IMPROVEMENTS IN CHARCOAL BOX IRONS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jabez Whitehouse and John Whitehouse, of the Firm of J.
and J. Whitehouse, of Tipton, in the County of Stafford, Ironfounders, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHARCOAL BOX IRONS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jabez Whitehouse and John
Whitehouse at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd Decem-
ber 1878.
JABEZ WHITEHOUSE and JOHN WHITEHOUSE, of the Firm of J. and J. White-
house, of Tipton, in the County of Stafford, Ironfounders. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CHARCOAL BOX IRONS."
Our Invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in charcoal box
irons, whereby the said box irons are more economically manufactured, and are
more efficient in use than charcoal box irons of the ordinary kind.
Instead of making the box or body of the box iron, and the chimney of the same,
of separate parts as usual, we make the said box or body and the chimney in one
piece by the casting process, the said casting being effected in sand moulds cored in
the usual way. The top of the box is not completely open, but the inner sides of
the said top are furnished with horizontal lips or guides overhanging the interior of
the box, so as thereby to leave an oblong opening in the top of the box through
which the charcoal is fed to and the ash removed from the said box. Under these
horizontal lips or guides the lid or cover of the box iron slides as hereinafter
described. These lips or guides are cast in one piece with the box and chimney.
The opening in the top of the box is closed by a sliding lid or cover having an
upright at each end, to which the handle and guard of the box iron are affixed.
Each of the longer edges of the sliding lid or cover is furnished with a flange
situated below the level of the top of the said lid or cover.
These flanges engage
with the lips or guides on each side of the top of the box, and thereby connect the
lid or cover with the box. By sliding the lid or cover from the chimney end of the
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page_text: box to the heel end, the opening in the top of the box is uncovered, and by sliding
the lid or cover in the opposite direction the box is closed. Under the projecting
lips or guides on the box are pegs or supports on which the lid or cover rests when
it is in its closed or partly open position. As the flanges of the lid fit closely
against the underside of the lips or guides on the box the escape of fumes at the
junction of the lid with the box is effectually prevented. The sliding lid or cover
is fixed in its closed position by means of a lever jointed to the rear upright of the
handle, and on the upper side of one of the lips or guides on the box is a shoulder
with which the lever, when depressed, engages, and prevents the withdrawal of the
lid. By raising the lever from the said shoulder the lid is released, and may be
withdrawn to open the box iron. The complete withdrawal of the lid or cover
from the box is prevented by studs on the under side of the front end of the lid
bearing against the heel end of the box.
Instead of closing the top of the box or body of the combined box and chimney
by a sliding lid or cover, it may be closed by a hinged or jointed lid or cover. We
prefer to hinge or joint the lid or cover to the heel end of the box, the free or
unjointed end of the said lid, seating itself, when shut down, against the chimney
of the box iron. The lid or cover may however be jointed or hinged to one of the
longer sides of the box, the said box being opened and closed by a lateral or side
motion of the lid or cover.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Jabez Whitehouse and John Whitehouse in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 19th June 1879.
JABEZ WHITEHOUSE and JOHN WHITEHOUSE, of the Firm of J. and J. White-
house, of Tipton, in the County of Stafford, Ironfounders. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CHARCOAL BOX IRONS."
Our Invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in charcoal box
irons, whereby the said box irons are more economically manufactured and are
more efficient in use than charcoal box irons of the ordinary kind.
Instead of making the box or body of the box iron and the chimney of the same
of separate parts as usual we make the said box or body and the chimney in one
piece by the casting process, the said casting being effected in sand moulds cored in
the usual way.
The top of the box is not completely open, but the inner sides of
the said top are furnished with horizontal lips or guides overhanging the interior of
the box, so as thereby to leave an oblong opening in the top of the box through
which the charcoal is fed to and the ash removed from the said box. Under the
horizontal lips or guides the lid or cover of the box slides as hereinafter described.
These lips or guides are cast in one piece with the box and chimney. The opening
in the top of the box is closed by a sliding lid or cover having an upright at each

page_text: end, to which the handle and guard of the box iron are affixed. Each of the longer
edges of the sliding lid or cover is furnished with a flange situated below the level
of the top of the said lid or cover. These flanges engage with the lips or guides on
each side of the top of the box, and thereby connect the lid or cover with. the box.
By sliding the lid or cover from the chimney end of the box to the heel end the
opening in the top of the box is uncovered, and by sliding the lid or cover in the
opposite direction the box is closed. Under the projecting lips or guides on the box
are pegs or supports on which the lid or cover rests when it is in its closed or partly
open position. As the flanges of the lid fit closely against the underside of the lips
or guides on the box the escape of fumes at the junction of the lid with the box is
effectually prevented.
