US1477314A - Electric flatiron cut-out - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 11, 1923. 1,477,314

0. A. COLBY" ELECTRIC FLATIRON CUT-OUT Filed Sept. 28. 1921 Patented Dec. 11, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,417,314 PATENT OFFICE.

' ORA A. COLBY, OF IRWIN, PENNSYLI TANIA, ASSIGNOR T WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

' ELECTRIC FLATIRON our-our.

Application filed September 28, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORA A. CoLBY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Irwin, in the county of VVestmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Flatiron Cut-Outs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrically heated devices and particularly to circuit controllers therefor, and it has for one of its objects to provide a relatively simple and inexpensive temperature-limiting and circuit-intermpting means for an electrically heated iron.

Another object is to provide a device of the above indicated character which will 00- cupy relatively small space and may be mounted in a non-removable terminal casing attached to the iron, the device being directly connected to the terminals of the heating element.

Another object of my invention is to provide a circuit-interrupting device of the above indicated characterwhich employs a. 25 conducting fluid placed in an insulating con tainer and operative to interrupt the circuit when the temperature of the body portion of the iron exceeds a predetermined value but which is also operative to interrupt the circuit when the iron is moved in a predetermined manner by the operator.

Another object of my invention is to provide a current-indicating means also located in the terminal casing.

In practising my invention, I provide a terminal casing located at the rear end of the iron and suitably secured a ainst one of the handle straps, Within which is placed a circuit-interrupting means embodying 'my invention.

The circuit-interrupting means comprises a tubular container of glass or other suitable material of substantially U-sha-pe provided with two conducting leads projecting into the container and located in spaced relation in one of the legs of the container. A quantity of mercury is placed in the container, sufficient to operatively engage both terminal leads, which are secured, at their outer ends,

respectively, to one end of the terminal straps of the heating element and to'one of the supply-circuit conductors which project into the terminal casing.

I provide, also, a current-indicating means Serial No. 503,796.

comprising a magnetizable member mounted inside of the terminal casing and having a portion projecting outward-1y therethrough and an actuating means therefor comprising a small coil connected between the other terminal stra of the heating element and the other supp y-circuit conductor.

I am aware of a similar circuit-interrupting device disclosed in a copending ap lication, Serial No. 502,631, filed by L. N. (Jrich ton and assigned to the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company. The device disclosed in the above mentioned application operates in a substantially different manner from the one disclosed in the present application and such differences will be hereinafter set forth in detail.

In the single sheet of drawings,

Figure 1 is a view, mainl in side elevation but partly in section, 0 an electrically heated iron equipped with the device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view, inrear elevation, of the circuit-interrupting and current-indicating devices as mounted in the inner terminal casing part;

Fig. 3 is a view, in substantially vertical longitudinal section, on the line III-III of Fig. 2; i

Fig. 4 is a view, in rear elevation, of the rear casing part;

Fig. 5 is a view, in side elevation, of the rear casing part;

Fig. 6 is a view, in side elevation, of the circuit-interrupting device embodying my invention illustrated in substantially its normal operative position;

Fig. 7 IS a View, in rear elevation, of the device illustrated in Fig. 6'

Fig. 8 is a view of the device illustrated in Fig. 6 after it has been caused to operate to interrupt the circuit by reason of an abnormally high temperature of the iron;

Fig. 9 is a view of the device illustrated in Fig. 6 when the iron has been tilted upon its heel to cause the conducting fluid in the device to interrupt the circuit, and

Figs. 10, 11, 12 and 13 are views, in side elevation, of modifications of the circuit-in terrupting device embod ing my invention.

An electrically heate iron, designated generally by the numeral 20, comprises a working member or sole plate 21, a top plate 22 and a heating element 23 clamped therelid Cu....'l

against the body portion by means of a bolt 26. A plurality of handle strap members 27 and 28 may be secured, at their lower ends, against the cover 25 by rivets 29, and may support, at their upper ends, a handle nem- 11a will-not be described further in detail.

The heating element 23 may be of any desired or suitable construction em loyed in electrically heated irons and, theref jorre,

he ends of the resistor of the heating element are connected to terminal members 32 which are, in turn, securely clamped against terminal straps 33 by means of bolts 34. The terminal straps 33 are maintained in their proper operative positions by a'terminal-supporting bridge 35, substantially of U-shape, which is securely clamped against the body portion by means of the rear bolt 24. Tnsu; latingmembers 36 and 37 are placed between the terminal straps 33 and the'supporting member 35 and. between the head of the bolt 34 and the member 35 to suitably insulate these members from each other.

