US2195002A - Sadiron - Google Patents

Description

March 26, 1940.

fig: 1.

WITNESSES:

E.K.CLARK SADIRON Original Filed lay 21, 1936 A23 IZ/ I32 3 Sheds-sheet 1 AOV INVENTOR Mal-ch26, 1940. E. K. CLARK SADIRON Original Filed May 21, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES:

I I INVENTOR. 6.4 9% ['or/K C/a'rK. fijfigwr BY March 1 E. K. CLARK 2,195,002

smmou Driinal Filed lay 21, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 WITNESSES: INVENTOR tr/ ATC/arK.

Patented Mar. 26, 1940 PATENT OFFICE 2,195,002 SADIBON Earl K. Clark, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporationof Pennsyl- Original application May 21, 1936, Serial No.

Divided and this application November 22. 1988, Serial No. 241,767

BClaims.

My invention relates to electrically heated sadirons, and particularly to such irons for domestic use, this application being a division of application Serial No. 81,052, filed on May 21, 193B.

An object of this invention is to provide means 5 located on top of an iron casing or housing for adjusting a thermostat within the iron, indicia on the adjusting means serving to indicate the goods for which the temperature of the iron at the particular setting of the thermostat indicated is appropriate for ironing purposes.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a point on the handle of the iron to cooperate as a reference point with the indicia on the adjusting means.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a switch so cooperating with the adjusting means for the thermostat that when the adjustment is moved to its extreme low-temperature position, current is completely shut oil from the heater.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a switch which shall remain closed through all of the adjusting movement, except the very last portion of the movement to an extreme position a and shall be opened an ample amount by the last portion of the adjusting movement.

Other objects of the invention and details of the construction will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings,

' in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevational view of the iron, partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the iron with certain parts being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the thermostat;

Fig. 4 is a view partly in section and partly in side elevation of the thermostats showing the associated switch in closed position;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the switch in open position;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the thermostat disk and associated parts;

Fig. '1 is a sectional view taken on the line VII--VII of Fig. 6,

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the conductor supporting shelf; and

Fig. 9 is a side elevational view'of the shelf.

The illustrated sadiron comprises a base I, preferably of forged steel of the' usual general shape for the bottom of a sadiron and the weight of which constitutes most of the weight of the iron. If preferred the base may be of cast iron. The heater may be of the usual form comprising a sheet of mica with resistance wire wound thereon plus top and bottom mica plates used for insulation. Since the construction of the heater in itself forms no part of this invention, it is unnecessary to describe or illustrate it in further detail. 5

A well 23 in about the middle of the base i extends so near to the bottom of the base that the portion 01' the base under the well is thinner than any other part of the base.

This well isprovided with an upwardly ex- 10 tending parapet 25 on the rear side and a projection on the front side to accommodate holes for screws by which parts are secured to the side walls of the well. The thermostat is supported in the well 23 by a foundation plate 29, best shown in Figs. 3 to 5 and in section in Fig. 1. Notches in the plate 29 cooperate with screws 29, one of which is seen in Fig. 1, to secure plate 29 over the well.

Screws 39, Figs. 4 and 5, mounted in the founda- .0 tion plate 29 and extending through holes 34 (Fig. 6) in disk 3i aflord bearings for the disk 3i. The disk 3i is of bimetal and is carried at the lower end of a shaft 33 which extends to the top 01 the housing 35 where it is manipulated by ,5 means of an adjustment lever 36. The disk 3i is secured to the shaft 33 by heading the shaft over a washer, as shown at 32.

Conductor strips 31 and 39 mounted upon the upper side of the disk 3i, which is the left-hand 30 side in Fig. 7, are separated from the disk by pieces of mica 49 which overlap, as is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6.

Contact terminals 43 are on the upper ends of rivets which extend through the disk 3i, mica u 49 and the conductors 31 and 33 and cooperate with contacts carried on plate 29 but insulated therefrom. At the junction of conductors 31 and 33 there is a rivet extending through both and also the disk 3i and ending in a flat head 41. a This head has no electrical function but serves to cooperate with a head 44 on disk 29 to present a symmetrical stop for the disk 3i. Because the stop is symmetrical about the shaft 33, tendency for the disk to work loose is minimized. The conductors 31 and 39 form an uninterrupted connection from one contact rivet 43 through an irregular shaped washer 39 to which they are welded to the other contact rivet 43. Rivets 49 and 59, extending through plate 29, have at their '0 lower ends contacts 45 cooperating with the contacts 43. At the upper end of rivet 49 it is connected to a ribbon 19.

