US2043480A - Pressing machine and maintaining means - Google Patents

Description

June 9, 1936,

G. w. JOHNSON PRESSING MACHINE AND MAINTAINING MEANS Filed July 18, 1954 NVENTOR GEORGE W JOHNSON Patented June 9, 1 936 [TE-D STATE-S PATENT OFFICE PRESSING MACHINE AND MAINTAINING MEANS Application July 18, 1934, Serial No. 735,801

7 Claims.

This invention relates :to apressing machine of the type used in laundry and garment work and more particularly to atmachine in which the pressing members have -a marked degree of curvature. That is to say, the inventionis addressed to the performing of pressing operations in two directions simultaneously for the purpose of pressing or ironing articles, such as mens shirts wherein portions of the pressing members coact to iron the frontor back ofthe shirt,whi1e other portions of thepressing members cooperate to ironcertain of theside portions of the shirt.

An object of this invention is to provide in a machine of the general type described, cooperating pressing members each having. a central pressing portion and aside pressing portion extending at a an angle thereto, one of a the members being providedwith a cover member or .flexible bag enclosing the side portion -..thereof and expansible by fluid pressure against the coacting side portion of theother member when themembers are in pressing position. The. coacting side portions are so constructed that .the cover memher is extended by fluid pressure-means into a locking engagement with the coacting member so as to serve as -a maintaining meansafter the press is closed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pair of coacting pressing members having side pressing portions'and having a part on the side portion of one member adapted to lockingly engagea part-on the side portion of the other-member, together *with means actuated automatically upon movement of themembers into pressure engagement for locking-1y engaging the parts.

Other objects and advantages-of my invention, includingmeans for opening-and.- closing the'press and control mechanism therefor; will appear from the following description-whentaken with the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevationpartly insection and partly diagrammatic, showing a pressing *machine embodying my invention; the parts are shown in press open position in full lines, and with the parts inpressingpositi'on but before the bag member is inflated in dotdash lines; F-ig.'2 is an-ehlarged fragmental sectional-'view-of the head-and bed, showing the "bag member inflated to produce ironing pressure; while Fig. 3 -is an enlarged fragmented viewof certain of the valve mechanismin-Fig 1, showing the parts in operated position.

-I- have illustrated my invention as applied to a press of the scissors type comprising-a frame -10 on which is mounted a pedestal 31 H carrying a bed member [2. An upstariding bracket on the frame pivotally supports ahead lever I4 on which is mounted a head member l5 adapted to coact with the bed l2. The head lever and therefore the head member itself is moved into pressing position, which is the position indicated in dot-dash lines in Fig. 1, by means of toggles l6 and Il in operative position between the frame and the rear end of the head lever.

For moving the toggles toward straightened position, I have provided a cylinder and piston motor l8 pivotally mounted onthe frame by trunnions I9 and which is provided with a piston 23 connected by means of a piston rod 2| with the toggle mechanism. For the control of pressure fluid flow to and from the motor, I have illustrated a conventional two-hand control mechanism comprising a normally closed intake valve 22 and a combined normally closed intake valve 23 and normally open exhaust valve 24. These latter valves are mounted on a common stem- 25 operable by control member 26, and valve 22 is likewise operable by a control member 21. Pressure fluid is supplied upon depression of both control members by way of conduit 28, valve 22, conduit 29, valve 23 and conduit 30 to the forward end of the motor cylinder. This moves piston20 rearwardly, which in turn straightens the toggle mechanism to the dotdash position of Fig. 1 where the pressing members are in position to coact upon inflation of the cover member of the bed.

The bed construction is bestseen in Fig. 2 wherein the bed comprises a central portion 31 having depending side portions 32 extending at an angle to the central portion. A flexible cover member or bag 33 encloses the central and side portions of the bed and has a fluid-tight connection therewith, that illustrated comprising a bar 34 secured to the bed casting by screws 35. The

cover or bag member thus forms a fluid-tight chamber 36 completely surrounding the press ing surfaces of the bed member. The cover member 33 is of a slightly expansib'le or eXtensible material substantially impervious to the operating fluid and preferably formed of plies of impregnated fabric.

The head member comprises a central portion 3'! and downwardly extending side portions 38 which are adapted to coact with the side pressing portions of the bed member so as to cause a pressing action at a substantial angle to the pressing action provided between the central portions 3| and 31.

After the pressing members reach the dot-dash position of Fig. l, meansis provided for supplying fluid under pressure to the chamber 36 so as to expand the bag or cover member 33 for causing the ironing or pressing action between the coacting members. The means illustrated comprises mechanism actuated automatically upon movement of the pressing members into their pressing position. As illustrated, a valve casing 39 is mounted on the frame and encloses a normally closed inlet valve 4|! and a normally open exhaust valve 4| which are maintained in their normal position by a spring 42. Pressure fluid inlet to the valve casing is by way of conduit 43 and exhaust therefrom is by way of conduit 44. A common inlet and exhaust conduit 45 communicates between the valve casing and chamber 36 of the bed. Valves 4!! and 4| are mounted on a common stem 43 which is operable by a bell crank lever 47 which has a connection with the operating mechanism of the press so that valves 43 and 4| may be operated automatically upon movement of the pressing members to their pressing position. The connection illustrated comprises a link 48 pivotally mounted on toggle member l1 and adapted to contact the vertical arm of lever 47 just before the parts reach the dot-dash position of Fig. 1. The link is adapted to yieldingly operate the lever 41 by mounting on the end of the link a spring 49 held thereon by adjustable retaining means 50.