A terminal casing 38 comprises two substantially similar metal casing- parts 39 and 41 which co-operate, when placed in opposed abutting relation, to form a terminal casing which may be located at the rear of the iron and secured against the,terminal strap 28 by any suitable means, not shown. The lower ends of the casing parts 39 and 41 project through an opening 42 in the top and rear of the cover 25.

A support, which may be a sheet of mica or a heavier member 43 of suitable insulat mg material, is located within the casing 38 and is suitably secured against the inner casing part 39 to support a plurality of insulated screw terminal- contacts 44 and 45. A recess 46 is provided in the member 43 within which is placed a circuit-interrupting means 47 comprising a tubular member of glass or quartz bent to substantially U-shape and provided with a plurality of terminal leads 48 and 49, projecting into the container in one of the legs thereof. The container 47 is partly filled with a body 51 of a conducting fluidyisuch as mercury, and is evacurevent ated or filled with an inert as .to oxidation or the conducting uid an of the inner ends of the conducting leads 48 and 49. The dimensions of the recess or chamber 46 and of the member 47 are such that the memher 47 does not touch the member 43 to be supported thereby. The outer ended the conducting lead 48 is secured by the terminal screw 44, and the outer end of the conducting lead 49 is secured against one of the terminal straps 33 by means of a suitable clamping narrate screw 52. This construction provides a substantially resilient mounting for the contain'er 47 and holds the device at a slight angle from the vertical.

A current-indicating means comprises a winding 53 which may be placed upon a suitable insulating spool 54, the coil being supported by the terminals of the winding, one of which is held by one of the screws of the contact 45 and the other of which is connected to the other of the terminal straps 33 of the heating element 23. A movable indicating means comprises an elongated magnetizable member 55 which may be pivoted, at its lower end, on the outer casing part 41. An integral extension 56 on the member 55 is attracted by and moves toward or into the Winding 53 when the same is traversed by a current. The member 55 is provided, at its upper end, with an integral extension 57 .which projects outwardly through an opening 58 in the rear casingpart when'the coil 53 is not traversed by a current. The portion 57 may be painted a suitable color tobe easily noticed by the operatoras long as it projects outwardly through the casing-part. The form of the described, through the casing when the iron is not being energized and 1s in its normal operating position, that is, with the outer surface of the sole plate in a substantially horizontal position.

A supply-circuit cord 59 projects into the casing 38 and has one of its conductors connected to the terminal 44and its other conductor connected to the terminal 45. A coil spring 61 maybe placed around the conductor 59 immediately adjacent the casing 38 to prevent undue kinking of the supplycircuit cord during the operation of the iron.

The preferred form of the circuit-interrupting member 47 is that illustrated in 15 igs. 6 to 9, inclusive, in which the leads 48 and 49 project at right angles from the plane of the two legs of the member, this construction permitting of the smallest'number of bends or turns in each of the leads 48 and 49 when their outer ends are connected re.- spectively to the terminal 44 and to the terminal strap 33. The inner leg of the member 47 is made shorter-than the outer leg and may be a predetermined amount less in length .than the outer leg so that it may rest against a projection, not illustrated, formed in the insulating member 43 to insure that 3 modifications of the member 47, the modifiupper lead 48 is coaxial with" the lower lead interrupting the circuit at this point.

49 and with one of the legs of the member 47. In Fig. 12 the leads 48 and 49 are brought out at right angles to one of the legs and in the plane of the member 47. In

Fig. 13 the upper lead 48 is at right angles to the plane of the member 47 and the lower lead 49 is substantially the same as described in connection with Figs. 10 and 11. I

The rear casingpart 41 may be maintained in its operative position relatively to the inner casing part 39 by means of two metal members 62 securedto the sidesof the member 41 and projecting into the inner casing part 39 and secured thereto by means of suitable screws 63. The lower end of the member 41 extends into the opening 42 in the hood 25, this extension operating to secure the lower end of the casing part 41 against the inner casing part 39.

