IMPROVEMENTS IN SMOOTHING IRONS
Year: 1881

page_text: A
LETTERS PATENT to Thomas McCracken, of Ardmore, in the County of
Londonderry, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN SMOOTHING
IRONS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas McCracken at th
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th May 1881.
THOMAS MCCRACKEN, of Ardmore, in the County of Londonderry.
MENTS IN SMOOTHING IRONS."
" IMPROVE
This Invention consists of improvements in the construction of smoothing irons
intended to be treated by gas or vapour mixed with air.
The iron is made hollow inside, and consists of two principal parts, viz., an outer
shell or body of cast iron or other suitable material, and an inner chamber which
forms within the outer shell a receptacle into which gas or vapour and air are
introduced before being burned (and a second or lower chamber for combustion
of the gas or vapour and air).
The chamber forming the receptacle is dropped loosely into the outer shell, a
space being left between the sides and ends of the two (castings), so that a packing
of suitable non conducting material may be placed between them to lessen the loss
of heat by radiation.
The inner chamber is provided with a lid or cover which may be cast in one
with it or separately, and this lid has a rim or flange which rests upon the upper
edge of the outer shell, and is bolted or otherwise suitably fastened to the .
latter.
The broad end of the outer shell or body is provided with a hole or doorway
which is closed by a moveable door or cover, in which are holes, and through these
the products of combustion leave the iron and pass away.
In one modification the space between the outer and inner castings is divided
throughout horizontally by a flange or rib, which may be cast internally on the
outer shell or body, or externally on the inner casting; it is also divided vertically
in the angle at the front or point of the iron by a flange or rib similarly formed
to the horizontal one. Into the front part of each of the lower two spaces thus
formed an opening is made from the interior or combustion chamber, through
[Prine C71

page_text: which the waste products of combustion are conducted to the back part or broad
end of the iron through holes, in which they are allowed to pass away.
The object of this arrangement being to jacket the sides of the combustion
chamber with heated vapour and so lessen the loss of heat from the interior by
radiation. In this modification the hole or doorway in the broad end of the iron
is closed with a moveable slide fitted to prevent escape of vapour.
The cover is provided with a short metal pipe which receives from a flexible tube
the gas or vapour and air for the iron.
In the inner receptacle there are small holes leading from the chamber where
the gas or vapour and air are introduced to the combustion chamber.
The handle of the iron may be of any convenient form and fixed where
preferred.
The working of the iron is as follows:-Gas or vapour and air are passed
through the pipe in the cover to the upper chamber where they are heated, and
jets of the gas or vapour and air then pass into the combustion chamber and are
there burned.
The flames play on the bottom of the outer shell, which bottom may be plain or
corrugated internally to give a greater heating surface, and so heat the iron for use,
but at the same time the upper chamber of the inner receptacle becomes hot, so
that the gas or vapour and air which are passed into it are heated before they are
admitted into the combustion chamber.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas McCracken in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th
November 1881.
THOMAS MCCRACKEN, of Ardmore, in the County of Londonderry.
MENTS IN SMOOTHING IRONS,"
"IMPROVE-
This Invention consists of improvements in the construction of sinoothing irons
heated by gas or vapour mixed with air. The iron is hollow inside, and consists
of two principal parts, viz.; an outer shell or body a and an inner part with
chamber b, which forms within the shell another chamber c, into one of which b
gas or vapour mixed with air is introduced before being burned, and in the other c
the gas or vapour mixed with air is burnt, there being small holes leading from the
chamber b for the passage of the gas or vapour and air into c, or from the one
chamber to the other.
The inner part is provided with a lid or cover. d which has a rim or flange e
which rests on the upper edge of the outer shell or body, and is screwed or otherwise
suitably fastened to the latter. The inner part has also a vertical flange f running
round its outer lower edge, and this flange flies in a groove or channel in the
bottom of the shell or body a. In addition to the vertical projections g, g, in the
bottom of outer shell or body forming the said groove or channel, the internal
surface of the bottom of the outer shell or body a may also be provided with
vertical ribs or projections forming corrugations or hollow places of any convenient
form, such, for instance, as those marked h, h. These ribs serve to augment the
surface over which the heated products of combustion pass, and may form part
of or be attached to the bottom of the shell or body a, or they may be separate in
one or more pieces, and laid or fixed on the bottom of the latter.
The lid or cover d is provided with a short metal pipe o which receives from a
The
flexible tube the gas or vapour mixed with air to be burnt in the iron.
handle of the iron may be of any convenient form, and fixed where preferred.
The internal arrangements of the iron may vary somewhat, and Figures 1, 2, 3, 4,
& 5, show respectively the plan, end elevation, and sections of one arrangement of
iron, and Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, & 10, show respectively the plan, end elevation, and
sections of another arrangement of iron.
In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5, the broad end or rear of the outer shell or body is pro-
vided with a hole or doorway i, which is closed by a movable door or other suitable
cover j in which are holes, and through these the products of combustion leave
the iron and pass away. In this iron the space intervening between the sides and
ends of the inner part and the outer shell or body may be filled with a packing of
suitable non-conducting material in order to lessen the loss of heat by conduction
and radiation. In Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, & 10, the space intervening between the two sides
of the outer shell or body a and of the inner part is divided horizontally by a
flange or projection k forming part of or being attached to the outside of the
chamber b, or by a similar flange or projection forming part of or being attached
to the inner side of the outer shell or body. Near the front end of the inner part
of the iron there is a hole p on each side leading from the combustion chamber c
to the said intervening spaces, and at the broad end or rear of the iron two
holes m, m, are made through the outer shell or body a and leading into the said
intervening spaces. By this arrangement the products of combustion pass from
the chamber c through the openings p, p, then through the intervening spaces
under the horizontal flanges or projections k, l, and finally through the holes m, m.
In this way the sides of the combustion chamber c are jacketed with heated

