US1689462A - Condensation exhauster for ironing machines and the like - Google Patents

Description

3o, `192s. 1,689,462 c. E. 'rRTTER ET AL CONDENSATION EXHAUSTER FOR IRONING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed Jul`y 25, 1927 Patented Oct. 30, 1928.

UNITED gSTATES lPA'IENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE E. TROTTER AND FORREST J. CO'UCH, 0F AGITCINNA'JJI, OHIO, ASSIGNORS T0 THE AMERICAN LAUNDRY MACHNERY COMPANY, OF CNCINNATI, OHIO, A COR- PORATION OF OHIO.

Y l CONDENSATION EXHAUSTER FOR IRONING `lllACI-llINES AND THE LIKE.

Application filed July 23,

This invention relates to flat work ironers and particularly to spring padding and air circulating means therefor.

Heretofore flat work ironers have been providedv with rolls comprising an inner supporting shell and an outer textile fabric pad spaced from the inner shell to provide an air space or annular cylindrical chamber with means for exhausting the air from this annular space to produce a suction through the fabric pad for the purpose of removing moisture to increase the ironing and drying effects of the machine andincrease the life of the padding. In these arrangements the. chamber between the inner shell and the outer padding `has been exhausted, of its air, by perforations distributed throughout the length of the shell andl leading to an inner chamber connected to an exhaust by a pipe or conduit leading through one of the trunnions of the roll. Such an arrangement has proved unsatisfad tory due possibly to the fact that the suction effect is not properly distributed throughout the entire padding resulting in uneven drying and suction effect. Y

The present inventiontherefore relates to a flat work ironer or similar machine employing a roll or rolls where preferably each of the rolls is made up of an inner supporting shell, an outer fabric pad spaced therefrom by any suitable medium, such as the springs of a spring pad, together with a suitable air moving circuit established by providing inlet openings at the outer ends and near the periphery of the roll and exhausting conduits or nipples extending through the innershell in a group at substantially the center of the length of the roll together with exhausting means connectedto the inner shell for producing a flow of :air inwardly from the ends through the annular spacebetween the shell and pad to the center and thence into Vthe inside of the roll through the nipples and out by any suitable means. By this arrangement the suction effect is evenly distributed throughout the en- Vtire pad inasmuch aspthe exhausting of the air from the center of the annular chamber, between the pad and the shell, more nearly produces paths ofV substantially equal length for the air to travel to the exhaust.

Other features of the invention will be 1927. Serial No. 208,019.

brought out in the following description, drawings and claims.

ln the embodiment set forth in the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine equipped with our device; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, partly broken away, showing the structure of the padding and the roll; Fig. 3 is a section upon the line 3-3,"Fig. 2; Fig. 4L is a section, broken away, upon the line 4 4, Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a section upon the line 5 5, Figs. 1, 2, 3 and l.

In the embodiment shown, 1 represents a suitable frame, more or less conventionally shown, and provided with suitable supporting bearings 2 for the various rolls, six of which are shown. The machine is also provided with a manifold 3 connected to an exhaust fan 4 driven in any suitable manner. Leading upward from this manifold 3 area gang of pipes or conduits 5, one for each roll. Each of these pipes is connected to an elbow 6 connected by a swivelled joint 6 of any preferred construction, to a trunnion tube 7' leading into the trunnion of each roll, as will appear. This pipe 7 is provided with an'opening 7 near its inner end. l

Through the instrumentality of this suc'- tion fan, suction is made effective upon the interior of each roll.

The heart of the invention resides in the construction of the roll, its padding and the means incorporated in the roll for establishing the proper circuit of air through the padding to the interior of the roll. The arrangement for producing this result is preferably provided in connection with each roll and a description of one, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 8, 4 and 5, will sulice for all.

In these views 2, 3, l and 5,18 represents an inner cylindrical shell, of pipe or other' suitable material, closed at the suction end by a'suitable head or plug 9 provided with a hollow -trunnion 10 and an opening 11 for the pipe 7 as shown clearly in Fig. 2. This particular head or plug 9 is provided with a radially disposed opening 12 near` the center and communicating with a suitable trap the latter being fast in the head or plug 9 to turn with it. This trap communicates with the inside of the shell through a lateral opening 14, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. rllhe head or plug 9 to the rear of the opening is provided with a tin or blade entend ing diagonally from the wall of the plug for the purpose of scooping up moisture of condensation as it settles down and collects in the bottom of the roll as it is revolved, as will clearly appear.

