IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR IRONING CLOTHES
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Gideon Wesley Cottingham at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 19th November 1873.
I, GIDEON WESLEY COTTINGHAM, of the Town of Saint Mary's, in
the County of Refugio, in the State of Texas, one of the United States
of America, Minister, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR IRONING CLOTHES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to ironing machines, and has for its object to
furnish a machine which shall be simple in construction, convenient
and efficient in operation, and durable in use.
The said Invention consists in improvements in that class of machines
having a movable table operated by a crank, in the construction and
combination of the parts moving the table, and in the arrangement of
the parts which govern the iron, and in the construction of the iron.
The frame supporting the machine has two uprights at the rear part
thereof provided with cross bars.
Two guides are secured to the frame and provided with friction
rollers. The said rollers support the table and allow the same to be
easily moved back and forth, while the guides serve to keep the table
in the proper position. The table consists of a base, the front and rear

page_text: vertical parts, and an elevated part, the latter being the ironing surface,
which is padded in the usual manner. ☐A
A roller is placed transversely beneath the table, and is suitably
journalled in the frame. Cords are passed once around the said roller,
the ends being fastened to each end of the table. At the rear of the 5
machine the end of the roller is provided with a crank and with a
pulley, which connects with a pulley or band wheel by a band or belt.
The said band wheel is mounted on a shaft which passes through the
cross bar, the end of the said shaft being formed into a crank extending
toward the front of the machine.
A treadle is secured to the rock shaft, which has bearings in the
frame. Near the front end of the treadle a cord is secured, the said
cord passing over a pulley and under and over other pulleys, and is
secured to a lever which is attached to the rock shaft.
1
A curved arm is attached to the said rock shaft and extends outward 1
to the front of the machine, and is provided with a handle. The said
arm has braces extending from the arm to the said rock shaft. The
iron is open at the rear and provided with a chimney and handle. The
said iron is provided with a pan having an opening in the rear and
a lip near the front part for convenience in removing the same from the 2
iron when hot. The iron is suspended over the table, and is connected
to the arm.
The iron when left free has a pressure corresponding to its weight
upon the table. If less pressure is required the operator places one
foot upon the treadle, which is connected to the iron by the cord, lever, 2
and arm, and presses it down, by which means the pressure of the iron
is regulated to any degree less than its weight. If a greater pressure
is required it is only necessary to press down upon the aforesaid
handle.
The vertical parts of the table are for the purpose of keeping the 8
garments being ironed from falling over the table and coming in