IMPROVEMENTS IN TAILORS' IRONS, AND ALSO IN IRONS FOR LAUNDRY AND OTHER USES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Heinrich Carl Luis Mensing, of No. 6, High
Street, Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TAILORS' IRONS, AND ALSO IN IRONS FOR LAUNDRY AND
OTHER USES."
Sealed the 27th January 1874, and dated the 18th November 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Heinrich Carl Luis
Mensing at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 18th November 1873.
I, HEINRICH CARL LUIS MENSING, of No. 6, High Street, Ipswich,
in the County of Suffolk, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TAILORS' IRONS, AND ALSO IN IRONS FOR
LAUNDRY AND OTHER USES," to be as follows:-
→
This Invention has for its object improvements in tailors' irons, and
also in irons for laundry and other uses.
In order effectually to heat irons by means of gas I form the body of
the iron hollow, and I close it at the back by a plate, which can be
removed at pleasure, I place within the body of the iron a partition at

page_text: a short distance above the sole so as to divide the interior space into two
compartments, an upper and a lower. The partition is fixed to the back
plate of the iron, and it is not of the full width and length of the
interior cavity, so that the two compartments communicate with each
other on three sides. A gas pipe passes through the back plate of the
iron and extends horizontally into the lower compartment of the iron.
On the under side of the gas pipe are several burners which direct
small jet-like flames on to the sole of the iron.
The partition plate is arched up over the gas pipe and burners, and is
a short distance above them.
Air for burning the gas is admitted by holes in the back plate both
under and over the partition. A bent chimney at the top of the iron
and in front carries away the products of combustion.
Gas is supplied to the iron by means of a flexible pipe. By this
arrangement complete combustion of the gas is ensured, and the heat
generated is concentrated upon the bottom or sole of the iron.
For laundry use I provide the box iron with a movable nose, which is
capable of being attached at the front of the iron to be used like an
Italian iron for frilling and similar work.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 2
filed by the said Heinrich Carl Luis Mensing in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 18th May 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HEINRICH
CARL LUIS MENSING, of No. 6, High Street, Ipswich, in the County of
Suffolk, send greeting.
91
2
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Heinrich Carl Luis Mensing, 3
Her special license that I, the said Heinrich Carl Luis Mensing, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
: f

page_text: Heinrich Carl Luis Mensing, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TAILORS' IRONS, AND ALSO IN IRONS
FOR LAUNDRY AND OTHER USES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Heinrich Carl Luis Mensing, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Heinrich Carl Luis Mensing, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in tailors' irons, and
also in irons for laundry and other uses.
In order effectually to heat irons by means of gas I form the body of
the iron hollow, and I close it at the back by a plate, which can be
removed at pleasure. I place within the body of the iron a partition at
a short distance above the sole so as to divide the interior space into two
compartments, an upper and a lower. The partition is fixed to the back
plate of the iron, and it is not of the full width and length of the
interior cavity, so that the two compartments communicate with each
other on three sides. A gas pipe passes through the back plate of the
iron and extends horizontally into the lower compartment of the iron.
On the under side of the gas pipe are several burners which direct
small jet-like flames on to the sole of the iron.
The partition plate is arched up over the gas pipe and burners, and is
a short distance above them.
Air for burning the gas is admitted by holes in the back plate both
under and over the partition. A bent chimney at the top of the iron
and in front carries away the products of combustion.

page_text: Gas is supplied to the iron by means of a flexible pipe. By this
arrangement complete combustion of the gas is ensured, and the heat
generated is concentrated upon the bottom or sole of the iron.
For laundry use I provide the box iron with a movable nose, which is
capable of being attached at the front of the iron to be used like an 5
Italian iron for frilling and similar work.
Figure 1 is an elevation; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section; Figure 3
a back view; and Figure 4, a transverse section of a tailor's iron con-
structed according to my Invention.
a, a, is the hollow body of the iron. It has a handle 6 and a chimney
c for the escape of the products of combustion of the gas burnt within
the hollow body a. d is a movable end which closes the body a; at the
back it is fixed in its place by means of two thumb screws e, e. d¹ and
d are openings in the end d for the admission of air; f is a pipe by
which gas is led into the body of the iron; it carries a union piece f¹
for the attachment of a flexible pipe which at its other end may be
adapted to an ordinary fixed gas pipe or burner. g, g, are nipples
screwed into the under side of the pipe f; each of them is perforated
with three minute holes, one directed downwards and the others hori-
zontally, one towards either side. i is a partition plate fixed to the
movable end d; it divides the hollow body of the iron into two com-
partments, which communicate at the sides and ends.
these compartments the gas becomes intermixed with air, and when
ignited by a match applied to the opening d³ it burns with a pale blue
flame, the supply of air entering by the opening & not being sufficient
to cause the gas to be completely consumed immediately on its issue
from the nipples g, g. The flame which with a full supply of gas nearly
fills the lower compartment is little, if at all luminous, and quite
dissimilar from what they would be were the nipples by which the gas
enters unenclosed. To the upper compartment there is a further supply
of air which enters by the opening d³, and a complete combustion of the
In the lower of

page_text: gas is thus ensured. The products of combustion escape by the
chimney c.
In irons of large size a flue for the return of the products of combus-
tion from the front to the back may be formed beneath the top of the
hollow body by the introduction of another partition plate. In this case
there is only a short chimney near the back, terminating in about the
same position as the chimney, which the Drawings shew.
Figure 5 is an elevation of a laundry iron of similar construction, but
of a somewhat different form; Figure 6 is a plan of the same.
Figures 7 and 8 shew separately an elevation and plan of the back
plate d with the parts connected therewith. k is a movable nose, which
serves as an Italian iron. It can be lifted off when it is not required.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim,
the construction of tailors' irons and irons for laundry and other uses,
substantially as described and in such manner that they may be heated
by burning within them a mixture of gas and air.
In witness whereof, I, the said Heinrich Carl Luis Mensing, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of May, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
HEINRICH CARL LUIS MENSING. (L.S.)