IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR IRONING ARTICLES OF WEARING APPAREL AND FABRICS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR IRONING ARTICLES
OF WEARING APPAREL AND FABRICS."-A communication from abroad
by Thomas Shires Wiles and Alonzo Pelton Adams, both of Albany,
in the State of New York, United States of America.

page_text: both sides.
The primary object of this Invention is to produce a machine which
shall pass the articles through it automatically, and thereby auto-
matically iron both sides of the articles without materially straining or 5
injuring the fabric or breaking the seams or thick parts thereof.
Ironing machines have been heretofore made in which a heated roller
having a smooth hard surface is turned in contact with another turning
roller which is not heated, and which has a surface covering of felt or
woven fabric which will yield and allow articles of various thickness in 1
different parts to be pressed between the rollers without material injury
to such articles, but such machines can iron only one side of the article
in its passage between the rollers.
Fabrics of uniform thickness are commonly pressed and smoothed on
both sides simultaneously by passing the same between a pair or pairs of 1
smooth hard surfaced heated rollers, but a pair or pairs of such rollers
cannot properly iron shirt collars or other articles having seams and
different parts of various thickness, and would crush or greatly injure
such articles if they were passed between such rollers.
One part of this Invention consists in the combination of one set of 2
rollers for ironing one side only of articles of varying thickness, with
another set of rollers for ironing only the other side of the same articles,
each set consisting of a heated roller or heated rollers having a hard
ironing surface bearing against the soft or yielding and elastic surface
covering or clothing of another roller or rollers, and the said two sets of 2
rollers being arranged and mounted together by means of any suitable
mechanical devices, so as to turn together and thereby pass the articles
first between one set of the rollers and thereby iron one side only of the
articles, and thence automatically pass the same articles between the
other set of rollers and thereby iron only the other side of the articles, 3
thus ironing the articles first on one side and next on the other side at
one progressive automatic operation, and without material injury to
articles having seams and some parts very much thicker than others.
Another part of this Invention consists in the combination with two
sets of heated ironing and clothed rollers of a set or sets of heated, drying, S
or finishing and clothed rollers, whereby articles of varying thickness in
different parts will be ironed or partly ironed first on one side and next

page_text: )
on the other side by tho said two sets of heated ironing and clothed
rollers, and will also be afterward dried or finished on one side or on
both sides in succession by the said set or sets of heated, drying, or
finishing and clothed rollers all at one progressive automatic operation.
5
Another part of this Invention consists of a conducting or directing
guide or guides arranged between and in combination with the two or
more sets of heated and clothed rollers, in such a manner that the said
guide or guides shall prevent the articles that are being ironed,
dried, or finished from coiling around or adhering to the heated roller or
0 rollers, and shall insure, assist, or direct the automatic conduction or
passage of a series of the separate articles from one set of the rollers to
the next succeeding set of rollers.
Another part of this Invention consists of a stationary frame which
supports the ironing and clothed rollers that operate against one side of
5 the articles to be ironed, in combination with a frame which carries the
ironing and clothed rollers that act on the other side of the articles, and
which is movable and adjustable by means of connecting screws or their
equivalent towards and from the said stationary frame, so as to thereby
bring all the said rollers simultaneously either into or out of action, as is
0 desirable, in using the machine, or to prevent the heated rollers from
burning the clothed rollers whenever the rotary motion of the rollers
shall be stopped.
Another part of this Invention consists in the combination of two or
more heated ironing rollers with and against only one and the same
5 clothed drum or roller, so that the same side of the article will be
ironed two or more times in succession, and while in contact with and
carried forward by the same clothed drum or roller, whereby the article
will be ironed more rapidly or completely than by only one heated roller
acting against one clothed roller.
The aforesaid ironing and drying or finishing rollers are made of cast
iron or any other suitable hard metal or material, and are to be made
hollow and heated internally by burning jets of gas or mixed gas and
air therein or by any other suitable means.
The aforesaid clothed rollers are cach to have a body or core of an
suitable solid material, covered or clothed by a layer or layers of felt
woven cloth or other suitable elastic material, with or without an outsid

