US3413742A

US3413742A - Combination clothes-pressing iron and rest mount therefor with automatic homing means

Info

Publication number: US3413742A
Application number: US671375A
Authority: US
Inventors: Sueur Robert C Le; Vincent A Martens
Original assignee: Scovill Inc
Current assignee: Hamilton Beach Inc
Priority date: 1967-09-28
Filing date: 1967-09-28
Publication date: 1968-12-03
Anticipated expiration: 1985-12-03

Description

Dec. 3, 1968 R. c. LE SUEUR ETAL 3,413,742

COMBINATION CLOTHES-PRESSING IRON AND REST MOUNT THEREFOR WITH AUTOMATIC HOMING MEANS Filed Sept. 28, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS. ROBERT LESUEUR VINCENT A. MARTENS ATTORNEY Dec. 3, 1968 R. c. LE SUEUR ET AL 3,413,742

COMBINATION CLOTHES-PRESSING IRON AND REST MOUNT THEREFOR WITH AUTOMATIC HOMING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 28, 1967 INVENTORS. LE SUE UR MAR TENS ROBERT G. VINCENT A. k BY W? ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,413.742 COMBINATION CLOTHES-PRESSING IRON AND REST MOUNT THEREFOR WITH AUTOMATIC HOMING MEANS Robert C. Le Sueur, River Forest, 11]., and Vincent A.

Martens, Racine, Wis., assignors to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Sept. 28, 1967, Ser. No. 671,375 9 Claims. (Cl. 38-96) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A combination clothes-pressing iron and rest mount with automatic homing means for guiding the iron to proper placement on the mount; the iron having a heel portion with a rearwardly facing opening therein projecting rearwardly from the iron at a level above the sole plate of the iron, and the mount having an arcuate curb and an upright hub located at the center of the arc of the curb. The sole plate has rearwardly facing abutment surfaces which engage the arcuate curb when the iron is backed against the curb from various directions. The heel of the iron overhangs the curb when the iron has been backed against the curb so that the iron can then be pivoted on the mount to upstanding rest position on the mount with the hub fitting snugly into the opening in the heel. Current conducting means may be located in the hub and heel opening for automatically supplying current to a heating element in the iron when the iron is in rest position on the mount.

This invention relates to the combination of a clothespressing iron and a rest mount theiefor adapted to be supported on an ironing board. The invention may be embodied in an electric iron and a rest mount provided with means for conducting current to a heating element in the iron when resting on end on the mount.

The main object of the invention is to provide means in the iron and mount for automatically homing the iron relatively to the mount, whereby when the iron is backed against the mount from various directions the iron can be pivoted manually on the mount to upstanding rest position with parts of the iron and mount interengaged in homed relation for supporting the iron on its end. This interengagement is thus achieved with a minimum of attention being paid by the user so that the proper homing is indeed automatic. When embodied in an electric iron and a mount provided with a power supply, the parts thus interengaged are in current conducting relationship.

The objects of the invention are achieved by the combination of a mount which has an arcuate curb and an upstanding hub disposed at the center of the arc of the curb and an iron which has a sole plate and a rearwardly extending heel with a central opening spaced above the ironing surface of the sole plate. The rear end surface of the sole plate of the iron is formed to provide a pair of spaced abutment surface portions having a rearwardly facing concavity therebetween, the surface portions being disposed at the level of the sole plate symmetrically one on either side of the longitudinal center line of the sole plate. The heel overhangs the curb of the mount when the iron is backed against the curb from various directions, so that the iron can be pivoted on the curve to upstanding rest position with the hub fitting snugly in the opening. In the embodiment herein shown and described, the heel of the iron and the hub of the mount are provided with current conducting means which automatically become operative when the iron is placed on the mount ice in the position described, and permit swivel movement of the iron relatively to the mount without interruption of the current flow.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational side view of a clothes-pressing iron, partly in section, embodying the invention of this application.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the mount on which the iron is adapted to be supported in upstanding position.

FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view in the plane of the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an elevational side view of the iron and mount in solid lines, showing the iron with its sole plate backed against the curb of the mount and the rear end of the iron overhanging the mount preparatory to being manually pivoted to the upstanding position shown in broken lines.

FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view in the plane of the line 5-5 of FIG. 4, showing the mount and the rear end of the iron in a preliminary horned position, in solid lines, and showing the rear end of the iron in broken lines as it appears in preliminary homed positions relatively to the mount from two different directions.

FIG. 6 is a transverse horizontal sectional view through the rear end block of the heel portion of the iron.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the iron 10 comprises a sole plate 11, reservoir holding body 12, handle 13, heel portion 14 and rear block 15 on the heel portion 14, provided with a rearwardly facing opening 16. The heel portion 14 and block 15 constitute a heel which projects rearwardly beyond the rear end of the sole plate 11 and above the level of the sole plate. The block 15 houses a pair of conductor rings 17, 18, electrically connected by wiring 19 to a heating element (not shown) in the sole plate 11. The sole plate has on its rear end a pair of generally vertical, spaced abutment surface portions 20 and a rearwardly facing concavity 21 therebetween, the surface portions 20 being disposed at the level of the sole plate symmetrically one on either side of the longitudinal center line of the sole plate.

A mount 25 for supporting the iron 10 in upstanding position comprises a base 26 adapted to rest on an ironing board 27. Rotatably adjustable clamping means 28 mounted in a bracket 29 hold the mount 25 on the ironing board. The bracket 29 is mounted in a box-like container 30 which houses a micro-switch 31, electrical wiring 32 and connections 33 to a power supply. The base 26 of the mount is provided with upright bosses 34 which support a cover 35 with downturned edge portion 36. The cover is spaced from the base 26 and extends over the base and the top of the container 30. The cover 35 and edge portion 36 form a curb 37 which is arcuate in form as shown in FIG. 5.

An upstanding hub 40 has a bottom plate 41 supported on bosses 34 on the mount base 26 beneath the cover 35, the hub 40 extending upwardly through an opening in the cover. The hub 40 is made of insulating material and is located at the center of the arc of the curb 37. It is adapted to fit within the opening 16 in the rear block 15 of the heel of the iron. One of the electrical conductor means 42 is connected to one lead of the power supply 33 and the other conductor 42 is connected to a terminal on the switch 31. The other lead of the power supply 33 is connected to the other terminal on the switch 31. As shown in FIG. 2, the switch lever 43 has attached to it a switch lever insulator 43a. The lever 43 has a switch actuating arm 45 for engaging the switch button 46 of the micro switch 31 when the iron rests on the mount and depresses one end of the lever 43 and thus raises the free end arm 45.

The rearwardly extending

heel portions

14 and 15 of the iron are spaced above the ironing surface of the sole plate 11 a distance at least equal to the height of the curb 37 and extend rearwardly beyond the surface portions 20 of the sole plate a distance substantially equal to the width of the cunb between the edge 37 and the hub 40. The abutment surfaces 20 and concave surface 21 provide an area on the rear end of the sole plate substantially complemental to the arcuate curb 37. The top of the opening 16 in the rear block 15 of the heel is at a level higher than the level of the top of the hub 40, and the bottom of the opening 16 is at a level below the level of the top of the hub, whereby when the iron is backed against the arcuate curb 37 of the mount from various directions, the abutment of the surface portions 20 against the curb aims the hub-receiving opening 16 at the hub in a preliminary homed position so that the iron can then be pivoted on the mount up to upstandin rest position with the hub fitting snugly into the opening.

