US2143701A - Heat control iron and plug - Google Patents

Description

J. KELLY ET AL' HEAT CONTROL IRON AND PLUG `Filed Dec. 1, 1937 Jan. 10, 1939.

WITNESSES Patented 1 0, 1.939

HEAT ooN'raoL m'oNYAND PLUG L .mlm` Kelly, New York, N. Y.; ma 'James J.

. A Maloney, Leonia, N. J.

applic-:mn December 1, 1937, serial No. 117,482

6 Claims.

and plugs for electric irons or other electric utilizing devices, an object being to .provide a con- /struction which will automatically under certain circumstances provide a restrictedamount of current andunder other circumstances will automatically supply the full supply of current. Another object of the invention is to provide a heat control plug for electric irons or the like u wherein a constant iiow of current is provided to the iron at all times and when the iron is in 'usean additional ilow of current, so that the iron is maintained warm at all times and at full' temperature while in actual use.

An Aadditional object of the invention is lto providefa heat control plug which will continually control the amount ofcurrent supply, or which may be manually adjusted to causea constant full iiow oi current at all times.

20 A further object, more specically, is to provide a heat control plug in which a double circuit in the plug is used, one of which includes a resistance and the other a short-circuiting structure designed to short circuit the resistance.

In the `accompanying drawing- Figure 1` is a side view of a well-known electric iron, the plug embodying the invention being shown in connection thereof and in vertical section, said vertical section being taken on the line I-I of Figure 2; x

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the plug shown in Figure l, said view being taken on the line 2 2;

Figure 3 is a sectional view similar to that shown in Figure 1 but illustrating. a modiiled form of the invention; and

Fig. 4 is a viewsimilar to the right-hand end of Fig. 1 but showing how the device may be used with an ordinary plug.

Referring to the accompanying drawing by numerals, I indicates an electric iron of any desired type provided with suitable terminals 2 and a plug guide 3. As is well known there are provided two terminals 2 for each iron and when the plug 4 is inserted guide 3 guides the lowerpart (ci. 21a-25) This invention relates to heat control irons amount of electricity when the iron is stationary and in an upright positional; shown in Figurev 1. When the iron is moving or is tilted up so as to rest on 'the member i I, the full current is applied lto the heating coil of the iron l. 5

The plug 4 is preferably made with acasing I2 of insulating material, for instance, rubber, Bakelite, libre, or the like. This casing is preferably divided into two parts whichmay be secured together by suitable bolts I3 and I4. Ar- -10 ranged within the vcasing is a conductor I5 which is preferably made from fiat strips of metal riveted together at I6, with vsaid strips at the upper. part divided and spaced apart whereby stationary contacts I1 and I8 carried thereby l5 are also spaced apart, and suitable screws i9 and hold these stationary contacts in positionv ready to be engaged by a movable contact 2| at any time. AsI the stationary contacts are both clamped by metal screws to the metal conductor 20 -I5 they are, therefore, both connected with the socket terminal 8.

The lead-in wire 1 is connected by a screw 22 to a metal plate 23 to which is secured one end of a resistance wire 24. The opposite end of the resistance wire 24 is secured to one ofdthe prongs Aof the conductor i5 so that current passing from the lead-in wire 1 will pass through the resist- `ance 24 and conductor I5 to the terminal IB.

This occurs when the pendulum 25 is stationary 30 or-in the position shown in Figure 1. The pendulum 25 is preferably made from some good conducting material and is also preferably provided with a weight 26 and at the lower end with a strap 21 which encircles and pinches the movable 35 conductor 2I so as to support the same. The conductors or contacts I1, .I8 and 2I are preferably carbon so as to take care oi any possible slight sparking upon the making and breaking of the circuit. Ordinarily there will be no sparking as the current will not be completely broken at any time. rlhe pendulum 25 is pivotally mounted at 28 on the plate or conductor 23 and is also connected to the plate or conductor through a coil wire 29. It will be noted that '45 thependulum 25 and also one of the resistance coils 24 are both connected through plate 23 to the same lead-in wire 1. The lead-in wire 8 is connected by a screw 30, for instance as shown in Figure l, to a conducting strip 3| which is 50 bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to one end of the socket terminal 5.

When the parts are positioned as illustrated in Figure 1 and current is turned on, current will pass through lead-in -wire 1, conductor plate 23,

when the same is not in use.

When the iron is moved over an article during an ironing operation, the pendulum will swing and engage one of the stationary contacts Il and ,I8 and, consequently, will short-circuit the resistance 24 whereupon the full current will be supplied to the heating coils of the iron. As long', therefore, as the iron is in actual use pressing anarticle, substantially full current is being provided and, consequently, ample heat is secured to perform the desired ironing operation. As soon as the iron stops moving and isy placed on the holder the parts will assume the position shown in Figure 1 and the current will imniediately and automatically be reduced so that the iron never overheats while it is standing Stm. 1

' In Figure 3 a modified form of the invention is shown wherein the parts are identical with those'shown in Figure 1 .so that the same reference numerals will be usedexcept for certain' detail parts.. In this form of the inventionl the' contact Il'is slidably mounted in a metallic socket 32 connected to or formed integral with conductor I5. A rod 33 is secured to the contact Ii' and is iprovided with a shoulder and hem so that when the rod `is reciprocated the contact will also be reciprocated. -The hand-engaging member 3 4 of insulation is secured to the outer end of rod, 33 and confines a. spring 35 between the member 34 and the body of the plug Il. This spring acts to hold the parts in the position shown in Figure 3.