The hereinbefore described method of, and means for, mounting the member 47 locates the lower end of the outer leg of the member 47 in heat-receiving relation to the body portion of the iron. If it be assumed that the iron has been energized by connecting the supply-circuit conductors 59 to a suitable source of energy (not shown) and that the iron is not being used, or is being used very little, so that the temperature of the body portion-approaches or exceeds a predetermined safe limit, the circuit-interrupting device 47 operates in the following manner:

The heat radiated from the rear end of the body portion affects the conducting fluid in the member 47 and ultimately vaporizes a relatively small amount thereof at the lower end of the container. As this vaporized conducting .fluid tends to occupy a greater space than when in its normal condition, it forces the conducting fluid above it upwardly until it becomes disengaged from the lower conducting lead 49, thus initially A slight arc is formed vaporizes an additional quantity of conduding fluid,which sudden vaporization causes an eruptive'action in the container near the lower lead 49, resulting in the upper portion of the conducting fluid being thrown over into the inner and tion the quantity ofmercury remaining in the thereby which suddenly" previously-empty legof the member 47. After this eruptive a'c-.

ducting fluid in the two legs of the mem ber 47 being substantially as illustrated in Ff the operator desires to reclose the circuit it is only necessary to give the iron a sudden quick turning movement on its transverse axis in a backward direction which causes the mercury located in the inner leg of th container-47 to again flow into the outer leg and engage the upper lead 48 as soon as the iron has been placed in its normal operating position. Any attempt, by the operator, to close the circuit before the temperature of the body portion of the iron has fallen below the predetermined value will be ineffectiv because, after the circuit has been interrupted, as hereinbefore described, a quantit of vapor is retained in the end of the tu e to prevent engagement between the lead 49 and the mercury until the vapor has been condensed because of a reduction of the temperature of the iron. The hereinbefore described location of the device permits the vaporizing action to take place in the lower end of the outer leg only, that portion of the conducting fluid located in the upper end of the outer leg having a lower temperature. 1

It is also possible to reclose the circuit, after the device has operated by reason of excess temperature, by momentarily resting the iron on the heel and the terminal casing with the sole plate in a substantially vertical position, at which time the conducting fluid occupies substantially the position illustrated in Fig. 9. If the iron is then tilted forward on the heel the circuit is again closed, with the conducting fluid substantially in the position shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing.

The operator may manually interrupt the circuit either by tilting the iron backwards on its heel until the iron rests on the heel and on the terminal casing, the position of the member 47 being then substantially that illustrated in Fig. 9 in which the mercury oc cupies a portion of the upper end of the outer leg and also a portion of th upper end of the inner le the circuit being, therefore, interrupted etween the lead 49 and the conducting fluid 51, or the operator may grasp the iron by the handle 31 and give the same a sudden, quick forward turning movement on its transverse axis which will result in a portion of mercury being shifted into the forward leg of the member 47, the two portions of conductingfluid occupying substantially the positions illustrated in Fig. 8 as soon as the iron is returned to its normal operating lposition, with the sole plate substantially orizontal.

It may be noted that the device embodying my invention provides a compact, relatively simple and easily manufactured circuit-interrupting device which may be located in a ilt non-removable terminal casing, the device being substantially resiliently mounted to prevent breakage. llhe action oi the device embodying my invention differs substantially from any heretofore known in the art and results in a quick interruption of the circuit upon the occurrence of a predetermined high temperature in the body portion of the iron. The circuit-interrupting device permits of easily reclosing the circuit when desired by the operator and permitted by the thermal conditions of the iron and also permits of easy manual interruption of the circuit whenever desired by the operator.

The current-indicating means comprises a relatively simple and easily manufactured device located in the terminal casing which operates with the circuit-interrupting device to indicate when the circuit 18 closed or when it has been interrupted either automatically or manually.

While I have illustrated and described the device embodying my invention. as applied to an iron, it is not limited thereto but is applicable to any portable electrically heated device.

Various modifications may be made in the device embodying my invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and I desire that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior. art or are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

1. A circuit controller for an electrically heated device comprising a heating element, and a non-removable terminal casing, said controller comprising a .container in said casing, spaced terminals project-ing into said container, and a conductingfluid in said container normally engaging saidterminals,

said container being so located in said cas-- ing that only oneend thereof is thermally influenced by said heating element.

2. A circuit controller for an electrically heated'device having a heating element comprising a circuit-interrupting means there for having a column of a conducting fluid, only one end of said column being thermally acted upon by said heating elesaid controller comprising a-circuit-inter ment.

