US2027894A - Resizing and drying machine - Google Patents

Description

3 Sheets-Sheet l Jam 14, 1936- w. ALcoRN ET Al.

- REsIzING AND DRYING MACHINE Jan 14, 1936 w. ALcoRN ET AL RESIZING' AND DRYING MACHINE Filed spt. 26, 19:54 3 sheets-sheet 2 y a NvENToRS Zzqyay fr?? A y Wu/ww, 1

" ATTORNEY' WITN SS Jan. 14, 1936.

` 71lIllllllIl/lIlll/Illlllllllll Y gi I W. ALCORN ET AL HESIZING AND DRYNG MACHINE rFilm1 sept. 26, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet V5 is 1*'.9A

.ATTORNEY retenue ha', 14,1936

12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in resizing and drying machines, and its objects are as lfollowsz- First, `to provide a machine for-stretching certain kinds of garments back to the original size after a dry-cleaning operation.

Second, to simultaneously stretch a garment and resize it after a dry-cleaning operation, thereby to restore the garment to its original size and the cloth to its original luster.

Third, to provide a machine for simultaneously stretching and steaming the garment a'swell as impregnating the cloth with sizing thereby to carry out the purpose already described.

Other objects. and advantages will appear in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a' side elevation of the improved ma chine, a garment being shown in place.

' 20 Figure -2 is a detail section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure l, particularly illustrating the rack adjustment.

Figure 3 is a detail elevation of the switch for controlling the fan motor. 2.', Figure 4 is a, plan view of the machine, a part being shown in section. l

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 5 5 of Figure 1. v

Figure 6 .is a cross section taken on the line 30 6--6 of Figure l, particularly illustrating the driving connection of the radial shafts with the radially movable stretchingsections. e

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view of one of the clamps. 35 Figure 8 is a, detail cross section taken on the .line 8-8 of Figure 6.

Figure 9 is a vertical longitudinal section of the machine.

.Figure 10 'is a cross section .taken on the line 4.0` Ill-I0 of Figure 9, particularly illustrating the dust screen. l

Figure ll is a 'cross section taken substantially on the line II-II ofyFigure 9', particularly illus- .trating the shutter for regulating the hot air flow.

45. The instant; machine is particularly intended for use in dry-cleaning establishments for the purposes briefiyoutlined above. 'I'here are on the market, at-the Vpresent time, a'number of materials which contain a quantity of sizing to give 50 them a lustrous finish. These materials depend upon the presence of the sizing for their keeping a given dimension.

When a garment undergoes a cleaning process,

some of the sizing is lost, this resulting in the 55 shrinking ofthe garment. Thiseiect is better (el. ca -2s) understood when it is considered that in the original manufacture a piece of cloth, say-" long will be stretched and impregnated with sizing to such an extent that it will assume and `lceep a 36" dimension. When cloth sotreated is subjected to-cleaning so that some of the sizing is lost, it stands to reason that it will tend to shrink toward its original dimension, and if the garment is cleaned a 4suiiicient number ottimes it will shrink so much as to be useless to the wearer.

The machine herein disclosed is so arranged that a garment made oi? cloth ofthe Vforegoing character can be stretched to its original size, and impregnated with sizing so that it will go from the cleaners in a condition closely approximating the original manufacture. The obvious result is satisfaction on the partof the patron because of the more or less new appearance of the garment, andV also on the part of the drycleaner because of his ability to turn out a practically perfect piece of work.

Attention is directed to the drawings. The machine stands mainly on a base I which rests on the floor 2 to which it is secured by bolts 3 or the like, or, if desired, the machine may merely be stood on the floor without being secured. The base I is part of a hollow body i which includes a floor 5 and top 6. Each end of the body has an opening, the respective openings being designated 1, 8.

A plate 9 is attached to the body over the opening 1. This plate has an indented portion Il) having its upright wall pressed out with louvers II (Fig. 9) for the intake of air. A screen I2, situated a, short distance away from the louvers, is intended to exclude dust. VThe frame I3 of this screen (Figi. l0) is slidable in guides I4. v One of the pair of guides is carried by a narrow vane I5. The other `pair of guides is mounted adjacent to the opposite wall of the body (Figs. 5 and 10) An opening I6 inthe top 6 so registers with the guides as to enable withdrawal of the screen frame when a narrow hinged door I1 Fig. 4) is lifted. y

vA heating 'coil I8 constitutes the means for heating the air passing through the louvers II and screen I2. 'I'his air may, in practice, be heated bymeans other than steamwhich is in tended to be used in the coil I8. The latter is .-supplied with steam by a valved pipe I9. One of the top coils has a branch pipe 20. This pipe contains a valve 2|, the handle of which extends to a point above the top 6. The lowermost coil has a discharge pipe 22 which includes la dra valve 23 and water trap 24. f

A sizing tank 25 is situated close enough to the coil I8 to obtain some of the heat. This renders the sizing more fluent and facilitates its being sprayed onto the cloth from the inside of the garment (Fig. 1). 'I'he tank 25 is filled through a spout 26 which is accessible at a point above the top 6. The spout has a stopper 21 which holds in pressure.

