Year: 1888

page_text: I REGINALD HADDAN of the firm of Herbert & Co., Patent Agents of 18 Buckingham
Street, Strand W.C. London in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, a communication to me from abroad by José Griño of
Barcelona in the Kingdom of Spain, Manufacturer and in what manner the same is to
he performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to smoothing irons, of that class adapted to be heated by a
gas jet or burner contained in the body of the iron.
The accompanying drawings show a flat iron provided with the improvements
hereinafter described and claimed. Fig. 1 being a sectional elevation thereof, Fig. 2
a horizontal section on line a Fig. 1, Fig. 3 a side elevation of the iron as held
upside down and Fig. 4 a detail view of a modification.
A is the hollow body of the iron and the sole or smoothing surface, the said sole
is made comparatively thick as shown for the greater part except near to the walls of
the box A the sole also projects beyond the walls of the box A and terminates in a
raised flange or rim E, the province of which is to deflect upward the gaseous products
of combustion which pass out of the box A through the series of holes G arranged
around the lower edge of the walls of the box A so that said product shall not touch the
linen or other material ironed.
•
In the upper part of the box A is placed the annular tube I conforming in shape to
the shape of the iron and having in its under surface a number of small holes to form
the burner.
The tube I is connected with the pipe J which forms the handle of the iron passing
upward through a wooden or other suitable holder J'and supported at its outer end
by a standard K.
The pipe J is here connected with the chamber R having orifices above and below
and puppet valves R' supported on a common spindle to close said orifices when the
iron is held sole downwards but freely supported (in the usual manner by a bridge or
the like not shown) so that when the iron is reversed and held sole upward, the said
valves drop by their weight and open the orifices for admission of air through the
latter into the chamber R.

page_text: Into the chamber R projects the gas nozzle P directed into the pipe J and in
communication through the chamber of the drop valve. L with the nozzle over which
a flexible gas pipe may be fastened in the usual manner. L is a drop valve loosely
placed in the chamber M and in the base of the latter is screwed a set screw N on
which the valve is adapted to rest, this set screw being so adjusted that the flow of gas
is not quite cut off by the valve L and consequently the burner I is kept alight when
the iron is being used although the sole of the iron is not at such time much heated
thereby. In the upper face of the box A is also a suitable orifice, closed by a drop
valve adapted to be opened on reversing the iron, sole upwards. To heat the sole
of the iron, the iron is held sole upwards as shown in Fig. 3, the valve L falls to open
fully the gas feed, the puppet valves R₁ also drop to feed air behind the gas jet and the
valve H also opens to admit air to the burner. When the sole is sufficiently heated,
the iron may be used, the air and gas feed to the burner will be automatically reduced
by the falling of the valves L R and H back into their places. Air is continuously
fed to the burner through the holes as D at the upper part of the box A.
The chamber M with the valves R and L may be dispensed with and a continuous
supply be used as shown in Fig. 4 in which is the chamber with continually open
orifices and the gas jet P is fixed therein by a bayonet closing and controlled by a
cock in the known manner.
The holes G may be partially closed by a wire ring T (Fig. 3) dropped around
the box A.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a smoothing iron the combination with the box A and sole C, of the annular
burner I above said sole, outlets G and flange E near said sole substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
2. In a smoothing iron the combination with a box A and sole C, of a burner in
said box, gas feed thereto and air feed openings, with valves adapted to close
said openings and to open the same by reversal of the iron substantially as set
forth.
3. In a smoothing iron the combination with the box A and sole C of the annular
burner I, pipe feeding said burner and forming a handle to the iron, chamber R
J
with valves it' nozzle and chamber M with valve and set screw N substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
4. A box iron having a sole and a burner for heating said sole and a gas feed to
said burner partially cut automatically when the sole is downwards and fully open
when the sole is upward for the purpose described.
Dated this 6th day of November 1888
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C.,
Agents to Applicant.