GB682970A - Improvements in and relating to steam flatirons - Google Patents

Abstract

682,970. Hand-irons. BRITISH THOMSON-HOUSTON CO., Ltd. Jan. 31, 1950. [Feb. 12, 1949] No. 2506/50. Class 138 (ii). In a steam iron having a water reservoir 18, a steam generating space 27 and a valve 24 between them, gravity actuated means opens the valve when the iron is in its normal horizontal position and closes the valve when the iron rests on its heel stand. In the example shown in Fig. 1 a passage 26 in the valve 24 can be closed by means of a rod or wire 30 which is loosely connected to a lever 38 pivoted in brackets 40 mounted on a closure plate 29. The lever 38 carries a weight 43 and when the iron is up-ended the weight 43 pivots the lever 38 to move the wire 30 to close the valve. The valve may be manually closed by means of a push button 34 which fits over a plunger 31 having an axial bore in which one end of the wire 30 is loosely received. The button 34 is biased upwardly by a spring 33 but may be latched in depressed position by means of a step 35 on the button. The iron is provided with a filling passage 20 and a funnel-like filling tube 21 having a strainer sleeve 21a. In the example shown in Fig. 5, the reservoir 50 is pivotally supported within the casing 11 of the iron for rotation in a vertical plane by means of an arm 51 pivotally fixed to a bracket 52. When the iron is up-ended the reservoir pivots about the bracket 52 and a valve member 60 supported from the upper part of the reservoir by a rod or wire 57 is caused to close the valve 24. The member 60 may be cylindrical with a cone shaped end and it may be adjustable as to position by an adjustment screw 58. The connection between the reservoir and valve assembly is made by a flexible bellows 53 of rubber or plastic material.