US3644085A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Garment finisher and method of finishing garments
Assignee: McGraw Edison Co
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Filing: 1970-06-29
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Granted: 1972-02-22
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Expires: 1990-06-29
Abstract
Abstract A garment finisher with adjacent internally communicating conditioning and drying chambers, respectively each having horizontally narrow inlet and outlet openings, means discharging steam within the conditioning chamber and as converging inwardly directed jets from opposite sides of the inlet and outlet openings, and means directing heated air downwardly at high velocity within the drying chamber, a first conveyor for carrying successive garments suspended in adjacent generally edge-to-edge spaced orientation on approximately 20 to 30 inch centers to within the conditioning chamber and then through the drying chamber, a second conveyor for carrying the garments suspended within the conditioning chamber but in adjacent spaced generally front-to-rear orientation on approximately only 3 to 6 inch centers, means to transfer the garments from the first conveyor to the second conveyor and back again from the second conveyor to the first conveyor all in the conditioning chamber, means driving the conveyors in synchronization where the second conveyor feed is slower than the first conveyor feed by an approximate ratio of the garment center spacings of the respective conveyors, and the method of finishing garments including a dual-speed garment feed through adjacent conditioning and drying chambers where the garments are normally in general edge-to-edge orientation at liberal center spacings except in the conditioning chamber where they are in general front-to-rear orientation and at much reduced center spacings. It is possible to finish garments, particularly those of a material having memory retaining characteristics, without actually pressing the garment between hot press faces. The garment is initially conditioned, by steam for example, and then is fluffed and dried typically with high-velocity heated air to remove the wrinkles. Equipment is available to finish the garments individually or in batches for each cycle of the finisher unit, or successively on a continuing progressive cycle basis where the garment moves relative to the finisher unit. Tunnel-type finishers, as they are called, operate according to the last-mentioned basis and pass a series of garments successively and continuously, through adjacent internally communicating conditioning and drying chambers.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael G Beeley
- 👤 Paul W Frisby
- 👤 Richard D Thompson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 08:48
CPC Classifications
D; D06; D06F; D06F73/00; D06F73/02; B; B65; B65G; B65G2201/00; B65G2201/02; B65G2201/0229
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
44 words
A method of finishing garments according to claim 1, wherein the path of transfer of the garments when the longer lateral dimensions are aligned is transverse to the path for transfer of the garments when the shorter lateral dimensions are aligned. lateral speed, the
Claim 2
Independent Claim
180 words
The method of finishing on a continuous basis a series of successive garments, comprising the steps of supporting the garments so that one lateral dimension is generally longer than another lateral dimension, locating the successive garments in spaced adjacent relation where the shorter lateral dimensions of the garments are generally aligned and on center spacings to provide clearance between the garments, conveying the garments as oriented along a path generally parallel to the shorter lateral dimensions and at a first rate or speed, reorienting the the garments successively to where the longer lateral dimensions of the garments are generally aligned and are on substantially increased center spacings but yet providing clearance between the garments and conveying the garments as oriented along a path generally parallel to the longer lateral dimensions but at a substantially faster rate of speed, and conditioning the garments during the time they are oriented and conveyed with the shorter lateral dimensions aligned and drying the garments thereafter during at least part of the time the garments are oriented and conveyed with he longer lateral dimensions aligned.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
128 words
In a garment finisher, the combination of means for supporting garments so that one lateral dimension of each is generally longer than another lateral dimension, first means for holding a plurality of garment supporting means on first centers spaced apart by slightly more than the shorter lateral dimension, means for applying a conditioning fluid over the garments as held on the first centers, second means for holding a plurality of garment supporting means on second centers spaced further apart than the first centers and at most by slightly more than the longer lateral dimensions, means for applying a drying fluid over the garments as held on the second centers, and means for individually transferring successive garment supporting means from the first holding means to the second holding means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
A garment finisher combination according to claim 4 further including means for progressively adding new garment supporting means to the first holding means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
A garment finisher combination according to claim 4, further including means for sequentially removing garment supporting means from the second holding means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
121 words
In a garment finisher, the combination of an enclosure defining adjacent first and second chambers communicating with oNe another and having an inlet to the first chamber and an outlet from the second chamber, means to discharge conditioning fluid to the first chamber and means to discharge drying fluid to the second chamber, conveyor means extending though the inlet and into and through the first chamber and from the first chamber through the second chamber and out the outlet, garment suspending means adapted to be carried on the mentioned conveyor means, and means in the first chamber to index the garment suspending means relative to the conveyor means operable to shift the orientation of adjacent supported garments relative to one another.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
144 words
