IMPROVE- MENTS IN CHARCOAL BOX IRONS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Asher, of 98, Lower Edward St., Balsall Heath,
Birmingham, in the County of Worcester, for an Invention of " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CHARCOAL BOX IRONS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Asher at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th March 1881.
GEORGE ASHER, of 98, Lower Edward St., Balsall Heath, Birmingham, in the
County of Worcester. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHARCOAL BOX IRONS."
Charcoal box irons as usually made are provided with a chimney flue and face,
which, besides adding to their weight, render the article cumbersome and unwieldy
to use, and the linen operated on is liable to become soiled by ashes escaping
through the ventilator at the back.
My Invention relates to making a charcoal box iron without either the usual
chimney in front or ventilator at the back, and I thus produce a box iron much
lighter in weight and more convenient and cleanly in use than hitherto.
In carrying out my Invention, at the top of the two sides of the body or lower
portion of the box iron, I make one or more perforations, with the object of
admitting the air on one side, and allowing its escape on the other; the air after
being drawn in through the perforations on one side is made to pass to the bottom
of the box iron by means of a plate of sheet iron or other metal placed inside in
the direction from front to back, and held in position to form a flue (extending the
the length of one side of the box iron) by small studs or slots cast on the body at
each end. This plate is not continued to the bottom, but an aperture is left, through
which the air is drawn into the burning charcoal, and passing through it
maintains combustion, and escapes through the perforations on the opposite side.
The top portion of the box iron consists of four principal pieces, which I name
respectively the cover, the lever, the handle, and the pin.
The cover consists of a flat plate of metal, having in its centre a raised circular
hollow cone, also perforations.

page_text: The lever consists of a raised metal plate, having a perforation fitting the cone on
the cover, on which it works as a pivot; each end is formed as a latch, which
latches, when a lateral motion is given to the lever, pass under slots made in the
corresponding studs on the body or lower portion of the box iron, and thus simply
and securely fasten these portions together.
The handle is partly constructed of metal and partly of wood, ebonite, china, or
other suitable material; the lower or metal portion I make preferably in the form
of a semi-circle, having a projection at its base, which passing through and fitting
into the raised cone on the cover is secured to it by a pin passing transversely
through the base on the underside of the cover, the top portion of the handle,
which may be made of wood, china, or other material, is formed with a recess at
each end to receive the forks of the metal lower portion, which forks have notches
indented on their edges, through which a pin or pins is or are passed into the body
of the top portion, holding the two parts firmly attached together.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Asher in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th September
1881.
GEORGE ASHER, of 98, Lower Edward St., Balsall Heath, Birmingham, in the
County of Worcester. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHARCOAL BOX IRONS."
Charcoal box irons as usually made are provided with a chimney, flue, and face,
which, besides adding to their weight, render the article cumbersome and unwieldy
to use, and the linen operated on is liable to become soiled by ashes escaping
through the ventilator at the back.
My Invention relates to making a charcoal box iron without either the usual
chimney in front or ventilator at the back, and I thus produce a box iron much
lighter in weight and more convenient and cleanly in use than hitherto.
In carrying out my Invention, at the top of the two sides of the body or lower
portion of the box iron, I make one or more perforations, with the object of
admitting the air on one side, and allowing its escape on the other; the air after
being drawn in through the perforations on one side is made to pass to the bottom
of the box iron by means of a plate of sheet iron or other metal placed inside in
the direction from front to back, and held in position to form a flue (extending
the length of one side of the box iron) by small studs or slots cast on the body at
each end. This plate is not continued to the bottom, but an aperture is left
through which the air is drawn into the burning charcoal and passing. through
it maintains combustion, and escapes through the perforations on the opposite
side.
The top portion of the box iron consists of four principal pieces, which I name
respectively the cover, the lever, the handle, and the pin.
The cover consists of a flat plate of metal, having in its centre a raised circular
hollow cone, also perforations.
The lever consists of a raised metal plate, having a perforation fitting the cone
on the cover, on which it works as a pivot; each end is formed as a latch, which
latches, when a lateral motion is given to the lever, pass under slots made in the
corresponding studs on the body or lower portion of the box iron, and thus simply
and securely fasten these portions together.
The handle is partly constructed of metal and partly of wood, ebonite, china, or
other suitable material, the lower or metal portion I make preferably in the form
of a semi-circle, having a projection at its base, which passing through and fitting
into the raised cone on the cover is secured to it by a pin passing transversely
through the base on the underside of the cover; the top portion of the handle,
which may be made of wood, china, or other material, is formed with a recess at
each end to receive the forks of the metal lower portion, which forks have notches
indented on their edges, through which a pin or pins is or are passed into the
body of the top portion, holding the two parts firmly attached together.
But to make my Invention better understood I will proceed to describe the same
by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan, and
Figure 2 a side elevation of a charcoal box iron constructed according to my
Invention; Figures 3 and 4 similar views of the body or lower portion; Figures 5
and 6 similar views of the cover; and Figure 7, a section of the same on
line A, B, of Figure 5; Figure 8 is a plan, and Figure 9 a side elevation of the
lever; and Figures 10 and 11 side and end elevations respectively of the handle.
Similar letters in all the Figures represent similar parts.
a is the body or lower portion of the box iron; 6 are the perforations or openings
in the top of the same for admitting air on one side; and 6¹ are the openings for

page_text: allowing it to escape on the other side; c is the metal plate forming a flue placed
inside the body a, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, with an aperture at the bottom, as
shewn by the dotted lines, Figure 4; and d, d, and e, e, are the studs and slots cast
on the body for holding the plate in position.
fis the cover; g, the raised circular hollow cone in its centre; and h, the
perforations in the same; i is the lever; j, the perforation in the same, fitting and
working on the cone g as a pivot; k, k¹, are the latch shaped ends, which, when a
lateral motion is given to the lever i by means of its handle 2, pass under the
slots 1, 1, made in the studs m, m³, on the body a; and these parts may be thus
simply and securely fastened together, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2; a' is a stop
cast on the cover f for regulating the extent of movement of the lever i;
n, Figures 10 and 11, is the upper part of the handle of wood, ebonite, china, or
other suitable material; o is the lower semi-circular iron part; and p is the pro-
jection on the base of the same, which projection passes through the slot q in the
raised coneg on the cover f, a pin passing transversely through the holes in the
base p on the underside of the cover, as shewn in dotted lines at Figure 2; t are
the recesses in the top part n of the handle to receive the forks u of the lower
portion o; vare the pins passing through the notches in the said lower portion for
holding the two parts firmly attached together.
To make use of my improved charcoal box iron the lighted charcoal being placed
in the body a of the box iron the cover is placed on the body, and fastened, as
hereinbefore described, by turning the lever i. Air will pass in through the
perforations or openings b down the flue to the bottom of the box iron into the
burning charcoal, so as to maintain combustion, and the gases will escape through
the perforations or openings 6¹ on the opposite side of the box iron. To remove
the cover of the lever i is moved out of the recesses l, 1, in the studs m, m², into the
position shewn in dotted lines, Figure 1.
Having thus described my said Invention, and the best means with which I am
acquainted for carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do
not confine myself to the precise details herein laid down, as it is obvious that that the
same may be varied without departing from the peculiar character of my Invention,
but what I do claim is,-
Firstly. The construction and employment of charcoal box irons, arranged and
operating substanially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, or any mere modification of the
same.
Secondly. In a charcoal box iron I claim the method of attaching to each other
the parts forming the handle, substantially as hereinbefore described and represented
in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Asher, have hereto set my hand.
and seal, this Twenty second day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.