US2418020A - Flatiron - Google Patents

Description

March 25, 19 F. E. FINLAYSON Humor:

Filed Nov. 14, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor m O 3 M .m w F fl ..u i kM m T, w}

March 25, 1947. v v F. EQFINLAYSON 2,418,020

FLATIRON Filed Nov. 14, 1944 2 Sheets-SheetE Fig.4.

Inventor- Frank E. Finlagson,

His Atgorn of the iron shown in Figs. 4 and 5,.

mamas Mar. 25, 1941 mrmou Frank. E. Finlayson, Ontario, Calif., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application November 14, 1344, Serial No. 563,337

2 Claims.

This invention relates to flatirons, and it ,has for its object the provision of an improved flatiron having means for assisting the operator in moving the iron to a non-ironing position of rest with the soleplate removed from the pressing surface, and for holding it in this position.

More specifically, it contemplates the provision of a fiatiron having means forming a rest for holding the soleplate with its pressing surface making an angle less than 90 with the normal horizontal ironing position, rather than in the position of rest of the usual iron in common use wherein the pressing surface makes an angle greater than 90 with the horizontal, thereby rna-.

terially lessening the work of tilting the iron upwardly; and it further contemplates the provision of means for assisting the operator in tilting the iron to this position of rest, and also for holding the iron therein. I

In accordance with this invention the iron is provided with an auxiliary weight located so as to weigh the iron down when it is in its normal ironing position, but when the iron is tilted upwardly toward its rest position beyond a predetermined angle the weight operates to assist in the lifting of the iron, and also to hold it in its position of rest once it has been moved to this position.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a fiatiron embodying one form of this invention, the iron being shown in its horizontal ironing position; Fig. 2 is a figure similar to Fig. l but illustrating the iron in its position of rest; Fig. 3 is a rear elevation view of the iron shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a flatiron embodying another form of this invention; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but illustrating the iron of Fig. 4 in its up-ended position of rest; and Fig. 6 is a rear elevation view Referring more particularly to Figs. 1-3 inclusive, this invention has been shown as applied to a fiatiron having a body I which comprises a soleplate 2 having a lower pressing surface '3; it will be understood that the soleplate, as usual, will be pointed at the front end and will have a substantially straight edge at the rear or heel end to. Also it is preferable that the soleplate be thin and relatively light in weight. The body i further comprises the usual enclosing shell or housing l upon which is mounted a handle 5, the handle having a hand-grasping section 6 2 and front and rear upright supporting standards I and 8.

While this invention is applicable to irons in general, it has been illustrated as applied to an electrically heated iron of the automatic type, a suitable temperature control knob 9 being pro- .vided to adjust the temperature of the soleplate 2. Also, entering the rear handle standard 8 is an electrical supply cord Ill.

The iron body I, in accordance with this invention, is provided at the rear with means for holding the iron in an .up-ended position of rest as shown in Fig. 2. This means comprises an enlargement ii projecting from the rear handle standard a and a protuberance i2 of the housing t adjacent the heel endof the soleplate 2, the enlargement Ill and protuberance i2 lying in a common plane. It is contemplated that the rest means will support the iron in the fash ion shown in Fig. 2 wherein the pressing surface 3 makes an angle with the horizontal, that is with the normal ironing position of Fig. 1, materially less than 90. In thespecific example of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1-3 this angle is in the neighborhood of 50, that is, the common plane containing the enlargement l i and the protuberance l2 makes an angle of about 130 with the pressing surface 3 of the iron. It will be understood, however, that the angle may vary widely but it is preferable that it be not too great.

