IMPROVEMENTS IN "SOLDERING IRONS
Year: 1884

page_text: We, AUGUST FRIEDRICH ZIMMERLING, JOHN JUSTUS KNOEPPEL, and ADOLPH
CHARLES PAULY, all of Milwaukee, in the County of Milwaukee, and State of
Wisconsin, one of the United States of America, manufacturers, do hereby declare
the nature of the invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN "SOLDERING IRONS," and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and. by the following statement:-
The invention relates to combined self-heating soldering irons and blow pipes'
and will be fully described hereinafter..
In the drawings,―
Fig. 1. is a side elevation of one form of the improved soldering iron, Fig. 2, 'is a'
vertical section through the center of the same.
Fig. 3. is an elevation of a modified form of the device, partly in section, and
Fig. 4, is a cross-section of the same on an enlarged scale, and taken on a line
running through the stein, that connects the handle and heating-iron.
.
The first form of device as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, will be first described;
A is the handle which is made hollow to contain any of the gaseous liquids
generally used for heating purposes; the reservoir thus formed is preferably
divided into two parts; A¹ the supply reservoir, and A³ the feed reservoir, the
connection being made between them by the supply pipe a, which empties in said
feed reservoir A³, near the front end of same. From said reservoir A2, two feed
pipes B, B, opening in same through perforations formed on the same diametrical
line near the rim of said front end, connect the handle A to a cross-shaped pipe-
coupling C, the hollow stem c, of which, forms the seat of the feed-valve D. Said
valve D, has the milled head d, and a thread is cut around the middle part of its
stem e to work in the threaded rear end of said pipe-coupling stem c, which is also
threaded on its outside for the stuffing screw-box f.
A suitable curve is given to said feed-pipes, B B, to allow of the space requisite
to conveniently turn the milled head d, of said feed-valve D, whereby the conical
point of said valve may be brought close against the similarly formed inside of the
front coupling stem c¹, to shut of the gas supply, or kept at a more or less minute.
distance from it, to allow said gas to supply the flame.
Said front stem c¹, of coupling C, is threaded on the outside to fasten the vent-
pipe E, which screws on same to rest its flanged base g, against the arms of said
pipe-coupling C.
From about the middle of its length forward, said vent-pipe E is slightly
enlarged and in the shoulder e; thus formed in it, a series of inclined holes e', e¹, e¹,

page_text: are drilled to serve as vents through which air currents are induced by the flow of
gas toward the front end of said pipe E. For the same purpose other holes e², e²,
through said pipe E are drilled, so that their center is just opposite the end of
stem c¹, of the pipe-coupling C.
The enlarged part of said vent-pipe E, is threaded just above the shoulder e, and
thereon is screwed the rear end of the heating pipe F, an air-space equal to the
depth of the thread being left between the two connecting pipes; this is used in
connection with the holes e³, e³, e³, drilled just above the thread formed on the
inside of heating pipe base, to serve as additional vents for the air supply.
The heating pipe F, of suitable length and diameter, has a series of per-
forations a¹, a, a, a, the rear ones of which are drilled so that their center is just
opposite the front end of the vent-pipe E,' which projects into said heating-pipe F.
Its front end is somewhat enlarged in order to expose more of the metal to the
flame close to the soldering-tip G. This forms a separate part, and is provided on
its base, with a thread which screws inside of the heating-pipe F.
Without said tip G, the self-heating soldering iron becomes a blow pipe, the
manipulation of which, in both cases is absolutely the same as in ordinary soldering
irons, and blow-pipes, except as to the heating of the same.
As to that part which constitutes the improvement, the operation is reduced to
the filling of the reservoirs with the desired liquid. This done, as soon as the
feed-valve is screwed upwards for a proper feed, the vent-pipe E, is exposed to the
light, and in a few seconds enough heat is produced to convert the fluid into dry
gas; which takes fire as it blows out in the vent-pipe E, from the valve opening,
the ignited jet shoots forward into the heating-pipe F, inducing through the vent-
holes, e¹, e¹, e, e², and e³, e³, the air currents to supply the oxygen needed for its
flame.
:
A slightly modifiéd 'construction of the soldering iron is shown in Figs. 3 and 4,
of the drawings, and is made as follows: 'A, is the handle and reservoir of the
device which is preferably formed at its upper end with exterior screw-threads
which engage the interior screw-threads of a collar a, which in turn forms a seat
for a short tube b, screw-threaded or otherwise suitably connected thereto, and to a
hollow-stem B, which extends up to and is suitably joined with the soldering iron
proper. If desired, however, the short tube b and collar a, may be made in one
piece, or form a continuation integral with the stem B.
C, is a core of wood or other suitable material that is fitted in the stem B, and.
extends from its inlet a, to its outlet-head B¹, This core has a hole through its
center to receive the valve rod D, and grooves d, d, one on each side, that form
passages for the circulation of gas and oil around through the head B¹, and into
the handle A, or from the handle to the outlet head, and this circulation is
controlled by valves c, connected to the short tube b, substantially as shown, to
regulate the back pressure in the reservoir; that is, when the greatest heat is
desired, both of the valves c, are opened, so that the gas as it becomes heated at B'
may flow back into the handle, to force the fluid from which the gas is generated'
out of the handle, and then from this point the heat may be gradually reduced by
closing or partly closing either or both of the valves c, In other respects than
those above mentioned, this form of the soldering iron does not differ materially
from that form first described and shown in Figs. 1 and 2, of the drawings, having
similar vent-pipe E, heating-pipe F, with the series of perforations a¹, a¹, etc, and
soldering tip G.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1. In a soldering iron, the heating-pipe F, having jet-holes a¹, a', and vent
holes e³, e³, in combination with pipe E, having vent holes e and e², with feed-
valve D, pipe coupling, feed pipes B, and handle A, with reservoirs contained,
therein, and suitable connections.

page_text: 2. In a soldering-iron, the soldering tip G, in combination with the heating-
pipe F, vent-pipe E, valve D, feed pipes B, and handle A, and connections.
3. In a soldering iron, the reservoir handle having a stem that connects it with
the iron proper, said stem enclosing a core through the center of which the main
valve-rod passes, and between which core and the sides of the stem are gas passages
controlled by suitable valves.
4. In a soldering iron the reservoir handle in combination with a hollow stem,
provided with a core having a central passage and side passages, and means for
connecting said reservoir-handle and hollow stem.