The sizing in the tank is subjected to fluid pressure which is conducted into the tank through a pipe 28 from a reservoir (not shown). This reservoir may comprise an air pressure tank such as is not uncommon in dry-cleaning establishments. "Ihe sizing is conducted from the tank by an outlet pipe 29 (Fig. 9) which has an end 39 extending close to the bottom of the tank 25. `The pipe 29 contains a valve 3|, the handle of which extends to a point above the top 6.

A shutter 32v (Fig. 9) is intended to regulate the flow of hot air passingfrom around the coil I8. The 'shutter is slidable in the slot of an elongated boss 33 on the top 6. A thumb screw 34 is used to adjust the size of the aperture 35 through which the hot air iiows. Both the screen frame I3 and shutter 32 can be'seated in a groovein the floor 5, the respective grooves being designated 36, 31 (Fig. 9). One side of the shutter 32 slidvably abuts a narrow vane 36 (Fig. 11), similar to the vane I5.

Hot air is drawn through the aperture 35 by a fan 39 (Fig. 9) This fan is operated by a motor 40. The motor is mounted on the body 4 in any suitable manner, for example on stud bolts 4I which support it in a substantially centered position. The motor is electrically operated, and the current is controlled in any preferred way, for example by a switch 42 (Fig. 3) which includes a movable varm 43 and contacts 44. These have a resistance wire 45 between them, the purpose being to provide a variable rate of speed.

An upright tubular standard 46 is fixedly mounted on the body 4 by means of a foot plate 41 which is bolted down to the floor 5 as at 48 (Fig. 9). [The standard goes through an opening in the top 6 andlextends an appreciable distance above the top. It slidably contains a cylindrical rack 49. 'I'he rack comprises a cylindrical bar with spur teeth cut in one side (Figs. 4 and 9) A collar 50, secured to the standard 46 in anyV ordinary way, has parallel ears 5| which provide bearings for a shaft 52. The shaft has a spur pinion 53 in mesh with the rack teeth, and a crank handle 54 for turning. Asthe shaft 52 is turnedA in one direction or the other, the rack 49 is raised or lowered with respect to the top 6, and thereby adjusted to the approximate length of the garment to be resized and dried. v The garment G (Fig. 1) may be carried by an ordinary coat hanger 55, or some appropriate equivalent,

which is hung o n a hook 56 on the free end of an arm 51 adjustably clamped at 58 to the rack 49.

A head 59, providing an air chamber, is iixedly secured at one of `its open ends to the body 4 around the opening 3 as at 60. The other opening of the head designated 6 I, is directed upwardly. Air is blown into the chamber 59by the fan 39. The air will be hot when the coil I8 is in operation and the shutter 32 is open.' Cold air may be blown into the chamber 59 although the coil I8 is in operation, but at that time the shutter 32 must be closed. A ventilator 62 (Fig. 1) is situated in the side of the body 4, or in some other lconvenient place, this being adapted to be opened to admit air directly from the outside.

64 in a central position with respect to the opening 6|. The shaft is made rigid on the arm. The arm is firmly secured to the head 59 by bolts 65 or their equivalents, these also securing a bracket bearing 66. The arm 63 is braced by a stand pipe 61 which at one end screws into the arm under the shaft 64 and at the other end into a floor iiange 68. The shaft 64 has three diam eters 69, 10, 1I. 'I'hese are progressively'smaller in the order given.` The first two are smooth'but the last is threaded to receive a nut 12 by means of which the assemblage is held together.

This assemblage comprises a central gear 13 which is revoluble on the largest diameter 69. 'A center bearing block 14 is tted upon the'v intermediate diameter Jll, and is locked with a spline.

15 (Fig. 9) so that it cannot turn. This block rests on the shoulder formed by the first diam-l eter 69,there being a suillcient clearance'for the free revolution of the gear 13.v When the nut 12 is screwed home the foregoing assemblageis held in proper position on the shaft 64, as previously stated.

