Patent GB-742329-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to hand irons
Inventor: BRACE GEORGE ALTON
IPC: D06F75/40
Filed: 1953-06-17
Abstract: 742,329. Hand-irons. HOOVER, Ltd. June 17, 1953, No. 16792/53. Class 138 (2). A hand-iron is provided with a retractable rest 18 pivoted to it and acted on by a resilient snap-over toggle linkage controlled by a manual operating member 28 movable between a retracting position and a projecting position and arranged to shift a part of the toggle linkage so that in the retracting position with the rest 18 pushed up to the plane of the sole plate 10 the toggle linkage will be on one side of a deadcentre and the rest 18 will be retracted clear of the supporting surface, while with the operating member 28 in its projecting position the toggle linkage will be on the other side of the deadcentre and the rest will be projected to lift the sole plate up off the supporting surface. First embodiment (Fig. 1).-The rest 18 comprises a pair of legs 19 which are retractable into recesses 20 in the sole plate 10, and are connected by a web 21 forming a wrinkle eliminator. The rest 18 has a pair of legs 17 through which pass pivots 16 on the ends of crank arms 15 of a crank-shaft 14. The shaft 14 is mounted in bearings 13 and can be turned by means of an arm 25 secured to it. The arm 25 is received between ears 26, 27 projecting laterally from a control lever 28 pivoted to the handle 30 at 29. The lever 28 can be received in a recess 32 in one side of the handle, but is biased outwardly by a light spring, Fig. 3 (not shown). A spring 23 holds the iron in the raised position shown in Fig. 1, the iron being supported by the rest 18 and an extension 35 of the cover shell 34. To return the iron to operating position the user takes hold of the handle, thereby returning the control lever 28 towards it, and lowers the iron on to the supporting surface. This movement brings the line of action of the spring 23 below the axis of the pivots 16 so that the legs 19 of the rest spring up into the recesses 20. On releasing the handle 30 again, the lever 28 springs outwardly and the iron is automatically raised once more. Second embodimemt (Fig. 6).-The rest 18<SP>1</SP> has integral lugs 47 connected by a link 57 and pin 58 to a control lever 28<SP>1</SP> pivoted at 56. The lever 28<SP>1</SP> has a top contour conforming to that of the handle 30<SP>1</SP> but is biased upwardly by a light spring 37<SP>1</SP>. Bearing pins 53 rigidly supported by brackets 54 on the sole plate 10<SP>1</SP> enter a pair of T slots 51 in the lugs 47. The heads of the T slots may be curved to an arc struck about a hook 22<SP>1</SP> at the rear of a spring 23<SP>1</SP>. The hook 22 is adapted to abut against a shoulder 59 at the rear of the handle to limit the extending movement of the rest. When the user releases the handle 30 the lever 28<SP>1</SP> rises under spring bias, thereby moving the lugs 47 so that the pins 53 are in the bottom ends of the heads of the T-slots 51, Fig. 5 (not shown) instead of in the tops thereof as in Fig. 4 (not shown). This movement of the lugs 47 moves the line of action of the spring 23<SP>1</SP> from one side of the pins 53 to the other, whereupon the spring becomes effective to raise the iron on the rest 181. Third embodiment (Fig. 8, not shown).-This construction is similar to the second embodiment, the spring-biased lever 28<SP>1</SP> being replaced by a pivoted manual release lever having a finger-piece projecting downwardly through a hole in the handle. This lever is moved positively by the operator in both directions. Fourth embodiment (Fig. 11).-In this case the control lever 72 shifts the forward end of the spring 82 and does not affect the position of the rest 67. The forward end of the spring 82 is attached to a pin 81 connecting two bellcrank members 78 which are pivoted on pins 75 supported by brackets 74. The members 78 are also connected by a web 79, and a pin 85 extending through cam slots 86 in downwardly extending portions of the lever 72. The rest 67 has upturned flanges 76 with slots 77 to receive and be journalled on the pins 75. Upward movement of the lever 72 by a spring 87 shifts the spring 82 across the dead-centre position and raises the iron on the rest 67.