The upper end of rivet 59 is a contact to cooperate with contact 54 carried by the lever 39 but insulated therefrom as shown most clearly in Figs. 4 and 5. The lever 56 is provided with two downwardly off-set portions 61 which bear against the plate 29. The portion 59 of the lever 56 between the portions 61 is a blunt pointed triangle. A spring 60 presses against the under side of the apex of the triangle 5! and tends to depress the contact 66. Upward movement of the lever as a whole is prevented by screws 62 which extend through the lever near the base of the triangle 59 and hold it, with a certain lost motion, against the support plate 29. The degree to which the portions 51 are struck downward serves to determine spacing of lever 66 and thus the normal position of contact 64.

The lever 56 has two right angle bends whereby an upwardly extending part 66 is formed therein which permits the end of the lever carrying the contact 56 to be at a higher level than the triangle 6!. The vertically extending portion has a projection at one side thereof which forms an upstanding part 66, which extends into the pathway of a projection or lug 61 rigidly fastened to the shaft 33. A post 65 secured in the foundation plate 29 extends close to, and nearly parallel with, the extending arm 66 and forms a stop against which the projection 61 comes to rest. The upper part of post 6! is of smaller diameter to afford room for projection 61 to move further before reaching its stop but the lower part is made large enough to provide ample metal to secure the post to the plate 29.

Ribbons 1|! and 11 extend from the thermostat and switch to conductors carried upon a shelf 86, shown in detail in Figs. 8 and 9. An upwardly extending leg 8i supports the body of the shelf from the base of the iron to which it is fastened by means of a screw 82, Fig. 1. The foot 83 at the bottom of the leg 8i contains a perforation 84 for cooperation with the screw 62. This perforation is not round but elongated to provide for variations in position of the shelf and the base when the iron is assembled.

A collar 85 secured to the shelf 66 where it is traversed by the shaft 36, affords a stop against which the shelf can be positioned.

A sheet of mica 81 extends lengthwise of the shelf and may, if desired, project slightly beyond the shelf at the side and rear. The mica separates the shelf from the conductors mounted thereon, which include a central conductor 66, a longitudinal conductor 69 which extends over only part of the shelf and a second longitudinal conductor 90 which extends over the other part.

The two ribbons 10 and 11 extend from their described connections in the thermostat and switch to the terminals SI and 92 which are at the forward end of the conductors l6 and 90. Binding screws are provided at these points. The conductors are threaded where these binding screws traverse them, but the cooperating holes in the shelf are made larger than the screws and are unthreaded. The ends of the ribbons are perforated with holes that slip easily over the threads. A very convenient way of making connections is thus provided.

Rivets 93 and 96, adjacent the screws, are insulated from the shelf by appropriate washers and secure the conductors in place. Similar rivets 95 and 96, similarly insulated from the shelf, secure the other ends of the same conductors to the shelf. A similar pair of rivets 91 and 96 are installed near each end of the conductor 66. The rear ends of the conductors 66 and 66 have upwardly turned parts 66 which extend through the housing 36, as shownin Fig. 1. A slot III, Fig. 1, is provided in the housing for their accommodation. At their upper ends they are provided with screw threaded orifices, andv the screws cooperating therewith are shown at I66 in Fig. 1.

The rear end of the shelf III has secured thereto a support I66. A triangular tab I66 affords sufficient area for welding, brazing or other means by which the support is secured to the shelf. The under-surface of the rearmost part of the support I65 affords convenient location for a trade mark, size numbering or other desired legend, since it is outside of the iron, being beyond the rear edge of the base I. It has two ears I61 which extend forward of the upright portion I06 and are provided with holes I II through which assembly screws may be passed.

The shelf III is thus secured to the base and supported therefrom only by the leg 6| and the upright portion I66. These being of steel aflord only small thermal conductive connection between the base I and the shelf 66. The shelf, therefore, is but slightly heated by conduction from the base. Two threaded holes H2 in the shelf 60 on each side of the collar 85 provide a grip for screws (not shown) by which the housing is secured in place. When the screws are driven home they draw the depressed part I2! of the housing against the collar 85 on the shelf 60, thus positioning both parts.

