US2199911A

US2199911A - Electric steam iron

Info

Publication number: US2199911A
Application number: US156087A
Authority: US
Inventors: Judson T Edwards; Edwards Crewdson
Original assignee: GRATIA T DUTTON; HERMAN BAER
Current assignee: GRATIA T DUTTON; HERMAN BAER
Priority date: 1937-07-28
Filing date: 1937-07-28
Publication date: 1940-05-07
Anticipated expiration: 1957-05-07

Description

'y7, J. .T. EDWARDS ETAL v2,-1-99.911*

ELECTRiC swam IRON Filed-July 28, 1937 2 SIuQts-Sheet 2 INVENTORS I J. T. EDWARDS C. E DWA RDS ATTORNEY.

Patented May 7, 1940 UNITED S ATES PATENT OFFICE I I 2,190,911 ELECTRIC summon I Judson 1*. Edwards and Orewdson Edwards, sh 3 L Louis, Mo., assignors of one-sixth tztollllem I mialrzlufinemiixthtoGratia T.D11I I I FEB 1%;

Application July 28, 1937, Serial No. 158,087

.9Claims.

I .of water to the fabric being pressed in such a way-that the heated base of the iron will properly and efliciently press the fabric.

Another object 01' our invention is to construct an electric steam iron in which theupper part of '15 the water reservoir is made as an integral unit and the bottom thereof is made from the same material and so associated and welded thereto that the reservoir will not leak and thereby impair its usefulness as a result of changes in temperaa0. ture to which the iron is subjected during its life.

Still another object of our invention is to produce an iron of the type referred to which will be simple in construction, easy to assemble, eflicient in operation, and economical to manufacture.

These and other objects of our invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawingsxshowing a preferred embodiment, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an iron embodying our-invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken' on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a top view of the base portion showing the heating element in position; and Figure 4 is a bottom view of the base showing the steam conducting grooves therein.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the numeral I indicates a base member, and 2 the reservoir which is positioned above the base member. The

"o reservoir is formed in two pieces, preferably cast and of an alloy of aluminum, the upper part 3 being one integral hollow pieceand the bottom plate 4 being of a shape to fit within the lower edges of the upper part. The upper hollow part .top of the upper part 2 of the reservoir is also post II which is bored out for receiving a belt I 2 whereby the base member l'may be clamped to the bottom of the reservoir. I

The manner in which the reservoir is formed from two pieces of like material is a very important feature of our invention since it results in an electric steam pressing iron which will be absolutely leak-proof during the entire life of the iron and which also facilitates the assembly of the parts which go into the reservoir and lends itself to the construction of the iron as a whole at a very low cost. As already pointed out, the bottom plate I is of such shape as to snugly flt with the lower edges of the upper part 3. The plate is also formed with a hole II for receiving the lower end of the post I I which is of such length as to extend substantially through the hole when the plate is in its proper position. The plate is welded to the upper part along the entire marginal seam, as indicated at I, thus permanently securingthetwo parts together and forming a joint which will not be aifected by any contraction or expansion of the metal due to changes in temperature. Also, since the upper part of the reservoir and the plate are of the same material, the expansion or contraction of the metal will not place any strain on the joint which would tend to cause it to leak. The seam: between the hole i3 and the lower end of the post II is also welded as shown at 65.

The central top portion of the base manber I is formed with a shallow recess l6 and the rear portion thereof is formed with'a deeper recess H. An electrical heating element l8 (Figure 3) is positioned in the shallow recess it, this heating element being of well known construction and comprising two core pieces is wrapped with reristance wire 20 and interposed between two sheets of mica 2|. The wire is connected to two insulated straps 22 which extend into the rear recess H where they are attached to the bottom of contact posts 23 mounted in a flange 24 on the rear of the upper part 3 of the reservoir. The contact posts are adapted to project into a well known plug (not shown) which is carried on the end of an extension cord connected to the electrical outlet box. A thin sheet of steel or other suitable material 25 approximately one-sixteenth of an inch in thickness is interposed between the heating element and the bottom plate 6 and acts as an insulator to prevent an excessive amount of heat from being transmitted to the water in the reservoir and to also confine the major portion of the heat in the base member.

The front end of the base member is provided with a vertical bore or chamber 26 into which is snugly fitted the lower end of a steam tube 21. This tube extends through the bottom plate 4 into. the reservoir and to a point adjacent the top of the dome portion 5. The bottom plate at the point where the tube passes therethrough, is formed with a recess 28 in order to provide space for a joint which comprises an enlarged annular nut 29 screwed into the plate and a second annular nut 30 screwed into the nut 29 and engaging the tube. The cooperating threads of the twonuts are tapered in order to insure that the tube will be tightly engaged by the nut 30 when screwed home and thus prevent any leakage.