In addition to the rest means, this invention comprises means for normally weighing the iron down, but when the handle 6 is grasped and the forward end of the iron elevated toward the upright position of Fig. 2, the weighing means will assist in lifting the iron to this position, and also will hold it in this position. This means comprises an auxiliary fixed weight l3 located in the rear extension of the handle standard 8, as clearly shown. The weight may be of any suitable material such as lead and preferably it will be inserted up into a hollow chamber formed in the rear handle standard 8. l

The weight it is so proportionedand it is so positioned in the handle that when the iron is in its normal ironing position shown in Fig. 1 the weight presses the iron downwardly. However, when 'the iron is tilted upwardly on the rear heel edge So. as a fulcrum beyond a predetermined angle the weight will then become efiective to assist the operator in lifting the iron to its position of Fig. 2 and when it is in this position will hold it there. v

Thus in Fig. l, the center of gravity of the iron without the weight passes through the line a--b, whereas the center of gravity of the weight passes through the line c.d. Thus, the center of gravity of the weight with relation to thefulcrum about which the iron' pivots is such that the weight cannot tilt the iron, but on the contrary weighs the iron downwardly; that is, the vertical moment of the weight about the axis 3a is less than the vertical moment of the iron body about this axis. When the iron is in its 'position of rest of Fig. 2, the iron center of gravity passes through the line a-b', whereas that through the weight passes through the line c'd, and the vertical moment of the weight about the axis 3a is greater than the vertical upwardly about said axis toward said rest posimoment of the iron body about this axis. At

some point in between these two positions, the vertical moment of the weight is willjust balance that of the iron. and as the iron is tilted upwardly beyond this point its vertical moment becomes greater than that of the iron, and therefore, it will assist the operator in tipping the iron upwardly and also will hold it in the position of rest.

In the embodiment of Figs.'4-6 inclusive, the iron is provided with a soleplate l4, a shell IS, a handle l6 having a hand-grasping. portion l1 and front and rear standards I! and I9. .At the rear, the handle is provided with an inclined surface forming a rest for holding the iron in the up-ended rest position as shown in Fig. 5. Here the auxiliary weight 2| instead of being concentrated in the rear handle standard as in tion to a predetermined angle, which is less than said angle that is materially less than 90, the

center of gravity of said body and weight-shift with'reference to said axis so that the vertical moment of said weight is located t0] the rear of said axis and is greater than the vertical moment of said body with relation to said axis, whereby said weight assists in moving the body to said rest position and when said body reaches said position holds it therein.

2. A flatiron comprising an iron body provided with a soleplate that has a front end and a rear end and a pressing surface on its bottom, a

, handle, means fixedly securing said handle to the first form of the invention extends longitudinally through the hand-grasping portion I'l of the handle. However, it functions in exactly the same way in that whenv the iron is in its pressing position of Fig. 4 it weighs the iron down and when the iron is fulcrumed about the rear heel edge of the soleplate beyond a predetermined angle, the weight will assist in the tilting of the iron to its position of rest of Fig. 5 and when it is in this position itwill hold it there. Here, the surface 29 supports the soleplate at an angle of about 60 with the horizontal, and therefore, it makes an angle of about 120 with the soleplate pressing surface.

While I have shown and described particular embodiments of my invention, 'it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from my invention in its broader aspects and I therefore aim in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall :vithin the true spirit andscope of my invenion.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A fiatiron comprising an iron body provided with a soleplate having a front end and a rear end and also a pressing surface on its bottom, means lying in a common planedefining a rest for said body, saidplane making an angle with said pressing surface materially greater than 90, said support means thereby being arranged to function to support the body in a rest'position with said frontend elevated and said pressing surface making an angle materially less Number Name Date 1,965,746 Matveyefi July 10, 1934 2,362,590 Smith Nov. 14, 1944 1,247,907 Tully Nov. 27, 1917 1,728,269 Graetzer Sept..17, 1929 1,533,229 Colby Apr. 14, 1925 1.964.923

said soleplate, said body also having at its rear atransverse pivotal edge on which said body is tilted upwardly to a rest position to elevate said pressing surface from its normal horizontal ironing position, support means lying in,a common plane making an angle of around to with said pressing surface and defining a rest for holding said" body in said rest position with said pressing surface at an angle of around 50 to 60 to said ironing position, aid handle hav. ing a chamber therein and a weight fixed in said chamber, said weight positioned and distributed with reference to said iron so that when said iron is in said ironing position the vertical moment of said weight about saidpivotal edge is less than the vertical moment of said body about said pivotal edge, but when said iron is tilted about said edge toward said rest position through a predetermined angle less than said angle of 50 to 60 1 the center of gravity of said body and weight REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Matveyeif July 3. 1934

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