US2773322A

US2773322A - Water valve actuator for steam iron

Info

Publication number: US2773322A
Application number: US357138A
Authority: US
Inventors: John R Gomersall
Original assignee: McGraw Electric Co
Current assignee: McGraw Electric Co
Priority date: 1953-05-25
Filing date: 1953-05-25
Publication date: 1956-12-11
Anticipated expiration: 1973-12-11

Description

Dec. 1l, 1956 J. R. GoMERsALL 2,773,322

WATER VALVE AcTUAToR FOR STEAM IRON Filed may 25, 1953 A me/@a United States Patent WATER VALVE ACTUATOR FOR STEAM IRON John R. Gomersall, Elgin, Ill., assignor to McGraw Electric Company, Elgin, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application May 25, 1953, Seal No. 357,138

7 Claims. (Cl. 38-77) The present invention relates to steaming flatirons and more particularly to manual actuator mechanisms for the water-feed control valves of flash-boiler type steam irons.

The Hash-boiler iron feeds cool water to a substantially empty, heated steam-generating chamber, the surfaces of which may be hotter than the boiling point of Water and where the water is heated and evaporated in a few seconds. In such an iron steaming can be stopped and started quickly simply by controlling the water-feed, and the iron may be used without steam whether its reservoir contains water or not.

Objects of the present invention include the provision of a new and improved manual valve actuator for a steam iron, the provision of a combined fill-tube and valve actuator of simple construction, and the provision of an improved construction for a flash type steam atiron.

These and further objects and advantages ofthe present invention will be apparent from the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a perspective View of a steam iron embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the front end of the iron taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. l 'and illustrating my improved water valve actuator;

Fig. 3 is a substantially horizontal sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a substantially horizontal sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of a portion of Fig. 2 showing the valve in closed position.

Referring now in greater particularity to the figures, and first to Figs. l and 2, there will be seen a flash boiler type steam iron 10, having a handle 12 of molded plastic or other suitable heat insulating construction, la casing 14 and a sole plate 18. A suitable thermostat has an adjusting member 16 mounted on the casing 14 immediately in front of the rear leg of the handle 12.

The sole plate 18 includes a portion 22 which rises within casing 14 and contains a suitable electric heating element, a boiler or steam-generating chamber 24, and suitably baffled steam ducts (not shown) extending from the steam chamber to the bottom face of the sole plate.

The steam generating chamber`24 is closed at the top by a thin, flat plate 26. A water storage tank or reservoir 3i) is housed within the casing 14 above the steam generating chamber 24 and is supported at its opposite ends by brackets 32 (only the frontione being shown) mounted atop the plate 26. The tank or reservoir 30 is provided with an opening near the front and at the loop thereof aligned with a cylindrical opening in the front post of the handle 12. A cylindrical sleeve, liner or fill tube 34 is brazed or otherwise sealed into the tank opening. The upper end of tube 34 extends up through the opening in the handle from near the top of the handle. The lower end of fill tube 34 terminates slightly above the bottom of tank 30 and loosely surrounds a valve body 36. Just below the top of tank 30, and above the valve body 36, tube 34 has an opening 38 in its forward wall for providing communication between the interior of the tube and the interior of tank 30. Opening 38 thus constitutes both an entrance for Water when the tank is being filled, and also a vent to atmosphere. The upper end of tube 34 leans forward for keeping its opening high when the iron is 11p-ended and set on its heel, as when idle.

The bottom of the tank 30 is generally at and level, that is, parallel to the lower face of the sole plate. The flat bottom has a tipped-up portion 40 which receives an extending, threaded neck 42 of the vValve body 36. The valve body 36 is provided with a central bore 44 which is intersected by a pair of right angularly disposed diametral bores 46. The bottom end of the central bore 44 communicates with a metering orifice 48 of a predetermined size to allow water to pass from the tank 30 at a controlled rate necessary for proper steam generation.

A reservoir coupling 50 is threaded on the neck 44 to hold the reservoir coupling and metering valve in position. The reservoir coupling is provided with a generally horizontal discharge opening in which is received the intake end of a water tube 54 which extends rearward from the coupling 50 in a horizontal position. A ball 56 is housed within the reservoir coupling and is free to roll against a valve seat formed by a circumferential restriction 58 in the water tube 54 adjacent the front end thereof when the iron is up-ended to idle position so as to interrupt the water flow and steam generation.

The tube 54 is closed at its rear end and is provided with an opening 69 spaced forwardly of the rear end and adjacent a circumferential restriction 62. A steam chamber connector 64 in the shape of a T-shaped fitting encircles the water tube 54, with its stem 66 extending through the steam chamber cover 26. The stem 66 is provided with a bore 68 aligned with the tube opening 60 for connecting tube 54 with the steam generating chamber.