page_text: currents, so that some loss of heat from the interior by conduction and radiation is
prevented. In this arrangement of the iron the hole or doorway n in the rear end
of the iron is closed with a moveable slide or other suitable cover, which is fitted
so as to prevent an escape of the products of combustion in that direction, and the
inner part forming the chamber c has an inner vertical flange or projection at the
bottom on each side of such chamber and parallel to the outer flange f. The flange
or projection rests on the ribs or projections h, h, and the holes leading from the
chamber b to the chamber c for the jets of gas or vapour and air may be arranged
so that the flame from each jet passes between two of the ribs or projections h, h,
and under some fibrous or porous non-conducting material placed on the top of
such ribs or projections h, h. The working of the iron is as follows:-Gas or vapor
and air are passed through the pipe o in the lid or cover d into the chamber b,
where they are heated, and jets of the heated gas or vapour mixed with air then
pass into the combustion chamber c and are there burnt. The flames strike down-
wards and have a direction given to them by the flange and ribs h, so that the
heated gases pass between the ribs or projections h. A layer of fibrous or porous
non-conducting material may be placed loosely on the top of the ribs or projections h
to prevent as much as possible the escape of heat in an upward direction, but at
the same time the upper chamber b becomes hot, and thus the gas or vapour and
air contained in it are heated before they are admitted into the combustion
chamber c.
Having thus described my Invention, and the manner of carrying it out, I have
to say that I do not restrict myself to the exact details given, but what I claim to
be new and original is,
1. The mode of construction of smoothing irons allowing jets of burning gas or
vapour to pass between vertical ribs or projections on the sole of the iron and
passing flames or the products therefrom under layers of non-conducting material
placed on the top of such ribs or projections.
2. The arrangement for effecting the circulation of the waste products of com-
bustion round the combustion chamber, as shewn.
3. The alternative arrangement of packing or coating the outside of the com-
bustion chamber with non-conducting material. All substantially as described and
illustrated, and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas McCracken, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of November, A.D. 1881.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by
the within named Thomas
McCracken, at Ardmore, in
the County of Londonderry,
before me,
HUGH LYLE,
THOMAS M CRACKEN. (L.S.)
A Justice of the Peace for the said County.
2nd November 1881.