The operation of this portion of the mechanism is as follows: Valve 40 being normally closed and valve 4| open, the pressure chamber 33 is normally in exhausted or slack condition by way of conduit 45, valve 4| and conduit 44 communicating with the atmosphere. Upon movement of the parts to the dot-dash position of Fig. 1, valve 4| is closed, valve 4!] is opened and pressure fluid is supplied to the pressure chamber 36 which distends the cover member 33 to the position of Fig. 2. At the close of a pressing operation, bell crank lever 4! is oscillated in a counterclockwise direction against the yielding spring 49 by operator operated means comprising a pedal 5| pivoted to the frame and connected by link 52, bell crank 53 and link 54 with the bell crank lever 41. Pressure on pedal 5| moves lever 41 to the full line position of Fig. l, which permits spring 42 to return the valves to their normal position, thus exhausting the pressure chamber 36.

The pressing members are so constructed that upon their movement into final pressure engagement a part of the side pressing portion of one member so enters a part of the side pressing portion of the other member as to lock the members in their engaged position. This arrangement permits the operator to release the control members 26 and 21 as soon as the press is completely closed and in pressure engagement. In the arrangement illustrated, the depending side portions 38 of the head are inclined toward the longitudinal vertical medial plane of the bed, so that when the cover member 33 is distended a portion of the cover member extends into looking engagement with the side portion of the other member. As seen in Fig. 2, the distance between the lowermost portions of opposed side portions 38 on the head is sufiicient to permit the head to move downwardly and enclose the bed when the cover 33 is deflated. But the said distance is less than the overall dimension of the bed and cover when the latter is distended. A spring 55 connected between the rear end of the head lever and the frame normally tends to open the press, but is ineffective to do so when the cover is distended into locking engagement with the side pressing portions of the head.

Thus, when final pressure has been applied by distending the cover, following actuation of the valves in casing 39, the parts will remain in that position until the operator depresses lever 5|. Therefore the operator is free to release control members 25 and 21 as soon as the press is closed, whereupon pressure fluid is exhausted from motor I8 through conduit 39 and exhaust valve 34.

It is apparent that the control valves for cover inflation, once operated into cover-distending position, are self-maintained in that position until pressure is applied to lever 5|, and this maintaining action is entirely independent of the motor I8.

What I claim is:

1. In a press of the class described, the combination of a pair of coacting head and bed pressing members each having a central pressing portion and depending side pressing portions, means for causing relative approach of said members into pressing position, the depending side pressing portions of said head member being inclined toward the longitudinal vertical medial plane of said bed member, a flexible cover member secured to said bed member and enclosing said side pressing portions thereof, and fluid pressure means operable when said pressing members are in pressing position to distend said cover member into engagement with the side pressing portions of said head member, whereby when said cover member is distended the pressing members will be locked together.

2. In a press of the class described, the combination of a pair of coacting pressing members each having a central pressing portion and depending side pressing portions, a flexible cover member forming a fluid-tight casing enclosing the side portions of one of said members, means for causing relative approach of said members into pressing position, fluid pressure means operable when said pressing members are in pressing position to distend said cover member into engagement with the side pressing portions of the other member, means tending at all times to separate said pressing members and to open the press, and said distended cover member and said engaged side pressing portions of the coacting pressing member interlocking to prevent operation of said press-opening means.

3. In a press of the class described, the combination of a pair of coacting pressing members each having a central pressing portion and a side pressing portion extending at an angle thereto, means for causing relative approach of said members into pressing position, means tend ing to separate said members, a cover member enclosing the side portion of one of said members, fluid pressure means operable when the pressing members are in pressing position to distend said cover member into engagement with the side portion of the coacting pressing member, and portions of said cover member in distended position extending into the side portion of said last-named coacting pressing member.

4. In a press of the class described, the combination of a pair of coacting pressing members, each having a central pressing portion and a side portion extending at an angle thereto, means for causing relative approach and pressure engagement between said members, and fluid pressure actuated means on the side portion of one member and adapted to lockingly enter into the side portion of the other member when the members are in pressing position, to prevent disengagement of said members.

5. In a press of the class described, the combination of a pair of coacting pressing members each having a central pressing portion and a side portion extending at an angle thereto, means for causing relative approach and pressure engagement between said members, a part on the side portion of one member adapted to lockingly enter into the side portion of the other member to prevent disengagement of said members, and means actuated automatically upon movement of said members into pressure engagement for lockingly engaging said parts.

6. In a press of the class described, the combination of a pair of coacting pressing members one of which is movable into and out of position adjacent the other, one of said members having a flexible cover substantially enclosing the pressing surface thereof in a fluid-tight construction, fluid pressure means operable when said pressing members are in adjacent position to distend said cover away from its associated member,

means for moving said movable member to place said members in adjacent position, and means independent of said last-named means for locking said members in said position.

7. In a press of the class described, the combination of a pair of coacting pressing members one of which is movable into and out of position adjacent the other, means for so moving the movable member, one of said members having a flexible cover substantially enclosing the pressing surface thereof to form a fluid-tight chamber, fluid pressure means operable when said pressing members are in adjacent position to distend said cover into engagement with the coacting member, control means for said fluid pressure means and operable in cover-distending direction when said members move into adjacent position, and said distended cover member having parts distended into interlocking relation with the coacting pressing member for preventing disengagement of said pressing members.

GEORGE W. JOHNSON.

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