Abstract: A laundry ironing system, comprising a pre-drying cylinder and at least one mangle cylinder and trough unit, in which a flowable heat carrier medium in the form of live steam that circulates through the mangle cylinder and trough unit and then through the pre-drying cylinder is depressurized within the pre-drying cylinder to generate flash steam which precipitates on the internal surface of the pre-drying cylinder when condensing, thus heating the pre-drying cylinder. The present invention is also directed to such a method of heating the pre-drying cylinder, by collecting the flowable heat carrier medium in the form of live steam, and directing the medium inside the pre-drying cylinder where the heat carrier medium is depressurized, resulting in the formation of flash steam precipitating on the internal surface of the pre-drying cylinder. The heat carrier medium is then withdrawn from the pre-drying cylinder.

Abstract: A method for operating a steam trough mangle wherein exhaust air is separated into recirculating air and discharge air with the recirculating air remaining in the air circulation system of the mangle while the discharge air is subjected to a heat transfer process. The recirculating air and fresh air heated by the discharge air are both fed to a trough area of the mangle. The mangle or hot bed ironer in which this method may be carried out includes an air discharging apparatus inside a mangle area that is almost completely enclosed which is connected with a suctioning apparatus for exhausting air and also with the first flow chamber of associated heat transfer means. The heat transfer means has a second flow chamber connected to the suctioning apparatus.