The bottom surface of the base member is provided. with two open grooves 3| and 32 (Figure 4) which extend from a point adjacent the bore or 'chamber 26 rearwardly and at a spaced distance from the marginal edge of the base member. The bottom surface is also provided with a short open groove 33 which extends from a point adjacent the bore or chamber 26 forwardly to a point adjacent the front end of the base member. The

' ends of the grooves 3i and 32 are connected by short conduits 3d and as, respectively, to the bore 28 and the end of groove 33 is connected to the bore by a short conduit it. All of these conduits are only at a slight angle to the bottom surface of the base and because ,of this the steam from the steam tube will flow into the grooves in substantially the longitudinal direction of the grooves. This is another important feature of our invention as it enables the steam to be properly applied to the fabricduring, pressing. The open grooves permit the steam to be applied gen= orally and not in spots as is the case in prior devices which employ channels and spaced outlet ports from the channels. Also, by using open rooves the steam, when applied to the fabric, will be or the proper dampness, it not having been dried out by the passage through any ports leading from the grooves. The use of the forwardiy extending groove 33 insures that steam will be applied to the tip of the base portion as the iron moves forwardly, thus properly dampening the fabric for ironing. The rearwardly extending

open grooves

35 and 32 insure that steam will be applied to a greater amount to the fabric under the front end of the base portion but will decrease gradually toward the rear and of the base portion, thus permitting the fabric to be prop erly dried by the iron as it moves over the fabric.

In order to prevent the water in the reservoir from splashing about as the iron is moved, we also provide a bafiie plate 3? preferably formed separate from the upper part 2 of the reservoir. The bafiie plate inclines rearwardly and its upper end is notched to surround the upper end of post ii. The lower end is bent backwardly to form a yieldable end engageable with the bottom plate, whereby the bafile plate will be yieldably held in position when the bottom plate a is welded in position. If required, a. second baiiie plate 38 may be employed in the position shown, and held in this position by the upper end of the battle plate 3?. Tire bafii'e plate 38 is suitably notched to iit around the post ii and the steam tube '21. Both bafie plates are so formed that there is sumcient space between them and the adjacent walls of the upper part 3 to permit passage of steam.

From the foregoing it is clearly a parent that the iron is quickly assembled by a minimum number ofoperations. The bailie plates 31 and 38 (or just the baifle plate 31 if only one is employed) are placed in the upper part 3 and then the bottom plate I set within the lower edges of the upper part and welded along the entire seam up tightly. The heating element l8 and insulating plate 25 are then properly mounted on the base member, the straps 22 connected to the contact posts, and the base secured to the reservoir by bolt I2. The construction permits'easy removal of the base to replace the-heating element in the event it should become inoperative.

When. water isplaced in the reservoir and the heating element connected to a source of elec-- tricity, steam will be generated and the base member will become heated. The amount of steam generated will be just suflicient to properly dampen the fabric for eflicient pressing by the base portion which does not reach such a high temperature that the fabric will be scorched.

and around-the end of postll. Next, the steam. tube is inserted and the nuts 29 and 3D screwed be limited except as setforth in the appended claims.' I

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a pressing iron of the class described, a base member for performing the pressing operation, a liquid-containing reservoir lated with the base member, means for applying heat to thebase member and for generating steam from the liquid in the reservoir, the bottom surface of said base member being provided with two grooves having downwardly diverging wails and being open throughout their entire length to the material being pressed and'extendingrearwardly from the forward end of the base mom-=- ber and acent the marginal edges oi the and means for conducting steamfrom the reservoir to the forward ends of the grooves, said means comprising conduit means joining the ends of the grooves and so assocla with the grooves that said conduit means will guide the steam into said grooves in a direction substan= tially the same as that in which the grooves ex= tend to thus distribute said ste onto the top surface of thematerial being pressed.