Whenever it is desired to have the Ifull current on at all times the hand of the operator grasping the handle 36 will merely move slightly toward the plug 4 and push the member Stand associated parts to the right as shown in Figure 3 until the contact I'I shifts the movable contact 2I over into continuous engagement with the stationary contact I8. When this occurs the resistance is completely short-circuited and the full current will iiow through the heating coils in the iron as long` as the parts. remain in this position. However, if the iron is actuated as described and then placed on the holder, the parts will quickly resume the'position shown in Figure 3 as soonC as. thehand ofthe operator moves away from the hand member 34'.

-It will be observed that the plug has beenJ shown in connection with a certain kind of iron,

' butit will be .understood that it can be used in connection with other types of irons and when the terminals 2 extend at an angie to the horizontal the lower part of the plug is bent at a desired angle so that the upper part will be vertical when the bottom o'f the iron is in a. horizontalposition.

In Fig. 4the invention has been appliedpermanentiy to the yiron I and, consequently, an ordinary plug 31 may be used. The form of the invention shown in Fig. has been illustrated in Fig. 4 and therefore will need no additional description except that the form shown in Fig. 4

Inv

is mounted as a permanent part of the iron and provided with a plug socket 38 havingf the usual terminals 2 designed to accommodate the plug 31 oi the kind that is nowcommonly in use on,

the open market. If desired, instead of having the structure shown in Fig. 1, the structure shown in Fig. ii-could be used. In this latterstructure there is provided the member 34 whereby a man- .uai closing o! the circuit may be secured. When anordinary iron is used as shown in Figs. 1 and `3, oneof the special plugs illustrated in Figs. l ,and 3 must be used. If the structure shown in Fig. 4 is provided then an ordinary cord 39 and an ordinary plug 31 could be used.

We claim: l. A heat control plug comprising a casing, a

pair of terminals, means for connecting one lead-l in wire to one of said terminals, and means for connecting the other lead-in wire'to .the other terminal, said last-mentioned means including a conductor formed with a resistance section, a

stationary contact at the end of said resistance section nearest said other terminal, a second sta'- tionary contact electrically connected to said other terminal, a swinging pendulum electrically connected to the second of said lead-in wires, and a movable contact carried by said pendulum between said stationary contacts whereby when said movable contact is free f said stationary contacts current will iiow to said other terminal only through the conductor having said resistance section and when in engagement with either of' said stationary contacts current will ilow to said other terminal through the conductor including said resistance section and through said pendulum and one of said stationary contacts' said(7 pendulum being positioned to short circuit said resistancerwhen the iron using the plug is set on end.

2. A heat control plug for electric irons having a pair voi! terminals, comprising a. casing of insulating material, a pair of socket terminals.

adapted to t over the terminals of said iron, a conductor for connecting one of said socketl terminals with a source of current, and means for connecting the other socket terminal with said source of current, said means including a pair of spaced stationary contacts, a conductorsecured to said other socket terminal connecting said stationary contacts, a resistance connecting one of said stationary contacts with said source of current, a pendulum formed `of conducting material electrically connected with said source of current, and a swinging contact carried by said'pendulum between said stationary contacts whereby when the pendulum swings in one direction said swinging contact will engage one of said stationary contacts and when swung in the opposite direction will engage the other stationary contact for switching said resistance in and out oil the circuit.

3. A' heat control plug for an electriairon including a pair of terminals, a conductor for connecting one of said terminals to a source of current, means for connecting the other terminal '-tosaid' source of current, said means including a resistance and a swinging pendulum for shortcircuiting said resistance when moved to either of its extreme. positions and hand-actuated means for holding said pendulum in one of its extreme positions. l

4. A heat control plug comprising a pair of terminals, a conductor connecting one of said .terminals to a'source of current, means connecting the other terminal to 'said source of current. 75

said means including a conductor secured to said other terminal, a pair of spaced contacts carried by said second-mentioned conductor, a resistance connecting said second-mentioned conductor to said source of current; a pendulum of conducting material electrically connected with said source of current and positioned to swing ba'ck and forth between said contacts whereby whenever the pendulum engages either of said contacts said resistance will be short-circuited, a

sliding bar for moving one of said contacts to.-

ward the other sufficiently to cause said contact to grip part of said pendulum between said consaid bar.

5. A heat control plug for electric irons comprising a casing, a pair of terminals, a conductor for connecting a lead-in wire to one of said terminals, a preliminary terminal connected `to the other lead-in wire, and a swing switch member for connecting said preliminary terminal to the other terminal of said iron, said swing switch being positioned to function when said iron is resting on one end.

6. In a device of the character described, a pendulum actuated switch including a pair of terminals, aconductor for connectingr one of said terminalsto a source of current, and means for connecting either of said terminals with said source of current, said means including a conductor electrically connected to said other terminal and a pair of spaced contacts carried by the last-mentioned conductor, a resistance connecting said last-mentioned conductor to said tacts and a hand-actuated member for moving v' source of current and a pendulum' connected to said source of current positioned to swing back and forth between said spaced contacts and to engage a contact when swinging to an extreme position in either direction for throwing said resistance in and out of circuit.

JOHN KELLY.

JAMES J. MALONEY.

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