Depression I 20 is provided in the iron housing where the shaft 33 extends through it. Holes for the screws cooperating with the shelf 60 at I I2 are provided in this depressed portion as well as a hole for the shaft 36.

Where the end of the shaft extends above the bottom of the housing, the metal hub I2I is secured to it by means of a set screw I22, Fig. 1. The hub constitutes an insert in the molded material of adjustment lever 36 which gives the lever the advantages of molded material and also the secure position of a metal portion. A groove in the upper part of the shaft cooperates with the set screw I22 and a knurled head I22 at the top of the shaft provides good connection to the handle 36. The interior of the top of the hub is broached to cooperate with the knurled head. Provision for securing the adjustment lever 16 to the shaft 12 in any desired direction is thus made.

The adjustment lever 26 is provided with a rounded portion to enclose the insert or hub HI and the rounded portion is provided with a flange I 26 upon which indicia I21 are provided which indicate the goods (wool, silk, etc.) upon which the iron can be used to advantage when the heat corresponds to that setting of the thermostat. At one extreme of the indicia, the word of! is placed and at the other extreme the word high."

The sadiron is provided with a handle I36 which is secured to the housing before the housing is put in place. The handle has two uprights; the forward upright, shown in section at I6I in Fig. 2, is provided on the rear surface thereof with a rib which forms a point I62 where it terminates at the surface of the iron. This point is closely adjacent to the flange I26 and so serves as an indicator point for the indicia I21.

In the operation of the device, when the iron is not in use, the current is switched off. This is done by rotating the adjustment lever 66 counterclockwise until it is stopped. The stopp is effected by the projecting piece 61 coming into contact with the post 66. As it comes into this pooltion, it pushes the arm it toward the rear of the iron which moves the lever 50 into the pomtion shown in Fig. 5, in which the contact I is sep- .arated from the contact II.

To the operator it would appear that the adjustment lever II was stopped by the interference of the forward upright of the handle III! in its rotation, because, when the adjustment lever 38 has reached the pomtion' in which the current is shut off, which is the position in which the point I22 is opposite the index mark "off," the adjustment lever II will have nearly contacted with the upright in question. This is the position in which the adjustment lever It is left when the ironis not in use. Normally it is not disturbed after the current is shut off.

When the iron is to be put to use, the end or the cord I is connected to a source of power not shown) in the usual way; by a wall socket, for example. Current then flows through one conductor of the cord to one of the terminal connectors I00, say, for example, to that associated with the upper upright 90 in Fig. 8. Current flows along this upright to the conductor 80 and thence to the screw 02 and so to the ribbon II. It descends this ribbon to the contact member 54 and is there interrupted, unless the adjustment lever It has been moved from the last-described position.

When the adjustment-lever 36 is moved, it is necessarily in a clockwise rotation (Fig. 2), since it was at its extreme counter-clockwise position. Movement of the adjustment lever 38 in clockwise direction causes the cross piece 01 to depart from the post 69 and release the upright 88. This causes the spring 80 to move the apex of the triangular part 59 of the lever upward. The screws 82 causes the movement of the lever to be about the heads of the screws 82 as a pivot. The contact ll, therefore, descends and meets the rivet head III. Thence current passes through the rivet 50 to contact I! and abutting contact 43, thence through conducting strips 88 and I! to the other contact 43 which cooperates with the lower end of rivet 49. This brings the current to the ribbon 10 which is connected at the screw M with the conductor 90. Current passes along conductor 90 to the other end of it where the conductor is fastened by a screw I80 to a ribbon Ill, leading to a terminal of the heater. The current passes through the heater to the other terminal thereof where it is received by a ribbon I82 and follows up this ribbon to the conductor 89. The upright part 98 of this conductor leads to the other terminal I from which it passes into the other conductor of the cord I55 and so back to the power supply.

As the base of the iron is heated, the thermostat being located in the well 23 and, therefore, well connected thermally to the base, is also heated. The foundation plate 29, because it covers the well 23, shuts in the heat within the well, so that the disk 3| quickly takes the temperature of the base. The bimetallic structure of the disk SI causes it, when heated, to tend to become concave upon its lower face with a snap action.

