AN IMPROVEMENT IN SMOOTHING IRONS
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, of
16, Castle Street, Holborn, in the City of London, Patent Agent,
for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN SMOOTHING IRONS."-A
ommunication
Sealed the 16th March 1853, and dated the 7th October 1852..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Auguste Edouard
Loradoux Bellford at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 7th October 1852.
1, AUGUSTE EDOUARD LORADOUX BELLFORD, of 16, Castle Street,
Holborn, in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for AN IMPROVEMENT IN SMOOTHING IRONS" to be as
follows:-
This Improvement consists in making the body of the iron hollow,
with a chimney at the top, and a register tube, aperture or apertures,
for admitting air to the bottom, whereby it is made to serve as a
furnace for the combustion of charcoal or other fuel, by which it may
be heated to a suitable degree for use, and by keeping up a proper
supply of fuel may be heated for any desired length of time.
Figure 1, is a side elevation of a smoothing iron constructed
according to this improvement.

page_text: Figure 2, is a longitudinal vertical section or the same.
Figure 3, is a back elevation of the same.
Figure 4, is a plan of the iron complete, except t that a portion of the
handle is represented broken away, to show the means of securing the
lid or top plate.
Figure 5, is a plan of the body of the iron; with--the lid or top
plate and chimney removed.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of
the several Figures.
A, is the principal part of the body of the iron, consisting of an open
box, of any shape that may be thought best suited to the nature of the
work that it is to perform. The bottom of the box forms the face of
the iron, and is made thicker than any other part, in order to prevent
its becoming too highly heated. At the back of the box A, there is
an opening a, from which a tunnel or tube B, runs forward nearly
to the front of the box. This tunnel is open in front, and has also
an opening b, on each side, extending nearly the entire length, close
to the bottom of the box. It is shown as being cast in a separate
piece from the box, and riveted to it; but it may be cast with it.
The opening is furnished with a register or damper i. C, is the
top plate or lid of the box, having the chimney D, attached to and
forming part of it. It is attached to the box by angular projections c,
in front, which fit in notches of corresponding form in the box, and
by a pin g, which passes through a lug d, which stands up from the
back of the box, and passes through an opening between the lugs e,
and f, on its own upper side. The chimney is represented curved, with
its mouth opening forward; but it may be straight, or curved to open
in any other direction. E, is the handle,, which is of wood, and made
of any shape to suit the operator: it is secured to the lid by a wire or
rod h, which passes through it, and is fastened to the chimney D, and
lug f.. The fuel is contained in the box at the sides of, in front, and above
the tube or tunnel B; and in order to place it in the box the lid C,
must be taken off. This is done by taking out the pin g, and then, by
means of the handle, lifting the back end to clear the lug d, when the
projections C. can be drawn from their notches. The air or draught to,

page_text: support combustion is admitted through the opening a, and tunnel or
tube B; and, entering the fire along the whole length and at the end
of the said tunnel or tube, circulates throughout the whole of it, the
supply being regulated for the purpose of increasing or decreasing
combustion, and thereby tempering the heat of the face of the iron, by
the register or damper i. The draught passage B, 'being covered, and
descending to the fire, prevents the escape of the fuel, and consequent
danger of burning the articles upon which the iron is used.
Several modifications may be made in the construction of the iron
without interfering with the principle of the Invention; for instance, the
lid may be secured by hinges, springs, hooks, or any other fastenings;
the chimney may be attached to the box instead of the lid; the air to
support combustion may be admitted through one or more openings
above or below the level of the fire, and either through the front, sides,
back, or top of the box A; the fuel may be supported upon a grate,
L
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, in the
Great Seal Patent Office, on the 6th April 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, of Co, Castle Street, Holborn;
in the City of London, Patent Agent, send greeting.
L
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of October; in the
year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did; for Herself. Her heirs and successors, give and

page_text: grant unto me, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, Her
special license that I, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, 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, communicated to
me by a foreigner residing abroad, for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SMOOTHING
IRONS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Auguste
Edouard Loradoux Bellford, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, 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 Auguste Edouard Loradoux
Bellford, 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):
The object of this Invention is to render practical the permanent
heating of smoothing irons, chiefly by the proper regulation and dis-
tribution of the draft to a charcoal or other fire within the iron, by an
arrangement which prevents also the spilling of the ashes and refuse of
combustion.
This Improvement consists in making the body of the iron hollow,
with a chimney at the top, and a register tube, aperture or apertures,
for admitting air to the bottom, whereby it is made to serve as a furnace
for the combustion of charcoal or other fuel, by which it may be heated
to a suitable degree for use, and by keeping up a proper supply of fuel
may be heated for any desired length of time.
Figure 1, is a side elevation of a smoothing iron constructed accord-
ing to this improvement.
Figure 2, is a longitudinal vertical section of the same.

page_text: Figure 3, is a back elevation of the same.
Figure 4, is a plan of the iron complete, except that a portion of the
handle is represented broken away, to show the means of securing the
lid or top plate.
Figure 5, is a plan of the body of the iron, with the lid or top plate
and chimney removed.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the
several Figures.
A, is the principal part of the body of the iron, consisting of an open
box, of any shape that may be thought best suited to the nature of the
work that it is to perform. The bottom of the box forms the face of the
iron, and is made thicker than any other part, in order to prevent its
becoming too highly heated. At the back part of the box A, there is
an opening a, from which a tunnel or tube B, runs forward nearly to the
front of the box. This tunnel is open in front, and has also an opening b,
on each side extending nearly the entire length, close to the bottom of
the box. It is shown as being cast in a separate piece from the box, and
riveted to it; but it may be cast with it. The opening is furnished with
a register or damper i. C, is the top plate or lid of the box; having the
chimney D, attached to and forming part of it. It is attached to the box
by angular projections C, in front, which fit in notches of corresponding
form in the box, and by a pin g, which passes through a lug d, which
stands up from the back of the box, and passes through. an opening
between the lugs e, and f, on its own upper side.. The chimney is
represented curved, with its mouth opening forward; but it may be
straight, or curved to open in any other direction. E, is the handle,
which is of wood, and made of any shape to suit the operator. It is
secured to the lid by a wire or rod h, which passes through it, and
is fastened to the chimney D, and the lug f. The fuel is contained
in the box at the sides of, in front, and above the tube or tunnel B ;
and in order to place it in the box the lid C, must be taken off.
This is done by taking out the pin g, and then, by means of the
handle, lifting the back end to clear the lug d, when the projections c,
can be drawn from their notches. The air or draft to support com-
bustion is admitted through the opening a, and tunnel or tube B, and,

page_text: entering the fire along the whole length and at the end of the said tunnel
.or tube, circulates throughout the whole of it, the supply being regulated
for the purpose of increasing or decreasing combustion, and thereby
tempering the heat of the face of the iron, by the register or damper i.
The draft passage B, being covered, and descending to the fire, prevents
the escape of the fuel, and consequent danger of burning the articles
upon which the iron is used.
Several modifications may be made in the construction of the iron
without interfering with the principle of the Invention; for instance,
the lid may be secured by hinges, springs, hooks, or any other fasten-
ings; the chimney may be attached to the box instead of the lid;
the air to support combustion may be admitted through one or
more openings above or below the level of the fire, and either through
the front, sides, back, or top of the box A; the fuel may be supported
T
1
In witness whereof, I, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux
Bellford, have hereunto set my hand and seal, the Sixth day of
April, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
.
A. E. LORADOUX BELLFORD. (L.S.).