GARMENT FINISHER AND METHOD OF FINISHING GARMENTS

1304209 Garment finisher McGRAW-EDISON CO 9 Dec 1970 [29 June 1970] 58461/70 Heading D1L A garment finisher comprises first and second chambers 14 and 16 communicating with one another in an enclosure and conveyor means 30, 35 for moving garments through the chambers characterised in that the first conveyor 30 extends from within the first chamber 14 and through and out of second chamber 16 and second conveyor 35 extends within first chamber 14 and means 42 are provided to transport a garment on a support such as a hanger 43 within the first chamber 14 from one conveyor 30 to the other 35 and means for operating the second conveyor at a slow speed than the first conveyor. Chamber 14 is a conditioning chamber with a plurality of discharge pipes 24 and 25 with openings for discharging the conditioner, e.g. steam as jets 26 and 27 into the chamber 14 particularly as the garment passes between the openings 18 and 20. The second chamber 16 is a drying chamber with a blower 60 which forces air through a conduit 62 and over heat exchanger 64 where it is heated, and from discharge opening 66 on to the garment supported on the conveyor 30 and with a return 68. Means are provided for moving the first and second (screw type) conveyors at synchronized speeds. There is also provided a control to sense if a garment should fall from either conveyor 30 or 45 within the conditioning chamber 14 which then responds to stop the steam discharge. To do this a string 70 is suspended above the floor between the opposite walls of the chamber 14 where one end is tied to and actuates a sensitive microswitch 72 which switch in turn is connected in an appropriate control circuit. Photocell units 86 and 88 are located spanning the inlet opening 18 and are connected in an appropriate control to start the conditioning cycle automatically as a garment passes into the finisher and breaks the beam.