When the iron is horizontal, as when working, and water flowing, a small amount of water will be held by constriction 62. Then when the iron is tilted up 'this water pours into the rear part of the tube. By retarding this pouring action constriction 62 lets less of this Water pour out at low tilt-angles and thereby enables more of the water to reach the dead end or pocket `at the rear of tube 54 rather than the steam chamber. As the iron is returned to its horizontal position this water is poured into hole 6i) to cause steam to be generated immediately. The constriction 62 opposes return of this water to the forward part of the tube and helps direct it into the steam chamber. With the iron horizontal the water again flows from the tank 3i? and lls up the section between constrictions 5S and 62 and feeds the water to the steam chamber.

The manual water control mechanism includes an elongated valve stem 78 mounted axial in the fill tube 34 and projecting into the axial bore 44 of the valve body 36. The valve stem '78 is provided at its lower end with a central bore in which is mounted a valve pin 80, the side of the valve stem being flattened or crimped as at 84 to clamp the pin in the valve stem. The lower end of the valve stem is chamfered as at 83 for engagement with a conical valve seat 35 formed about the orifice 4S.

Valve stem 78 is supported and actuated by an actuator or transverse pusher member S6 which extends into the lill tube 34 through a longitudinal slot 318 and encircles the valve stem near the upper end thereof.

The reduced upper end of the valve stem 7S (Fig. 5 is retained on actuator 86 by a nut 92. A spring 94 urges the valve stem down, but permits the actuator S6 to be lowered beyond the point at which stem 78 seats in Valve seat 85. Actuator 86 is carried by a reciprocable tube 106 to which it has a rigid fastening and which slides in a tube 100 supported on lill tube 34 by a bracket 104.

A coil spring 108 is trapped within the

tubes

100 and 106 and urges the actuator 86 to retain the valve stem 78 and pin 8) in retracted position.

A control button 110 of molded plastic or other suitable material and having a serrated upper edge 112 for ready engagement by the thumb is mounted in an opening in the handle 12 and has the lower end thereof abutting the actuator 86 for forcing it down. The control button 110 and handle 12 are provided with cooperating shoulders 114 and 116 limiting upward movement of the button 110 and hence of the actuator 86 and valve stem 78. A nub 118 on the side of button 110 constitutes a bearing and insures tip-free reciprocation of the button under the impetus of an operators thumb.

Pressing down on the button 110 with the thumb forces the actuator 86 down (as shown fragmentarily in Fig. This acts through the spring 94 and washer 98 to depress the valve stem 78 to shift the pin 80 into the orifice 48 and to seat the beveled surface 83 against the frusto-conical valve seat 85. This action manually closes oi the orifice 48 to stop the flow of water from the tank 30. The valve stem 78 can be locked in this depressed position by tilting back the button 110 to engage a shoulder 120 thereon beneath the shoulder 116. The control is readily released by pushing it forward with the thumb.

In assembling the iron,

couplings

50 and 64 and the tube 54 may be mounted on the sole plate. Tank 30 may then be put in place and valve body 36 inserted through ll tube 34 and tightened with a screw driver. A sub-assembly including valve stem 78, actuator 86 and spring 108 may be inserted and then the handle 12 with button 110 may be set in place. into the upper end of ll tube 34 trims the fill opening and may also serve as part of the fastening for handle 12.

The normal reciprocation of valve stem 78 in opening and closing the valve moves pin 80 through the metering orifice 48 for clearing it of lime deposits and other obstructions.

It will be noted that the upper portion of the arm of the actuator 86 is arcuate in configuration for proper contact with the button 110 at all times as the button is rocked back and forth.

The spring 94 interposed between the control handle or push button 110 and the valve stem 78 allows perfect seating of the beveled valve stem surface 83 against the Valve seat 85 without requiring fine tolerances or adjustment of the various actuating parts.

The present construction aligns the valve 36 with the till tube 34 and puts the valve stem 78 in the ll tube, while keeping the bulky parts of the actuator mechanism outside the ll tube for thereby achieving a simple, effective and reliable valve actuator with a minimum obstruction of the ll tube. The angular positioning of the fill tube with the upper end thereof tilted forward increases the water-holding capacity of the tank when the iron is up-ended to idle position, and the rearward olset of the actuating mechanism puts the control button 110 in convenient position for thumb manipulation in spite of the extreme forward location of the ll tube.

