Improvements in Shirt Starching Machinery.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 28th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 23th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 1st June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Shirt Starching Machinery.
HENRY THOMAS TALLACK, of 10 Great Turnstile Holborn, in the County of
London Patent Agent being a communication from abroad by A. M. Dolph of
The American Laundry Machinery Company of Cincinnati, Chicago, and New
York in the United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved machine for the purpose of starching shirts
and has for its object means for carrying this into effect with greater facility and
labour than machines of this description heretofore made. And to carry my
invention into effect, I construct my improved machine as follows:-
:-
I construct.a suitable framework preferably of iron and towards the upper part
of this framework suitable slides are affixed upon these slides a double bed is
caused to work to and fro as hereinafter described, this double bed.carries upon it
a raised smaller bed suitably covered and as the double bed moves, so it carries
the upper bed under a roller working in the framework above it. This upper bed
is made of a size suitable for a shirt front to fit over and arms are attached upon
the double bed on either side of the upper bed which hinge down to hold the shirt
in position when the front is placed over the upper bed, a tank is provided at the
side of the machine to contain starch which is applied to the shirt with a brush.
The machine is then set in motion and the starch is properly worked into the
shirt by passing to and fro under the roller which latter is covered with a suitable
material to absorb any excess of starch. The motion to and fro of the double bed
which is an important part of my invention is produced as follows-
Upon the inside of the double bed top and bottom.are attached a suitable number
(two three or more) of V shaped friction runners or friction racks, the top series
run from the extreme back end of the bed forward to about four fifths of the
entire length and the bottom series run from the extreme front end to about a like
distance backwards. Thus it will be seen that the front end at the top underside
of the double bed is clear of friction runners and the back end of the bottom
upper side of the double bed is likewise clear of friction runners.
Between the top and bottom set of friction runners a spindle is carried in
moveable bearings carried in the framework of the machine this spindle carries a
similar number of friction wheels to the friction grooves or runners in the bed,
these friction wheels run between and just clear of the upper and lower sets of
✓ grooves or runners on the double bed. This spindle is driven by a pulley wheel
affixed to it outside the framework and the driving belt or band is led to it at
right angles from above or below by two smaller guide pulleys suitably attached
to the framework. The moveable bearings carrying the spindle pulley and
friction wheels are arranged in suitable vertical slides in the framework and these.
bearings are connected by means of a rod to a foot lever.
The action of this part of the machiue is as follows-
The band from the main shaft is always rotating the pulley spindle and friction
wheels, when in motion and as by their weight they rest on the bottom set of
grooves or runners the bed is propelled forward until it reaches the space at the

page_text: back end of the lower set of runners when the hed remains stationary as the friction
wheels have nothing to gear into, when the foot is applied to the foot lever the
spindle and friction wheels is raised slightly which causes the friction wheels to
gear with the upper set of V grooves or runners and this causes the bed to return
in the opposite direction to when geared into the bottom set the bed runs back
until it gets to the space at the front end of the upper runners when it would
remain stationary until the foot was taken off the foot lever thus allowing the
friction wheels to gear into the bottom runners. The bed need not be run its
extreme length each time as every time the foot is lowered upon or raised from
the lever the bed is set in motion in one direction or the other thus a rubbing
motion may be produced at any part of its stroke.
The upper bed holding the shirt is supported upon an iron bracket so that the
body of the shirt may be placed underneath it out of the way, and is made to
reverse for use either with shirts opened down the front or back.
Various modifications may be made and any suitable materials used.
CL 1001
H. T. TALLACK,
10, Great Turnstile, Holborn, W.C.
1.
Improvements in Shirt Starching Machinery.
HENRY THOMAS TALLACK of 10, Great Turnstile, Holborn in the County of
London, Patent Agent being a communication from abroad by A. M. Dolph of
The American Laundry Machinery Company of Cincinnati Chicago, and New
York in the United States of America, 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 :-
My invention relates to an improved machine for the purpose of starching
shirts or other fabrics and has for its object means for carrying this into effect with
greater facility and less labour than machines of this description heretofore made.
And to carry my invention into effect construct my improved machine as
follows:-
I construct a suitable framework preferably of iron and towards the upper part
, of this framework suitable slides are affixed; upon these slides a double bed is
caused to work to and fro as hereinafter described. This double bed carries upon
it a raised smaller bed suitably covered, and as the double bed moves, so it carries
the upper bed under a roller working in the framework above it. This upper bed
is made of a size suitable for a shirt front to fit over and arms are attached upon
the double bed on either side of the upper bed which hinge down to hold the shirt
in position when the front is placed over the upper bed. A tank is provided at
the side of the machine to contain starch which is applied to the shirt or other
fabric with a brush. The machine is then set in motion and the starch is
properly worked into the shirt by passing to and fro under the roller which latter
is covered with a suitable material to absorb any excess of starch. The motion
to and fro of the double bed is produced as follows:-
Upon the inside of the double bed top and bottom are attached a suitable
number (two three or more) of ▼ shaped friction runners or friction racks. The
top series run from the extreme back end of the bed forward to about four fifths
of the entire length and the bottom series run from the extreme front end to about
a. like distance. backwards. Thus it will be seen that the front end at the top
under side of the double bed is clear of friction runners and the back end of the
I bottom upper side of the double bed is likewise clear of friction ruuners.
Between the top and bottom set of friction runners a spindle is carried in

