US2102892A - Electric flatiron - Google Patents

Description

Patented Dec. 21, 1937 UNITED STATES 2,102,892 ELECTRIC FLATIRON Maurice F. Fitzgerald, to The Fitzgerald Winsted, Conn, assignor Manufacturing Company,

Torrington, Conn, a corporation ol Connectl= cut Application .luly 28,

less, Serial No. sacre- 5 @laims. (@lt alt- 25) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in an electric flatiron provided with an automatic, heat-actuated circuit breaker, and

easily assembled. lll llt is also an object of the invention to provide a construction in which the circuit breaker arm bodylng the invention comprises a sole plate 5 the central portion 6 by screws H.

An insulated terminal I2 is secured to a rear corner of the plate l and a forwardly extendo ing spring blade l3 carrying a contact N is secured to this terminal but is insulated from the plate by a mica washer l5 orthe like. The plate ll! has a vertical flange Hi to which a bell crank H is pivoted, as at l8, to rock in a vertical 45 plane. The rearwardly extending horizontal arm I! of the bell crank is bent laterally, as at Eli, and has a broad surface to which a circuit breaker arm 2! is secured by screws 22 and 23 and suitably insulated. 50 which is adapted to normally engage the contact H. The other arm 25 of the bell crank extends downwardly into a well 26 in the thickened porend adapted to he engagedhy a screw-threaded adjustable plug 29. i

A can plate 30 and handle are secured by screws 32. which engage threaded sockets in the heads of the screws M. This can plate carries 5 the usual socket 33 within which are terminal pins 3 3 and 335, suitably insulated from the cap plate 3% and adapted to be connected to a source of electric current. 021 of the pins, as St, ls connected by aconcluctor strip to the termihal 23, which is also one of the'screws which secure the arm 26 to the portion 26 of the hell crank ll. One end of the heating element is con-= nected to the terminal l2 and the other end is electrically connected to the terminal pin A spring ll, embedded at one end in the por tion of the sole plate and with other end secured by a screw 38 to the is so tensloned as to normally hold the circuit breaker arm 520 closed. When the iron in operation, as long as the contacts 2%, M are closed, current flows from the terminal pin 35 through the conductor strip 36 to the terminal 23, thence through the arm 2i, contacts E l, l5 and blade ill to the terminal H2, and thence through the heating element 5 to the terminal pin When the iron becomes heated to the desired temperature, the longitudinal expansion of the Year 2? rocks the bell crank H and circuit breaker arm 2t against the tension of the spring Sl to open the contacts 52d, M; and break the circuit.

An initial adjustment of the temcerature range may be efiected by adjustment of the plug 29 and this may he subsequently adjusted from time to time to compensate for any wear of the contact points. A further adjustment is provided by a screw 39 mounted in the cap plate fill. The ex tremity of this screw hears against an insulator button so seated in the end of the spring blade 40 [It and the screw is provided with a handle all by which it may be turned to raise or lower the conadapt the iron for different degrees or" heat.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen turbed if the cap plate is removed for the purpose of replacing the heating element.

It will also be noted that the contact point H4 is secured to the spring blade 03 and is adjusted by direct pressure from the screw 39. The contact point does not turn when the screw is adjusted. This is an important advantage because, if the points become pitted or rough, they are not thrown out of registry by the adjustment.

It is to be understood that the details of the present construction, as shown and described, are merely illustrative, and that the invention also embraces all such modifications as may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:--

1. An electric flatiron comprising a sole plate having heating means therefor, a supporting plate mounted on said sole plate, a lever pivotally mounted intermediate the ends thereof on said supporting plate and having a switch contact carried by one arm thereof, a switch arm mounted on said supporting plate and having a switch contact cooperating with the switch contact carried by said lever, an expansion bar disposed in direct thermal relation with said sole plate and cooperating with the other arm of said lever to actuate the lever about its pivotal axis whereby to open and close the said switch contacts upon expansion and contraction of the said bar, a cover for the flatiron, an adjustable screw mounted on said cover and bearing against said switch arm and operating to adjust the position of the contact carried by said switch arm whereby to control the temperature setting of the iron, the'said adjustable screw being removable with the cover independently of the said switch arm and the supporting plate, and means detachably securing said supporting plate to said sole plate whereby the assembled supporting plate, lever, and switch arm may be removed as a unit. a

