IMPROVEMENTS IN IRONING MACHINES
Year: 1877

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 Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN IRONING MACHINES." A communication from
abroad by Thomas Shires Wiles and Alonzo Pelton Adams, both of Troy, in
the State of New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th June 1877.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN IRONING MACHINES."
[A communication from abroad by Thomas Shires Wiles and Alonzo Pelton Adams,
both of Troy, in the State of New York, United States of America.]
The object of this Invention is to iron out small articles in a more expeditious
and satisfactory manner than heretofore.
The Invention consists in mounting the ironing roller in bearings in the forked
arms of a reciprocating frame, which has its fulcrum in the lower part of a fixed
frame. The ironing board, on which the articles to be ironed are placed, is of a
curved form to correspond to the sweep of the ironing roller, and it is mounted upon
the upper part of the fixed frame which is curved to receive it, but below the
ironing roller.
The reciprocating motion is given to the roller frame by means of a screw, which
receives its motion from gear wheels or other equivalent devices. This screw takes
into a nut which slides in a vertical slot formed in the reciprocating roller frame.
This frame is provided with a lever and counterweight, to keep the ironing roller
always bearing on the ironing surface. This ironing roller is provided with a
ratchet wheel and pawl, so that it may revolve in, say, a forward direction only,
the backward stroke giving a rubbing action on the article to be ironed..
The ironing roller may be heated by gas or in any other convenient manner,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th December 1877.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN IRONING MACHINES."
A communication from abroad by Thomas Shires Wiles and Alonzo Pelton Adams,
both of Troy, in the State of New York, United States of America.
The general object of this Invention is to produce a very compact and convenient
machine having a reciprocating smoothing iron, by which collars, cuffs, and similar
articles of cloth can be casily, quickly, and nicely ironed on a curved form.
In carrying out the Invention a stationary arched bed is employed, having an
elastic covering with a surface of muslin or other suitable fabric which will absorb
and discharge moisture, and to which damp collars or cuffs pressed thereon will
adhere while being ironed thereon. A hollow smoothing iron is arranged over
and is capable of being suitably heated on the bed, and a carrier is secured to the
smoothing iron by which the latter can be moved to-and-fro over and in contact
with the curved upper surface of the elastic bed.
In combination with the stationary arched ironing bed there is a smoothing iron
adapted to be heated on the bed, and a carrier supporting the smoothing iron, and
having its axis of vibration below the bed, and moveable upward and downward,
and weighted; so that thereby the smoothing iron in its to-and-fro. movements is
inade to conform to variations from the proper arc of a circle in the surface of the
bed, and is forced with a regulated yielding pressure upon articles of varying
thickness being ironed on the bed.
To the carrier is adapted a lever having a moveable weight thereon, and con-
structed and connected with the axle of the carrier of the smoothing iron, so that
the latter can be thereby easily and quickly raised and retained away from the
ironing bed and returned thereto.
In combination with the smoothing iron carrier there is a screw mounted to turn
in opposite directions, and a nut adapted to be moved forward and backward by
the screw, and having a self-adjusting connection with the carrier of the smoothing
iron, whereby the latter is moved to and fro over the bed at a nearly uniform rate.
of speed fromi. end to end of each to-or-fro movement.
.
"
In combination with a stationary ironing bed, smoothing iron and its carrier,
rotary screw, and its nut connected with the carrier, there is a rotary driving shaft,
bevil wheels, clutch, and clutch shifter, whereby the rotation of the screw can be.
reversed and to-and-fro motion given to the smoothing iron on the bed from the
one driving shaft turning in only one direction, in combination with the reciprocating
or vibrating carrier of the smoothing iron and the reversible driving mechanism,
that is, an automatic shifting mechanism for controlling the to-and-fro movements
of the carrier of the smoothing iron.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section; and
Fig. 2 is a plan, (some parts being broken out,) of a machine constructed according
to this Invention; Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of the same machine
taken on the line 2, 2, Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a side view; Fig. 5, a top view; and
Fig. 6 an end view of parts of the same; Fig. 7 is a section of part of the machine
taken on the line 21, 21, in Fig. 3.
A is the fixed frame which supports the other parts of the machine; B is the
curved ironing bed, and having an elastic covering with..an outer surface which
will absorb and discharge moisture, and to which damp starched collars, cuffs, and-
similar articles of cloth will adhere sufficiently to remain in place while being
ironed on the bed. This curved bed B may consist of any suitable materials, but
it is preferred to have its base y of cast iron with a layer thercon of elastic
vulcanized india-rubber x, which will resist moisture and considerable heat, and
to have the india-rubber covered by an elastic layer or layers of felt or woollen

page_text: fabric w, which is a good non-conductor of heat, with a layer or layers of Canton
flannel above and a layer or layers u of smooth cotton, cloth, or muslin on the
outside.