The specic example of my invention herein shown and described will be understood as being illustrative only. Various structural changes and modifications are possible and form a part of my invention insofar as they fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a water-valve control mechanism for a steam iron including a sole plate, a steam-generating chamber, Water supply means, means interconnecting said Water supply means and said steam-generating chamber including a valve for controlling the iiow of water from said supply means to said steam generating chamber,

said valve including a reciprocable valve stem and a Bushing 89 threaded seat therefor, in combination, an actuator for said valve stem, means for supporting and guiding said actuator for movement longitudinal of said stem, a connection between said actuator and said valve stem including a spring for urging said stem against said seat and for permitting motion of said actuator when said stem is seated and including also an abutment by which said actuator pulls said valve stem off said seat, and a second spring operatively connected to said actuator for moving said actuator in the direction that carries said valve stem ott' said seat.

2. A steam iron comprising `a sole plate and a casing, a steam generating chamber in said casing, a water storage tank in said casing, a handle on said casing, a lill tube extending through said handle into said tank and having a longitudinal slot adjacent the upper end thereof, said ll tube opening substantially axially upwardly said fill tube being angularly arranged with the upper end thereof positioned forward of the lower end to reduce back flow of water from said storage tank when said iron is up-ended to idle position, mean-s for passing water from said water storage tank to said steam generating chamber and including an orifice having a valve Iseat formed about it, said orifice being coaxial with said fill tube, a valve stem mounted coaxial in said ll tube and having a lower end cooperable with said valve seat to stop water flow from said tank-to said steam generating chamber, a needle extending from the end of said valve stem and adapted to project through said orifice when said stem is moved to seated position to clean said orifice, an actuating member slidable on the upper end of said valve stem and having an arm extending lateral through the slot in said fill tube, spring means on said valve stem and bearing up against said actuat-ing member and down against said stem to urge the valve stem down, a stop on said valve stem limiting its downward movement relative to said actuating member, spring means acting between said fill tube and actuating member to urge said actuating member and valve stem up, a push button mounted in said handle behind said fill tube for ready engagement by an operators thumb and engaging the top of said arm of said actuating member for depressing it, and cooperating shoulder means on said push button and said handle for locking said push button and said valve stem in lowered, valve closing position, said push button being reciprocably and tippably mounted for bringing said shoulders into engagement.

3. In a water valve control mechanism for a steam iron including a sole plate, a steam-generating chamber, a water reservoir having a fill opening at its top forward part, and means connecting said reservoir and said steamgenerating chamber including 'a valve for controlling the flow of water from said reservoir to said steam-generating chamber, in combination, a forwardly extending fill tube extending through said opening and into said reservoir in alignment with said valve and opening upwardly and forwardly for filling, a valve stem reciprocable in said till tube and connected to a part engageable with said valve for controlling the opening of said valve, said ll tube having an opening through the upper part of the rear wall thereof, a manually movable actuator for said valve stem exten-ding through said opening in said fill tube, means interconnecting said actuator and said valve stem, a tubular guide member rigidly supported on said lill tube and parallel therewith, a tube reciprocable therein and supporting and guiding said actuator, and a compression spring in lsaid tube and tubular guide member urging said tube upwardly.

4. In a water valve control mechanism for a steam iron including a sole plate, a steam-generating chamber, a water reservoir having a fill opening at its top forward part, and means connecting said reservoir and said steamgenerating chamber including a valve for controlling the iiow of water from said reservoir to said steam-generating chamber, in combination, an upwardly extending fill tube extending through said opening into said reservoir in alignment with said valve and opening upwardly and forwardly for lling, a valve stem reciprocable in said ll tube and connected to a part engageable with said valve for controlling the opening of said Valve, said ll tube having an opening through the upper part of the wall thereof, an actuator extending transversely from said valve stem through said opening and connected to said valve stem at a fixed angle relative thereto, and manually engageable means operatively connected with said actuator outside of said ill tube laterally thereof for moving said actuator and said valve stem axially of said valve stem.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein the manually operable means comprises a push button pressing on said member.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 4 and further including a spring biased connection between said actuator and said valve stem whereby said actuator is capable 6 of movement without positively moving said valve stem. 7. The combination as set forth in claim 4 and further including guide means mounted on the outside of said tube and supporting and guiding said actuator outside of said tube.

References Cited inthe le ot' this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,766,602 Clark June 24, 1930 1,911,213 Tavender May 30, 1933 2,279,796 Norton et al. Apr. 14, 1942 2,432,205 Morton Dec. 9, 1947 2,557,732 Finlayson June 19, 1951 2,710,469 Vance et al .Tune 14, 1955 2,719,371 Brace Oct. 4, 1955