IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FORM AND ARRANGEMENT OF STOVES FOR HEATING IRONS USED FOR DRESSING AND POLISHING SHIRTS, COLLARS, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES; AND ALSO IN THE FIGURE OR FORM OF THE SAID IRONS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Fletcher, of Denmark Court, Golden
Lane, City of London, Shirt-dresser, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE FORM AND ARRANGEMENT OF STOVES FOR HEATING IRONS USED FOR
DRESSING AND POLISHING SHIRTS, COLLARS, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES; AND ALSO IN
THE FIGURE OR FORM OF THE SAID IRONS."
Sealed the 21st December 1860, and dated the 28th June 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Fletcher
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th June 1860.
I, WILLIAM HENRY FLETCHER, of Denmark Court, Golden Lane, City of
London, Shirt-dresser, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FORM AND ARRANGEMENT OF STOVES FOR HEATING IRONS
USED FOR DRESSING AND POLISHING SHIRTS, COLLARS, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES; AND
ALSO IN THE FIGURE OR FORM OF THE SAID IRONS," to be as follows, that is to
say:―
I construct my stove of a cubical form, having the top, sides, and bottom
flat. It may be formed in two sections or parts, or in one. I place it upon a
stand of the usual suitable form. In the front and at the bottom is a door which
opens into the fire-bars, and only used for removing clinker. Immediately
above this door is another for introducing fuel; a small chimney at the back
arries away the products of combustion. Round all the sides of the stove,

page_text: and at or about the level of the bottom of each door, runs a projecting lip or
ledge, into which the irons to be heated are placed, having their smoothing
faces close to the side of the stove; the top part of the stove is a flat cast-iron
plate made thick, so as to stand and retain the heat. The whole of its upper
surface is moulded or cast, so as to be counterparts of the polishing irons, and
to receive and heat them.
By the arrangement described I am enabled to beat nearly three times as
many irons as can be heated by stoves at the present time, having an equal
amount of heating area.
The next part of my Invention relates to the form of these smoothing and
polishing irons. Hitherto these have been large and unwieldly, with flat faces,
requiring a greater amount of power, and producing scarcely any "gloss." I
form my
iron much smaller, not over four or five inches long by three broad,
and rounded at each end, so that the horizontal section is nearly that of an
elipse. In like manner the vertical section of the polishing face is also nearly
semi-eliptical, but having the minor axis flatter, the solid being that obtained
by the semi-revolution of a semi-elipse upon its major axis.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Henry Fletcher in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 28th December 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY FLETCHER, of Denmark Court, Golden Lane, City of London, Shirt-
dresser, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Henry Fletcher, Iler special licence that I, the said William
Henry Fletcher, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Henry Fletcher, 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 might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FORM AND ARRANGEMENT OF STOVES FOR HEATING IRONS
USED FOR DRESSING AND POLISHING SHIRTS, COLLARS, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES; AND

page_text: ALSO IN THE FIGURE OR FORM OF THE SAID IRONS," upon the condition (amongst
others). that I, the said William Henry Fletcher, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 William Henry Fletcher, 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, that is to say :-
I construct my stove of a cubical form, having the top, sides, and bottom
flat. It may be formed either in two sections or parts, or in one. I place it
upon a stand of the usual suitable form. In the front and at the bottom is a.
door which opens into the fire-bars, and only used for removing clinker.
Immediately above this door is another for introducing the fuel; a small
chimney at the back carries away the products of combustion. Round all tho
sides of the stove, and at or about the level of each door, runs a projecting lip
or ledge, into which the irons to be heated are placed, baving their smoothing
faces close to the sides of the stove. The top part of the stove is a flat cast-
iron plate made thick, so as to withstand and retain the heat. The whole of
its upper surface is moulded or cast, so as to be exact counterparts of the
polishing irons, and to receive and heat them.
By the arrangements described I am enabled to heat nearly three times as
many irons as can be heated by stoves at the present time, having an equal
amount of heating area.
The next part of my Invention relates to the form of these smoothing and
polishing irons. Hitherto these have been large and unwieldy, with flat faces,
and require a great amount of power, and produce scarcely any "gloss." I
form my irons much smaller, not over four or five inches long by three broad;
and rounded at each end, so that the horizontal section is nearly that of an
elipse. In like manner the vertical section of the polishing face is also nearly
semi-eliptical, but having the minor axis flatter, the solid being that obtained
by the semi-revolution of a semi-clipse upon its major axis.
In order more clearly to shew the nature of the said Invention, I have to
the above description appended the accompanying Drawings, which are
intended to illustrate the general form and principles of construction which I
adopt in my stoves; and also the form and mode of heating my irons when to
be used for the purpose before described. At the same time I wish it under-

page_text: stood that the various dimensions, the details, arrangements, and in some cases
even the form may be varied and modified to suit different sized stoves.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of one of my stoves; Figure 2, a side one;
Figure 3, a plan of the top, shewing the plate and the recesses for the irons;
Figure 4 is a section of the same; Figure 5, an elevation of one of my
pol isngi rons.
In the example shewn, the body of the stove is formed of two compartments,
but it may be in one only. a, the upper compartment; b, the lower one; c, c,
the furnace bars; e, the feed door; f, the lower or clinker door; g, the
chimney; h, h, the projecting lips upon which the irons j,j, j, are placed to be
heated; is the top plate having the sunk portions for the irons placed on
.the top; 1, the stand of the usual form; m, (Figure 5,) one of my polishing
irons.
Having now described my Invention, and shewn how the same is formed
and acts, I wish it understood that I desire secured to me by the before in part
recited Letters Patent, the construction and sole use of stoves for the purpose
of heating irons for dressing and polishing shirts, collars, and similar articles,
having the form and appliances substantially as herewithin described, and
more particularly illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Furthermore, I claim the use of irons for the above-named purpose, having
the form and shape herewithin described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William H. Fletcher, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
W. H. FLETCHER. (L.S.)