IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS-HEATED SMOOTHING IRONS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Macaulay and James Ballintine, in the employ-
ment of the Air-burning Company, Limited, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS-HEATED
SMOOTHING IRONS."
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Macaulay and James
Ballintine at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th February
1881.
ROBERT MACAULAY and JAMES BALLINTINE, in the employment of the Air
Burning Company, Limited, of Glasgow, in the County of. Lanark, North Britain..
IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS-HEATED SMOOTHING IRONS.""
This Invention has for its object to simplify and improve the construction and
action of gas heated smoothing irons; and in carrying it out the hollow body of
the iron is formed of two iron castings, one of which comprises the bottom and
curved sides, whilst the other comprises the flat end and the top, and has the
handle permanently fixed to it. A horizontal burner pipe which, as seen in plan, is
bent in the form of an oval hook is set a little distance above the bottom, being held
in a snug or projection cast on the bottom, and in a hole in the flat end.. The two
parts of the hollow body are connected together partly by the burner pipe and
partly by a screw at the top of the pointed end. A short length of metal pipe for
receiving a flexible or jointed gas supply pipe is connected by means of an elbow
coupling to the outer end of the burner pipe. Ordinary illuminating gas or any
other suitable combustible gas may be employed, it being unnecessary to mix any
air with it before it issues from the burner pipe. The burner pipe is perforated on
its under side, so that the gas jets are directed against the inside of the bottom of
the iron. The air necessary for combustion, enters by numerous small holes
formed along the bottoms of the curved sides, these holes being by preference made
with an upward inclination. The products of combustion pass off by openings in
the flat end of the iron. Inside the hollow body a thin metal screen, by preference
of a curved form, is fixed by a single stud to the top to prevent the top of the iron.
from becoming overheated.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Robert Macaulay and James Ballintine in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 12th August 1881.
ROBERT MACAULAY and JAMES BALLINTINE, in the employment of the Air
Burning Company, Limited, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS HEATED SMOOTHING IRONS."
Our said Invention has for its object to simplify and improve the construction and
action of gas heated smoothing irons; and in carrying it out the hollow body of the
iron is formed of two iron castings, one of which comprises the bottom and curved
sides, whilst the other comprises the flat end and the top, and has the handle
permanently fixed to it. The two parts of the hollow body are connected together
partly by the burner pipe and partly by a screw at the top of the pointed end.
Ordinary illuminating gas or any other suitable combustible gas may be employed,
it being unnecessary to mix any air with it before it issues from the jet orifices
which are on the underside of the burner pipe. Inside the hollow body a thin
metal screen, which may be either flat or curved, is fixed by a simple stud to the
top to prevent the top of the iron from becoming overheated.
And in order that our said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood we hereunto append a Sheet of explanatory Drawings
to be hereinafter referred to and representing a gas heated smoothing iron as made
with our improvements.
Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is a side elevation, and
Figure 2 is an end elevation; Figures 3 and 4 are a plan and end elevation of the
bottom part of the iron with the top part removed; and Figure 5 is an inverted
plan of the top part. In these Drawings the same reference numerals are used to
mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
The iron is made with a lower body part 7, 8, which comprises the bottom 7
and the two curved sides 8, and with an upper body part 9, 10, which
comprises the top 9 and the flat end 10. A horizontal burner pipe 11, which
as seen in plan (in Figure 3), is bent in the form of an oval hook, is set a
little distance above the bottom, being held in a snug or projection 12, cast on
the bottom 7, and in a hole in the flat end 1.0. The part of the burner pipe 11
passing through the snug 12 is screwed, and nuts are screwed up to the snug on
each side. The two parts 7, 8, and 9, 10, of the hollow body are connected
together partly by the burner pipe 11 and partly by a screw 13 at the top of the
pointed end. A short length of metal pipe 14 for receiving a flexible or jointed
gas supply pipe is connected by an elbow coupling 15 to the outer end of the
burner pipe 11. The burner pipe 11 is perforated on its under side so that the gas
jets are directed downwards against the inside of the bottom 7 of the iron. In
Figure, 3 dots indicate the positions of the jet orifices, but as if the burner pipe 11
were inverted. The air necessary for combustion enters by numerous small holes 16
formed along the bottoms of the curved sides 8, these holes being indicated by
dotted lines in Figure 3, and the gaseous combustion products pass off principally
through openings 17 in the flat end 10 of the iron. Inside the hollow. body a thin
metal screen 18, indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1, is fixed by means of a single
riveted stud 19 to the under side of the top 9 to prevent the top of the iron from
becoming overheated. To further insure the coolness of the the top 9 the curved
sides 8 are made so as to leave narrow openings 20 between their top edges and
the top 9, so that air from the outside can freely pass between the top 9 and the
screen 18. A portion of the gaseous combustion products get out between the
edges of the screen 18 and the sides 8, and through the openings 20. A small
raised boss 21 is formed at the top of the pointed end to support the point of the
top 9 and to receive the screw 13.

page_text: Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we have to state that what we believe to be novel and
original, and claim as the Invention secured to us by and in terms of the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
The combination of parts constituting the improved gas heated smoothing iron
herein before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Robert Macaulay and James Ballintine, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eleventh day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty-one.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
ROBERT MACAULAY. (L.S.)
JAMES BALLINTINE. (L.S.)