page_text: surrounding belt or apron that will travel, or is free to travel with the
surface of the roller, and that may or may not serve or assist in carrying
or conducting the articles that are being ironed from one set of the
rollers to the next succeeding set.
The heated and the clothed rollers are to be geared together so that!
the heated rollers shall turn at the same surface speed as the clothed
rollers, or at a faster or slower surface speed as shall be proper to
produce a lustreless or a glassy or shining surface on the articles
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 10
filed by the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th May 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Edward Newton, Her special 2
licence that I, the said Henry Edward Newton, my executors, adminis
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Edward Newton,
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, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR IRONING ARTICLES OF WEARING APPAREL AND
FABRICS," a communication to me from abroad by Thomas Shires Wiles
and Alonzo Pelton Adams, both of Albany, in the State of New York,
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Henry Edward Newton, my executors or administrators.
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
3

page_text: 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 Henry Edward Newton, 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, reference being made to the Drawing here-
unto annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :-
This Invention relates principally to machines for ironing shirt collars
and cuffs, and other articles of wearing apparel and textile fabrics which
have seams, welts, or hems, or which are of different thickness in various
parts, and require to be ironed on both sides.
Ironing machines have been heretofore made in which a heated roller
having a smooth hard surface is turned in contact with another turning
roller which is not heated, and which has a surface covering of felt or
woven fabric which will yield and allow articles of various thickness in
different parts to be passed through between the rollers without material
injury to such articles; but such machines can iron only one side of an
O article in its passage between the rollers.
Fabrics of uniform thickness are commonly pressed and smoothed on
both sides by being passed between two or more smooth hard surface
and heated rollers; but such rollers cannot properly iron shirt
collars or other articles having seams and different part of various
5 thickness, and would break or greatly injure such articles if they were
passed between such rollers.
The primary object of this Invention is to produce a machine
which shall pass the articles through it automatically, and thereby
automatically iron both sides of the article without materially straining
0 or injuring the fabric or breaking the seams or thick parts thereof.
One part of this Invention consists in the combination of one set of
rollers for ironing one side only of articles of varying thickness, with
another set of rollers for ironing only the other side of the same article
each set consisting of a heated roller or heated rollers having a han
35 ironing surface bearing against the soft or yielding and elastic surfac
covering, or clothing of another roller or rollers; and the two sets

page_text: Fig. 11 is a broken central longitudmal secution on a larger scale of
the devices by which jets of gas or of mixed gas and air are burned
within the hollow ironing, drying, and finishing rollers; and Fig. 12 is
a partial plan of the same burner; and Fig. 13 is a section thereof at
the line w, w, and Fig. 14 at the line v, v, in Figs. 11 and 12.
5
A, B, B¹, C, and D are hollow metallic rollers, each having a smooth
hard surface, and heated internally when in use by burning jets of gas
or mixed gas and air therein; E, F, G, and H are drums or rollers that
are each covered or clothed by layers of felt, or woven cloth, or other
suitable yielding and elastic fabric or material, which will surely carry 1
along the articles being ironed, and which will temporarily yield and
conform to the thicker and thinner parts of such articles in the ironing
operation; each of the rollers E, F, G, and H may have the whole of its
clothing fit tight or close thereon, as in the rollers E and G, or the outer
portion of the clothing may be in the form of an endless apron I or I' 1
extending around and part way against, and so as to be turned by and
with the surface of the body clothing of the roller, as in the case of the
rollers F and II, and the outer layers of the rollers E and G and the end-
less aprons I, I', which require occasional renewal, may generally consist
of strong smooth cotton, cloth, or muslin. These rollers are so arranged
and mounted that when they are in working position, as shown in Fig. 5,
the roller E is pressed in contact with the roller A, the roller F with its
intervening apron I against the rollers B and B¹, the roller C in contact
with the roller G, and the roller H with its apron I¹ against the roller D.
These rollers are all arranged and geared together so that the clothed
rollers E, F, G, and H all turn with the same surface speed when in
working position and operation, and so that when a series of collars y,
Figs. 1 and 5, or other articles of woven fabric having seams, hems, or
welts, or some parts of much greater thickness than others, shall
be separately introduced in succession between the rollers A and E, that
set of rollers will draw each article through between them, and will
thereby iron one side only of the article, and will also deliver the same
to the next set of the ironing and clothed rollers B, B', F, which will
pass the article through between them and thereby iron its other side,
and deliver it to the next set of rollers C, G, which will draw it through
between them and thereby finish the ironing of the article on the side
ironed or partly ironed by the rollers A, E, and will deliver the article
to the set of rollers D, II, which will pass the article through between

