AN IMPROVED COM- DE TRAY"> SMOOTHING, POLIONING, AMD FLUTING IRON
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Henry Cramp, of Brixton, in the County
of Surrey, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED COM-
DE TRAY">
SMOOTHING, POLIONING, AMD
FLUTING IRON."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Henry Cramp
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 18th August 1874.
I, ALFRED HENRY CRAMP, of Brixton, in the County of Surrey, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED COMBINED SMOOTHING, POLISHING, AND FLUTING IRON," to be as
follows:-
The nature of my said Invention consists chiefly in securing on a
reversable smoothing and polishing iron a detachable fluting plate, whose
face is longitudinally grooved on its surface, and in forming the polishing
face tapering or inclined from the central position forward or backward,
so as to leave a central ridge extending entirely across the plate.

page_text: The two sides and the edges of the iron may be polished for use in
smoothing and polishing clothes, or if preferred only one face may be
polished, and the corrugated plate be fixed on the rough face. The
form of the polishing face enables it to be used in its normal position
for polishing articles without tilting the same upon the toe or heel of
the iron.
The iron or block is provided with a frame secured to the block on
pivot centres, the pivots being fixed centrally in the heel and toe of the
iron in such a manner that the iron may revolve freely on said pivot.
The handle, which forms part of the frame, is made hollow. Upon the
heel shank of this frame there is a projection. A thumb catch or lever
with a central slot which fits on the said projection is used to hold the
block or iron steady in position while in use. A pin passes through this
lever and the said projection, which pin is the fulcrum for the lever or
thumb catch. The upper end of the lever has a projection extending
into the handle, on which there is a spiral or other spring, and the lower
end, which is bifurcated, has projections extending into the end of the
iron, holes being made therein for this purpose.
When it is desired to reverse or rotate the iron pressure is applied to
the upper end of the lever, which compresses the spring in the handle,
and withdraws the projections on the lower end of the handle from the
holes in the end of the iron.. When the iron is reversed the pressure is
removed from the upper end of the lever, and the spring in the handle
forces the one or more projections on the lower end of the lever into the
iron, which retains the iron in position while in use.
The fluting plate is attached to one of the surfaces of the iron by any
suitable means which will admit of its ready removal. The fluting
plate is used in connection with a suitable board, with corrugations or
grooves to correspond with those in the fluting plate, and by these
means the fluting is done in a very convenient and expeditious manner.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Henry Cramp in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th February 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
HENRY CRAMP, of Brixton, in the County of Surrey, Civil Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria; by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Alfred Henry Cramp, Her special licence
that I, the said Alfred Henry Cramp, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Henry Cramp, 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 miglit make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
COMBINED SMOOTHING, POLISHING, AND FLUTING IRON," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Henry Cramp, 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 Alfred Henry. Cramp, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement.:-
The nature of my said Invention consists chiefly in securing on a
reversible smoothing and polishing iron a detachable fluting or gouffreing
plate, whose face is longitudinally grooved on its surface, and in forming
the polishing face taper or inclined from the central position forward
or backward to leave a central ridge extending entirely across the plate,

