US1826395A - Pressing machine pad - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 6, 193i, c. E. GALVIN PRESSING MACHINE PAD Filed Nov. 5, 1927 so nesses and difierent widths.

a round, triangular, or the like.

Patented a. 6, 1931 UNITED STATES CHARLES E. GALVIN, OI SPRINGFIELD, OHIO PRESSING MACHINE PAD Application filed November 5, 1927. Serial No. 231,382.

My invention relates to textiles, more particularly to a flexible metallic fabric, and the method of manufacturing the same.

The present invention pertains to fabric ,composed of metallic fibers or strands, known generally in the trade as steel wool, which in the present instance, is arranged in a thin fiat layer or stratum. -While the steel wool or metallic fibers comprising the fabric may be matted or tangled as is usual in bodies of such product, the steel wool material is preferably of a long strand character wherein the strands extend in substantially parallel relation and are for the most part continuous throughout the length of a given section of the fabric. Such strands comprise the warp. Transverse tie strands of flexible wire of light gauge forming the woof, are arranged transversely of the metallic fibers or steel wool an strands with which they are interengaged or interwoven to maintain the shape, proportions and thickness of the body of steel wool fabric. Such transverse strands are preferably, though not necessarily, incorporated in the bod of steel wool by sewing 0r stitching the pre ormed layer or stratum of steel wool. A form of lock stitch is preferably, though not necessarily, employed.

Such fabric may be made of varying thick- It finds a wide field of usefulness for industrial purposes, as for filtering or straining liquid material, or as a diifusin screen especially under conditions of big temperature. One of the present applications of the material is as a pressing pad and steam and heat diffusing screen, in garment pressing machines, ironing machines, and the like. The present product is applicable to many purposes in the industrial art, of which the foregoing are merely suggestive. While, for illustrative purposes, the product is shown as a comparatively thin flat flexible fabricof steel wool, it is obvious that the shape and proportions of the steel wool fabric may bevariedto meet difi'erent conditions of usage by making it of greater thickness in proportion to its width or in forming it lnto belts or hands of various cross-sectional contours, as rectangular,

The object of the invention is to provide as a new article of manufacture flexible metallic fabric composed of metallic fibers or strands commonly known as steel wool, arranged and secured in a body of substantially permanent sha e.

A further 0 ject of the invention is to provide a method of uniting and securing a body of steel wool into predetermined shape.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in view, as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention consists of the features ofconstruction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation, or their equivalents, as hereinafter described and set forth in the'claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the flexible metallic fabric forming the subject matter hereof. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view, showing the relation of the transverse tie strands or stitching to the longitudinally disposed metallic'fibers. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the application of the present metallic fabric to the pressing buck of a conventional garment pressing machine. Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary View of the fabric.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views. V

Steel wool is a fibrous metallic product, formed by stripping or scraping from metal rods or Wires fine thread-like strands or fibers. These strands or fibers are roduced in various grades or degrees of neness or gauge. Thev usual and commercial form of steel Wool with which the public has heretofore been most familiar, comprises a'matted or tangled mass of such metallic fiber or strands, which are intermingled in an unsystematic, distort-. ed, and twisted relation. By improved methods of manufacture, which form no part of the present invention, it has been made possible to produce such fibrous strands of extremely long length and to assemble the output with such strands longitudinally dis poed in substantially parallel relation. While such strands may be more or less intertwisted with each other, their general direction is substantially the same. While the usual matted or tangled form of steel wool may be manufactured into a flexible fabric as herein described, by the present method, the long strand material with its fibers systematicall arranged, as before described, is to be pre erred. The mass of steel wool fibers,

preferably, as they leave the strippers or steel wool machines are distributed and compressed by rollers or other suitable means into a layer or stratum of the required thickness as indicated at l in the drawings. This mass or layer of metallic fiber of substantial l uniform thickness is then secured in preetermined form by transverse ties or stay strands 2. These strands 2 may be interwoven in the metallic fabric, of which they in effect form the woof While thefiber strands 1 form the warp. A preferable method of applying the transverse tie strands is to stitch the mat or layer 1 of steel wool in directions trans-v versely of the general direction of the steel wool strands or fibers, using for such stitching purposes a light gauge soft flexible wire. This stitchin may be in the form of ordinary sewing t rough from one face of the mat or layer 1 to the other and then back again, but the preferable method is by a lock stitch process wherein the tie strands at opposite sides of the mat of layer 1 are interconnected through such mat at closely spaced intervals.

Such rows of stitching 2 may be located closely adjacent to each other, or more widely spaced as necessitated by conditions of use. The fibrous metallic body thus bound together becomes a compact flexible fabric which will retain its shape, thickness and degree of compression or density while -in use. The fabric may be manufactured of various widths or cut to different shapes both as to width and lengh to meet industrial requirements. While reference is made to steel wool, this being the generic term as ordinarily used in the trade, it is to be understood that the material is not necessarily limited to fibers of steel, but other metals, more particularly varieties of bronze and other non-corrosive alloys may be utilized, the term steel wool as herein employed being intended to cover materials of metallic fibrous character of whatever metals having the general characteristics of steel wool.

In Fig. 3 there is shown a pressing buck 3, the top surface or cover sheet 4 of canvas or similar material being torn away to expose there beneath apressing pad 5 formed of the present metallic fabric. In this case the steel wool fabric serves to diffuse a superheated steam discharged through such buck upon the garment being pressed. The present metallic fabric does not deteriorate under the influence of such superheated steam as does padding of vegetable or animal origin. Even though steel is employed as the rea ers material from which the fibers are produced, when used for pressing purposes, as

shown in Fig. 3, it is not subject to rust or corrosion since the high temperature at which it is maintained by the superheated steam being passed therethrough, serves to dry the metallic fabric and dissipate any moisture before rust or corrosion can occur. While the fabric has been illustratedas comparatively thin, it is obvious that it may be of increased thickness, and that the relative proportions of thickness to width may be varied until the thickness and width are substantially equal, thus forming a belt or rope of steel wool strands longitudinally disposed and held together by a transversely arranged hinder or tie strand such as the strands 2. i

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a construction of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

. While in order to comply with the statute Having thus described my invention, I

claim:

1. A'pressing pad comprising a foraminous body of steel wool having its strands arranged in substantially parallel relation, tie strands disposed in parallel paths transversely to the steel wool strands and extend ing on opposite sides of the body with portions of said tie strands interconnected through said body at spaced intervals confining the body in predetermined form, and a porous non-metallic cover therefor.

2. A'pad for a steam pressing machine buck comprising a layer of steel wool arranged with its fibers disposed systematically in. approximately parallel relation, and parallel rows of wire stitching disposed transversely of the steel wool fibers binding the material into a mat of substantially uniform thickness,.and a fabric cloth cover for the steel wool pad.

3. A buck for a steam pressing machine including a cover pad of steelwool, the fibers of which are systematically disposed and united by parallel rows of lock stitching dis- CHAS. E. GALVIN.

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