The surfaces 20 on the sole plate accomplish the preliminary homing of the iron relatively to the mount. This preliminary homing is enhanced in the version shown by engagement of the surface of the semi-circular cutout 15a on the rear block 15 with the hub 40. The iron is then manually pivoted to the upstanding final homed position. The initial pivot in the preferred version shown takes place on the rear edge of the sole plate until the conductor 18 touches the top of the hub 40. Final pivot is about the contact point between the conductor 18 and hub 40. When the iron is nearly vertical it slides into engagement with the hub and comes to rest in the upstanding position.

In describing the invention, reference has been made to a particular example embodying the same, but we wish it to be understood that the invention is not limited to the construction shown in the drawing and that various changes may :be made in the construction and general arrangement of parts without departing from the invention.

We claim:

1. In combination, a clothes-pressing iron and a rest mount adapted to be supported by an ironing board, comprising (a) an iron having a body portion and a sole plate provided with a rear facing abutment surface,

(b) a heel having a rearwardly facing opening therein projecting from the body portion at a level above the sole plate, and

(c) a mount having an arcuate curb and an upright hub located in the center of the arc of the arcuate cunb,

(d) the opening in the heel being of a size adapted to receive the hub,

whereby when the iron is backed against the arcuate curb from various directions, the abutment of the rear end surface of the sole plate against the curb aims the hub-receivin opening at the hub so that the iron can be pivoted on the mount to upstanding position with the hub fitting snugly into the opening.

2. The combination defined by claim 1 in which the rear facing abutment surface of the sole plate and the arcuate curb of the mount are substantially complemental to each other.

3. The combination defined by claim 1 which includes 65 electrical conductor means mounted in the heel opening and in the mount hub for automatically supplying current to the iron when in rest position on the mount.

4. The combination defined by claim 1 which includes electrical conductor means mounted in the heel opening and in the mount hub for automatically supplying current to the iron when in rest position on the mount, and a switch lever in the mount actuated by placement of the iron in upright position on the mount.

5. The combination defined by claim 1 which includes electrical conductor means mounted in the heel opening and in the mount hub for automatically supplying current to the iron when in rest position on the mount, a microswitch, a switch lever, and a fulcrum on which the lever is mounted, one end of said lever being depressible by placement of the iron on the mount for raising the opposite end into switch operating position.

6. The combination defined by claim 1, in which the heel comprises a rear block having a semi-circular cutout surface for contacting the hub when the iron is pivoted to upstanding position on the mount. 7

7. In combination, a clothes-pressing iron and a rest mount adapted to be supported by an ironing board, the rest mount having an arcuate curb and an upstanding hub disposed at the center of the arc of the arcuate curb, the iron having at its rear a -pair of spaced abutment surface portions having a rearwardly facing concavity therebetween, the surface portions being disposed at the level of the sole plate symmetrically one on either side of the longitudinal center line of the sole plate, the iron having a rearwardly extending heel spaced above the ironing surface of the sole plate a distance at least equal to the height of the curb and extending rearwardly out beyond the surface portions a distance substantially equal to the width of the curb, the heel havin a rearwardly facing, hub-receiving opening, the top of the opening being at a level higher than the level of the top of the hub and the bottom of the opening being at a level below the level of the top of the hub, whereby when the iron is backed against the arcuate curb of the mount from various directions, the abutment of both of the surface portions against the curb aims the hub-receiving opening at the hub so that the sole plate can be pivoted on the curb and the heel can be pivoted on the hub to upstanding rest position with the hub fitting snugly into the opening.

8. The combination defined by claim 7, which includes electrical conductor means mounted in the heel opening and in the mount hub for automatically supplying current to the iron when in rest position on the mount.

9. The combination defined by claim 7, which includes electrical conductor means mounted in the heel opening and in the mount hub for automatically supplying current to the iron when in rest position on the mount, and a switch lever in the mount actuated by placement of the iron in upright position on the mount.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,419,173 6/1922 Seche 38-79 X 2,234,347 3/ 1941 Lobstein 38-96 X FOREIGN PATENTS 956,041 1/ 1950 France.

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner.