US2644255A

US2644255A - Iron supporting linkage

Info

Publication number: US2644255A
Application number: US217026A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edwin E Foster
Original assignee: Majik Ironers Inc
Current assignee: Majik Ironers Inc
Priority date: 1951-03-22
Filing date: 1951-03-22
Publication date: 1953-07-07
Anticipated expiration: 1970-07-07

Description

July 7, 1953 E. E. FOSTER IRON SUPPORTING LINKAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March- 22, 1951 ATTORNEX j 7 y 3 E. E. FOSTER 2,644,255

IRON SUPPORTING LINKAGE Filed March 22, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

July 7, 1953 E. E. FOSTER 2,644,255

. IRON SUPPORTING LINKAGE Filed March 22, 19 51 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I i I l l n I N VEN TOR.

A TTOHNEX Patented July 7, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT oFF1c1:

2,644,255 IRON SUPPORTING LINKAGE Edwin E. Foster, Austin, Tex., assignor to Majik- Ironers, Inc., Austin, Tex., a corporation of Texas Application March 22, 1951, Serial No. 217,026

17 Claims.

desirable to remove the effect of the spring which acts to raise the iron when the iron is lowered onto the board during ironing. It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a support which is relatively simple toconstruct and which functions efiectively to remove the raising force on the iron when the iron is lowered to working position.

Another object is to provide a support in which the raising spring can be made effective or ineffective by a latch easily controlled by the operator.

. According to one feature, the latch is controlled by an operating lever lying adjacent to and preferably above the iron handle for easily and naturally controlling. of the latch by an operator. Another object is to provide a support in which the raising efiect of the spring is balanced by a second spring when the iron is lowered to ironing position and in which the second spring can be made effective or ineffective by a latch.

Still another object is to provide a support in which the efiect of the raising spring decreases as the iron is lowered to its normal working position and increases when the iron moves to an extreme lowered position as, for example, when it drops below the board.

A further object is to provide a support in which a lever :is employed to connect the supporting linkage to a supporting element and the lever is guided so as to maintain it in proper vertical position at all times. I

The above and other objects and features of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following description when read in connec- Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the iron in lowered working position;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 4 ofan alternative construction;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 showing the iron lowered to its normal working position;

and

Figure 9 is a'partial'section showing'the iron lowered to an extreme position.

As'shown in Figure 1, a flat-iron II) which may be of more'or less conventional construction is adapted to be supported for movement above and parallel to an ironing board and to be lowered against material on the board for ironingwhen desired. The iron is normally carried by a pair of pivotally interconnected levers including a relatively long lever-I2 pivoted ona horizontal axis at its lower end on a vertical rod I2 for rotating movement about a verticalaxis and =for swinging .movement about the horizontal axis. A short lever I3 is pivoted to the upper end of the lever I2 and terminates at its lower end in a joint indicated at I I for connection to the iron supportinglinkage. The levers I2 and I3-may be hollow, as indicated in Figures 2 and 3, and

the electric? cord for supplying current to the iron,

may pass therethrough as indicated at-I4'; .In addition, the .leversmay be interconnected by mechanism as more particularly described. and claimed in my icopending application Serial No. 669,318, filed May 13, 1946 and now abandoned, so that as the levers pivot between the full and dotted line positions illustrated, the joint I4 will be constrained to move in a plane parallel to the ironingboard II. v

The iron is connected to the joint I4 through a supporting linkage'which forms the. subject matter of the present invention. As illustrated in Figures 1-6, the linkage comprises a lower hollow arm I5 formed at its lower end for rigid connection to the iron. 3 As best seen in Figures 4-6, the'hollow arm I5 terminates at its lower end in a flange which is secured by a screw I6 to the iron body. The arm I5 forms the forward part of the iron handle as shown at I! which is secured rigidly to the iron body and is spaced above it to be grasped conventionally by the operator. The handle may be formed of any desired material such as a molded plastic and. is preferably hollow with its topopen as shown in Figures free end the arm I9 carries a pivoted mounting lever 2| terminating in a mounting ball 22 which is engaged in the joint member I4 for universal and rotating movement. In this way the iron can be turned or swung to any desired position during use.

The linkage is normally held in the position shown in Figure 4 to raise the iron above the level of the board, as shown in dotted lines in Figure l, by means of a spring 23. As shown, the spring 23 is a tension spring anchored at one end to pivot pin 24 for the lever 2I and at its opposite end to a pin 25 rigidly secured in the arm I5. The pin 25 lies below the pivot I8 and i preferably slightly farther from thepin 24 than is the pivot I8. With this construction, when the linkage is straightened to move the iron toward the board, to its working position, the line of the spring moves toward the pivot I8 to shorten the effective moment arm of the spring so that the spring effect tending to raise the iron will be decreased, notwithstanding the increase in tension of the spring 23. Thus,.less force is required to hold the iron in its lowered working position than to move it initially from its raised position above the board.

In order to cancel completely or substantially .completelythe elevating effect of the spring 23,

a second spring is provided to oppose'the elevating spring and which becomes efiective when the iron is lowered. As shown in Figures k6, a compression spring of the type which will develop a substantially constant spring force regardless of its degree of compression is employed. This spring is in the form .an elongated coil spring 26 having normally contacting adjacent turns and having .end portions 2! offset from its axis so that when the spring is compressed it will bow outward as indicated in Figure 6. I have found that a spring of this type will develop a substantially constant degree of 'force regardless of its degree of compression so that a very desirable efiec't for use inthe compression mechanism is produced.

The upper end portion 2'! of the spring 26 is pivoted to an extension on the upper arm I9 which normally lies substantially in line with the pivot I8 and the pin 25, as shown in Figure 4. At its lower end, the spring is pivoted to a movable abutment 28 which is in the form of a plate pivoted at '29 to the arm I5. When the iron is in its raised position as shown in Figure v4, the spring 26 is relaxed and the abutment member will normally lie in the position illustrated. However, when the iron is moved downward, the spring 26 will be compressed and will tend to swing the abutment ZBcounter-clockwise about its pivot 29. V I

In order to hold the abutment plate against swinging to make the spring 26 efiective, latch means are provided engaging the abutment 28.

As shown, the latch means comprises a latch lever 3I pivoted at 32 to the arm I and having an elongated operating handle 33 rigidly secured thereto and lying in the hollow handle IT. The latch operating handle 33 projects above the iron handle I! where it can easily be engaged by an operators hand and will be held down by the operators hand during normal gripping of the iron handle. Preferably the end of the lever 3| is at a slight angle and engages the pin 34 on the abutment "plate 28 so that compression of the spring 26 tends to raise the latch handle 33. The force acting on the latch handle can, however, be made very small so that the efiort required to hold the latch handle down can be such that it is unnoticeable to the opeartor.

In normal use of the iron, the iron will be held above the board at the level shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, with the supporting linkage occupying the position shown in Figure 4. At this time, the sprin 26 is ineffective and the spring 23 will hold the linkage in its angular position with the iron elevated. To use the iron the operator grasps the handle I? thereby automatically engaging the latch handle 33 to hold it in its lowered position and presses the iron toward the board.

During this operation, the linkage will move to the position shown in Figure 6 and during the latter part of this movement the spring 26 will be compressed and will exert a turning force on the arm l9 opposing the force on the spring 23. By proper design of the springs, these two forces can be made to balance each other almost exactly and it will be noted that this balance is maintained over a relatively widerange of vertical movement of the iron, due to the fact that the compressive force of the spring 26 is substantially the same regardless of its degree of compression. At this time, the iron-can be moved over on material on the board I I in a normal manner to effect an ironing operation. I

When the operator releases the, iron handlethe latch handle 33 will swing upward and the latch lever 3| will move away from the pin 34, allowing the abutment 28 to swing counter-clockwise. This will relieve the compressive force'o'f'the spring 26..

leaving the spring 23 effective to :raise the iron above the board. Even though the effective raising force of the spring 23 is ata minimum when the iron is lowered, it is .still sufiicient to lift the weight of the iron. As the iron starts to move upward, the spring 23 becomes more and more efiective to insure raising of the iron to the desired elevated position. Thus whenever the operator releases the iron handle, the latch will be released to make the elevating spring once more effective so that the iron will'be raisedp This completely eliminates any possibility of theriron being accidentally left on material on the board to scorch or otherwise damage .it.

Figures 7-9 illustrate an alternative construction inwhich parts corresponding to like part in Figures 1-6 are indicated by the same reference numerals plus 100. a In this construction, the spring I23 is anchored at one end to the cross pin I25 on the arm II5 and is adjustably connected .at its opposite end to an adjusting screw I35 which extends through the end of the arm I I9. The adjusting screw threads into a block I36 in the adjacent end of the spring so that byturning the screw to thread it more or less into the block, the tension of the spring I23 can easily be adjusted to the desired value.

'The balancing spring, as illustrated in these figures, comprises acompression spring device including a pair of levers I31 and I38 pivoted to each other and to the arm II5 by a pin I39. An elongated coil type spring I4! is wound about the pivot and has its arms respectively engagingthe levers I31 and I 38 tending to straighten them. The coil spring I4I may be precompressed to any desired extent and a stop pin I 42 is preferably provided on the lever I3! to engage the lever I38 and limit straightening movement of the levers in response to the spring.

The lever I-3'I carries a pin I43 at its free end which engages the upper end of the latch lever I3I. The upper end of the latch lever is shaped as explained in Figures 1-6 to provide relatively light camming action tending to lift the latch handle I33 and disengage the latch.

The free end of the lever I38 carries a roller I44 which engages the cam plate I45 secured to the upper arm II9. that when the iron is in or near its lowered working position the turning effect of the compensating spring device on the upper arm II9 will be substantially constant through a relatively wide range of movement.

-As'shoWn in Figure 7, when the iron is in its raised position, the lever I38 is in engagement with the pin I42 so that the compensating spring device exerts no turning effect on the upper arm. As the arms are straightened during lowering of the iron, the spring device will be compressed by the cam and the spring I23 will be tensioned and will move toward the pivot II8 so that its efiective force tends to decrease. After the roller I44 has moved over a corner I46 on the cam, it

The cam plate is so shaped will engage the end'cam surface, as shown in Figure 8, and will exert on the arm I I9 a turning force opposing the spring I23. At this time, the raising force of the spring I23 is effectively cancelled so that the iron will remain on the work and will rest thereon with its full weight as long as the latch handle I33 is held down.

On releasing the latch handle I33 the latch lever I3I will swing away from the pin I43 allowing the compensating spring device to turn clockwise, thereby to remove its compensating force. At this time, the spring I23 will be efiective to raise the iron.

In the event the iron should be lowered to an extreme position, as, for example, if it should drop from the edge of the board, the spring I23 would come so close to the pivot I I8 that it might not have sufficient force to raise the iron. To prevent this possibility, a pin M1 is secured in the lower arm II5 in a position to engage the the spring I23 as indicated in Figure 9 so thatthe lateral deflecting force of the spring will be added to its tension effect to raise the iron. At the same time the cam I45 is so shaped that even though the latch handle I33 is held downward, the roller I44 will move out of engagement with the cam to eliminate the eiTect of the compensating spring device. Thus sufficient force will be provided through the tension and lateral bending effect of the spring I23 to raise the iron even from an extreme position.

Figures '79 illustrate another desirable feature which can be applied equally well to the construction of Figure 1. It is desirable in using the iron to maintain the supporting lever I2I substantially vertical at all times so that the iron will be properly balanced and can be turned during use.

. To maintain the lever properly vertical under all conditions, it is pivoted intermediate its ends on the pin I24 and has its lower end connected by a link I43 to the pin I25 in the vertical arm H5. The distance between the pivot I24 and the lower end of the link is the same as the distance between pivot II8 and pin I25, so that in effect a parallelogram linkage is provided to hold the lever I25 vertical regardless of the relative angular positions of the arms. In this way, the iron is maintained properly balanced at all times and still obtains the necessary freedom of movement through the joint member I22.

, While two embodiments of the invention have the second spring to make it effective or inefi'ec-' been'shown and described in detail, it will be I understood that they are illustrative onlyand are not intended to bee definition of the scope of the invention, referencebeing had 'for this purpose to the appended claims. 1

What is claimed is:.

=1. Asupport for an iron comprising a pair of arm members pivotally interconnected at one end, one of the members being formed at its other end for connection to an iron, means'at the other end of the other member for connection to a support to support the members and the iron above an ironing board, a spring connected to the members urging them in a direction about their pivotal interconnection to raise the iron and means acting on the members to make the spring ineifective When the members are moved in a direction to lower the iron and a releasable latch carried by one of the members controlling the last named means.

2. A support for an'iron comprising a pair of arm members pivotally interconnected at one end, one of the members being formed at its other end for connectionto an iron, means at the other end of the other member for connection to a support to support the members and the iron above an ironing board, a spring connected to .the members urgingthem in a direction about their pivotal interconnection'to raise the iron, a second spring acting on the members in opposition to the first named spring, and a releasable latch carried by one of the members controlling tive.