Four sockets 16 (Fig. 4) in the block 14 provide bearings for the inner ends of as many radial screw shafts 11. Another socket 18 (Fig. 4), also in the block 14 and between a pair of the sockets 16, provides the inner bearing for an operating shaft 19. The bracket 66 provides the outer bearing for this shaft (Fig. 9). The shaft 19 hasI a handle for its operation. A drive pinion 8| is secured to the shaft in mesh with the sun gear 13. Revolution of the gear 13 results from the turning of the shaft 19 and pinion 8| by means of the handle.

Turning motion is transmitted from the central gear to pinions 82 which are fixed von the respective radial screw shafts 11. The shafts are prevented from slipping out of their sockets by pins 83 (Fig. 6) which are driven far enough into the block 14 so that their points enter grooves 84 in the inner ends of the shafts. The pins and grooves comprise a swivel. The screw shafts-operate a plurality of stretching sections emplaced in annular formation upon the rim ofthe opening-6I, and inasmuch as each of the sections is alike the immediate description is confined to one of the sections, but corresponding reference characters have similar parts which are later applied to companion s ections.

Consider the stretching section in the upper left quarter of Figure 4. The section is generally designated 85. It comprises an arcuate plate 86 which is approximately one-fourth of a circle in length.l It has a threaded bracket 81 (Figs. 6

and 9) secured to its nethr side by screws 88 or their equivalents.L The lthreaded part of the bracket contains the screw shaft 11. As the screw shaft is turned the plate 86 is moved back and forth in a radial direction. The upper part of the bracket is dovetailed at 89 (Fig. 8). The

I A clamp 93 (Fig. 7) grips'a portion of the gar-- Ament so as to spread the latter over the head.

opening 6|. This clamp has arcuate bands 94, 95. Each has applied to it a strip 96 of rubber, felt or some other suitable material which will improve the gripping quality. The strips are applied to the bands vin confronting positions (Fig.

` 7), and their surfaces can be serrated if the nature of the material usedmak'es that preferable.

The bands 94, 95 are, respectively, an upstanding part of the plate 80 and of a lever 01 which is pivoted at 98 to a bracket 99. The bracket is *suitably secured to the plate 80. A spring |00,

pended from the hook 56 at the top (Fig. 1) and gripped atthe bottom ,will stand in position for treatment according to the principle of the ma.- chine. If the garment G4 is a dress as shown, the upper part will be held by the coat hanger 55 and the hem of the skirt will be gripped by the clamps 93. The stretching sections 85 are simul' taneously moved in their respective radial directions to vsuit the diameter of the skirt by turning the handle 80 in one or the other direction.

The sizing and drying operations then follow.

.Steam and sizing are discharged into the skirt through minute holes |I, |02 in the ring pipes |03, |04 which', respectively, are connected with the branch steam'pipe 20 and sizing outlet pipe gether that the steam and sizing arecornmingled,

29. These pipes are horizontally centered in the head opening 6|. They are held in place by sup,- ports which extend inwardly and are secured to the block 14 by screws'l00 (Fig. 9) or their equivalents.

The two pipes are banked substantially on the order illustrated in Figures 6 and 9. The steam ring pipe |03 is close enough to the sizing ring pipe |04 vto keep the sizing warm and facilitate its atomization. The holes |0|, |02 are so close toand as `the steam tends to escapa-through the interstices of the cloth it carries the sizingwith it but leaves the latter in the form of a deposit in the cloth. During this part of the operation the motor 40 will be operated at low speed. Afterward, the steam and sizing are turned oi at the valves 30, 3| (Fig. 9), whereupon the motor 40A Taking such a garment to be the skirt G (Fig. 1).

and assumingl that the skirt has been put through a cleaning process, the machine is'v set to stretch The garment is first hung on the coat hanger 55 and suspended from the hook 56. The stretching sections 85 are expanded to a diameter to suit the diameter of the hem of the skirt. The hem is then gripped bythe clamps 93. Turning of the crank handle 55 (Fig. 4) raises the rack 49 so as to stretch the garment.l 'I'he steam and i. sizing are then turned on. As these elements escape at the holes |0|, |02 (Fig.` 4) they commingle and resize the cloth as the mixture passes through.

The impregnation will be assisted by running the motor 4o at low speed` The rn as thenthe motor 40 will be run at top speed after the resizing operation has been completed, thereby causing the fan 39 to'drive a more powerful air current through the garment for the purpose of drying.

1. A machine of the character described comprising means for holding a garment in an open position, means for discharging sizing into the open garment, and a fan for driving a current of air into the garment, rst to aid in depositing the sizing in the interstices ofthe cloth, second to dry the cloth.

2. A machine oi' the character described comprising means for holding a garment in an open position, a sizing tank and means at which sizing from the tank is discharged into an open end of the garment, a steam coil located adjacently to the tank so that the heat of the steam will render the sizing more iluent preparatory to its discharge, and means atv which steam from the coil is discharged into said open end of the garment to commingle with the sizing and insure its deposition in the interstices of the cloth as the steam passes through the garment.

