US2408209A - Electric iron - Google Patents

Description

W. L. GOULD ELECTRIC I RON Sept. 24, 1946.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 15, 1944 Inventor MLL/AM L. Gnu/.0,

P 1946. WJL. GOULD 2fi$fi ELECTRIC IRON 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 15, 1944 MLLYIAM L. GouLo,

Patented Sept. 24, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC IRON William L. Gould, Albany, N. Y. Application April 15, 1944, Serial No. 531,250

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to electric irons of that type embodying a, plurality of sections which may be used together or separately to provide irons of different Weights and sizes.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an electric iron of the above kind in which each iron section has a permanent handle member, an electrical heating element and a plug for reception of the socket of an attachment cord whereby the heating element may be connected with a source of electricity, each iron section having an ironing surface, mechanical means being provided to rigidly connect the iron sections together to form a continuous ironing surface, and means including the attachment plug of one section and an electrical connector socket carried by the other iron section being provided to interconnect the heating elements of the sections when they are mechanically secured together.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an electric iron of th above kind wherein each iron section has a handle member, an electrical heating element, and an attachment plug for reception of the socket of an attachment cord whereby the electrical heating element of each iron section may be connected with a source of electricity, mechanical means being provided to connect the iron sections together, and the handle members of the sections being constructed and arranged to coact when the iron sections are assembled to form a most satisfactory handle for the heavier iron presented by the assembled iron sections.

With the above objects in view, and others that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the present invention consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of part hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an electric iron constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figur 2 is a front elevational view thereof.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section taken on the plane of line 4-4 of Figure 7 is a top plan view of a modified form of the invention.

Figure 8 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 8-8 of Figure '7.

Figure 9 is a side elevational view, partly broken away and in section, of the iron shown in Figur '7.

Figure 10 is a bottom plan view, partly broken away and in section, of a further modification of the present invention.

R f rrin in detail to the drawings, and particularly to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 6, inclusive, the iron include two sections 5 and 5a, each having an ironing surface 6 and Ba and provided with a permanent handle member 1 and la. Also, in this embodiment, each iron section has a pointed front end 8 and 8a. The upper surface of the pointed forward end of each section is preferably rounded and inclined to the ironing surface. Accordingly, the front section 5 is provided in its rear end and under side with a cavity or recess 9 to receive the forward end of the rear section 5a and to so locate the sections with respect to each other, when said sections are joined together, that the surfaces 6 and 6a. will present a continuous ironing surface. Any suitable means may b provided to mechanically connect the sections together, such as aligned ears l0 and l l on opposite sides of the iron sections, which ears are adapted to receive bolts l2 having nuts l 3 threaded thereon to tightly draw the iron sections together. The handle members I and la are preferably so formed and arranged that they will align with each other at their adjacent ends and coact to form a most desirable large handle for the heavy ilOn presented when the iron sections are joined together. However, it will be apparent that when the iron sections are separated, each of them will have a permanent handle member so that either one may be independently used with respect to the other. In order to make this completely possible, each iron section is provided at the rear thereof with an attachment plug M or Ma adapted to receive the socket of an attachment cord, each iron section having its own independent heating element. As shown in Figure 6, the section 5 has a heating element l5 electrically connected to the plug l4, while the section 5a has a heating element I5a electrically connected to the plug Ha. I

Provided at the front of the rear iron section 5a is an electrical socket l6 adapted to receive the contact pins of the plug I4 of the front section 5a when the iron sections are mechanically joined together, the contacts of the socket It being connected to the plug Ma of the iron sec tion 5a. Thus, when the iron sections are joined together, their heating elements are automatically electrically connected together in parallel by connecting the corresponding terminals of plugs M and Na in series so that both ironing surfaces 6 and 6a will be heated. In this event, the socket of the attachment cord will of course be applied to the exposed plug Ma of the rear iron section 5a.

In the embodiment of Figures 7 to 9, inclusive, the iron is composed of a main larger lower iron section 5 and an upper smaller iron section 5a adapted to be centrally disposed upon the section 5' and mechanically secured thereon by means of screws l2 passing through marginal recessed portions of the upper section 5a and threaded into the lower section 5'. When the sections are used together, only the ironing surface 6' of the lower section 5 is used. However, the upper section 5a has a bottom ironing surface 6a which is used when the upper iron section is employed by itself upon being detached from the lower section 5. The sections 5 and 511 respectively have heating elements l5 and lint, the former being connected with an attachment plug l4 and the latter being connected with an attachment plug Ma. The plugs I4 and Ma are respectively located at the rear ends of the sections 5 and 5a, as shown in Figure '7.

Section 5 has a handle member I, while section So has a handle member la. These handle members are used and they coact the same as the handle sections 1 and la of the iron shown in Figure 1, except that the smaller upper iron section 511 has an opening I! therethrough upwardly through which the handle member 1' of the iron section 5 projects. This permits the handle member I to pass downwardly through the opening i! when the iron sections are separated. In other words, it permits separation of the iron sections even though each has its own permanent handle member. Obviously, either iron section may be used alone, or they may be used in assembled relation, depending upon the size and weight of iron which it is desired to use.

