IMPROVEMENTS IN SMOOTHING IRONS AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITHL
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Reid, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Agent to Messieurs The Air Burning Company, Limited, of Glasgow,
aforesaid, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SMOOTHING IRONS AND
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITHL."
Scaled the 30th September 1876, and dated the 4th April 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Reid at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th April 1876.
ROBERT REID, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Agent to
Messieurs The Air Burning Company, Limited, of Glasgow, aforesaid.
"IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SMOOTHING IRONS AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITI!."
This Invention relates to an improved combination of parts admitting of smooth-
ing irons being more satisfactorily and economically heated and more conveniently
used than heretofore.
The improved parts are designed to be used in combination with a table on
which the ironing operation is to be performed; they are however not necessarily
attached to a table, but are conveniently portable and usable with any suitable
table.
The apparatus comprises a bivalve bellows which is placed on the floor, so that
the operator may stand on it and work it with the least possible exertion beyond
the natural movement of the body in moving the iron backwards and forwards, the
top of the bellows being arranged to oscillate with the sides, rising and falling
alternately. From the bellows the air passes into an elastic reservoir, consisting of
a drum with a cover of vulcanised rubber attached to it, and which cover is
stretched by the air. The air then passes through a vessel containing a volatile
hydrocarbon liquid and taking up the vapor therefrom becomes combustible; and.
it is an essential feature of the Invention that the entire quantity of air required
for complete combustion is passed through the vessel and not merely the com-
paratively small proportion employed when forming a combustible mixture for
illuminating purposes.
The smoothing iron is made hollow and with its broad end open for the intro-
duction of a combustion piece, or burner, which when entered is secured by any
simple catch, but which can at any time be drawn out for examination or cleaning.

page_text: This burner is a metal shell provided with a perforated block of fire-clay or other
refractory materials, and the combustible mixture enters a space above the per-
forated block and then passes down through the perforations and is burned
underneath, there being a space between the bottom of the block and the bottom
plate of the iron.
The burner is fitted with two branches with stop-cocks, to one of which is
attached a flexible tube leading the.combustible mixture from the vessel containing
the hydrocarbon liquid, whilst to the other is attached a flexible tube to be con-
nected to any ordinary gas bracket or gasalier. The last-named provision is for
two purposes, one for adding a small proportion of ordinary coal gas to the com-
bustible mixture when extra heat is required, and the other for keeping a sinall
light burning during the intervals when the operator may not be working the
bellows. The keeping of the small light burning in this way requires free access
of air to the burner, and for this purpose a series of holes are formed round the
bottom edge of the iron and a second series round the top edge, so that the heated
air may pass off above and its place be taken by fresh air entering below.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Robert Reid in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd October 1876.
ROBERT REID, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Agent to
Messieurs The Air Burning Company, Limited, of Glasgow, aforesaid. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SMOOTHING IRONS AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH."
My said Invention relates to an improved combination of parts, admitting of
smoothing irons being more satisfactorily and economically heated and more con-
veniently used than heretofore.
The apparatus comprises a bivalve bellows, which is placed on the floor so that
the operator may stand on it and work it. From the bellows the air passes into
an elastic reservoir, consisting of a drum with a cover of vulcanised rubber. The
air then passes through a vessel containing a volatile hydrocarbon liquid, and it is
an essential feature of the Invention that the entire quantity of air required for
complete combustion is passed through this vessel.
The smoothing iron is made hollow and with its broad end open for the intro-
duction of a burner, which can at any time be drawn out for examination or
cleaning. The burner is fitted with two branches with stop-cocks, to one of which
is attached a flexible tube leading the combustible mixture to the iron whilst to
the other is attached a flexible tube to be connected to any ordinary gas bracket
or gaselier.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood, I hereunto append a Sheet of explanatory Drawings
to be herein-after referred to and representing a modification of my improved
smoothing iron and apparatus connected therewith. In these Drawings the same
reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are
repeated.
Figure 1 of the Drawings is a plan, and Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of
my improved apparatus for heating smoothing irons.
The improved parts are designed to be used in combination with a table 1, on
which the ironing operation is performed; they are however not necessarily
attached to a table but are conveniently portable and usable with any suitable
table.
The apparatus comprises a bivalve bellows 2, which is placed on the floor, so that
the operator may stand on it and work it with the least possible exertion beyond
the natural movement of the body in moving the iron backwards and forwards, the
top of the bellows 2 being supported by a cross bar or partition 3, and arranged to