An elastic stress in the disk 3| is produced by the pull of the shaft 32 against the center of the disk and the resistance of contacts like 45 to the upward movement of the disk-carried contacts such as 43. The greater this elastic stress, the less the change in configuration which must be produced by the bimetallic action in response to the heat. Thus, the higher the shaft 33, that is, the higher the central part of the disk before it is heated, the smaller the temperature change through which it must be heated to cause it to pass that configuration at which it snaps, becoming concave downward. When the snap occurs, the contacts 43 open and current to the heater is shut off at two points adjacent the separated end of conductors 31 and 28.

When the adjusting lever 2' is rotated clockwise, it rotates the shaft 32 which, cooperating with the nut II, descends and thus decreases the elastic strain in the disk. To decrease the elastic strain is to increase the strain which must be introduced by the bimetallic diflerential expansion, that is to increase the temperature to which the iron must be heated before the disk snaps.

The graduations-I2I upon the flange I26 are such that, as the adjusting lever is rotated clockwise, first the mark "01! departs from the point I32 and the mark rayon comes into register with that point. Upon further rotation in the same direction, the mark "silk" comes into register with the point I32 and so on. Rayon is goods with respect to which only a low temperature of the iron is required. Silk calls for somewhat higher temperature; and so on, the highest temperature being required by linen.

The marks on the dial I26 thus indicate progressively higher temperatures as the dial is rotated clockwise and the mark high, representing the limit of motion in the clockwise direction, corresponds to goods requiring a higher temperature than anything mentioned upon the dial. When the dial is rotated in the opposite direction successively, lower temperatures are called for to produce the snap action of the thermostat, until the mark rayon is in register with the point I32.

A further counter-clockwise movement of the adjusting lever 88 operates the switch lever N in the way already described and causes it to assume the position shown in Fig. 16 with the contact 54 open.

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

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a thermostat and circuit interrupter comprising, a supporting plate, a bimetallic member, an adjusting shaft threadedly engaging the plate and attached at its lower end to the bimetallic member for adjusting the operations thereof, main contact means including a stationary contact on the plate and a cooperating movable contact on the member, secondary contact means including a stationary contact attached to the plate and a cooperative movable contact movably attached to the plate by a lever, and a lug attached to the shaft for coopcrating with the lever and operating the secondary contacts in response'to the movements of such adjusting shaft.

2. In combination, a thermostat and circuit interrupter comprising a support, a thermostatic member mounted thereon, a rotatable shaft for. adjusting said thermostatic member, first contact means including a stationary contact on said support and a cooperating contact movable with said member,second contactmeansincluding a stationary contact on said support and a cooperative movable contact having a movable mounting on said support, and means movable with said shaft for intermittently engaging said 78 mounting to cause operation of said second contact means in response to movements of such adjusting shaft.

3. In combination, a thermostat and circuit interrupter comprising a suport, a thermostatic member mounted thereon, a rotatable shaft for adjusting said thermostatic member, first contact means including a stationary contact on said support and a cooperating contact movable with said member, second contact means including a stationary contact on said support and a cooperative movable contact movably attached to said support by a lever, and a lug attached to said shaft for cooperating with the lever and operating said second contact means in response to movement of such adjusting shaft.

4. In combination, a thermostat and circuit interrupter comprising a support, a thermostatic member mounted thereon, a rotatable shaft for adjusting said thermostatic member, first contact means including a stationary contact on said suport and a cooperating contact movable with said member, second contact means including a stationary contact on said support and a cooperative movable contact, a lever carrying said movable contact and pivotally mounted on said support, and means movable with said shaft for intermittently engaging said lever to cause operation of said second contact means in response to movements of such adjusting shaft.

5. In combination, a thermostat and circuit interrupter comprising a support, a thermostatic member mounted thereon, a rotatable shaft for adjusting said thermostatic member, first contact means including a stationary contact on said support and a cooperating contact movable with said member, second contactmeans including a stationary contact on said support and a cooperative movable contact, means carrying said movable contact and biased to closed position, and means movable with said shaft for intermittently engaging said biased means to cause operation oi! said second contact means in response to movements of such adjusting shaft.

6. In combination, a thermostat and circuit interrupter comprising a support, a thermostatic member mounted thereon, a rotatable shaft for adjusting said thermostatic member, first contact means including a stationary contact on said support and a cooperating contact movable with said member, second contact means including a stationary contact on said support and a cooperative movable contact, means carrying said movable contact and biased to closed position, a stop on said support, and means movable with said shaft for engaging said biased means to close and open said movable contact means just after leaving and just before reaching said stop, respectively.

EARL K. CLARK.

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