Improvements in Smoothing Irons.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 24th July, 1895-Accepted, 12th Oct., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Smoothing Irons.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM GOLBY, of 36, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by Georg
Hessdörfer, Merchant, and Josef Feldmeyer, Artist, both of Herzogenstrasse,
3, Wurzburg, Bavaria, Germany, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to smoothing irons of the class which are internally heated
by the combustion of spirit. In the smoothing iron which forms the subject of
this invention the spirit is vapourized in a wick-tube by a burner outside the
heating-chamber, it is passed through a shell from fine holes in the end of which it
passes to a mixing-chamber where it mixes with air and enters the heating-chamber
charged with the requisite amount of oxygen for its efficient and economical
combustion.
The accompanying drawings illustrate a smoothing iron constructed in accordance
with this invention.
Figs. 1 & 2 are respectively side and front elevations ;
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section;
Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line x x of Fig. 3; and
Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view.
Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of a modification, and
Fig. 7 is a section taken on the line 2 of Fig. 6.
The same letters of reference where they occur are used to denote corresponding
parts.
The smoothing iron which is made in the shape of an ordinary steel smoothing-
iron consists of a cast shell having a central web e and a partition a rising towards
the head of the iron. Above the web e and partition a is a flue space 6 through
which the products of combustion pass and escape by the opening or openings c.
d is the heating-chamber which, as shewn in Fig. 4, is provided with two
strengthening ribs d¹, one on each side, and a central web e against which the flame
is directed so that these parts are exposed to the greatest amount of heat, which
they impart to the bottom surface, and the latter as in the case of most existing
irons, is continually maintained at the greatest heat.
On each side of the central web e is a narrow space.
These two spaces unite at
the head of the iron and through these passages the heated gases find their way;
experiments have shewn that with this construction of smoothing iron the hinder
part and, the head become hot simultaneously and in a very short space of time.
An essential part of the iron is the door which turns on a hinge or pivot at fi
and locks at . The door carries a cast shell g at the lower end of which the
gases stream forth into the mixing-chamber h. At the mouth of this shell, which
is fitted with very fine holes, the gases enter into combustion and form a strong
wide tongue of flame which burns horizontally in the direction of the head of the
iron. The necessary air for combustion enters through the shell which is also
fitted in the door f.
The apparatus for vapourizing the spirit consists of the receptacle i the wick-
tube k and the peculiar burner l. The receptacle i is made of a cylindrical shape
and has a screw cap or cover which is provided with air holes. (See Fig. 3.)
The wick-tube k is beut at right angles and fixed to the combustion passage, and

page_text: at the lower end is provided with a screw cap k' to allow the wick to be placed in
position in the tube k. The burner also contains a wick which by means of the
mechanism shown on an enlarged scale in Fig. 5 can be regulated. This mechanism
consists of a shell to which is secured a rack 12 with which gears a pinion wheel 1³
rotated from outside the iron.
A perforated tube m passes through the receptacle i and is connected at one end
to the tube k and at the other end to the burner and in this manner feeds both
wicks.
The shell g which is soldered on the tube k leads the gases evolved in said tube
by the heat of the burner 1, into the lower end of the shell g through the fine
openings in which they stream out in the direction of the arrows shewn in Figs. 3
& 4 and mix with air in the mixing-chamber h.
The smoothing iron is exceedingly simple, and cheap and can be used without
danger.
It should be observed that the rectangular bending of the wick-tube k has a
particular object and that it is not in direct connection with the receptacle i.
Through the bending a greater length of tube is obtained. If the tube were
straight and fixed direct on to the receptacle i it would gradually become heated
and the gas production therein would increase.
A further development on the same principle is shown in Figs. 6 & 7. Here
the burner consists of only two parts which are secured together and made compact
and heat non-conducting by means of a cork K. One part consists of the
receptacle A with an angular support A', small tube A³ and regulating screw A²
The other part is composed of a tube E with an inner vapour tube B. The cork K
effects the compact fastening and isolation, and prevents the communication of heat
to the other parts A, A' & A². The contents of the receptacle A therefore remain
comparatively cool.
The small tube A³ has a large number of holes throughout its length and is
surrounded by a filter-cylinder C in order to ensure the better and simultaneous
distribution of the spirit. To the cover of the iron is fixed a tube E into which
the combustion tube B is slid. F is a small pot fixed in the cover of the iron for
the reception of spirit for the preliminary heating of the vapour tube.
As soon as
gases are formed in the burner they ignite automatically at B'. The flames
streaming out lick the projecting ribs G of the iron bottom and the products of
combustion pass out by the openings O and O'. By means of the flame at B'more
gas is evolved in the tube B so that the flame production is continued until all the
spirit in the receptacle A is exhausted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A smoothing iron particularly distinguished by a burner / located on the
outside of the heating-chamber in a wick-tube k and vapourizing the spirit in said
wick tube which said spirit vapour is led through a shell g at whose lower end it
streams out through fine openings, mixes with air in the heating-chamber and
produces combustion, the parts being arranged substantially in the manner herein
described and illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.
2. In a smoothing iron such as is described in Claim I hereof, the arrangement
of a door f for allowing the entry of air to the mixing-chamber to mix with the
vapourized spirit substantially as described and illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 of the
accompanying drawings.
3. In a smoothing irou such as is described in Claim 1 hereof, the arrangement
of a central web e and two strengthening ribs d' which bring about the simultaneous
heating of the smoothing iron, substantially as described and shewn in Fig. 4 of
the accompanying drawings.
4. A modification of the smoothing iron described in Claim 1 hereof distinguished
by a spirit vapourizing tube B contained in a cover tube E a small tube A³

page_text: surrounded by a filter-cylinder C and contained in the spirit vapour tube B aud
compacted and isolated from the spirit feeding receptacle A by means of a cork K,
the gas generated in the tube B issuing at B₁ where it ignites and is distributed by
means of ribs G in the bottom of the smoothing iron, the products of combustion
escaping through the openings O and O', substantially as described and illustrated
in Figs. 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 24th day of July 1895.
F. W. GOLBY,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.