3. A support for an iron comprising an iron having a handle, a first arm rigidly secured to the iron and projecting upward therefrom, a second arm pivoted to the upper end of the first arm, means at the free end of the second arm for connection to a support, a spring connecting the arms and urging the second arm toward a horizontal position to raise the iron, means acting on the arms to make the spring inefiective, a latch carried by one of the arms to make the last named means effective or inefiective and an operating lever for the latch pivotally connected to the first arm and lying adjacent to the handle of the iron.

4. A support for an iron comprising an iron having a handle, a'first arm rigidly secured to the iron and projecting upward therefrom, a

the latch pivotally connected to the first arm and lying adjacent to the handle of the iron.

5. A support for an iron comprising a pair of arm members pivotally interconnected at oneend, one of the members being formed at'its other end for connection to an iron, means at the other end of the other member for connection to a support to support the members and the iron above an ironing boardja spring connected to the members urging them in a direction about their pivotal interconnection to raise the iron, a compression spring device connected atone endlto one of the members to act in 0pposition to thefirst named spring, a movable 1 abutment on the other of the members engagin the other endof the compression spring device, anda releasable latch carried by the other of the members and engageable with, the movable abutment to hold the movable abutment'in operative position.

6. A support for an. iron comprising a pair of arm members pivotally interconnected at one end, one of the members being formed at its other end for connection to an iron, means at the other end of the other member for connection to a support to support the members and, the iron above an ironing board, a spring connected to the members urging them in a direction about their pivotal interconnection, to raise the iron, an elongated coil spring having end portions offset from' its axis to provide a substantially constant spring force regardless of the degree of compression thereof, one of the end portions being connected to one of the arm members to oppose the first named spring, a movable abutment on the other arm member engaging the other end portion, and a releasable latch on the other arm member to hold the movable abutment in operative position.

7. A support for an iron having a handle, comprising a first arm rigidly secured to the iron and projecting upward therefrom, a second arm pivoted to the upper end of the first arm, means at the free end of the second arm for connection to a support, a spring connecting the arms and urging the second arm toward a horizontal position to raise the iron, an elongated coil spring having end portions offset from its axis to provide. av substantially constant spring force regardless of. the degree of compression thereof, one of the end portions being connected to the second arm to act thereon in opposition to the first named spring, a movable abutment, on.the first arm engaging the other end portion, a latch on the first arm to hold the abutment in operative position, and an operating lever for the latch lying adjacent to the handle of the iron.

8. A support for an iron comprising a pair of arm members pivotally interconnected at one end, one of the members being formed at its other end for connection to an iron, means at the other end of the other member for connection to a support to support the members and the iron above an ironing board, a spring connected to the members urging them in a direction about their pivotal interconnection to raise the iron, a spring device resilient in compression mounted on one of the arm members, a releasable latch on said one of the arm members providing an abutment for one end of .the spring device and a cam on the other arm member engaging the other end of the spring device and shaped to produce a substantially constant force onthe members when they are moved in a direction. to lower the iron opposing the first named spring.

9. A support for an iron having a handle, comprising a first arm rigidly secured to the iron and projecting upward therefrom, a second arm pivoted to the upper end of the first arm, means at the free end of the second arm for connection to a support, a spring connecting the arms and urging the second arm toward a horizontal position to'raise the iron, a spring device resilient in: compression, mounted on the first arm, a releasable latch on the first arm engaging one end of the spring device and providing an abutment therefor, an operating lever for the latch lying adjacent to the handle of the iron, and a cam 10. A support for an iron comprising a pair of arms pivotally interconnected at one end,;one of the arms being formed at its other end; for connection to an iron,.means at, the'other end of the other arm for connection to a support to support the arms and iron above an ironing board, a spring connected to spaced points on.

the armsv respectively lying in a line at one side of the pivot connection between the arms and urging the arms to an angular position to raise the iron, the, line between said points approaching the pivot when the arms are straightened to lower the iron thereby to decrease the effectiveness of the spring and means carried by and acting on. the arms and including a latch to make the spring inefiective when the arms are straightened to lower the iron.

11. "A support for. an iron comprising a pair of arms pivotally interconnected at one end, one of the arms being formed at'its other end for connection to an iron, means at the other end of the other arm for connection to a support to support the arms and iron above; an ironing board, a sprin connected to spaced points on the arms respectively lying in a line at one side of the pivot connection between the arms and urging the arms to an angular position to raise the iron, the line between said points approaching the pivot when.

the arms are straightened to lower the iron thereby to decrease the effectiveness of the spring, a second spring 'operatively connected to the arms to oppose the first spring with a substantially constant force when the arms are straightened to lower the iron, and a latch. carried by one of the arms and engaging the second spring to makethe second spring efiective and releasable to make the second spring ineffective.