page_text: them and thus complete the ironing, drying, and finishing of the other
side of the article, and at one continuous, progressive, automatio
operation, and without material injury to the seams, hems, welts, or
thinner and thicker parts of the article, and with the thicker parts
5 thereof generally left most prominent on the side opposite to the side
last ironed.
By merely using two of the aforesaid combined adjacent sets of ironing
and clothed rollers, as A, E, and B, B', F, or B, B¹, F, and G,C, or
G, C, and D, H, and turning them sufficiently slow, they will commonly
biron and finish both sides of articles sufficiently at one operation; but to
iron, dry, and finish very thick collars, cuffs, and other articles more
rapidly and completely, the three adjacent sets of ironing and clothed
rollers A, E, B, B¹, F, and G, C, or the other three adjacent sets B, B¹,
F, G, C, and D, H, or all of the sets of ironing and clothed rollers are
5 generally used with advantage, and in these latter cases the pressure
upon and the surface speed of the heated roller C or D, or rollers C
and D may be made either the same as or less or greater than in the
preceding ironing roller or rollers, as may be required, to produce
various styles or grades of ironing finish on one side or the other side, or
0 upon both sides of the articles ironed. In all cases all the clothed rollers
used must be turned with the same surface speed so as to properly pass
the articles from one set of rollers to the next.
To produce lustreless ironed surfaces the ironing rollers should be
turned with the same surface speed as the clothed rollers, and to produce
5 glazed or glossy ironed surfaces, all or a part of the ironing rollers are to
be turned with a faster or a slower surface motion than the clothed
rollers. In thus ironing collars or other articles they are more or less
liable to adhere to or coil around the ironing rollers, especially whenever
the latter become accidentally overheated. J, J', are blade-like guides
30 having thin front edges, and so mounted or pivoted at their ends u, u¹
u², u³, Fig. 1, as to fit and bear at acute angles against the surfaces of
the ironing rollers A & C, substantially as represented in Figs. 5 and 6
and so as to nicely detach and tend to straighten whatever articles shal
adhere to or tend to coil around those rollers, and so that the guides J, J
35 in connection with the endless apron guides I, I', shall direct an
conduct the articles from the sets of ironing and clothed rollers A,
and C, G, into the sets of clothed and ironing rollers F, B, and H,

page_text: pivoted at their ends t,
and bear at acute angles against the ironing rollers B, B¹, as shown in
Figs. 5 and 6, and so as to detach and tend to straighten any of the
direct and conduct such articles from the ironing roller B to the ironing
articles that shall adhere to or tend to coil around those rollers, and also 5
roller B, and from the roller B' to the set of clothed and ironing
rollers G, C.
The guides K, K¹, are of slotted, grated, or open work form, as shown
in Figs. 1, 5, 6, 7, in order to permit the escape of the vapors which are 10
given off and rise from the articles being ironed, and which would
condense more or less against the under sides of those guides, and thereby
injure the ironed surface of the articles passing along those guides if the
latter were closed, or without apertures or slots therein.
In order that the ironing and clothed rollers may be quickly and con- 1
veniently separated so as to prevent the ironing rollers from burning the
covering of the clothed rollers, or the aprons I, I¹, when the machine
shall be stopped the lower rollers A, F, C, and H, which operate
against one side only of articles being ironed are all mounted in a
frame L, and the rollers E, B, B¹, G, and D, which act upon only the 2
other side of the same articles, are all mounted in a movable frame M,
which is mounted on the frame L, and is connected with the latter by
vertical screws N, N1, N2, N³. To the upper ends of these screws are
fastened bevel gears Z, Z1, Z2, Z3, which engage with similar bevel
gears Z, Z, Z, Z, fast on horizontal shafts O, O', which have fast
thereon two spur wheels 02, 0%, which gear with two stud supported
spur wheels 0%, 0, that gear into a spur pinion O fast on the shaft of a
hand wheel O'
By turning the wheel O' in one direction the screws N, N1, N2, N³,
will all be turned simultaneously, and will raise the frame M so as to
separate the upper rollers E, B, B', G, and D from the lower rollers A,
F, C, and H, as shown in Fig. 6, and by turning the wheel O' in the
opposite direction the same screws will be turned so as to lower the
frame M, and thereby bring the upper rollers into working contact with
the lower rollers, as in Fig. 5.
The two ironing rollers B, B', are arranged to bear against one and
the same clothed drum or roller F in order to thereby iron articles twice