The opposite end of the shell 8 is provided with another plug 16 similar to the plug 9, but not shown as provided with a trap, etc. It may be provided with a trap or suction pipe or tube in which case the central opening 17 will he replaced with .a tube 7 in place of a solid shaft 18, as shown. The shell 8, at substantially the center of its length, is provided with a group, t-wo annular rows being shown, of hollow nipples 19 threaded int-o the shell and extending inward for a suflicient distance so that when they are `at the bottom they trap and prevent the passage of any water of condensation which may have collected inside of the roll to the outside of the shell. These nipples therefore serve the dual purpose of establishing the only communication with the inner chamber 20 of the shell and the space outside of the shell. They likewise serve to prevent the water of condensation indicated at 21 in Fig. 2 from passing .through them to the padding upon the shell.

Y Surrounding the shell 8 is the base 22 of a 1 spring which is provided with a plurality oi springs28 suitably placed and of the proper height to form, with its outer padding, to be described, an annular cylindrical chamber about the base 22 and therefore the shell 8. Suitable openings 24 through the base 22 serve to establish communication between the nipples 19 and this annular chamber. Upon the outside of the springs 23 are suitable layers 25 of material to form a pad. r1hese layers may be built up in any approved manner. Secured to both of the heads 9 and 16 are brackets 26 supporting annularI rings 2'? litting inside of the padding 25 and serving to provide peripheral end air passages 28 leading to the air chamber formed about the springs between the padding and the shell.

From .the foregoing description it will be seen that when the rolls are in ironing .position and the suction fan is operating a suction effect will be produced through the tube -7 throughout the inner chamber 20 of the shell, thence through the nipples 19 and throughout the annular chamber formed about the shell and about the springs within t-he pad 25, inlet air passing through the padding and any further air necessary passing in through t-he peripheral end openings 28. By this arrangement it will be seen that the suction effect is satised by a more or less evenly distributed air current passing through the pad with relief at the ends of the rolls. lt must be borne in mind that as pad is used on a flat work ironer and the like it gradually becomes very tightly wrapped and hard and resists the passage of air through it, but is still sensitive to some through air flow but in any case any undue suction effect when this condition arises is satisiied by the periphery 28 opening at the ends of the roll. Many attempts have been made to use this suction principle with rolls of this type and even with rolls provided with spring padding but they have all failed due, it is believed, to the fact that there was not the proper distribution of the suction effect upon the pad. This difficulty has obviously been overcome in the present application.

In some instances the moisture handled by this arrangement .of apparatus may collect in the roll, as indicatechand if this moisture were permitted to pass out through the periphery of the roll, it would water soalvthe padding and if rust were present in the roll, rusty water might damage the padding and also the goods treated. This is overcome in the present arrangement by reason of the fact that the fin or blade 15 Vcollects the water in the lateral opening 14 as the cylinder revolves and causes it to pass into the trap or chamber 13 as it moves toward the top and from whence it is discharged through-the opening 7 into the suction tube 7 where it may pass out through the fan. It is also quite obvious that since the nipples project inward, they protect the suction openings in the shell from allowing water to pass through to the outside of the shell and the pad.

nWhat we claim is:

1. In a machine of the class describd, `a heated bed, a rotatable ironing roll spaced therefrom, a cylindrical pervious padding encasing said roll and spaced therefrom to provide an annular cylindrical chamber between the padding and the roll, supporting means for sai-d padding providing openings completely around and at both ends of lthe roll to establish communication between the annular chamber and the atmosphere, andl air and moisture conducting means connected with said chamber in a Zone at the center of the llo length of the roll through which air mayv be exhausted from said chamber.

2. 1n a machine of the class .described as in claim 1 wherein the means for supporting the padding upon the roll is spring pad-ding throughout the length yof the roll and additional means are provided beyond the ends of the roll for .supporting the padding at these points.

3. 1n a machine of the class described as in claim 1 wherein the roll is in the form of a hollow drum and is provided with a group of openings substantially midway of its length, and inwardly projecting tubes are located in said openings for collecting the moisture within the roll and preventing its the roll and means for collecting moisture passing to the padding. from within said roll and delivering it to the 10 4. In a machine of the class described as in outside through the trunnion.

Claim l wherein the roll is in the form of a In testimony whereof we hereby aflix our hollow drum and is provided with a group of signatures.

openings substantially midway of its length, inwardly proj eoting tubes are located in said f CLARENCE E. TROTTER. openings for collecting the moisture within FORREST J. COUCH.

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