Improvements in Ironing Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 21st Feb., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Mar.,
1895
Improvements in Ironing Machines.
1, WILLIAM WARNER, of Hope Drive The Park Nottingham, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
The object of this invention is to provide a better means of moving the ironing
roller, and the ironing bed.
Ironing machines, as used in laundries, are usually made with steam heated
rollers, made in cast iron, having the surface for ironing clothes, made concave to
suit the diameter of the roller, with a steam jacket formed at the back of the
surface.
When a machine is stopped for cleaning purposes, the roller, or bed must be
moved to allow the attendant sufficient space to clean the ironing surface on the
ironing bed, and in some cases the roller is moved; in other machines the bed is
moved; in each case usually by means of wheel-gearing working screws vertically,
driven by belt power.
My improvements consist chiefly in three new features, which make the machine
more simple in construction, and more easy to disengage the roller and bed when
required
1st. Rack and pinion gear to move the roller backwards and forwards.
2nd. Swinging the bed upon axles.
3rd. New mechanism for moving the bed upon axles.
The general construction of the machine consists of well known parts.
There are the end frames; the ironing roller, with gearing and belt; the ironing
bed; the steam pipes, with valves, and connections for heating the roller, and bed,
and also the usual feeding "bar" with its levers and foot board.
"
The first part of my improvements consists in placing upon each end of the
roller shaft, eye racks. The eye is bored to suit the shaft ends, and the rack forms
a kind of tail projecting from the eye, with teeth on one side: these racks are
geared into two pinions, which are secured to a horizontal shaft passing through
bearings in the end frames.
Hand wheels are also secured upon the horizontal shaft, so that the pinions may
be moved round, and thus move the roller backwards or forwards.
The ends of the roller shaft rest upon a nearly horizontal surface, on top of the
end frames, therefore the roller will roll upon this surface when moved by the
pinion and racks.
"
The "second part of my improvements consists in placing two axles near the
top edge of the concave ironing bed, which pass into bearings near the top of
the end frames, so that the bed is swinging upon the axles, and may be moved
into the desired position for ironing clothes, or partly away from the surface of the
roller.
The ironing surface of the bed is about half a circle, with steam jacket at the
back, and when in position for ironing, the half circle may be said to represent
the lower half of a cylinder, taken under a horizontal line, and when the bed is
noved, the edge of concave near the axle remains nearly stationary, and the
opposite edge of concave moves rapidly from the horizontal line and further away
from the roller.
This improvement will allow the roller to pass forward and clear the bed.

page_text: The third" part of my improvements consists in mechanism for moving the
ironing bed, and somewhat resembles a device known as a toggle-joint.
A bearing bracket is placed on the ground, with axle to take the ends of a set of
connecting links, and a bearing bracket is placed near the edge of ironing bed, at
the opposite side, to take the axles in the bed, to take a second set of connecting
links.
The other ends of the connecting links pass over axle nuts; one of these nuts has
a righthand thread, and one a lefthand thread. A shaft, having a right and left-
hand thread is screwed through them, with a hand wheel attached, so that when
the screw shaft is turned, the connecting links upon the axle move closer together,
or further apart, and as the other ends of the connecting links are practically
stationary on the ground bracket, the ironing bed is moved either in one direction
or the other, and thus it is pushed up against the ironing roller, or moved away
from it, as desired.
It is obvious that this mechanism is also useful to give pressure upon the clothes
when ironing them.
Dated this 22nd day of May 1894.
WILLIAM WARNER Hope Drive, The Park Nottingham, Civil Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
The object of this invention is to provide a better means of moving the ironing
roller and the ironing bed.
Ironing machines as used in laundries are usually made with steam heated
rollers made in cast iron the ironing bed is also of cast iron having the surface for
ironing clothes made concave to suit the diameter of roller with a steam jacket formed
at the back of the surface.
When a machine is stopped for cleaning purposes the roller or bed must be
moved to allow the attendant sufficient space to clean the ironing surface on the
ironing bed and in some cases the roller is moved in other machines the bed is
moved in each case usually by means of wheel gearing working screws vertically
driven by belt power.
My improvements consist chiefly in three new features which make the machine
more simple in construction and more easy to disengage the roller and bed when
required.
1st. Rack and pinion gear to move the roller backward and forward.
2nd. Swinging the bed upon axles.
3rd. New mechanism for moving the bed upon the axles.
The general construction of the machine consists of well known parts.
There are the end frames, the ironing roller with gearing and belt, the ironing
bed, the steam pipes with valves and connections for heating the roller and bed and
also the usual feeding "bar" with its levers and footboard.
The first part of my improvements cousist in placing upon each end of the roller
shaft eye racks the eye is bored to suit the shaft ends and the rack forms a kind of
tail projecting from the eye with teeth on one side these racks are geared into
two pinions which are secured to a horizontal shaft passing through bearings in
the end frames.
Hand wheels are also secured upon the horizontal shaft so that the pinions may
be moved round and thus move the roller backward or forward.

page_text: The ends of the roller shaft rest upon a nearly norizontal surface on top or
the end frames, therefore the roller will roll upon this surface when moved by the
pinion and racks.
The second part of my improvements consist in. placing two axles near to top.
edge of the concave ironing bed which pass into bearings near the top of the end
frames so that the bed is swinging upon the axles and may be moved into the desired
position for ironing cloths or partly away from the surface of the roller. The-
ironing surface of the bed is about half a circle with steam jacket at the back and
when in position for ironing the half circle may be said to represent the lower half
of a cylinder taken under an horizontal line and when the bed is moved the edge
of concave near axle remains nearly stationary and the opposite edge of concave.
moves rapidly from the horizontal line and further away from the roller.
The movement will allow the roller to pass forward and clear the bed.
The third part of my improvements consist in the mechanism for moving the
ironing bed and somewhat resembles a device known as a toggle joint.
A bearing bracket is placed on the ground with axle to take the ends of a set.
connecting links and a bearing bracket is placed near the edge of ironing bed
at the opposite side to the axles in the bed to take a second set of connecting.
links.
The other ends of the connecting links pass over axle nuts one of these nuts has
a right hand thread and one a left hand thread. A shaft having a right hand and
left hand thread is screwed through them with a hand wheel attached so that when.
the screw shaft is turned the connecting links upon the axle nuts move closer together
or further apart and as the other ends of the connecting links are practically
stationary on the ground bracket the ironing bed is moved either in one direction
or the other and thus it is pushed up against the ironing roller or moved away from
it as desired.
It is obvious that this mechanism is also useful to give pressure upon the clothes.
when ironing them.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I have illustrated in
the accompanying drawings a machine constructed according to my present.
improvements.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the ironing machine with the improvements.
Figure 2 is a cross section on line A. B.
Figure 3 is a cross section on line C. D.
In all the figures similar letters indicate similar parts.
According to my invention I provide a concave steam jacket ironing bed a
supported upon axles & in the end frames which allow the bed to swing and move
from the roller when required.
Attached to the front of this bed is the feeding bar e which is also free to move.
upon axles placed in the ends of the bed.
The moving of the feeding bar is performed by the lever d in pressing the foot
board e, at the opposite end of the lever a balance weight is placed at f the motion
is conveyed by connecting rods g attached to the lever at one end and the feeding.
bar at the other end.
The connecting rods are disengaged by the coupling when the ironing bed is.
lowered.
The ironing bed is lowered and raised by the hand wheel j by the left and right
hand screw k, and the side links having axles in the fixed brackets m and n.
The roller o is made to revolve by the gearing at each end of the machine and
it is moved horizontally upon the end frames by the eye racks p.
The eye racks with roller are moved by the pinion q and spike wheel r keyed
upon the shaft s. The feeding table is shown at t with hinges so that it may be
turned over as in Figure 2 to allow the roller to come forward when disengaged..
The delivery board u is placed at back of machine.
The end frames are shown at v with horizontal shaft for supporting the
gearing.

page_text: The steam is conveyed to the roller by telescope pipes &c.
The machine is driven by the pullies y having a worm upon the shaft geared to
a worm wheel upon the shaft w. The roller is supported upon the horizontal
surface a² on the end frames when disengaged. Flexible pipe & is attached to the
bed to convey water from the jacket and pipe c' to convey steam to the jacket
and d³ pipe for steam to roller.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
1st. In ironing machines rack and pinion gear for moving the roller as described
and shown by the drawings.
2nd. In ironing machines the ironing bed with axles as shown and described.
3rd. In ironing machines the screw with left and right hand threads with links
and hand wheel for lowering the ironing bed as shown and described.
Dated this 20th day of February 1895.
WILLIAM WARNER.