Or the flanges on the lid and the pegs or supports on which the lid rests may be
dispensed with, and the edges of the lid be made to slide in grooves made in the
edges of the lips or guides on the box.
The sliding lid or cover is fixed in its closed position by means of a lever jointed
to the rear-support of the handle, and on the upper side of one of the lips or guides
on the box is a shoulder with which the lever when depressed engages and prevents
the withdrawal of the lid. By raising the lever from the said shoulder the lid is
released, and may be withdrawn to open the box iron.
The complete withdrawal of the lid or cover from the box is prevented by studs
on the underside of the front end of the lid bearing against the heel end of the
box.
We
Instead of closing the top of the box or body of the combined box and chimney
by a sliding lid or cover it may be closed by a hinged or jointed lid or cover.
prefer to hinge or joint the lid or cover to the heel end of the box, the free or
unjointed end of the said lid seating itself when shut down against the chimney of
the box iron. The lid or cover may, however, be jointed or hinged to one of the
longer sides of the box, the said box being opened and closed by a lateral or side
motion of the lid or cover.
We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings
the manner in which our Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation, Figure 2 in vertical section, and Figure 3
in plan, a charcoal box iron constructed according to our Invention having a sliding
lid or cover, the said lid or cover being represented closed. Figure 4 represents in
vertical section, and Figure 5 in plan, the said box iron with the lid or cover
opened; Figure is an end elevation of the box iron; and Figure 7 is a cross
section of the same taken on the line a, a, Figure 1.
The same letters indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the Drawing.
b is the body of the box iron, and c is the chimney of the same, the said body b
and chimney c being made in one piece as represented in the Drawing; d, d, are
the horizontal lips or guides at the top of the sides of the box, and overhanging the
interior of the said box (see the cross section, Figure 7). An oblong opening e is
thereby left in the top of the box for the sliding lid or cover f to work in for
opening and closing the said box. The said lid or cover f carries the handle g and
its uprights, and the guard h, and also the fastening lever i. In the edges of the
lips or guides d, d, grooves k, k, are made, in which grooves the edges of the lid or
cover work closely, as best seen in the cross section, Figure 7.
The edges of the lid or cover f having been passed into the grooves k, k, at the
heel end of the box, the said lid or cover is moved towards the chimney end of the
box, so as to close the said box, as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3. By sliding
the lid or cover f towards the heel end of the box the said box is opened, as illus-
trated in Figures 4 and 5. The sliding lid f is prevented from being completely
withdrawn from the opening e in the top of the box by the screw studs 7, 1, on the
underside of the front end of the cover bearing against the heel end of the box.
The sliding motion of the lid or cover is effected by taking hold of the lever i,
which is jointed to the back support of the handle. The said lever i also serves to
fasten the lid or cover in its closed position. For this purpose a shoulder m is made

page_text: on one of the lips or guides d of the box, with which shoulder m the lever i when
depressed engages, as best seen in Figures 3 and 6, and prevents the withdrawal of
the lid. By lifting the lever i so that its arm is above the shoulder m the lid is
unfastened, and may be withdrawn.
The grating n and damper or ventilator p are of the ordinary kind.
Although we prefer to make the edges of the lid or cover f slide in grooves k, kc,
in the edges of the lips or guides d, d, as described and represented in the Drawing,
yet flanges may be made along the edges of the lid, but in a lower plane than the
said edges, for engaging with the underside of the lips or guides d, d, the lid or
cover in this case resting by its flanges on pins or pegs on the sides of the box, and
near the top thereof.
When we close the box b of the combined box and chimney b, c, by means of a
hinged lid or cover we arrange the said lid or cover in either of the ways herein-
before described, but the said hinged lid or cover constitutes no part of our
Invention.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we do not limit
ourselves to the precise details herein described, as the same may be varied without
departing from the nature of our Invention.
But we claim as our Invention of improvements in charcoal box irons,―
First. Making the box or body of the iron and the chimney of the same in one
piece by the casting process, as herein before described, and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawing, whether the box or body be closed by a sliding lid or cover or by
a hinged lid or cover.
Secondly. The arrangements or combinations of the parts hereinbefore described,
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, of a sliding lid or cover for opening
and closing the body or box of a charcoal box iron.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jabez Whitehouse, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy nine.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
JABEZ WHITEHOUSE. (L.S.)