Improvements in Gas Stands for the Heating of Smoothing Irons for Laundry and other Purposes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 24th July, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 24th May, 1897-Accepted, 25th June, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas Stands for the Heating of Smoothing Irons
for Laundry and other Purposes.
We, WILLIAM HARRIS, of 19 and 20 Greenhill Street, Stratford-on-Avon, in
the County of Warwick, Laundry Manager, and ERNEST EDWARD LEWIS, of
2 Greenhill Street, Stratford-on-Avon aforesaid, Gas Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to gas stands for the heating by gas of smoothing irons,
box irons and sad irons for laundry, tailoring and like purposes, and has for its
principal object, the automatic cutting off of the gas supply when the iron is in use
or removed from its rest.
The apparatus consists primarily of a bracket carrying an inlet pipe surmounted
by a rest and burner with a gas by-pass leading to it, and with a valve rod end
standing above the rest upon which the box or other iron comes, whilst the lower
end of the inlet pipe has a mixing chamber open to the atmosphere and to a pipe
leading from the service which is cut off automatically by a valve operated through
the valve rod.
According to my invention, I employ a hollow and pierced burner preferably of
the inside shape of an open-ended box iron, with the base formed into a rest and
with an end of a valve rod extending above it. This burner surmounts a hollow
pillar or tube having a rest-shelf or table upon which the iron stands, and a gas
by-pass tube has its nozzle proceeding outwardly so as to light the said burner
from the outside and is provided with a tap for turning gas on and off whilst the
hollow pillar carries a plate bracket at its middle for supporting the apparatus
upon a table or the like, whilst its lower part has in connection with it, a double.
passaged mixing chamber having an open end and into which coal gas enters.
The gas service pipe is fitted with a valve which is normally closed by a spring,
and outwards of the said valve is the by-pass pipe through which a small quantity
of gas is always passing and which is always alight when the stand is in use, and
which also is not interfered with by the closing of the valve.
OPERATION.
Assuming that the box iron is off the stand, then the gas is cut off from the
burner other than that which passes through the by-pass. To re-heat the box
iron, slip the same over the burner when the same comes and rests upon the
extending end of the valve rod, which is pressed down by the weight of the iron,
whereby the valve is opened and the spring compressed. Gas now enters the
mixing chamber and travels horizontally forwards and backwards into the upright
hollow pillar and from thence flows into the burner and issues through the small
holes in the front thereof and is ignited outwardly by the constant jet at the end of
the by-pass.
The holes in the burner are upon one side only and have outside lugs at its
junction with the base so that there is an inside clearance between the pierced side
of the burner and the inside of the smoothing iron, so that when the iron is in.
position the gas jets play only upon the inside bottom of the same. When the iron

page_text: (which has piercings in its side) is sufficiently heated it is removed from the stand,
when the spring actuates the valve which cuts off the gas supply.
Any number of burners may be arranged upon the same stand, but each burner
has an independent gas supply and valve.
Dated this 23rd day of T... 1906
WILLIAM HARRIS,
ERNEST EDWARD LEWIS,
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicants.
Improvements in Gas Stands for the Heating of Smoothing Irons
for Laundry and other Purposes.
We; WILLIAM HARRIS of 19 and 20 Greenhill Street, Stratford-on-Avon in
the County of Warwick, Laundry Manager, and ERNEST EDWARD LEWIS of
2 Greenhill Street, Stratford-on-Avon aforesaid, Gas Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to gas stands for the heating by gas of smoothing irons,
box irons and sad irons for laundry, tailoring and like purposes, and has for its
principal object, the automatic cutting off of the gas supply when the iron is in use
or removed from its rest.
The apparatus consists primarily of a bracket carrying an inlet pipe surmounted:
by an iron-rest, and burner with a gas by-pass leading to it, and with a valve rod.
end standing above the rest upon which the box or other iron comes, whilst the
lower end of the inlet pipe has a mixing chamber open to the atmosphere and to a
pipe leading from the service which is cut off automatically by a valve operated
through the valve rod.