page_text: moveable bearings carried in the framework of the machine. This spindle carries
a similar number of friction wheels to the friction grooves or runuers in the bed,
these friction wheels run between and just clear of the upper and lower sets of
grooves or runners on the double bed. This spindle is driven by a pulley wheel
affixed to it outside the framework and the driving belt or band is led to it at
right angles from above or below by two smaller guide pulleys suitably attached
to the framework. The moveable bearings carrying the spindle pulley and friction
wheels are arranged in suitable vertical slides in the framework and these bearings
are connected by means of a rod to a foot lever. The action of this part of the
machine is as follows:-
The band from the main shaft is always rotating the pulley spindle and friction
wheels, when the machine is in operation, and, as by their weight they rest on the
bottom set of grooves or runners, the bed is propelled forward until it reaches the
space at the back end of the lower set of runners when the bed remains stationary
as the friction wheels have nothing to gear into, when the foot is applied to the
foot lever the spindle and friction wheels are raised slightly which causes the
friction wheels to gear with the upper set, of grooves or runners and this causes
the bed to return in the opposite direction to when geared into the bottom set.
The bed runs back causing the upper bed to be carried under the cloth covered
starch roller until the friction wheels get to the space at the front end of the upper
runners when it would remain stationary until the foot was taken off the foot lever
thus allowing the friction wheels to gear into the bottom runners. The bed need
not be run its extreme length each time as every time the foot is lowered upon or
raised from the lever, the bed is set in motion in one direction or the other thus
a rubbing motion may be produced at any part of its stroke.
The upper bed, holding the shirt or other fabric is supported upon an iron
bracket so that the body of the shirt may be placed underneath it out of the way
and is made to reverse for use either with shirts opening down the front or back.
The upper bed and roller is covered with suitable elastic or yielding material so
as to produce a rolling pressure between the yielding surface of the roller and the
yielding surface of the table underneath, moving reciprocally to the roller.
The fabric to be starched is placed on the plane yielding surface on which may
first be placed some liquid starch or the starch may also be placed upon the fabric.
The plane carrying the fabric is then moved reciprocally against the yielding
surface of the roller bringing the fabric in contact with the roller. The fabric is
thus pressed between the roller and plain surface and by this means the starch is
forced into the fabric.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a skeleton elevation with one side main frame of machine removed,
showing the principal working parts, in the view the sliding bed is shown upon
rollers.
Fig. 2 is an end elevation of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of complete machine but in this machine the sliding
bed is upon internal rollers instead of external rollers as Fig. 1 and Fig. 2.
Similar letters denote corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A. A. is the main sliding double bed. B. the upper bed covered with yielding
surface. C. the roller covered with yielding surface. D. D. D. the rollers upon
which the main bed works. E. E. the main frame of the machine. F. one of the
friction pullies. G. the driving pulley, both attached to the spindle. H. running
in bearing. I. connected by rod. J. to foot lever K. L. L. are the upper and
lower friction runners or racks respectively into which the friction pullies or
wheels F. work.
M. M. in Fig. 3 are guide pullies for leading the driving belt from a vertical to
a horizontal position. N. N. Fig. 3 are the hinged arms for holding the fabric
down upon the upper bed B. O. Fig. 3 is the tank for containing the starch
and P. Fig. 3 the internal roller upon which the main double bed rolls the forward
part of bed, being supported upon slides on main frame.

page_text: . Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of mechanism for the purpose of starching linen or cotton
cloth or other fabrics, by subjecting the goods, in connection with liquid starch, to
a rolling pressure between the yielding surface of a roller and the yielding surface
of a plane moving reciprocally to the roller.
2. A rotating elastic-faced roller, operating in conjunction with the reciprocating
elastic-faced plane, between which roller and plane the starch and fabrics to be
incorporated with the same are placed, so that the fabric and starch receive a
rolling pressure.
3. The use in combination with starching machinery of the foot lever K.
connected with the moveable bearings of a spindle carrying friction rollers working
into friction runners attached to a sliding bed which may be reciprocated at
pleasure by putting pressure upon the foot lever with the foot and releasing same
as described.
4. The improved starching machine substantially as herein described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 28th day of March 1895.
H. T. TALLACK,
10, Great Turnstile, Holborn, London, W.C.