31A circuit controller for an electrically heated device comprising a heating element,

and terminal straps for said heating element rupting means directly connected to. and

supported by, one of said terminal straps.

4:. A, circuit controller for an electrically heated device comprising'a heating element,

' I and terminal straps for said heating element,

said controller comprising a container, a column of a 'conducti'ngfluld in said container and means for conducting current to and from the fluid in said container and for supporting said controller.

5. A circuit controller for an electrically fluid column, onl

rea er-a heated device, comprising a plural-contact circuit-interrupting means whereby the circuit is interrupted initially at one end of said contacts and interrupted permanently.

at the other of said contacts.

6. A circuit controller for an electrically heated device, comprising a plural-contact circuit-interruptin means whereby the circuit is interrupte momentarily at one of said contacts and interrupted permanently at the other of said contacts.

7. A circuit controller for an electrically circuitinterrupting heated device, comprising a plural-contact circuit-interrupting means whereby the circuit is interrupted initially at one of said contacts and is interrupted permanently at the other of said contacts, said means being operative to reclose the circuit by a turning movement of said device.

10. A circuit controller foran electrically heated device, comprising a plural-contact circuit-interrupting means for initially interrupting the circuit, therethrough 'at one of said contacts and permanently interrupting thecircuit at the other of said contacts at a predetermined temperature in said device and for preventing the reclosing of the circuit until the temperature of said device has fallen below said' predetermined value.

11. A circuit controller for an electrically heated device, having a heating element, said controller comprising a column of a conducting fluid and a pair of contact terminals normally operatively engaging said one end of saidfluid column being in eat-receiving relation to said heating element, whereby the circuit is initially interrupted at the contact adjacent said end and is permanently interrupted at a the other of said contacits, when the temperature of said heating element reaches a predetermined value. 4

12. A circuit interrupting means for an electrically heated device comprising a heating element, terminals therefor, a terminal casing secured to said iron, and supply-circuit conductors extending into said terminal casing, said means comprising a currentindicatin'g means and a circuit-interrupting device 1n sald caslng electrlcally connected to said terminals and to said conductors.

- heated device comprising a heating element,

terminals therefor, a terminal casingisecured to said iron, and supply-circuit conductors extending into said terminal casing, said controller comprising a magnetica ly actuated current-indicating means and a circuit-interrupting means located in said casing and electrically connected to said terminals-and to said conductors.

14. A circuit controller for an electrically heated device comprising a terminal casing secured to said iron, said controller being located in said casing and comprising an insulating tubular container bent to substantially U-shape, a plurality of spaced contact terminals projecting into said container in one of the legs thereof, and a quantity of a conducting fluid operatively engaging said terminals when the device is in its normal operative position, a portion of said fluid flowing into the other leg of said container when the device is given a turning movement on its transverse axis.

150 A circuit interrupting means for an electrically heated device comprising a heating element, and a terminal casing secured to said device, said circuit-interrupting means being located in said casing and com-- prisin an insulating tubular container bent to su stantially Ushape, a plurality of spaced contact terminals pro ecting into said container in one of the legs thereof and a conducting fluid operatively engaging said contact terminals when the device is in its normal position and one end of said container being in heat-receiving relation to said heating element whereby a portion of said fluid adjacent the'said end is volatilized upon the occurrence of a predetermined temperature in said heating element and forces a sufficient quantity of fluid into the other leg of said container to become disengaged from one of said contact termlnals an thereby interrupt the circuit.

16. A circuit interrupting means for an electrically heated device comprising a heating element, terminals therefor, a terminal casing, and supply-circuit conductors, said circuit-interrupting means being located in said casing and comprising an insulating tubular container of substantially U-shape, a conducting fluid in one of the legs of said container, and a plurality of spaced current-conducting leads, one end of said leads projecting through the wall of said container and operatively engaging said fluid and the other end thereof engaging, respectively, one of the supply-circuit conductors and one of the heating-element terminals and thereby resiliently supporting the said container.

17. A circuit interrupting means for an electrically heated device comprising a terminal casing, said circuit-interrupting means being located in said casing and comprising a plurality of leads for conducting current to and from said means and for resiliently supporting the same.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 24th day of September 1921.

ORA A. COLBY.

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