US1685820A - Garment press - Google Patents

Description

J. C. LEDBETTIER GARMENT PRES S Filed Oct. 26, 1923 Smucmtoz James 6. L edfie 17W machines having means for steam spraying,

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G. lhllllllllhmll'llltl t, @ll Bltt'ltllfh'lllll, l llEllf "lZU'EtE, ASSIGNUR, BY MESNE ASlEllltzllilllthlildlld, f0 ltHllll PROSPERITY tltlllllll dlllll", INK, 01E SYZ'RAGUSE, NEW YORK, ah. GEOR- application riled hctoher 5th, man.

This invention relates to pressing machines and particularly to garment pressing heating, and air drying the garments, and relates further to improvements in air and vacuum drying means for garment presses.

An object of the invention is to produce an improved garment pressing machine capable of quickly steam spraying and heat drying a garment, and thereafter rapidly air drying it by improved air circulating means which is either simultaneously or independently operated by the press closing and opening mechanism. An additional ob-- ject is to produce an air circulating, drying, and cooling means whereby garments are ready to wear immediately they come old the press. Furthermore it is an object to produce an improved combination garment press and air pump in the nature of a vacuum bellows which forms an attachment for said garment *pressing machines and is capable of being quickly applied to machines in present day use, the attachment being simple and inexpensive in structure and being very readily installed on steam pressing machines, thus reducing to a nominal figure the cost of converting present day garment steam presses into vacuum steam presses.

With the above principal objects in view, the invention has relation to certain improved combinations and arrangements of parts an example of which is shown in the accompanying drawings illustrating an embodiment of the invention serving to disclose the construction and mode of operation thereof. The machine may be varied in construction, operation, and use without departing from the scope of the invention; and it'is understood therefore that the marketable structure itself may vary somewhat from the accompanying drawings.

The figure in the drawings illustrates a pressing machine constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention, the said press being shown in open position with some of the principal parts thereof shown in section.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings for a further and detailed description of the invention, there is shown a pressing machine frame 5 upon which is pivoted at l a press lever ti," and a pressing head or jaw l? is carried on the forward of the hertal lilo. err-ma.

press lever while a counter-balance weight it is carried on the rear end of the press lever to balance the head 7 thereby rendering the parts more readily operable. A, pressing buck or jaw 9 is supported on the press frame and cooperates with the head 7 through the closing operation of the head and thus provides cooperating pressing members actuated through the agency of mechanism to be described.

Any suitable form of operating mechanism for raising and lowering the head or closing and opening the press is provided; andin this instance a bell crank comprising a pedal 11 integrally carrying an upwardly extending toggle link 12 is provided with a bearing hub 13 pivotally supported on the frame 5. The upper end of the toggle link 12 pivotally connects at it with a toggle link 15 which is in turn pivot/ed at 16 to the rear end of the press lever 6, thereby establishing a manual pedal operating means for opening and closing the press. The. counter-balance weight 8 may be slightly over Weighted to lift the head at the end of the pressing operation, or a tension spring may beused for this purpose.

lPressing machines are usually provided wrth steam spraying and steam heating means for spraying the garment with steam to sterilize the fabric, raise the nap thereof, and generally improvd the appearance of the garment. lln addition. to these features, ll improve my pressing machine in respect to the quick air drying means which is adapted to rapidly remove the heat and steam from the garment following the steam spray and heat treatment thereof. To this end a main steam supply pipe 18 connects with the head 7 through a pipe 19; and steam is supplied to the other pressing member h either for heating the buck, spraying the garment, or both, through a pipe 20. it heating chamber 21 is provided in one or both pressing members; and another chamber 22 is likewise provided in one or both pressing members as described, and is utilized for the purpose of either steam spraying the garment supported thereon or for circulating air therethrough or for both such operations, depending upon the general character and type of pressing machine. The air circulating chamber 22 is provided with a toraminous pressing surfaced? in till till

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order that air or steam be blown out through the garment placed on the buck 9.0r in order that air be drawn therethrough, either of which operation is productive of rapid cooling and drying the previously steamed sprayed and heated garment. A steam spray or sponging valve 23 is mounted upon the one or the other of the pressing members for the purpose of releasing steam from the main supply pipe through the foraminous pressing surface to treat the garment. In this instance the steam valve 23 releases steam from the head 7 through the perforated pressing face 24 of the head onto the garment; and the perforated pressing surface 25 of the buck is designed to rapidly withdraw the steam from the garment through the agency of an improved bellows vacuum means as will be described.

[in improved means of developing vacuum or producing air circulation in pressing machines is shown in the accompanying drawings and consists of a bellows operated by the pedal 11 or operated independently thereof depending upon the desires of the operator and the character of garments being pressed. The bellows comprises a base plate 27 fixed at some convenient point to the frame of the machine while an operating bellows plate 28 is pivoted at 29 upon the stationary plate 27 and bellows cloth 3O envelops the operating parts, as in bellows pump construction, to provide an air tight closure. The bellows pump connects through an air suction pipe 31 with the-vacuum or air circulating chamber 22. Any suitable valve in the form of a flap valve 32 is pivotally mounted over the port of the air pipe 31 in the bellows and is limited in movement by a stop bracket 33. When the bellows plate 28 is moved upwardly to collapse and fold in the bellows cloth 30 the said flap valve 32 closes, thereby preventing air from flowing upwardly through the pipe 31 and causing the air to exhaust outwardly through a discharge port 34 to atmosphere. The flap valve 35 is pivotally carried over the port 34: and is restrained in movement by a stop bracket 36. The bellows moves upwardly to exhaust the air therefrom and is drawn downwardly to open position shown in the drawings which closes the valve 35 and opens the valve 32 thereby withdrawing air from the chamber 22 which promotes a rapid influx of air through the perforated pressing face 25 of the buck and consequently dries and cools the garment held on the work support 9 by virtue of drawing cool air down through the fabric.

