Improvements in Vapour Sad-irons.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 27th June, 1891-Accepted, 1st Aug., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by W. P. YOUNG and CHAS. D. MIDDlekauff, of
San Francisco, San Francisco County, California.]
Improvements in Vapour Sad-irons.
I, JOHN ROBERTSON of 2 Victoria Street, Newton Stewart, in the County of
Wigtown, Scotland, Wine Merchant's Assistant, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in vapour sad-irons and has for its object
a means for storing gasoline within the iron itself, and a method of vapourizing
the same by the heat generated in the iron by the combustion thereof.
In carrying out my invention I provide a hollow chamber forming the body
and bottom of the iron, in the fore part of which are a number of small holes
and in the back face a large hole for supplying the necessary ventilation, and
in one of the sides I provide a sliding panel the removal of which enables the
operator to apply a light to the burner contained inside the body of the iron;
upon the upper surface of the body of the iron are two standards carrying the
hollow handle of the iron, one of said standards is made solid and rigidly fixed
to or cast with the body of the iron, the other being hollow and extending
downwards into the body of the iron and fastened thereto by the application of
suitable nuts or the like, its upper end being screwed into the hollow handle of
the iron.
The upper surface of the body of the iron is covered with asbestos, or other
non-conductor of heat and kept in position by a metallic covering engaging with
the body of the iron. From the top of the hollow handle near the back end
thereof projects a tube which is bent downward and enters the hollow standard
at or about the middle thereof, the tube acts as a duct for the vapourized
gasoline to be hereinafter more fully explained. The hollow standard is fitted
with two taps or valves, one just above and the other just below the junction of
the duct and the hollow standard, and passing through a suitable bearing formed
upon the outside of the hollow standard."
The lower end of the hollow standard within the body of the iron, is provided
with a female screw thread into which I screw one end of a hollow externally
threaded junction piece the bore of which coincides with the internal diameter
or bore of the hollow standard. Upon the free end of said junction piece I screw
an elbow joint, the angle of which may be slightly less than 45° into the other
end of said elbow joint I screw a piece of tubing extending to nearly half the
length of the body of the iron, the last mentioned piece of tubing is filled with
a wire gauze and asbestos filter extending slightly into the before mentioned
elbow joint, upon the free end of said piece of tubing I screw a curved elbow
joint which may be also partly filled with asbestos or the like for the further
filtration of the gasoline vapour. The free end of the curved elbow joint is
plugged, and small holes formed in the sides to act as as burner. Suitable
deflecting flanges are provided to deflect the heat from the burner against the
bottom or face of the iron.
Refering again to the hollow handle, the front end is provided with a screw plug
to facilitate cleaning the handle internally, and upon the upper part of the handle
is a similar screw plug the removal of which enables the handle to be filled with
gasoline.
When the iron is to be used the handle is charged with gasoline and the upper
or supply plug screwed home. The two valves or taps before mentioned being
turned on permits the gasoline to pass down the hollow standard through the

page_text: filtering tubes to the burner. The sliding panel at the side of the body of the iron
is removed and the burner may then be brought outside the iron by reason of the
swivelling of the first mentioned elbow joint. The burner when lighted is returned
to the inside of the iron and the sliding panel replaced. In a short time the heat
generated by the burner is conducted by the solid standard to the gasoline con-
tained in the handle, when the temperature of the gasoline reaches the point of
vapourization the upper tap or valve must be closed to stop the flow of gasoline to
the burner. The vapour generated in the handle passes through the duct to the
hollow standard and thence through the filter to the burner.
When the use of the
iron is to be discontinued the lower valve or tap is closed thereby shutting off
the flow of vapour to the burner, a suitable safety valve may be provided in the
upper or feed plug in the handle to prevent explosion.
Dated this 11th day of September 1890.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
4, Moorfields, Fore Street, London, Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Vapour Sad Irons.
I, JOHN ROBERTSON of 2 Victoria Street, Newton Stewart, in the County of
Wigtown, Scotland, Wine Merchants Assistant, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in vapour sad irons, and has for its object
a means for storing gasoline within the iron itself, and a method of vapourizing
the same by the heat generated by its own combustion, within the body of
the iron.
In order that my said invention, and the manner of its operation, may be clearly
understood, I have appended hereunto, two sheets of drawings, in which,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved sad iron constructed according to my
invention.
Fig. 2 is a back end elevation of the same.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the burner and connecting pipe.
Similar letters of reference are used throughout the drawings to indicate
corresponding parts.
In carrying my invention into effect I construct of steel, iron, or any other
suitable metal, a hollow chamber A, constituting the body of the iron, the forepart
of which a is tapered, to enable the operator to get between narrow parts, or frills,
of the fabric being ironed. Within the sides of A, and near to a, I provide a
number of small holes b, and in the back face c, a large hole d, for supplying
the necessary ventilation through A. Upon one side of the body A, I provide a
sliding panel e, to enable the operator to manipulate the burner, as will be herein-
after fully explained. Upon the upper surface of A, are two standards for
carrying the hollow handle B, one of which C, is perfectly solid, and may be either
rigidly attached by any suitable means to A, and B, or formed integrally therewith,
the other standard D, being hollow, or tubular, and screws into the hollow handle B
at f, and passes downward into the body A, through a suitable opening in the top
thereof provided for that purpose. The underside of this opening within A., is
enlarged as at g, and receives the shoulder h, formed upon the lower end of D.
The lower end of D is bored, or otherwise formed, somewhat larger than the
internal bore i, running through the body thereof, into which is screwed a
shouldered junction piece j bored internally, to coincide with i, and held in position
by a hood nut k, screwed upon the lower end of D. The internal bore i extends
from the bottom of D in an upward direction for about half its length, and then