2. Ina pressing iron of the class described, a base member'for performing the preg operation, a IiQUid-QOBtESmRESGWOi? iated with the base member, means for applying heat 7 to the base member and ror'generat ste from the liquid in the reservoir, the bottom raceof said base member being provided with an open groove, the open side of which is of a width not less than the width oi any other mrtion oi the groove, said groove extending reardiy from the forward end of the base member, and means for conducting steam from the reservoir to the forward end of said groove, said means comprising a conduit joining the end'oi" thegroove and so associa with the groove that it will guide the etc into said ve in a #1.; e v

' tion'substantially the same as that in which the groove extends to thus distribute said steam onto the top surface of the material being pressed. 3. In a pressing iron of the class described, a

base member for performing the pressing operation, a liquid-containing reservoir associated with the base member, means for applying heat to the base member and for generating steam ward end of the base member and adjacent the marginal edges of the base, said bottom surface also being provided with an open groove extending forwardly from a point adjacent the forward ends of the first named grooves, the open side of each of said grooves being of a width not less than the width of any other portion of the groove, and means for conducting steam from the reservoir to the forward ends of the first named grooves and the rear end of the second named groove, said means comprising conduits so associated with the respective grooves that they will guide the steam into said grooves in a direction substantially the same as that in which ation, a liquid-containing reservoir associated with the base member, means for applying heat to the base member and for generating steam from the liquid in the reservoir, the bottom surface of said base member being provided with an open groove extending rearwardly from the forward end of the base member, said bottom surface also being provided with an open groove extending forwardly from a point adjacent the forward end of the first named groove, the open end' of each of said'grooves being of a width not less than the width of any other portion of the groove, and means for conducting steam from-the reservoir to the forward end of the first named groove and the rear end of the second named groove, said means comprising conduits so associated with the respective grooves that they will guidethe steam into said grooves in a direction substantially the same as that ,in which the grooves extend.

' 5. In a pressing iron of the class described, a single piece base member having a shallow recess in its top, a reservoir positioned above said base member and detachably" secured thereto, said reservoir comprising a hollow upper part .provided with an upwardly extending hollow dome portion and a separate bottom plate of like material permanently secured to the base portion of the upper part along the entire marginal seam, a fiat electrical heating element positioned and disposed so that the tube may be removed through the bottom plate, and conduit means in the base member and telescopically receiving the lower end of the tube.

6. In a pressing iron of the class described, a base member, a reservoir positioned above said base member and detachably secured thereto, said reservoir comprising an integral hollow upper part provided with an upwardly extending hollow dome portion at its forward end and a.

separate bottom plate of like material permanently secured to the base portion of the upper part along the entire marginal seam, the forward wall of the reservoir and the forward wall of the dome portion being one smooth continuous wall extending upwardly and readwardly, a heating element positioned between the base member and the bottom plate of the reservoir, said base member being provided with a chamber in the forward end thereof, steam channels connected therewith and extending rearwardly therefrom, a steam tube passing through the bottom plate of the reservoir and extending through the forward portion of the reservoir and into .the dome portion from the bottom thereof, the lower end of said tube extending into and communicating with the chamber in the base member, and means for detachably securing the tube to the bottom plate and arranged and disposed so that it may be removed from the reservoir through a said bottom plate without detaching same.

7. In a pressing iron of the class described, a

base member, a leak-proof liquid reservoir posi-' tioned above, said base member, said reservoir comprising a hollow upper part having an integral top and side walls and being provided with an upwardly extending dome portion and a separate bottom plate, said bottom plate adapted to fit within the lower edges of the walls of the upper part to form with said lower edges a fiat surface for engagement with the base member and being permanently secured to said upper part along 'the entire marginal seam, means for detachably clamping the base member to the reservoir,an electrical heating element positioned means comprising a tube passing through the bottom plate and extending through the reservoir and to a point adjacent the top of said dome base member, a reservoir positioned above said base member and detachably secured thereto, said reservoir comprising a hollow upper part provided with an upwardly extending dome portion at its forward end, means forming steam channels in the bottom of the base member for distributing the steam to the fabric to be pressed, means for placing the upper part of the dome portion in communication with the steam channels, a separate baflle plate within the reservoir extending upwardly at an angle from the forward end of the bottom of the reservoir to a point adjacent the rear of the dome portion, a

second separate baille plate lying in a substantially horizontal plane and positioned at the juncbase member, a leak-proof liquid reservoir positioned above said base member, said reservoir comprising a hollow upper part having integral top and side walls and a separate bottom plate permanently secured to said upper part along the ventire marginal seam, means for conducting steam from the upper part of. said reservoir to the tube to the bottom plate and permitting the the base member and comprising a tube passing tube to be removed from the reservoir without through the bottom plate of the reservoir and detaching the bottom platefrom the upper porextending through the reservoir to a point above tion of said reservoir.

the liquid therein, and means accessible from the I exterior of the reservoir when the base member JUDSON EDWARDS- is detached therefrom for securing and sealing ON EDWARDS.