2. An electric flatiron comprising a sole plate having a heating means therefor, a supporting plate mounted on-said sole plate, a lever pivotally mounted intermediate the ends thereof on said supporting plate and having a switch contact carried by one arm thereof, a switch arm mounted on said supporting plate and having a switch contact cooperating with the switch contact carried by said lever, an expansion bar disposed in direct thermal relation with said sole plate and cooperating with the other arm of said lever to actuate the lever about its pivotal axis whereby to open and close the said switch contacts upon expansion and contraction of said bar, a cover removably secured to said sole plate independently of said supporting plate, means carried by said cover and removable therewith for adjusting the relative position of the'contact points whereby to control the temperature setting of the flatiron, and means detachably securing said supporting plate to said sole plate whereby the assembled supporting plate, lever, and switch arm may be removed or applied as a unit.

3.'An electric flatiron comprising a sole plate provided with communicating substantially longitudinal and vertical recesses, a heating element for said sole plate, circuit means including the heating element and a pair of separable contact points, a supporting plate mounted on said sole plate and including a vertical flange disposed adjacent saidsubstantially vertical recess, a bell crank lever pivotally mounted on said flange with one arm thereof extending into said substantially vertical recess, said vertical flange providing a bearing surface for said bell crank lever and determining the plane in which said bell crank lever is movable, one of said contact points being carried by the other arm of said bell crank lever and insulated therefrom and the other said contact point being mounted on said supporting plate, spring means operating on said bell crank lever for normally holding said points in contact, an expansion bar disposed in said substantially longitudinal recess and adapted to contact with one arm of said bell crank lever for causing separation of the said contact points upon expansion of said bar beyond a predetermined degree, and means removably securing said supporting plate to said sole plate whereby the assembled plate, bell crank lever, and switch contacts may be removed or applied as a unit.

4. An electric flatiron comprising a sole plate provided with communicating substantially longitudinal and vertical recesses, a heating element mounted on said sole plate and having portions thereof disposed on opposite sides of said recesses, circuit means including the heating element and a pair of separable contact points, a supporting plate mounted on said sole plate above the substantially longitudinal recess and including a substantially vertical flange disposed adjacent said substantially vertical recess, a bell crank lever pivotally mounted on said flange with one arm thereof extending into said substantially vertical recess, one of said contact points being carried by the other arm of said bell crank lever and insulated therefrom and the other of said contact points being mounted on said supporting plate, spring means operating on said bell crank lever for normally holding said points in contact, an

expansion bar disposed in said substantially longitudinal recess and adapted to contact with one arm of said bell crank lever for causing separation of said contact points upon expansion of said bar beyond a pre-determined degree, a cover removably secured to said sole plate independently of' said supporting plate, and means carried by said cover and removable therewith for adjusting the relative position of said contact points whereby to control the temperature setting of the flatiron.

5. An electric fiatiron comprising a sole plate having an upstanding with communicating substantially longitudinal and vertical recesses, said central portion defining a channel therearound for the reception of a heating element, circuit means including the heating element and a pair of separable contact points, a supporting plate removably mounted on said sole plate above the substantially longitudinal recess and including an upstanding vertical flange disposed adjacent said substantially vertical recess, a bell crank lever pivotally mounted on said flange with one arm thereof extending into said substantially vertical recess, one of said contact points being carried by the other arm of said bell crank lever and insulated therefrom central portion provided and the other of said contact points being mounted on said supporting plate, means for normally holding said points in contact, an expansion bar disposed in said substantially longitudinal recess and adapted to contact with one arm of said bell crank lever for causing separation of said contact points upon expansion of said bar beyond a predetermined degree, a cover removably secured to said sole plate independently of said supporting plate, and means carried by said cover and removable therewith for adjusting the relative position of said contact points whereby to control the temperature setting of the flatiron.

MAURICE F. FITZGERALD.

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