In a garment finisher, the combination of an enclosure defining a first chamber having an inlet and an outlet, means to discharge conditioning fluid to the first chamber, a first conveyor run extending through the inlet and into the first chamber and a second conveyor run extending from the first chamber and out the outlet, a third conveyor run extending only within the first chamber and generally between the first and second conveyor runs, garment suspending means adapted to be carried on the mentioned conveyor runs, means to transfer the garment suspending means from the first conveyor run to the third conveyor run and means to transfer the garment suspending means from the third conveyor run to the second conveyor run, and means operating the mentioned conveyor runs at related speeds for advancing garments at an overall uniform rate through the inlet and outlet.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
61 words
A garment finisher combination according to the claim 8, wherein the third conveyor run is adapted to carry the garment suspending means so that adjacent garments are generally facing and in closely packed orientation, and wherein the first and second conveyor runs are adapted to carry the garment suspending means so that the adjacent garments are in more generally extending orientation.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
A garment finisher combination according to claim 8, wherein the third conveyor run is a rotating screw-type conveyor and operates in a direction generally transverse to the first and second conveyor runs.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
227 words
In a garment finisher, the combination of dimensions enclosure defining a chamber having an inlet opening thereto and an outlet opening therefrom, means for supporting each garment with a large and a small lateral dimension, first means extending through the inlet opening to within the chamber for holding and conveying successive garment supporting means in single file on first centers and with the adjacent garments oriented with the small lateral dimensions extended generally transverse to the advance of the first means, second means in the chamber for holding and conveying the garment supporting means on second centers much closer together than the first centers and with the adjacent garments oriented with the large lateral dimensions extended generally transverse to the advance of the second means, third means extending from the chamber through the outlet opening for holding and conveying successive garment supporting means on third centers much further apart than the second centers and with the adjacent garments oriented with the small lateral dimensions extended generally transverse to the advance of the third means, means for transferring the garment supporting means from the control of the first means to the control of the second means and means for transferring the garment support means from the control of the second means to the control of the third means, and means for applying a conditioning fluid to the chamber.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
54 words
A garment finisher combination according to claim 11, wherein the first means and the second means operate at a synchronized rate where the advance of the first means is faster then the advance of the second means by a factor corresponding to the ratio of the first means centers to the second means centers.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
54 words
A garment finisher combination according to claim 11, wherein the second means and the third means operate at a synchronized rate where the advAnce of the third means is faster than the advance of the second means by a factor corresponding to the ratio of the third means centers to the second means centers.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
65 words
A garment finisher combination according to claim 11, wherein the means for applying a conditioning fluid includes steam discharge pipes elongated in the direction and disposed on opposite sides of the inlet opening to the chamber and of the outlet opening from the chamber and are located to discharge steam jets inwardly and away from the openings and toward and against the garment passing therebetween.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
87 words
A garment finisher combination according to claim 11, further including means for controlling the operation of the conditioning fluid applying means and including means for detecting the presence of a garment within the chamber of the enclosure and not properly supported on the first, second or third means and including a flexible line spaning the enclosure between opposite walls thereof, and control means including a switch actuated responsive to a garment being disposed on said line operable to terminate the operation of the conditioning fluid applying means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
43 words
A garment finisher combination according to claim 11, wherein the centers on the first and third means are spaced apart approximately 20 to 30 inches and wherein the centers on the second means are spaced apart on approximately 3 to 6 inch centers.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
266 words
In a garment finisher, the combination of an enclosure defining adjacent first and second chambers communicating with one another through a narrow passage where the first chamber has an inlet opening thereto and the second chamber has an outlet opening therefrom, means for supporting each garment with a large and a small lateral dimension, first means extending through the inlet opening to within the first chamber for holding and conveying successive garment supporting means in single file on first centers and with the adjacent garments oriented with the small lateral dimensions extended generally transverse to the advance of the first means, second means in the first chamber for holding and conveying the garment supporting means on second centers much closer together than the first centers and with the adjacent garments oriented with the large lateral dimensions extended generally transverse to the advance of the second means, third means extending from the first chamber through the passage and second chamber and outlet opening for holding and conveying successive garment supporting means on third centers much further apart than the second centers and with the adjacent garments oriented with the small lateral dimensions extended generally transverse to the advance of the third means, means for transferring the garment supporting means from the control of the first means to the control of the second means and means for transferring the garment support means from the control of the second means to the control of the thirds means, and means for applying a conditioning fluid to the first chamber and means for applying a drying fluid to the second chamber.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-02-21 | 1975-08-23 | 1976-02-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-02-21 | 1979-08-23 | 1980-02-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-02-21 | 1983-08-23 | 1984-02-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |