IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PRESSING, SMOOTHING, AND FINISHING GARMENTS OR PARTS OF GARMENTS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Bell Sanson, of 87, Globe Road, Mile
End, London, E., in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PRESSING, SMOOTHING, AND
FINISHING GARMENTS OR PARTS OF GARMENTS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Bell Sanson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 2nd August 1871.
I, ROBERT BELL SANSON, of 87, Globe Road, Mile End, London, E.,
in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, 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 garments and
finishing relates to a novel arrangement of construction of parts
whereby the pressing board employed for the purpose of pressing,
smoothing, & finishing garments or parts of garments is made to lift
parallel in a vertical direction when acted by a treadle with levers and
links, so that the smoothing iron employed is brought to bear equally
upon the whole surface.

page_text: Hitherto the pressing board has been hinged or jointed and when acted
on by the treadle moved in a vertical direction from one end only; this
causes a considerable loss of pressure and time, and and great incon-
venience to the workman through only being able to press on a portion
of the board.
Again, as improved arrangement in the swivel frame I have it
mounted with two antifriction rollers only. One end of the swivel frame
is provided with a projecting arm and a regulating screw or centre
and is brought to bear on the stretcher frame when the pressure is given
on the pressing board. The front end of swivel frame having a crane-
like projection for the purpose of reduceing the strain or bending action
on the guide rod of smoothing iron, at the same time given more room
for the garment. The pin is fitted in stretcher frame for swivel frame
to turn upon, and is fixed in taper hole with nut beneath. The stretcher
frame is fixed to both standards, each containing levers and link for
raising the pressing board, and the pin or centre of movement of swivel
frame being between the points of support of the board, a greater range
of movement is given to the iron than by the old plan of having the
pin fixed on the standard direct.
As a further improvement in the smoothing iron, which is heated
by small jets of gas burning upwards in the interior, is the ventilator;
this ventilator is placed on one or both sides of the iron with horizontal
aperatures for escape of the vitiated air instead of the ordinary funnel
or chimney as hitherto used on the top.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 2
filed by the said Robert Bell Sanson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd January 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
BELL SANSON, 87, Globe Road, Mile End Road, London, E., the County
of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the 2nd day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and 71, in the 34th year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Robert Bell Sanson, Her special licence that I, the said Robert

page_text: Bell Sanson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Robert Bell Sanson, 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 "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PRESSING,
SMOOTHING, AND FINISHING GARMENTS OR PARTS OF GARMENTS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Bell Sanson,
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, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Bell Sanson, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
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 pressing board employed for the
purpose of pressing, smoothing, and finishing garments or parts of
garments is made to lift paralell in a vertical direction when acted upon
by a treadle and a combination of links and levers, so that the
smoothing iron employed is brought to bear equally upon the whole
surface.
Hitherto the pressing board has been hinged or jointed at one end
and has been moved by a treadle connected with a rod or strut acting
vertically at the other end. This causes a considerable loss of pressure
and time, and also great inconvenience to the workman through only
being able to press on a portion of the board. I now arrange a double
set of levers and links connected with one treadle so that both ends
of the board are acted upon simultaneously and rise together.
Again, as an improved arrangement in the swivel frame I have it
mounted with two antifriction rollers, the front end of swivel frame
having a crane-like projection for the purpose of reducing the strain
or bending action on the guide rod of smoothing iron, at the same

page_text: time given more room for the garment. The back end of swivel frame
is provided with an adjusting screw or centre, which abuts upon a
quadrant on the stretcher frame when the pressure is given upon the
pressing board. Again, between the two uprights of the swivel frame
is cast or fixed a rod or strut to prevent the springing or breaking of
the swivel frame when great pressure is given. A stretcher frame
connecting the two standards has a pin fitted to it for the swivel frame
to turn upon, and the pin or centre of movement of the swivel frame
being between the points of support of the board a greater range of
movement is given to the iron than by the old plan of having the pin
fixed on the standard direct at the side in the plane of the lifting
levers. Each standard contains levers and links for raising the pressing
board.
As a further improvement in the smoothing iron, which is heated by
small jets of gas burning upwards in the interior is the ventilator; this 1
ventilator is placed on one or both sides of the iron with horizontal
apertures for the escape of the vitiated air, instead of the ordinary
funnel or chimney as hitherto used on the top of the iron.
Having now described my Invention of improved apparatus for
pressing, smoothing, and finishing garments or parts of garments, and 2
having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim
as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid,-
First. A new method of lifting pressing board paralell by levers and
links.
Second. A swivel frame of new form by which great strength and 2
mobility is attained.
Third. An improved ventilator or ventilators to
irons.
gas
heated smoothing
Witness,
RICH. EDMONDS,
178, Burrage Rd.,
Plumstead, S.E.
ROBERT BELL SANSON.