page_text: on the same side in immediate succession, whilst the articles are being
supported and carried along by one and the same clothed drum or roller.
In this case the rollers B and B¹ may each be pressed against the
roller F with either the same or different degrees of force, and the
5 roller B may be turned with a surface movement either faster or slower,
or no faster nor slower than the surface motion of the roller F, and at
the same time the roller B¹ may be turned with a surface speed either
the same as or faster or slower than that of the roller B or F, as may be
proper to produce various grades of glossy and lustreless finish on the
0 surface ironed by the two rollers B and B¹ acting against the one clothed
roller F.
In the Drawings the ironing rollers and clothed rollers are shown
geared together so as to all turn with the same surface speed.
The power to drive the machine is to be applied to a belt pulley P
5 fast on a shaft P¹, upon which is fastened a pinion P2, which gears into
and turns a spur wheel P³, which is mounted on a stud S, and is fast to a
pinion P, which gears into and turns a spur wheel P³ that is fast on a
shaft q, upon which the clothed roller H is fastened. The spur wheel P³
gears into and turns a spur wheel Q, which is on a stud S¹, and gears
into and turns a spur wheel Q¹, which is fast on the shaft q', upon
which is fastened the clothed drum F. A spur wheel R, Fig. 3, is fast
on the shaft q of the clothed roller H, and gears into and turns upon a
stud r a spur wheel R¹, which gears into and turns a spur wheel R²,
which is fast on the shaft of and turns the ironing roller C. The spur
wheel R also gears into and turns the spur wheel R³, which is fast on
and turns the ironing roller D. The wheel R³ engages with and turns a
spur wheel R4, which is mounted on a stud ¹, and gears into and turns
a spur wheel R5, which is fast on and turns a shaft q2, on which the
clothed roller G is fastened. The spur wheel R5 gears into and turns a
pinion S, which is mounted on a stud r², and is fast to a spur wheel S¹,
which gears into and turns a spur wheel S2, which is mounted on a
stud ³, and is fast to a pinion S3 which gears into and turns a spur
wheel S* which is mounted on a stud 2 and gears into and turns two
spur wheels S5 and S6 that are fast on the ironing rollers B' and B respec
tively. The spur wheel S* also gears into and turns a pinion T that is
mounted on a stud and is fast on a spur wheel T¹ that engages with
and turns a spur wheel T that is mounted on a stud and is fast to a
pinion T³ which gears into a spur wheel T' which is fast on a shaft g

page_text: upon which the clothed roller E is fastened, and the spur wheel T gears
roller A. By changing the intermediate spur wheels and pinions S, S¹,
into and turns a spur wheel T that is fast on and turns the ironing
and S, S, for others which will communicate a faster motion to the
spur wheel S from the spur wheel R, and by also changing the inter- 5
mediate spur wheels and pinions T, T¹, and T2, T3, for others which will
give a corresponding slower movement from the spur wheel S to the
spur wheel T, the ironing rollers B and B' will then be turned with a
faster surface speed than the clothed drum F, and will consequently give
a glazed or glossy surface to the upper side of the articles ironed by 1
the rollers B, B', while all the other ironing rollers and all the clothed
rollers will have one and the same slower rate of surface motion.
When the ironing and clothed rollers are in working position, as
represented in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, and 10, the clothed roller E, Fig. 5,
is pressed against the ironing roller A by means of screws p, p' acting
against the journal boxes p² of the roller E. The clothed roller Fis
pressed against the two ironing rollers B and B' with an adjustable
yielding force by means of weights o, o', suspended from the long
arms n, n', of levers, which are mounted on a fulcrum shaft n² in the
frame L, and have their short arms n³, nt, connected by thrust rods n', n',
to the journal boxes n", ns, of the clothed roller F. The ironing roller C
is pressed against the clothed roller G, and the clothed roller H is
pressed against the ironing roller D, each with an adjustable yielding
force by means of weights m, m¹, suspended from the long arms m², m³,
of levers which are mounted on a fulcrum shaft m in the frame L, and
have their short arms m³, m³, connected by thrust rods m', m³, to
yokes 1, 1, which are connected at one end by thrust rods F, P, to the
journal boxes k of the ironing roller C, and at the other end by the
thrust rods 14, 15, to the journal boxes k¹, k², of the clothed roller H, and
the yokes l, l', and short lever arms m³, me, have several recesses j, j',
Fig. 2, into different pairs of which the thrust rods m', m³, may be placed
so as to variously divide the pressure communicated to the rollers C and
II respectively.
In general practice the rollers E and A should be strongly pressed
together, and the roller F should be pressed against the rollers B and B
with much force, while the rollers C and G, and the rollers II and D
should be pressed together more gently, but the degree of pressure
between each set of the ironing and clothed rollers may be varied