In the embodiment of Figure 10, the iron sections 5b and 5c are mechanically joined in endto-end relation by means of bolts lib passing through lugs Nib and lib on the adjacent flat rear ends of the sections, a nut [3b being threaded on each bolt so that the sections may be tightly drawn and secured together. A main distinction between this form of the invention and that shown in Figure l is that the iron sections point away from each other instead of in the same direction. The iron section 511 has a handle member lb, and the iron section 50 has a handle member 'Ic respectively corresponding to the handle members 1 and la of Figure 1. Also, each iron section 5?) and 50 has its own electrical heating element and is provided with a fiat bottom ironing surface 62) and 6c. The surfaces 61) and 60 form a continuous ironing surface when the sections 5?) and 5c are secured together. In this embodiment, the flat rear ends of the sections have electric sockets I51) and H50, while a double connector plug I8 is provided to simultaneously engage both of the sockets [6b and I60 for electrically connecting the heating elements of the two iron sections in parallel with each other as in the form of Figures 1 to 6, inclusive when said iron sections are joined together. Either iron section may have an additional plug corresponding to plug Ma. The

connector plug I8 may be left in either the socket I62) or the socket I60 when the iron sections are separated, whereby either desired iron section may be employed by itself. For instance, if the connector plug I8 is left engaged in the socket I 62) of the iron section 5b, one set of contact pins of the connector plug [8 will project from said section 5b for reception in the socket of an attachment cord. In a like manner, if the connector plug I8 is left engaged in the socket of the section 50, a set of contact pins of the connector plu I8 will project from said section 50 for reception in the socket of the attachment cord. It will thus be apparent that either iron section may be employed alone and connected with a source of electricity for heating its ironing surface. Any suitable means may be providedfor releasably securing the connector plug I8 to the particular iron section in which it is allowed to remain engaged. Obviously, when the iron sections are separated, each will have its own handle-member. r I

An advantage of the construction shown in Figures 7 to 9, inclusive, is that it presents an unbroken ironing surface when the iron sections are joined together. However, this is not a serious objection with the other forms of the invention if they are accurately aligned and carefully constructed so that the ironing surfaces of the iron sections will be exactly flush when the iron sections are secured together. This requires some precision in manufacture so as to afford no shoulder or break at the joint between the sections of the iron. I

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction and operation, as well as the advantages of the present invention, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. The invention is susceptible of other modifications and changes in details of construction such as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of th invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. An electric iron comprising a plurality of at least two iron sections, each having a pointed front end and an ironing surface and each pro vided with a separate permanent handle member, a heating element for each iron section, means at one end of each iron section to facilitate electrical connection of its heating element with a source of electricity, and mechanical means for rigidly securing said iron sections together.-

2. An electric iron comprising a plurality of at least two iron sections, each having a pointed front end and an ironing surface and each provided with a separate permanent handle member, a heating element for each iron section, means at one end of each iron section to facilitate electrical connection of its heating element with a source of electricity, and mechanical means for rigidly securing said iron sections together, the handle members of the sections being so formed and arranged that they will align and coast to form an enlarged handle for the heavier iron provided by the assembled iron sections.

3. An electric iron comprising a plurality of at least two iron sections, each having a pointed front end and an ironing surface and each provided with a separate handle member and an electrical heating element, means to mechanically secure said iron sections together in abutting relation so that their ironing surfaces form a continuous ironing surface, means to facilitate electrical connection of the heating element of one iron section with a source of electricity, and

means to automatically connect the heating elements of the other section to said second-named means when said sections are joined together.

4. An electric iron comprising a plurality of at least two iro-n sections, each having an ironing surface and an electrical heating element, means to mechanically secure said iron sections together in abutting relation so that their ironing surfaces form a continuous ironing surface, means to facilitate electrical connection of the heating element of one iron section with a source of electricity, and means to automatically connect the heating element of the other section to said second-named means when said sections are joined together, one section havin a cavity at its read end, both of said sections having a rounded pointed forward end, the forward end of the other section being adapted to snugly fit in said cavity.

5. An electric iron comprising a plurality of two iron sections each having a fiat rear end and a pointed front end, mechanical means to secure the sections together with their fiat rear ends in abutting relation, said sections having ironing surfaces adapted to form a continuous ironing surface when the sections are joined together, a separate handle member permanent with each iron section, an electrical connector socket at the rear end of each iron section, and

a double-ended connector plug separable from either iron section and adapted to connect the connector sockets of the iron sections when said iron sections are joined together and to provide means for electrically connecting the heating element of either iron section with a source of electricity when the iron sections are separated.

6. An electric iron comp-rising a relatively large lower iron section having a pointed front end and an ironing surface and provided with a handle member, an upper smaller iron section superposed upon the first-named iron section and detachably rigidly secured thereon, said smaller iron section havin a pointed front end and an ironing surface, a handle member permanently carried by the second iron section, each iron section having an electrical heating element, and an attachment plug on the rear end of each iron section for facilitating connection thereof with a source of electricity, the smaller upper iron section having an opening permitting the passage of the handle member of the lower iron section upwardly therethrough when the iron sections are assembled, said handle members being so formed and arranged that they will align and coact to form an enlarged handle for the heavier iron provided by the assembled iron sections.

WILLIAM L. GOULD.

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