the one section
of press boards (with its contents if any) is effected from the other section of press
boards (with its contents if any) in an upward direction, as in the modifications
-illustrated, in which event the lower section of press boards remains in position by
gravity, and in which event also the apparatus is constructed with a bottom plat
form, 11, which occupies a fixed position relatively to the supporting standards, 7,
and constitutes a bottom supporting platform bearing all the superincumbent weight
of the press boards with their contents if any; and the space, 12, below which, if
the press is elevated from the ground, may be fitted with a drawer or may be
otherwise appropriately made use of. In such modification, the top press board, 13,
(between which and the bottom platform, -11, the-intermediate press boards, 8, and
articles to be pressed are situated and placed in the manner illustrated) is preferably
connected to the operating mechanism, in such a manner as that it may be raised
and lowered at will.
The desired pressing effect of the apparatus is preferably produced by gravity of
the press boards or by any added weight applied thereto as hereinbefore indicated,
it being preferred to make the top press board specially heavy by sheets of lead, 14,
screwed or otherwise secured in position; but it may be produced by any suitable
mechanical means such as by a screw. Relief from such pressure may also be
obtained by any suitable mechanical means, no particular actuating mechanism being
material to the invention.
In the modification illustrated, such mechanism is shown as consisting of leather,
catgut or other suitable cords, 15, connected to the top press board, 13, and passing
round spindles, 16, 17, working in top bearing plates, 18, attached to the framing, the
spindle, 17, being the actuating spindle and being operated by a removable winch
handle, 19, or by a removable hand wheel, applied to its squared end, 20, the gravity
of the connected press board or attached press boards working with it as hereinafter
described, being prevented from reversely operating such apparatus by a ratchet
wheel, 21, and spring pawl, 22; which latter, may, however, be released by hand by
any suitable press knob, or by a connected cord, 23,or otherwise when it is desired to
lower the top press board and any others moving therowith, the lowering thereof being
effected by holding the winch handle or hand wheel and slowly reversing its movement.
The cords may be adapted with any suitable tightening or adjusting device, consisting
of a book and screw nut as represented at, 44, Fig. 1, or of any other suitable
ineans.
-
Extending across from side to side and surmounting the series of press boards,
and depending down each end thereof in openings, 24, made therein, is an iron
carrier frame, 25, which is provided with runner wheels, 26, guided between vertical
guide rails, 27, extending from the top of the press down to a transverse support or
stay bar, 28, and normally rests upon such support.
When the press is empty, the press boards all preferably lie in close contact as
represented by the top three press boards in Figs. 1 & 2 and by others in Figure 2.
The carrier frame, 25, is set above the top press board (supposing the press to be
empty) at a distance equal to the intended total packing space between the whole
series of press boards, the distance above the carrier frame between it and the under-
part of the top part of the frame of the press with which it comes in contact when

page_text: ascending indicating the distance which the said section of press boards may be
separated apart when the press is fully packed to the extent above indicated, and
irrespective of where the separation or division occurs..
In
The separation of the press boards may also be effected by any suitable means.
the modification illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 such separation is effected by means of
removable pins or pegs, 29, which are inserted between the press boards where it is
desired the separation should occur through holes, 30, made in the depending
extensions of the carrier frame, 25, and an attached wooden lining, 31, as low
as possible in notches, 32, (which in depth slightly exceed the joint depth of any
two adjacent holes, 30,) formed in opposite iron brackets, 33, which are screwed or
otherwise suitably secured across and within the said openings, 24, in the opposite
ends of each 'press board, and may extend under the end projecting parts of the
latter to strengthen the same, or may be let into the under side thereof, the said pegs
being inserted in the notches of the brackets of the under press board of the two
which it is desired to separate as low as possible under the upper press board of the
two. Thus, when the winch handle or hand wheel, 19, is turned, it carries up the
top weighted press board, 13. until the latter catches the underside of the horizontal
extension of the carrier frame, 25, (to which in some modifications the cords, 15, may
be directly connected), and raises the same, and this by means of its side depending
extensions and the said inner projecting pegs, 29, raises all the superposed press
boards together with their contents if any and without disturbing such contents,
leaving the lower section of press boards in situ, also with its contents undisturbed,
and with the article or articles which it is desired to get at exposed and con-
veniently accessible for removal and replacement by others.