page_text: The manner in which my said Invention is carried into practise may
be fully understood by referring to the accompanying Drawing, in
which,―
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of an iron constructed according to .
my Invention; Figure 2 is a rear end view of the same.
Figure 3 is a section of a fluted or corrugated plate, herein-after
described.
"
Figures 4 and 5 are side elevations of an iron illustrating a modifi-
cation of the said Invention.
In Figures 1 and 2, A is the ironing plate, which is of the usual form,
and is constructed of any suitable material.
If desired, both of the faces of the plate A may be finished or polished
for use in smoothing and polishing clothes, or if preferred only one face
may be so finished, leaving the other rough and unpolished.
B is the handle, and O, O, are its shanks. These shanks O, C, are of:
such contour as to permit of the free revolution of the iron plate A when
attached in and between the same. The shanks O, C, are secured to the
iron plate A on pivot centres a, a, on which the plate freely turns, and
which permits of its being reversed at pleasure. The heel shank O of
the handle is cast or otherwise formed with a tongue or projection o at
or near its centre, and over which fits the slot b, cast in the thumb
latch D, and to which it is pivoted. The dimensions of the slot 6 and
tongue c are such as to permit of the free movement of the former over
and around the latter. The thumb latch D is cast with a bearing pin D¹
at its upper section, which enters and rests in a slot B¹ of the handle.
The said thumb latch is cast with forked arms d, d, at its lower section,
which are provided with right angular pins or prongs d². These forked
arms d, d, open and extend down on the opposite sides of the pivot
bearing a of the shank O, and the pins or prongs & enter holes a¹, a¹, in
the heel of the iron, whereby a firm and secure bearing is afforded, and
the possibility of displacing the plate during the process of either ironing
or fluting is prevented..
.
E is a spring which encircles the pin D' of the latch, and has its
bearings between the latch and handle. The tension of this spring is
constantly exerted to hold the pins & in the holes a¹, a', of the iron

page_text: plate, and thus to secure the iron plate A in a flat position for use, but
by simply depressing the upper end of the thumb latch so as to over-
come the tension of the spring E the prongs d' are instantly withdrawn,
and the iron can be reversed at pleasure and heated from its upper side,
which protects its polished face as well as the fluting plate F when the
same is attached.
This fluting plate F may be cast, or stamped, or struck up out of any
suitable metal. I usually give to this plate a square, rectangular, or
other form that will permit of its being uniformly corrugated throughout
its entire length, but if preferred it may be made to correspond in shape
with the iron in connection with which it is to be used, or of any other
desired form. This plate F is provided with bearings, by which it is
attached to and secured on the iron A. Bearings with pins on the iron
and a thumbscrew k, as shewn in Figure 2, afford very convenient means
for attachment, but any other bearings and fastenings that will accom-
plish the desired result may be substituted for the same.
In Figures 4 and 5, A is a reversible iron block or plate, and B is the
handle, and its shanks b, 6, are so secured to the plate A at pivot
centres a, a, as to permit of the free revolution of the plate between the
shanks. O is a spring latch or other fastening. These parts are so con-
structed and arranged that while the latch holds the block steadily when
in use, at the same time it permits the plate A to be reversed at pleasure,
and allows the operator to work with either face as desired. One face D
of the plate A is flat, and is finished to be used as a sad iron, and the
other face D¹ is inclined or taper, extending in an angular direction from
a point at or near the centre toward the toe, and is to be finished as a
polishing iron, the centre ridge d being used for that purpose, and by a
rapid movement of this ridge d over a shirt front or other like article the
desired gloss is imparted to its surface.
Instead of the metal being so distributed as to leave the greatest
weight in the heel section of the iron, as in Figure 5, it may be so dis-
tributed as to leave the greatest weight at the opposite portion, so that
the tendency of the iron shall be, through its own weight, to fall and
rest on its inclined face. In either case, by a slight inclination of the
handle the iron is so held as to leave only its polishing ridge d in contact
with the garment it is desired to iron.

page_text: The face D is turned down and held in position by the spring latch
when used as a smoothing iron.
When it is desired to use the polishing face the latch is released and
the plate A turned, and the latch automatically fastens it, and as afore-
said, by the slightest inclination of the handle the ridge d is brought in
the position to impart the desired gloss or polish.
The said Invention is applicable to smoothing, glossing, fluting, and
band irons.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I wish it understood that I claim,—
First.. The reversible plate with holes as described, the handle, the
corrugated plate, and the spring thumb latch with forked arms provided
with bearing pins, combined and operating as herein described and for
the purpose specified.
Second. The reversible plate, having one face flat and finished, and
the other face taper from a point at or near its centre, so as to leave a
polishing ridge extending entirely across the plate at or near the middle
of the same, as herein described and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Henry Cramp, have here-
ünto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four..
-
1
AF