3. A machine of the character described com# prising means for holding a garment in an open position, va. sizing tank and means at which sizing from the tank is discharged into an open end of the garment, a steam coil located adjacently to the tank so that the heat of the steam will render `the sizing more fluent preparatory to its dischargekmeans at which steam from the coil is discharged'into said open end of the garment to commingle with the sizing and insure its deposition in the interstices of the cloth as the steam passes through the garment, and a fan for blowing a current of air into said open end of the garment to aid the action of the steam and subsequently to dry the garment.

4. A machine of the character described comprising a head providing an air chamber and having inlet andoutlet openings, a fan to blow air into the inlet opening, clamping means to grip a garment in an open position over the outlet opening so that the airblows into the garment and through the cloth, and a perforated' sizing ring pipe centered with respect to theroutletl opening, at which pipe sizing is dischargeable to be picked up by the air current. l 5. A machine of the character described cornprising a. head forming an air chamber and having inlet and outlet openings, a fan to blow the garment and resize it so that it will be re- ,turned to the owner in true form and appearance.

air into the inlet opening, stretching sections in annular position around the outlet opening, clamping sections to grip one endA of a garment, said sections being carried by the stretching sections, a turnable gear centered in the outlet opening, means operable by said gear to move the sections in radial directions thereby to open said end of the garment, and at least one perforated ring pipe centered with respect to the stretching sections, said pipe being adapted to discharge a iiuid atits perforations to be picked up by the air current.

6.' A machine of the character described-comprising a head providing an air chamber and having inlet and outlet openings, a fan vto blow air into the inlet opening, stretching sections arranged in Yannular form with respectto the outlet opening-said sections including arcuate plates overlying the open end, means4 to adjust to grip one end of a garment and hold said end 'said sections in radial directions from a common Y center, clamping means carried by the sections in a fully open position by virtue of said adjustment, at least one perforated ring pipe to discharge a fluid at its perforations at the outlet openings, and means to flxedly hold said pipe centered with respect to the stretching sections and opening.

7. In a machine of the character described, a head having an outlet opening, a plurality of arcuate plates emplaced in annular formation upon the rim of said opening, garment clampf ing means carried by said plates, a bearing block centered with respect to said plates and opening, a central gear, means supporting the central gear and bearing block, screw shaftsh havingbea'ring in said block and means on the undersides of said plates with which the screw shafts are connected, land. pinions lcarried by the screw shafts in mesh means xedly supporting the lshaft with respect to the head, a central gear revoluble on one of the diameters and means vfor revolving said gear, a

bearing block fitted on the other diameter and i means for iixing the block thereon, said block having radial sockets, screw shafts having bearing at their inner ends in said sockets and having pinions in mesh with the central gear, plates at head having an outlet'opening'located in Va hori' zontal plane, stretching sections located in the substantial planeof the opening, each section including clamping means to grip one end of they garment, operating means to simultaneously move said sectionson radial lines with respect to a common center thereby to change the effective size of the opening and to change the' positions `of theclamping means, means also in the substantial 'plane of the opening at which a fluid is dischargeable into said open end of the garment, hanging means from which the other end of the garment is suspended, a standard which is fixed with respect to the head, a rack slidable in thestandard and carrying the hanging means,v and means on the standard in engage'- ,nment with the rack to slide the rack in the standard to vertically adjust the hanging means with' respect to the opening.

10. In a machine ofthe character described, a hollow body having at least one opening, a head and means by which'it is secured to the body over said opening, said head having an outlet opening, garment clamping and opening means situated substantially in the plane of said outlet opening, a fan for blowingY an air current through the head, said fan having a motor situated in the body, -a hollow standard carried by the body. al rack slidable in the standard, and a pinion in mesh with the rack, said standard having means turnably 'supporting the pinion,4 and hanging means carried by the rack for suspending the garment in a central position over the'outlet opening.-

1 1. In a machine of the character described, a hollow body, heating means and amotor driven fan contained by said body, a shutter across the body dividing -the heating means from the fan, means to hold the shutter in adjusted position, said fan drawing air across the heating means when'the shutter is open, and a ventilator in the Mbody adjacent to-the fan at which to draw in vcool air when the shutter is closed.

12. A machine of the character described comprising a sizing tank and a spray pipe to which sizing is delivered from the tank, a steam heating coil located in proximity to the tank to warm thesizing by heat radiated bythe coil, and a steam discharge pipe in proximity to the spray pipe having a branch pipe inI connection with the coil 4

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