AN IMPROVED STEAM PRESS FOR PRESSING HOSIERY AND THE LIKE ARTICLES
Year: 1885

page_text: I ARTHUR JAMES GIMSON of the firm of Gimson and Company Vulcan Street
Leicester in the County of Leicester, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the
said invention for AN IMPROVED STEAM PRESS FOR PRESSING HOSIERY AND THE
LIKE ARTICLES to be as follows:-
.
A press with hollow steam beds such as are in ordinary use for pressing hose,
but with the improvement that the power of pressure is obtained by the pressure
of steam under a piston raising up the lower bed so as to press between the faces
of the upper and lower beds the hose or like articles.
The Invention relates to an improved steam press for pressing hosiery and the
like articles between two heated surfaces, the pressing power being obtained by
the pressure of steam upon a piston acting directly upon the moving bed of
the press.
A suitably designed valve (or valves) is attached to the steam Cylinder by means
of which the attendant can admit steam into the Cylinder, and emit steam from
the Cylinder, at will.
.
The aforesaid press is constructed as follows.
A hollow cast iron bed, with its under surface truly faced and made smooth, is
mounted, face downwards, upon four cast iron supports which are firmly bolted to
the four corners of the bed. The lower end of the four supports are firmly
attached to a strong cross shaped casting, in the centre of which the steam cylinder
is fixed vertically. In the cylinder is a piston with a rod projecting upwards
through the top. A second hollow cast iron bed rests poised upon the end of the
piston rod. This second bed is similar to the top fixed bed but it is faced on its
upper surface, and rests at its four corners upon four steel spiral springs. These
springs are of such a strength as to allow the weight of the bed to depress them
about two inches, thus leaving two inches of space between the smooth surfaces of
the upper and lower beds. A valve (or valves) is fixed to the cylinder at its lower
end and connected by gear so that the attendant can admit steam at the required
pressure underneath the piston, and allow the steam to escape through an exhaust
pipe when required.
The manner of working the machine is as follows:→
The two beds are heated by steam being admitted into their hollow spaces in
the usual way.
The hose or other articles are stretched upon flat wood frames

page_text: such as are in general use, and placed upon the upper surface of the lower bed in the
space between that surface and the lower surface of the upper bed. The attendant
admits steam to the underside of the piston, and the piston rises carrying upward
the lower bed until the articles are pressed between the two smooth heated surfaces.
This pressure is maintained until the admission valve is closed and the emission
valve opened, when the pressure under the piston will be released and the lower
bed will descend to its original position. The articles which have been pressed are
now removed and the operation repeated..
In this machine I claim the employment of steam at a pressure acting by means
of a cylinder and piston directly on to the moving bed, thereby greatly reducing
the manual labour required for pressing hosiery and the. like goods.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Steam Press for Pressing Hosiery and the like
Articles.
I, ARTHUR JAMES GIMSON, of the firm of Gimson and Company, Vulcan Works
Vulcan Street Leicester, in the county of Leicester Engineer do hereby declare the
nature of this invention for
" AN IMPROVED STEAM PRESS FOR PRESSING HOSIERY,
AND THE LIKE ARTICLES, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My said invention relates to an improved steam press for pressing hosiery, and
the like articles between two heated surfaces the pressing power being obtained by
the pressure of steam upon a piston acting upon the moving bed of the press. For
this purpose a valve is attached to a steam cylinder, that the steam can be admitted,
or emitted, at the will of the operator.
That my invention may be more clearly understood I will proceed to refer to the
accompanying drawings, shewing the construction and mode of working the press
in accordance with this invention.
Figure 1. is a front view of the press, partly in section. The hollow cast iron
bed A. is mounted upon the supports and firmly bolted at the four corners, and
attached near the base to the cross shaped casting c. on the centre of which is the
vertical steam cylinder d. This may be constructed differently if desired. The
rod of the piston e. projecting through the cylinder. The lower cast iron bed F.
rests upon the links, or jaws el mounted on the collar on the upper end of the
piston. When the piston is lifted the rollers e³ in the links or jaws e¹ move up the
inclined plains in the head. of, the cylinder, to increase the pressing power on
the lower bed. The lower cast iron bed F. is supported upon each of its corners
at g. on the spiral springs h. acting on the under side of the bed. The slide
valve I is connected by the lever I that the steam can be admitted underneath the
piston, to the required pressure, and allowed to escape through the exhaust pipe in
the bottom J. when desired.
The hollow iron beds A and F. are heated by the steam being admitted into
their hollow spaces by pipes in the ordinary way.
The articles to be pressed, such as hose, pants, shirts and the like articles, are put
upon suitable flat wooden patterns, or shapes, they are then placed upon the
surface of the lower bed F. The steam is admitted to the underside of the piston e.
and the lower bed F. is raised to the upper one. The pressure is maintained until
the articles are sufficiently pressed between the smooth heated surfaces of the beds,
and until the lever I is moved over, the slide valve then checks the admission of
steam into the cylinder d. the steam already under the piston escaping through the
exhaust pipe J. and the lower bed F. descends to its first position, the articles are
then taken out, and the same operation is repeated. Figure 2 is an end view of
the press in outline. Figure 3 is a plain top view shewing the lever I held in a
guide, also the arraingement of the steam pipes for heating the hollow steam beds A
and F. The same letters of reference indicato like parts in all the figures. By
this my invention of pressing hosiery and such like articles by moving the lower
bed, and obtaining the power of pressure, by the pressure of steam under the

page_text: piston to raise the lower bed, and the employment of the links, or jaws actuated in
the manner hereinbefore described to give additional force and pressure-By this
means much manual labour, and time is saved.
-
More than one of the beds to be raised can be employed at one time if necessary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
•
Firstly. In the employment of steam at a pressure, on the underside of the
piston in the cylinder, acting on the moving bed that it is raised, to press hosiery
and such like articles.
Secondly. In the improved steam press, actuated, constructed, and arranged in
the manner and for the purposes as hereinbefore described and set forth in the
accompanying drawings.
nicht hundead and nighty six
Witness:-
WILLIAM BESTWICK MAXFIELD,
Of No 19, Bowling Green Street,
In the Borough of Leicester..
ARTHUR JAMES GIMSON.