Any suitable means may be provided for operating the bellows air pump. In the present instance I have shown operating means under the control of the press closing pedal 11, and this arrangement consists of an arm 38 anchored to the pivoted bellows plate 28. A pull link 39 is connected to the arm 38 and preferably possessesia lost motion connection 40 with the pedal 11. When the pedal 11 is depressed to straighten the toggle links 12-15, it follows that the bellows 3O collapses upwardly to exhaust the air therefrom through the port 3i which sets the bellows 30 in proper position to produce an influx of air through the garment when the head rises. For each press closing stroke as executed by the pedal 11, there is also simultaneously produced a pump Stroke in the bellows and for ordinary pressing this one pump stroke is suflicient to displace suflicient air to cool the garment.

However, "some garments require more steam spraying and steam heating treatment and consequently require displacement of a greater volume of air for the purpose oi removing the large amount of steam and heat impregnated in the garment. To this end l have provided an improved bellows operating means which may be operated independently of the press closing means thereby allowing the pressing machine op erator to pump the bellows one or two strokes in addition to the press closing operation. A manually operated pump lover in the form of a pedal 41 is pivoted on the frame at any convenient point adjacent the pedal 11. A link 4-2 pivot-ally connects the pedal 41 with the bellows. The operator may work the bellows pump 30 by depressing the pedal 41 independently of the pressing pedal 11. A tension spring 43 acts to return the bellows to an open position and draw air through the chamber 22 after the operators foot is removed from either one or the other pedal.

The object of the lost motion connection 40 is to so arrange the parts that the bellows 30 may always be operated simultaneously with the downward stroke of the pedal 11, yet at the same time )ermits the operator to depress the pump pe a1 il without moving the head closing pedal 11; and thus after the garment is acted on normally by the one bellows suction stroke as initiated by the. rising motion of the press head, the operator may produce as many additional vacuum suction strokes as he desires without moving the pressing parts of the machine.

In some garment factories and pressing establishments it is found desirable to disconnect the link 39 from the bellows in order that the press closing and pump operating functions be independently operated; and for this purpose, the lost motion connection 40 may be constructed in the form of a pin as shown in the drawings, and it swivels to permit the pull link 39 to be pushed downwardly alongside the pedal 11 where it is conveniently kept accessible and prevented from being lost when not in use. The pivot pin re is withdrawn from the pump arm. 33

'any time he chooses.

estate and inserted through the pedal 11 and link 39after the link has been placed alongside the pedal as shown in dotted lines. Having disconnected the link 39 from the pump, the operator is now free to use the bellows at This arrangement constitutes a special convenience for the reason that some classes of goods may not require air drying while others to be pressed at some subsequent or prior time may require drying. Furthermore, by disconnecting the vacuum pump from the press pedal 11, the operator is able to simultaneously operate the bellows and open the steam spray valve 23 thereby projecting a deluge of steam all the way thru the garment on the buck which cleans and renews the garment.

The improved bellows pump is simple to manufacture for it comprises little material and is usually constructed of two boards or plates as shown, together with the air tight bellows cloth. llt is simple to mount or install the bellows suction pump under the frame of a pressing machine and connect it up with the steam chamber of a pressing machine thereby converting an ordinary steam spraying press of the present-day use into a combination steam spraying and air drying garment press. A pressing machine of this construction having steam spraying and drying facilities for treating garments is especially beneficial in renewing and preserving garments. After a garment is steam sprayed between the pressing jaws or memhere, the said garment is thoroughly sterilized. Furthermore, the dirt and spots are eradicated therefrom. The garment possesses distinctively sharp creases and press till lines. llf the garment is removed from the press in the moist hot condition existing after the steam spray operation, it follows that the garment is not ready for wear and furthermore the garment quickly loses its pressed creases because it is hot, soft, and limp. By operating the bellows 30' through one or two strokes, a large volume of air is instantly drawn downwardly through the garment whereby the steam and heat are removed therefrom rendering the'garment readily wearable and making its creases more permanent and durable because the garment has set and is in wearable condition when it comes from the press.

What I claim is:

1. A garment press comprising in combination, cooperating press jaws at least one of which has'an air chamber provided with a perforated pressing surface, an air pump connected with the chamber, operating means to open and close the press, an operating device connected with the pump to work the pump independently of the press operating means to force air through the chamber when the press jaws are stationary, and

means for connecting the pump with the press operating means by which said pump may be driven simultaneously with the opening and closing of the press.

2. A press comprising in combination, cooperating press jaws atleast one of which has an air chamber provided with a perforated pressing surface, an air pump connected with the chamber, press operating.

mechanism to simultaneously operate the pressan'd drive the pump, an operator operable member connected with the pump, and means whereby the press operating mechanism is not operated when the member is has an air chamber provided with a per-' forated pressing surface, a pump connected with the chamber, a first operator operable mechanism which opens and closes the press and simultaneously drives the pump, a second operator operable mechanism adapted to drive the pump only, means forming part of one of the mechanisms by which that mechanism may be rendered inedective during operation of the other mechanism.

5. A press comprising in combination, cooperating press jaws at least one of which has an air chamber provided with a perforated pressing surface, a bellows placed under the press jaws, a bellows lever projecting toward the front of the press underneath the jaws and connected with the bellows to operate the latter, a pedal connected with the bellows lever, a jaw operating pedal connected with a press jaw to open and close the press, and a slip connection cooperating with the bellows lever and jaw operating pedal.

In testimony whereof ll afidx my signature.

JAMES o, nnnenrrnn.

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