page_text: turns and passes out at the side thereof in the direction of the back of A.
A similar bore ¹ is formed in the upper end of D, within B, terminating at the
side of D, a suitable distance from i. A collar E, is rigidly fixed surrounding D,
and is bored, or otherwise formed internally, so as to form a junction with i, and i,
by which means a continuous, but diverted passage is formed from the interior
of B, to the interior of A. The collar E, has two projections m, and m¹, formed
thereon externally, and in such a position that a central bore in each, would exactly
coincide with the ends of ', and i, within E. The bores in m and m¹ are screwed
internally so that each may receive a screw n, provided with a suitable head by
which they may be turned. The outer surface of m and m' are threaded, so that a
hollow cap, or hood nut o and o¹, may be screwed thereon, and these may be
provided internally with asbestos, or other suitable packing, so as to form a
perfectly air tight stuffing box for u u, by this means the screwing home of uu
would close the passage in E, and shut off i from '.
From the top of the hollow handle B, and near the back end thereof, projects a
tube F, which is bent dowwards and enters E, between m, and m', and so forms a
passage, or duct between B, and the interior of E.
Upon the free, or exposed end of the junction piece j, at the bottom of D,
previously mentioned, is screwed an elbow joint p, the angle of which may be a
slight departure from 45°, and into the opposite end of P, I screw a piece of
tubing, extending nearly half the length of A, and in this I place a wire gauze
and asbestos filter, preferably occupying the entire capacity thereof. Upon the
free end of r, I screw a curved elbow s, which, for the better, or more perfect
filtration of the gasoline, and its vapour, may be partly, or wholly filled with
asbestos, or other substance suitable for the purpose. The exposed, or free end
of 8, is provided with a plug s¹, or formed with its end plugged, and has small
holes t, formed, or bored in the sides thereof, so that s, may serve the purpose of a
burner. Upon the outside of s, and extending therefrom in a downward direction,
are three, or more deflecting flanges v, for the purpose of diverting the flame, and
deflecting the heat, from the burner, against the bottom, or face of the iron.
In Fig. 4 I have shewn the arrangement represented by the letters j, p, r, s, s¹, t
and v, detached, that its outward conformation may be more clearly understood.
Referring again to the hollow handle B, the front end is provided with a screw
plug G, to facilitate the cleaning thereof internally, and upon the upper surface is
formed a boss w, into which is screwed a plug H, the removal of which enables B,
to be charged with gasoline. A suitable valve may be provided in G, or H, to
prevent accidents arising from excessive internal pressure, caused by the super-
heating of the vapour.
When the iron is to be used, the handle B, is charged with gasoline, and H,
screwed home. The two screws u are withdrawn so that both the valves formed
thereby are left open, which permits the gasoline in B, to pass down the standard D,
through the filtering tubes r, and, to the burner s', the sliding panel e, is then
removed, and the burner brought outside, for lighting, this being attained by the
swivelling of p, upon j. The burner s', when lighted, is returned to its original
position within A, and the panel e, replaced. In a short space of time the heat
generated by the burner, is conducted through C, to the gasoline in B, and when
the temperature of the gasoline reaches the point of vaporization, the upper valve u,
must be closed, and so stop the flow of gasoline to the burner. The vapour
generated in B, passes through the duct F, and the passage i, and thence through
the filter to the burner. The iron would then be sufficiently hot for the purpose
needed, and would remain so, as long as the burner was alight, or the stock of
gasoline lasted, and when the use of the iron is to be discontinued, the lower valve u
must be closed, which would thus shut off the flow of vapour to the burner, and the
generation of heat cease.
In order to guard against the possibility of the heat in the body of the iron
being in excess of that which could be pleasantly borne by the hand of the operator,
when surrounding B, I provide upon the upper surface of A, a covering x of

page_text: asbestos, or other non conductor, held in position by a thin metallic casing, or
covering y, engaging by any suitable means, with the body of the iron.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
1st. The improved vapour sad iron, constructed and arranged to hold within
its own dimensions, a store of gasoline, vaporized by the heat generated by its
own combustion, the employment of said heat for doing useful work, by the
application of the several parts constituting said iron, combined and operating,
substantially as herein set forth, and for the purposes specified, and in the manner
described and shewn by the accompanying drawings.
2nd. In an improved vapour sad iron, the construction and use of a hollow
body A, with solid heat conducting standard C, and hollow standard D, supporting
a hollow handle B, for storing gasoline, and provided with valves G, or H, the
employment of a surface a, composed of a non conducting substance, and held in
position upon the upper face of A, by a metallic casing y. The manner of
arranging the valves o o¹ with screws n n, for regulating the flow of gasoline
through the passages i and i¹, or its vapour through the bye pass, or duct F, to
the burner contained within A, the arrangement of the slide e, within the side
of A, substantially as and for the purposes described, and shewn by the accom-
panying drawings.
3rd. In an improved vapour sad iron, the construction and use of a swivelled
burner, connected to the hollow standard D, mentioned in the preceding claim,
consisting of a junction j, held in position by a hood nut k, the elbow
p, holding
and supporting a tube r, containing a wire gauze and asbestos filter r¹, the curved
elbow, filled with asbestos, or the like, and provided with radiating flanges v,
and arranged to form a burner by its construction at s¹, and t, substantially as
herein described and shewn by Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings hereunto appended.
Dated this 27th day of Junè 1891.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
4, Moorfields, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.