page_text: .
oscillate with the sides, rising and falling alternately. From cach side of the bellows
2 the air passes through a flexible tube 4 into an elastic reservoir consisting of a
drum 5 with a cover 6 of vulcanised rubber bound upon it by wire or otherwise
attached so as to be air-tight, and which cover is stretched by the air. An outlet
valve 7 in the drum bottom 5 is provided for the escape of surplus air, and this
valve is connected by a cord 8 to the cover 6, and is lifted whenever the reservoir
becomes over inflated, thus limiting the pressure of the air in the reservoir. From
the reservoir air passes by a flexible tube 9 into and through a vessel 10 containing
a volatile hydrocarbon liquid, and taking up the vapor therefrom becomes com-
bustible, the entire quantity of air required for complete combustion being by pre-
ference passed through the vessel 10, and not merely the comparatively small pro-
portion employed when forming a combustible mixture for illuminating purposes.
The tubes 4 connecting the bellows 2 and the reservoir 5, 6, being flexible the
reservoir can be turned or folded over upon the bellows so as to form a conveniently
portable package when not in use. If preferred, however, the reservoir and bellows
may be connected together in the manner indicated (on a reduced scale) in Figure 3.
In this modification the drum or bottom 5 of the reservoir is attached to the top
board of the bellows 2 by a joint pin, allowing it to slide round upon the bellows
into the position indicated by the dotted circle when required in a compact form
for being carried. Holes 20 through the bellows board and through the drum 5
allow the air to pass from the former to the latter, and a stop is fixed on the bellows
board for determining the positions of the drum 5.
Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section; Figure 5, a transverse vertical section;
Figure 6, an inverted horizontal section; and Figure 7, an end elevation of my
improved smoothing iron. The iron is made hollow, and with its broad end open
for the introduction of a combustion piece or burner 11, which when entered is
secured by simple catches 12, but which can at any time be drawn out for exami-
nation or cleaning. This burner 11 is a metal shell provided with a perforated
block 13 of fire-clay or other refractory material, and the combustible mixture enters
a space 14 above the perforated block 13, and then passes down through the perfora-
tions, and is burned underneath, there being a space 15 between the bottom of the
block 13 and the bottom plate of the iron.
The burner 11 is fitted with two branches 16, 17, with stop-cocks, to one 16 of
which is attached a flexible tube 18 leading the combustible mixture from the vessel
10 containing the hydrocarbon liquid, whilst to the other 17 is attached a flexible
tube 19, which is connected to a gas bracket 20. The last named provision is for
two purposes, one for adding a small proportion of ordinary coal gas to the com-
bustible mixture when extra heat is required, and the other for keeping a small light
burning during the intervals when the operator may not be working the bellows.
The keeping of the small light burning in this way requires free access of air to the
burner, and for this purpose a series of holes 21 are formed round the bottom edge
of the iron, and a second series 22 round the top edge, so that the heated air may
pass off above and its place be taken by fresh air entering below.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I have to state that what I believe to be novel and original, and
claim as the Invention secured to ine by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,-
1. The improved construction of air reservoir (5, 6,) and the modes of combining
the same with the bellows (2), substantially as and for the purposes herein-before
described.
2. The combining of the parts of apparatus for heating smoothing irons by means
of a volatile hydrocarbon, as herein-before described, the entire quantity of air
required for combustion being at once mixed with the hydrocarbon vapor, whilst a
small jet of ordinary illuminating gas is provided for giving extra heat and to pre-
vent complete extinction of the flame.
3. The constructing of smoothing irons and burners for the same, in the improved

page_text: manner herein-before described with reference to Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, of the accom-
panying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Reid, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-six.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
ROBERT REID. (I.S.)