Patent ID: 7237348

Claim:
An elongate spring pad for a sheet ironing machine, the spring pad comprising: an elongate backing strip for rolling about a periphery of a roller of a sheet ironing machine; a plurality of coil springs positioned in spaced relationship along the longitudinal extent of the backing strip, each coil spring having a connecting portion at a first end by which the respective coil spring is engaged with the backing strip, a fixing portion at a second end opposite the first end and which extends transversely across the coil spring; a plurality of independent top plates, each top plate being provided on a second end of each coil spring opposite the first end; positioning means on each top plate by which each top plate is engaged with the respective coil spring; and one or more claws projecting outwardly from the top plate for releasably engaging a felt cover, each top plate freely and slidably contacting an adjacent top plate so that there are no spaces therebetween when the spring pad is in a rectilinear condition and an arcuate condition.