12. A support for an iron comprising a pair of arms pivotally interconnected at one end, one of the arms being formed at its other end for connection to an iron, means, at the other end of the other arm for connection to a support to support the arms and iron above an ironing board, a spring connected to spaced points on the arms respectively lying in a line at one side, of the pivot connection between the arms and urging the arms to an angular position to raise the iron, the line between said points approachin the pivot when the arms are straightened to lower the iron thereby to decrease the effectiveness of the spring, an elongated coil spring having its end portions offset from its axis, a releasable latch on one of the arms forming an abutment for one end portion of the spring, and the other end portion being connected to the other of the arms to exert a substantially constant force thereon opposing'the first named springwhen the arms are straightened to lower the iron.

13- A support for an iron comprising a pair of arms pivotally-interconnected at one end, one of the arms bein formed at its other end for connection to an iron, means at the other end of the other arm for connection to a support to support the arms and iron above an ironing board, a spring connected to spaced points on the arms respectively lying in a line at one side of the pivot connection between the arms and urging the arms to an angular position to raise the iron, the line between said points approaching the pivot when the arms are straightened to lower the iron 9 thereby to decrease the efiectiveness of the spring, a spring device resilient in compression mounted on one of the arms, a releasable latch on said one of the arms forming an abutment for one end of the spring device, and a cam on the other arm engaging the other end of the spring device and shaped to produce a substantially constant force on the arms opposing the first named spring when the arms are straightened to lower the iron.

14. A support for an iron comprising a pair of arms pivotally interconnected at one end, one of the arms being formed at its other end for connection to an iron, means at the other end of the other arm for connection to a support to support the arms and iron above an ironing board, a spring connected to spaced points on the arms respectively lying in a line at one side of the pivot connection between the arms and urging the arms to an angular position to raise the iron, the line between said points approaching the pivot when the arms are straightened to lower the iron there by to decrease the effectiveness of the spring, and a part on one of the arms to engage the spring and deflect it laterally from a line between the points when the arms are straightened to lower the iron to an extreme lowered position thereby to increase the effectiveness of the spring.

15. A support for an iron comprising a pair of arms pivotally interconnected at one end, one of the arms being formed at its other end for connection to an iron, means at the other end of the other arm for connection to a support to support the arms and iron above an ironing board, a spring connected to spaced points on the arms respectively lying in a line at one side of the pivot connection between the arms and urging the arms to an angular position to raise the iron, the line between said points approaching the pivot when the arms are straightened to lower the iron thereby to decrease the efiectiveness of the spring, a part on one of the arms to engage the spring and deflect it laterally from a line 'between the points when the arms are straightened to lower the iron to an extremelowered position thereby to increase the effectiveness of the spring, and means including a latch carried by and acting on the arms to make the sprin effective or ineiTective.

16. A support for an iron comprising a pair of arms pivotally interconnected at one end, one

' pivot connection between the arms and urging of the arms being formed at its other end for connection to an iron, means at the other end of the other arm for connection to a support to support the arms and iron above an ironing board, a spring connected to spaced points on the arms respectively lying in a line at one side of the the arms to an angular position to raise the iron, the line between said points approaching the pivot when the arms, are straightened to lower the iron'there-by to decrease the effectiveness of the spring, a part on one of the arms to engage the spring and deflect it laterally from a line between the points when the arms are straightened to lower the iron to an extreme lowered position thereby to increase the efiectiveness of the spring, a second spring operatively connected to the arms to oppose the first named spring when the arms are straightened to lower the iron, and a releasable latch carried. by one of the arms and connected to the second springto make it effective or inefiective.

1'7. A support for an iron comprising a pair of arms pivotally interconnected at one end, one of the arms being formd at its other end for connection to an iron, a spring connected to the arms urgin them to an angular position to raise the iron, the arms being pivotally movable toward a straightened position to lower the iron, a mounting lever pivoted on a horizontal axis to the other end of the other arm and projecting vertically above the other arm for connection to a support, and a link connecting the lower end of the lever to said one of the arms and lying paralle1 to a line between said axis and the pivotal interconnection between the arms to hold the lever in a substantially vertical position regardless of the angle of the arms.

EDWIN E. FOSTER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,231,896 Foster Feb. 18, 1941 2,345,251 Foster Mar. 28, 1944 2,369,732 Foster Feb. 20, 1945 2,555,639 Foster June 5, 1951