page_text: 5
according to the thickness, condition, and quality of the articles to be
ironed, and the style of ironing finish required thereon, and such pressings
of the rollers together may be accomplished by means of the devices
above specified or by any other suitable means.
The endless apron I, which extends around and is turned by the
roller F, also extends over the adjustable guide rolls i, i', and under the
tension roll i², which hangs in the apron, and has journals in boxes h, h¹,
Fig. 9, that slide by gravity upon rods h², h³, that are fast to a yoke h',
which is pivoted at 5 to a fixed cross bar h of the frame L, so that a
O person seated at the front end of the machine, and feeding various
articles to be ironed between the rollers E, A, can then guide the apron I
in its proper course by pressing his or her feet against the arms of the
yoke ht, so as to thereby tilt the latter, and consequently incline the
roll to one side or the other, or hold it parallel to the roller F, as may
be temporarily required to give proper direction to the moving apron.
The endless apron I', which passes around and is turned by the roller H,
also extends over the adjustable roll g', and around the tension roll g,
which latter has journals in sliding boxes g², g³, Figs. 2 and 3, which are
adjustable by hand screws g', g³, so as to properly guide the movements
of that apron, but any other suitable devices may be used to direct the
movements of the aprons I & I' around the clothed rollers F and II
respectively.
Each one of the ironing rollers A, B, B, C, D, is hollow from end to
end, with an enlarged space opposite to the ironing surface, and in cach
ironing roller is a burner U, Figs. 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, and' 14, suitable
for burning jets of gas or mixed gas and air within each roller. Each
burner U has jet apertures f, from which jets of gas, or mixed gas and
air, are discharged, and also has other jet apertures e from which jets
or currents of air are discharged contiguous or adjacent to and so as to
O support the combustion of the jets of gas or mixed gas and air tha
are discharged from the apertures f. All the jet apertures of each
burner communicate with a pipe or passage d which is connected to
gas supply V by means of a pipe d¹ which has a cock d", by which th
quantity of gas delivered to the pipe d and jet apertures f from th
5 pipe V can be regulated. Each pipe d also has communication wit
an air supply pipe W by means of a pipe c and branch pipe c' having
cock c², by which the supply of air from the pipe W to commingle wi
gas in the pipe d can be regulated or shut off altogether.
the

page_text: The jet apertures e, Fig. 13, communicate with a pipe b which is con-
nected with the air supply pipe W by means of the pipe c and branch
pipe b¹ having a cock b³, by which the quantity of air supplied to and
discharged from the jet apertures e can be regulated to properly support
the combustion of the jets of gas, or mixed gas and air, issuing from the
jet apertures f, whether more or less, or no other air shall be admitted or
introduced into the hollow roller through the end or ends thereof. The
gas used may be common coal gas, the vapor of hydrocarbons or any
suitable known inflammable gas or gaseous compound or mixture. Each
burner U is supported within its roller by means of screw nuts a, a¹, on
the pipe b engaging with a bracket or part a² on the frame for the
roller, or the burner may be supported by any other suitable means.
A pipe X conducts off the gaseous products of combustion from the
burning jets in each ironing roller, and a valved aperture as permits the
jets to be conveniently ignited and readily inspected while burning. A
telescopic joint in each pipe c and d allows the frame M to be raised
and lowered, as herein-before described, without injury to any of the
pipes; or the latter may be sufficiently long and flexible to permit the
free raising and lowering of the upper frame of rollers.

page_text: set of ironing and clothed rollers and another set of clothed and ironing
rollers, substantially as shown and described.
Fourth. The clearing and directing guide k or k¹, constructed and
arranged and operating between and in combination with two sets of
5 ironing and clothed rollers, substantially as shown and described.
Fifth. In a machine for ironing both sides of articles in succession at
one progressive automatic operation, a stationary frame supporting the
ironing roller or ironing rollers and the clothed roller or clothed rollers
that act against one side of the articles, in combination with a movable
and adjustable frame carrying the clothed roller or clothed rollers and
the ironing roller or ironing rollers that operate upon the other side of
the articles, substantially as herein set forth.
Sixth. Two ironing rollers P, B¹, arranged and operating in com-
bination with one and the same clothed drum or roller F, substantially
as described and shown.
Seventh. A hollow ironing, smoothing, or finishing roller, having
therein a heating burner formed with apertures, from which jets of
inflammable gas or mixed gas and air are discharged, and with con-
tiguous or adjacent apertures from which jets of air are delivered, so as
to directly and immediately support the combustion of the said jets of
gas, or mixed gas and air, within the roller, substantially as shown and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fifth day of May, in the
Loud One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
f