Rotary ironer for ironing essentially rectangular pieces of cloth

Abstract

The invention relates to a rotary ironer comprising at least one essentially horizontally located ironing roller having a circular-cylindrical surface and being rotatably journalled about an axis of rotation through the centre of the roller, and wherein, for each ironing roller, there is provided an ironing pan, wherein the ironing pan is configured from two flexible, essentially rectangular steel plates that are mutually spaced apart, but being closely joined along their periphery, whereby they combine to form a hollow, flexible ironing pan that is able to adapt to the circular-cylindrical surface of the ironing roller and wherein, on the ironing pan at one or more positions along the axis of rotation of the ironing roller, is configured one or more supply pipes, integrally with the ironing pan, for supplying steam to the cavity of the ironing pan. The invention is characterised in that the integral supply pipes at each position on the ironing pan are configured as separate pipes, there being on the integral supply pipes at each position configured separate coupling flanges/stubs for connecting steam supply pipes to the integral supply pipes.

1 . A rotary ironer comprising at least one essentially horizontally located ironing roller that has a circular-cylindrical surface and is rotatably journalled about an axis of rotation through the centre of the roller, and wherein, for each ironing roller, there is provided an ironing pan having two ends and between these two ends forming a yoke in the form of a cylinder face that partially encloses a part of the circumference of the ironing roller essentially in the full length of the ironing roller, and wherein the ironing roller and the ironing pan thus form a supply side, where the piece of cloth will, due to the rotation of the ironing roller, by means of the ironing roller be pulled into the abutment area between the ironing roller and the ironing pan, and a discharge side, opposite the supply side, where the piece of cloth is yet again pushed out of the ironing roller, and wherein the ironing pan is configured from two flexible, substantially rectangular steel plates that are mutually spaced apart, but being closely joined along their periphery, whereby they combine to form a hollow, flexible ironing pan that is able to adapt to the circular-cylindrical surface of the ironing roller and wherein, on the ironing pan, at one or more positions along the axis of rotation of the ironing roller, is configured one or more supply pipes, integrally with the ironing pan, for supplying steam to the cavity of the ironing pan, characterised in that the integral supply pipes at each position on the ironing pan are configured as separate pipes, there being on the integral supply pipes at each position configured separate coupling flanges/stubs for connecting steam supply pipes to the integral supply pipes.  
   
   
       2 . A rotary ironer according to  claim 1 , characterised in that integral steam supply pipes are configured exclusively essentially centrally on the ironing pan, seen in relation to the axis of rotation of the ironing roller.  
   
   
       3 . A rotary ironer according to  claim 1 , characterised in that at least integral steam supply pipes are configured at both ends of the ironing pan, seen in relation to the axis of rotation of the ironing roller.  
   
   
       4 . A rotary ironer according to  claim 3 , characterised in that the coupling flanges/stubs are configured at each end of the ironing pan.  
   
   
       5 . A rotary ironer according to  claim 1  or  2 , characterised in that the steel plate facing towards the ironing roller during use of the rotary ironer is made of black steel or ferritic steel.  
   
   
       6 . A rotary ironer according to  claim 5 , characterised in that both the steel plates that form the ironing pan are made of black steel or ferritic steel.  
   
   
       7 . A rotary ironer according to  claim 1 , wherein the steel plate facing towards the ironing roller during use has a material thickness of between 2 and 6 mm, and in that the steel plate facing away from the ironing roller during use has a material thickness of between 0.75 to 2 mm.  
   
   
       8 . A rotary ironer according to  claim 1 , wherein the ironing pan further comprises one or more discharge pipes for collecting and discharging condensed steam from the ironing pan interior, said discharge pipe(s) being configured at the area on the ironing pan which is located lowermost in the normal in-use position of the ironing pan.  
   
   
       9 . A rotary ironer according to  claim 1 , wherein the integral supply pipes are in flow communication with and attached to the ironing pan at each of the corners of the rectangular steel plates, whereby steam is supplied to the ironing pan at the uppermost edges thereof.  
   
   
       10 . A rotary ironer according to  claim 9 , characterised in that, at least at the one end of the ironing pan, two of the integral supply pipes extend from the ironing pan and slantingly there below.  
   
   
       11 . A rotary ironer according to  claim 10 , characterised in that the two integral supply pipes at the one end of the ironing pan are provided with each their coupling stub/flange for releasable coupling steam supply pipes to the integral supply pipes.  
   
   
       12 . A rotary ironer according to  claim 10  or  11 , characterised in that, to the integral supply pipes at the one end of the ironing pan, one or more steam supply pipes is/are releasably coupled that extend longitudinally to the ironing pan and towards the opposite end of it.  
   
   
       13 . A rotary ironer according to  claim 7 , wherein the steel plate facing towards the ironing roller during use has a material thickness of between 3 and 5 mm, and in that the steel plate facing away from the ironing roller during use has a material thickness of between 1 and 1.5 mm.