The layer of india-rubber can be cemented, vulcanized, or otherwise secured to
the base y, and the fibrous coverings can be secured thereon by tacks driven through
the fabrics and into strips of wood s, or by other suitable means; C is a hollow
smoothing iron of cast iron or other suitable material, and capable of being heated
by turning jets of mixed air and gas therein or by other suitable means: This
smoothing iron is mounted in a carrier D, which may be constructed and mounted
to slide backward and forward on any suitable curved ways or guides parallel to
the curved upper surface of the elastic bed B, so as to move the smoothing iron to
and fro over and in forced contact with the elastic bed, and thereby iron articles
thereon. It is however preferred to mount the carrier D on an axis or pivot of
vibration E, situated under the bed and at the centre of the circular curve of the
upper surface of the bed, as represented in Fig. 1, so as to thereby insure the
to-and-fro movements of the smoothing iron in forced contact with the elastic bed,
and at the same time avoid the greater friction and constraint attending the use of
curved ways or guides for the carrier of the smoothing iron to slide on.
By the above-described arrangement of apparatus, collars and cuffs can be ironed
and simultaneously shaped into a curve form, approaching that in which such
articles are worn in use and in which they are commonly transported and sold in
market, and which cannot be produced by a smoothing iron reciprocating over a
flat ironing bed, and at the same time a compact and convenient machine is
obtained.
The carrier D can be constructed with changeable weights thereon, and have its
axis of vibration Earranged and made moveable up and down between any suitable
guides or ways on the frame A; but in the present instance the axis E of the
carrier D is secured to a lever F, which has a weight H thereon, or is weighted
and has its fulcrum r in the frame A, so that the axis E and carrier D are moveable
up and down with the lever F. By this means the smoothing iron in its to-and-fro
movements is made to conform to the surface of the ironing bed, even though the
latter vary considerably from the proper are of a circle, and the smoothing iron is
at the same time pressed by a regulated yielding force upon articles being ironed
on the bed, however different and variable such articles shall be in thickness.
The weight H is constructed with a central neck or small cylindrical part p
which bears on the lever F, so that the weight can be casily moved or rolled and
adjusted on the lever. The lever F has a short arm extending past the fulcrum ?
and is provided with a stop o, so that by rolling or moving the weight H on the
lever to that stop the lever can be easily raised into the position indicated by the
dotted lines F¹ in Fig. 1, and will thereby elevate the carrier D and raise the
smoothing iron off the bed B, as indicated by dotted lines at C¹, where it will be
retained by the weight H, as indicated by dotted lines at H' in Fig. 1, so as to
prevent the scorching of the covering of the bed by the heated smoothing iron when
the reciprocating movement of the latter is stopped or when articles are not being
ironed on the bed.
The smoothing iron can be easily lowered on to the bed by pressing down the long
arm of the lever F into its position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, and in that position
the weight H can be readily moved back and adjusted on the long arm of the lever, so
as to press the smoothing iron against the bed with proper yielding force.
With the above-described construction and combination of the ironing bed B,
smoothing iron C, and carrier D, the reciprocating motion could be given to the
sinoothing iron by means of a rotary crank connected by a pitınan with the carrier.
But in such a case the smoothing iron would be moved along the bed very much
faster through the middle portion than through the end parts of eacli forward or
backward inoveinent, and would consequently dry and iron corresponding parts of
the articles on the bed unevenly, and would when highly heated be liable to overdry
or scorch the end parts of the articles before the middle portion thereof would be

page_text: sufficiently dried and ironed. To avoid this defect the reciprocating motion is
obtained by means of a screw I mounted below and lengthwise of the stationary
bed and so as to turn in either direction in stationary bearings. On this screw is
mounted a traversing nut J which is secured by pivots or trunnions n, n, Fig. 7,
to a slide m, Fig. 3, which is fitted to move up and down on ways 1, 1, on the carrier.
The nut J is thus secured to the carrier D by a connection which is self-adjusting
while the carrier is moved to and fro with the smoothing iron at a nearly uniform
rate of speed throughout each forward and backward movement so as to dry and iron
articles evenly on the bed and also while the carrier is elevated with the smoothing
iron away from the bed. The screw I being uniformly turned in opposite directions
alternately by any suitable means.
K is a primary driving shaft, and mounted thereou are two reversely arranged
loose bevil gear wheels L, L, both engaged with a bevil gear wheel M fast on the
shaft of the screw I. The inner sides of the bubs of the wheels L and L' are provided
with clutches, between which on the shaft K is a corresponding double clutch N,
which is capable of being slidden thereon by a shifter P, so as to engage with and
cause the rotation of either of the bevil wheels L or L¹, and thus cause the wheel M
and screw I to be revolved to the right or left at a uniform rate of speed, the driving
shaft K turning in one direction only.
The shaft K is at right angles to the lengthwise direction of the bed, so that
a series of machines can be placed and conveniently used side by side in a
row, and all driven from belts running directly from pulleys on one inain rotary
shaft arranged lengthwise with the row of machines.
The clutch shifter P is mounted on a rock shaft O, ou which is a lever arm k
or k, by which an attendant can conveniently operate the clutch shifter when
desired.
The clutch shifter P has independently of the shaft O a slight rocking movement
on said shaft limited by a projection j on the loose sleeve of the shifter, and another
projection fast on the rock shaft.
On the under side of the slide m of the carrior D is a lug h, Fig. 3, and
fast on the shaft O, and in the path of the to-and-fro movements of the lug h
are two stops or cams g and g', arranged so that as the carrier D approaches
the end of its allotted movement in either direction the lug will bear against
one of the cams g, g', and thereby rock the shaft o and turn the weighted lever k
froin its inclined position on one side, to, and a little past a vertical position over the
rock shaft, as in Fig. 5, whereupon the weighted lever will fall into the inclined
position on the other side of the rock shaft O and will thereby nove the shifter P,
so as to disengage the clutch N from the wheel L' and engage it with the
wheel L, or vice versa, and thereby automatically reverse the rotation of the
screw I, and the consequent traverse movement of the carrier D and smoothing
iron.
The cams or stops g and g¹ can be secured by screws d, d, at different distances
apart and in various positions on the shaft O, so as to thereby give longer or shorter
to-and-fro movements to the smoothing iron, as shall be desirable in ironing collars,
cuffs, and other articles of different lengths.
The smoothing iron C is cylindrical and has at its ends hollow journals fitted to
turn in boxes in the carrier D. Two reversely arranged ratchet wheels R and T are
fast on the shaft of the smoothing iron, and are furnished with pawls S and U, which
can be separately, engaged with the ratchet wheels, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1,
and can be separately disengaged therefrom, as indicated by dotted lines at S¹ and U
The one ratchet wheel R and its pawl S, arranged as represented in the Drawings,
are all that are commonly necessary to make the smoothing iron produce cither a
polished iron surface or a lustreless finish on the articles ironed thereby.
In using the machine the person attending it will generally be seated near the
end of the bed farthest from the gear wheels; and while the smoothing iron is
suitably heated and moved to and fro between the positions indicated by dotted
lines at C and C³, Fig. 1, will place the damp articles or collars V, Fig. 2, on the

page_text: bed when the smoothing iron is away at C³, and will let the articles be there ironed
on one side, and will turn them over and replace them on the bed so as to cause the
other side to be ironed, if necessary, and will next remove them from the bed and
place others thereon.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention for "Improvements in
Ironing Machines" as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents, and having
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood
that under the above in part recited Letters Patent, I claim,—
First. The combination of a stationary curved ironing bed, a smoothing iron, and
a carrier by which the smoothing iron is passed to and fro over and in forced contact
with the curved elastic bed, as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Second. The combination of the stationary curved ironing bed B, smoothing
iron C, and carrier D, having its axis of vibration below the bed and moveable
upward and downward, aud weighted so that the smoothing iron in its to-and-fro
movements shall conform to variations in the surface of the bed, and be pressed with
a regulated yielding force upon articles of various thickness being ironed on the bed,
substantially as described.
Third. In combination with the stationary arched bed B, smoothing iron C,
and carrier D of the smoothing iron,, the lever F connected with the axis E of
the carrier, and having an adjustable weight H, whereby the smoothing iron can
be elevated and retained away from the bed and returned thereto, substantially
as set forth.
Fourth. In combination with the stationary ironing bed B, smoothing iron C,
and carrier D, the screw I mounted to turn in opposite directions, and the traversing
nut J, having a self-adjusting connection with the carrier, substantially as
described.
Fifth. The combination with the stationary ironing bed, smoothing iron, and its
carrier screw I and nut J, connected with the carrier of the driving shaft K, bevil
gears L, L, M, clutch N, and clutch shifter P, all constructed and arranged (ubstan-
tially as described.
Sixth. The combination of the shaft O having cams g, g¹; thereon, clutch shifter P
and weighted lever k, with the carrier of the smoothing iron and reversible driving
mechanism, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Nineteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
H. E. NEWTON. (LS.)