According to our invention we employ a hollow and pierced burner preferably of
the inside shape of an open-ended box iron, with the base formed into a rest and
with an end of a valve rod extending above it. This burner surmounts a hollow
pillar or tube having a rest-shelf or table upon which the iron stands, and a gas
by-pass tube has its nozzle proceeding outwardly so as to light the said burner
from the outside and is provided with a tap for turning gas on and off whilst the
hollow pillar carries an attachment plate or bracket at its middle for supporting
the apparatus upon a table or the like, whilst its lower part has in connection with
it, a double passaged mixing chamber having an opeù end and into which coal
gas enters.
The gas service pipe is fitted with a valve which is normally closed by a spring,
and outwards of the said valve is the by pass pipe through which a small quantity
of gas is always passing and which is always alight when the stand is in use, and
which also is not interfered with by the closing of the valve.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents, in side elevation, a box-iron
heating stand constructed, arranged and operating according to my invention and
shown fixed in position upon an ironing table.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same and Figure 3 is a topside plan
thereof.
Figure 4 represents, upon an enlarged scale, and partly in vertical section and
partly in elevation, the upper part of the stand, with a box iron in position thereon,
showing more clearly the construction of the burner part of the apparatus, and how
the valve rod is depressed by the iron coming upon its upper end.
Figure 5 shows, upon the same scale as Figure 4, à longitudinal vertical section"

page_text: of the mixing chamber, valve, regulator and adjacent parts of the lower portion of
the apparatus.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawings.
a is the burner, consisting of a hollow casing a', preferably of a shape
approximating to the internal configuration of the iron to be heated and preferably
made up of two screwed together sections a, a, with the joint between them
packed with asbestos or the like and with the front section a', which is shown
formed integral with the bracket part a', of the stand, pierced with holes a³,
wherefrom the flame jets issue and play against the inside 6, of the iron b,
supported by the rest or table a, surmounting the bracket or pillar a, which has a
hollow gas way a', through it, up which the mixture of gas and atmospheric air
proceeds from the mixing chamber c, terminating the lower end a, of the said
pillar, which has, at or about its middle, the attachment foot or plate d, by which
the apparatus is secured to an ironing table, preferably with only the rest and
buruer portions of the stand, with their immediate accessories, coming above the
table and with the mixing chamber, valve, regulator and the like being below and
out of the way.
The said mixing chamber c, consists of a casting having a U-shaped or double
passage c', terminating at one end 2, in the lower part as, of the pillar, whilst the
other end c³, has the gas supply nozzle e, leading into it and is also in communication
with the air inlet pipe f, which is fitted with a cock at f, for opening and closing
the same.
g is the gas supply pipe, leading through the hole g', into the valve chamber g²,
the parts g, g, of which are secured by bolting or by screws to the extension c, of
the mixing chamber casting. From the chainber 92, the gas proceeds through the
hole, in the partition y, into the regulator chamber g', and thence through the
passage e', of the nozzle e, to the mixing chamber c, as clearly shown by the arrows
in Figure 5. h is the valve by which the admission of gas to the burner is
controlled comprising a cone-faced disc ', adapted to take into the correspondingly
coned seating, in the hole 9, and terminating the extreme lower end 43, of the
valve rod 3, which passes upwardly from the valve casing, through the attachment
plate d, and through a hole a, in the iron rest us, with its extreme upper end h*,
protruding (when the valve is closed) to a short extent above the surface of the
same.
In order to prevent the leakage or escape of gas, a diaphragm or washer i made of
india rubber or other suitable material, is located within the joints between the
adjacent parts of the pillar at, and the mixing chamber casting and the valve casing
section and the extension c, of the said casting. A gas-way piercing is made
at, in this diaphragm and another hole is formed at 2, adapted to fit tightly
around the valve rod which passes therethrough, and the diaphragm and valve
rod are made to rise and fall together by the nut and washer 4, taking upon
the worined part 1, of the sail rod and screwed home against the top of the
surrounding parts of the said diaphragm.
The valve is normally closed and the disc ', kept within its seating, by the
spring j, encircling the valve rod and bearing at the lower end against the valve
casing 9, and at its upper end against the collar, of the coupling, connecting
the lower end of the valve rod to the upper portion.
