A NEW OR IMPROVED IRONING MACHINE
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills of the firm of Harris
and Mills of 23 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent for an Invention of A NEW OR IMPROVED IRONING MACHINE
communicated to him from abroad by Hermann Schmidt of the City of
Berlin in the Kingdom of Prussia and Empire of Germany
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard
Mills at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th March
1883.
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS of the firm of Harris and Mills of
23 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent A NEW
OR IMPROVED IRONING MACHINE A communication to me from abroad by
Hermann Schmidt of the City of Berlin in the Kingdom of Prussia and Empire
of Germany
The object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective machine by
means of which a number of linen collars, cuffs or similar articles can be ironed at
a time mechanically, thereby saving much time and labour and furnishing a better
and more uniform result than it was possible to obtain by hand or by the ironing
machines heretofore in use. The invention embraces also a device which takes
hold of the article to be ironed, and allows a very rapid application and removal
of it.
Also a device by which the operator can vary the pressure of the hot ironing
roll or rolls upon the articles according to his will and to circumstances.
The essential parts of the machine are, a reciprocating table sliding upon a bed
fastened to the frame, and supporting a wheeled carriage which contains the plates
between and upon which the articles to be ironed are clamped and flattened.
The reciprocating motion is imparted to the table from a revolving crank by means
of an interposed connecting rod and oscillating slotted lever.

page_text: One or two hollow ironing rolls are employed heated in any convenient way and
revolved by gearing from the main shaft.
The roll or rolls are journalled in a forked lever swinging round the main shaft.
When two rolls are employed the second roller has moveable journal boxes with
springs behind them to cause the roller to act with an elastic pressure.
The roll or rolls are counterbalanced and can be pressed down upon the articles
under treatment with any desired and adjustable force and at the will of the
operator by hand or by foot.
If required the plates upon which the articles are spread out may be supported
by a turntable attached to the carriage to allow an ironing of the goods in
different directions. This arrangement may be used in combination with one or
two ironing rolls.

page_text: the shaft of the gear g and is counterbalanced by a weight in such a way as to
have a tendency to be lifted from off the plates j. This roll p can be pressed
down to the plates j by the operator cither by hand or by treading with more or
less force upon the foot lever o connected through two rods to the two branches of
the lever m.
The articles to be ironed (which in the Drawings are represented to be collars)
are inserted one after the other between the plates j and fixed in proper position
by pushing one plate j against the other, screwing them all together and against
the back part of the carriage frame by means of the screw and the band wheels,
the hub of which is screw threaded. For this purpose the screw . is attached at
one end to the back portion of the carriage frame, the other end resting in the
lower part of the slot of the guide cam t. which is inclined sufficiently to allow
the plates to be shifted about half an inch forward for inserting the articles
properly between them. The front end of the screw is then raised in the slot of
the guide cam t, so that the nuts, can bear fairly against the first plate j. when
by turning the hand wheel s. all the plates are forced together and the articles
are firmly clamped. The front edge of each plate j is bevelled whilst the back
edge is square for producing a better clamping grip. After the articles are
flattened upon the plates j, the machine is started, the roll p gently drawn down to
give a light touch to the linen, and then a greater pressure is applied by bearing
heavily on the lever o, until the required gloss is acquired.
When the work is finished the carriage with the articles on it is removed from
the table a. and conveyed by means of a truck or wagon running on a cross track
(not shown in the Drawing) to a place where the plates j. are unscrewed, the
articles taken off, replaced by new ones and properly adjusted. The carriage i is
then ready to undergo again the described operations. During the time of
discharging and charging of the carriage, another one already. charged is passed
through the machine.
-
Notwithstanding that the work of ironing goes on in this way very rapidly
still more time may be saved by using two ironing rolls p. p', instead of one. see
Figures 6 and 7. The second roll p¹. heated as above described with respect to the
roll p is journalled in the branches of the elongated lever m. but the journal boxes u
are not rigid but are moveably fitted in their housings and kept down by springs q.
The roll p¹ must be arranged in such a way that when the lever m is brought down
the roll touches the articles prior to the roll p, and with a lighter or heavier
pressure, as the springs behind the journal boxes are compressed more or less.
When the play of the journal boxes of the roll p¹ is exhausted then the first roll p
comes in contact with the articles and botli rolls and pl. are then acting upon the
articles with a pressure depending upon the weight which is brought to bear upon
the footlever o. For two rolls p. pl. the counterweight of the lever m should be
heavy enough to give to the front end of it a tendency to rise. The roll ?? revolves
in the same direction as the roll p'. To accomplish this purpose the roll p³, is
geared with the wheel of the roll p by the aid of an idler w. which construction
is clearly shown in Figure 6.
It must be understood that the shape of the plates ; depends upon that of
the articles to be ironed; as also does the degree of the pressure of the roll p or
rolls p. p. By the arrangement above explained the operator has this pressure
entirely under control and may vary it at any moment.
To
In some cases it is desirable to iron the articles in different directions.
accomplish this a rotary table x. (Figures 6 and 7) turning round the trunnion vis
mounted on the carriage i. which supports the foundation plates j. in the manner
described above This turntable x can be arrested in any position or it can be
turned during the ironing process so as to present the articles to the roll or rolls in
any desired direction.
The speed of the roll 2 or rolls p. p. depends upon the kind of goods to be
ironed. In all cases it must be greater than that of the carriage i. as above
mentioned. When two rolls are employed they may have the same speed, or one

page_text: may revolve faster than the other. These arrangements depend wholly upon the
judgment of the manufacturer and are not claimed.
Having thus described the nature of the present invention and the mode in
which the same may be carried into effect, I would have it understood that what I
claim is
First. In ironing machines- the reciprocating table a, with a carriage i. which
bears, the plates j supporting the articles to be ironed in combination with one or
two ironing rolls p. p, heated in any suitable manner and revolving in the same
direction, but faster than the carriage i, the pressure of which roll p or rolls p. p'.
is controlled by the operator constructed substantially as shown and described
Second. In ironing machines the plates shaped according to the articles to be
ironed slidden into recesses in the reciprocating frame or carriage i. where they are
secured by the screw 7. and hand wheel s. clamping the goods in position between
the plates which frame forms directly an exchangeable carriage i. or a turntable x.
mounted on such carriage i, substantially as shown and described and for the
purpose explained.
Third. The frame or carriage i in combination with the clamping screw?
with nut 8. or with an equivalent fastening device substantially as shown and
described.
Fourth. The frame or carriage i in combination with the clamping screw r with
nut 8 and with the slotted inclined guide cam t. substantially as shewn and for the
purpose explained.
Fifth In ironing machines the employment of one or two heated ironing rolls p. p¹
journalled in the branches of the forked lever m. which rocks upon the shaft y
and is counterbalanced by a weight in such a way as to give to the roll or
rolls a tendency to rise and which lever m can be depressed at the will of
the operator by hand or by the foot lever o. substantially as shown and
described.
Sixth. In ironing machines provided with two rolls p. pl. the journal boxes u
of the roll pl. which can move up and down in their housings in the lever m. in
combination with the springs q keeping down the boxes u, substantially as shown
and described and for the purpose explained.
In witness whereof I the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills have hereunto set
my hand and seal this nineteenth day of September in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
B. J. B. MILLS (L.s.)