Or, according to the modification illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6, there is adapted to
each side of the carrier frame an adjustable carriage, 34, capable of movement inde-
pendently thereof, and of being vertically traversed therein to any desired position
thereof, the same being provided with a spring pawl, 35, made in one or more parts
and which is so formed with projecting parts at, 36, as to engage with rack bars, 37,
attached to the depending extensions of the frame, 25, when in operative position,
and may by such means be caused to occupy any desired position in the carrier frame;
and is also formed with a projecting part, 38, adapted to catch under a projecting
ledge, 33, of the lowest one of the press board which it is desired to raise, vide
Figs. 4 and 6, the pawl being also made with an extension, 40, which is normally
acted upon by a spring, 41, tending to keep it in operative position as represented by
the full lines in Fig. 5, but which extension is also of utility in permitting of the pawl
being operated, by the thumb and forefinger inserted through the openings, 42, in the
carriage, against the resistance of the spring, 41, 50 as to be removed from its
said operative position to the inoperative position indicated in dotted lines, which
permits of the said carriage and its attachments being freely moved up or down
within the said depending extension of the said carrier frame, the carriage being
adapted with runner wheels, 43, engaging with the said depending extensions,
and when the desired elevation is attained the pawl is released under the lowest one
of the series of press boards it is desired to raise, and the separation of the press
boards is effected as hereinbefore described by operating the winch handle or hand
wheel. The pawl is centred on a pin, 45, carried by bearings, 46.
Or, according to another modification of attaining the same result, the ends of each
press board may be adapted with hooks or like means to any of which as desired the
cords, 15, may be directly attached or by means of suitable connections. Or, each
press board may be adapted with a series of contained bolts which by a press rod
and connecting bell crank levers may be caused to project at its ends so as to engage
with holes in or inner projections from the carrier frame, and be lifted thereby.
In other modifications of carrying the said Invention into effect, the pressure may be
applied in a reverse direction, that is upwards instead of downwards as in the
modification hereinbefore described.
In such latter modifications, the said fixed platform would be situated at the top
part of the press, and the series of press boards would be situated below it, and the

page_text: upward pressure of the bottom board could be advantageously effected by weights
suspended from cords passing over suitably arranged pulleys and connected to such
lowest press board in'such a manner as to have a constant tendency to raise the same and
compress all the upper pressboards and contained articles if any between it and the
fixed top platform. In such modifications the separation of the sections of press boards
would be effected by lowering the bottom section thereof, and this would be effected
by raising the weight by depressing a connected foot lever or by other suitable means,
the operation of which may be suitably arrested and the apparatus retained in such
position for as long as may be desired, the top section of press boards being in the
meantime supported by pins or pegs let into fixed side frames, or by depending chains
or connections hooked to the lowest of such press boards or in any other suitable
manner.
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. The construction of presses of the nature herein before referred to, with a series
of independent guided press boards between which the articles to be pressed are
placed, in combination with means adapted to separate the series of such press boards
at any desired part thereof into top and bottom sections, substantially as and for the
purpose herein before described.
2. The construction of such presses in the manner hereinbeforo described with
reference to Figs. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.
3. The construction of such presses in the manner hereinbefore described in com-
bination with the separating inechanism hereinbefore described with reference to
Figs. 4 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.
4. In combination, a series of independent movable press boards, means of guiding
them in a vertical direction, a bottom fixed platform upon which they rest by gravity
or against which they can be pressed, means for separating the series of press boards
at any required part into independent sections, and incans for raising and lowering the
top section.
5. In combination, a series of independent movable press boards, means of guiding
them in a vertical direction, a top fixed platform against which they are pressed, means
for separating the series of pressboards at any required part into independent
sections and retaining the top section, and means for effecting such pressure and
raising and lowering the bottoin section of such press boards.
Deted thia 04th day of Ontahan 1007
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.