The regulator by which the quantity of gas to be admitted into the mixing
chamber is determined, consists of a screw threaded spindle k, with the wormed
part working through a boss in the casing g', and having a conical nose end k²,
adapted to be taken more or less into or out of the conoidally formed or Hared
entrance 2, of the nozzle passage e', by the tangent wheel 2, on its outer end
engaging with and being rotated by a worm k³, cut in the lower part of the spindle k,
whose bottom end is carried by the bracket k, whilst the upper end takes through
the hole d', in the attachment plate d, and is terminated by a small hand wheel or
other turn k, by which the regulator is operated. Instead of employing a worm and

page_text: tangent wheel for propelling and repelling the regulator spindle, we may employ
a spur wheel and rack or any other equivalent mechanical means.
m is the by-pass pipe, proceeding from a part of the valve casing above the
valve, direct to the burner and having an independent cock m', by which the
by-pass service is cut off when the stand is not in use. A master tap is also
provided for turning off the main gas supply.
To prevent leakage or escape of gas we propose to interp ise asbestos or other
packing between all the joints.
OPERATION.
Assuming that the box iron is off the stand, then the gas is cut off from the burner,
other than that which passes through the by-pass, by the expansive force of the
spring, drawing the valve disc into its seating. To re-heat the box iron, slip
the same over the burner when its bottom end comes and rests upon the extending
end of the valve rod, which is pressed down by the weight of the iron, whereby
the spring is compressed and the valve opened. Gas now passes through the
valve and enters the mixing chamber and travels horizontally forwards and
backwards through the double passages of the same, into the upright hollow
pillar and from thence flows into the burner from which it issues through the smill
holes in the front thereof and is ignited outwardly by the constantly lighted jet at
the end of the by pass.
The holes in the burner are upon one side only outside lugs a", are cast at its
junction with the base so that there is an inside clearance between the pierced side
of the burner and the inside of the smoothing iron, so that when the iron is in
position the gas jets play only upon the inside bottom of the same. When the
iron (which has piercings in its side) is sufficiently beated it is removed from the
stand, when the spring again draws up the valve disc and automatically cuts off
the gas supply.
Any number of burners may be arranged upon the same stand, but each burner
has an independent gas supply and valve, and instead of the valve being opened by
the iron impinging directly upon the upper end of the valve rod, it may act upon
the end of a lever or a bell crank lever or equivalent communicating with the
said valve rod and through which motion is communicated to the valve for turning
on and off the gas.
We wish it to be understood that we may employ any equivalent means for the
opening and closing of the valve and that the details of construction of the
apparatus may be varied without departing from the nature of invention.
my
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
First. In heating stands for box and other irons, operating the valve for cutting
off the main gas supply from the burner or burners by the act of lifting the iron
from off a spring or equivalently controlled valve-operating expedient upon which
the said iron impinges whilst being heated, and turning o the said gas supply by
the transmission of the force exercised by the weight of an iron to the said
valve-operating expedient.
Secondly. In heating stands for box and other irons, the combination with the
burner and iron rest, above the surface of which an en or a part of a valve-
operating or valve-opening rod or equivalent extenls, of a spring controlle l-valve
adapted to automatically shut off the supply of gas from the baruer or burners of
the stand on an iron being removed fron impingement with the valve opening
rod, substantially as described and set forth.
Thirdly. In heating stands for box and other irons, the combination with the
burner, iron-rest and supporting pillar having a gas way or passage formed
therein, and a spring controlled valve-operating rod passing through, and extending

page_text: above the surface of, the said rest, of a valve chamber or casing, fitted with an.
automatically closed valve and leading to a gas and atmospheric air mixing chamber,
substantially as described and set forth.
Fourthly. In heating stands for box and other irons, the combination with the
burner, of a gas by-pass pipe, leading from a part of the valve casing above or in
front of the valve, or from a part of the main gas supply, to the said burner,
substantially as and for the purpose described and set forth."
Fifthly. In heating stands for box irons, the combination with a burner, iron-
rest, valve operating rod and valve, of a gas regulator, consisting of an advancing
and retiring spindle with an end taking into a corresponding seating in the gas way
or inlet, and rotated by a worm and tangent wheel, rack and pinion or equivalent
means, the whole of the parts being constructed and arranged substantially as
described and set forth.
Sixthly. The improvements in iron-heating stands, and in the means for auto-
matically cutting off and turning on the gas supply of the burner on an iron being.
removed from or placed thereon, the whole of the parts being combined, arranged.
and operating substantially as described and set forth.
1007
WILLIAM HARRIS,
ERNEST EDWARD LEWIS,
By Henry Skerrett,
24 Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicants.