US2668380A - Support for electric irons - Google Patents

Description

-H. W. WILSON SUPPORT FOR ELECTRIC IRONS Feb.A 9, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 'l Original Filed Dec. 23, 1947 INVENTOR. Iy. Z Herben* M/.Wz'lson BY www ATTORNEY.

Feb. 9, 1954 H. w. wlLsoN SUPPORT FOR ELECTRIC IRONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Dec. 25, 1947 rig. 3

Herber PV. Wilson BY ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 9, l1.95.44

grasse lcs SUPPORT FOR ELECTRIC IRONS Herbert W. Wilson, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application December 23, 1947, Serial N o. 793,433. Divided and this application January 23, 1952, Serial No. 267,823

15 Claims. (Cl. 38-7 9) This application is a division of my application, Serial No. 793,433, led December 23, 1947.

This invention relates to smoothing or pressing irons and more particularly to means for supporting an iron on -a supporting surface in such manner that no hot parts of the sole plate can come into contact with the supporting surface whereby textile material whether it be the ironing board cover or the material being pressed will not be scorched or burned.

Specifically according to this invention the iron is provided with an air cooled extension at its rear end extending rearwardly of the sole plate proper and with retractable supporting means at its front end, operable from the manipulating handle of the iron into extended supporting position so that the iron may be supported in an inclined position on the rearward extension and the forward supporting means.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side plan view of one modification of the invention partly in section to better show the details of the support;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the modication of Fig. 1 through the front leg of the manipulating handle;

Figure 3 is a side plan view of a second modication of the invention partly in section to show the details of the support; and

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional View of the modication of Fig. 3 through the front leg of the manipulating handle.

Referring to the drawings the iron proper is the same for all modifications and where the parts are the same they have been given the same reference characters. The reference character I represents the sole plate with a resistance heater I I embedded therein. Secured to the sole plate in any suitable manner is a heat dissipating cover shell I4 which is spaced from a peripheral shoulder I5 of the sole plate I0.

A manipulating handle I6 which maybe made of hard rubber, a phenolic condensation product or other heat resisting insulating material, is secured to the cover shell I4 in any suitable manner such as by screws Il threaded into inserts I8 embedded in the material of the handle. The handle I6 has a front leg I9, a rear leg 23, a hand grip portion 2| and a thumb rest 22. A control knob 23 for ladjusting a thermostatic control (not shown) for the heater II is rotatably mounted on the cover shell I4 between the front and rear legs I9 and 2B of the handle i6. In each modication the front leg I9 of the handle I6 has a hollowed out recess as shown at 28.

The cover shell I4 is extended rearwardly from the sole plate II) and a supporting extension abutting against the rear of the sole plate Il) is 2 attached thereto in any suitable manner. The supporting extension 24 has two rearwardly and downwardly extending portions 26 having air circulating holes 21 therein to maintain the supporting extension at a lower temperature than that of the sole plate Eil.

Referring to Figs. l and 2, a bracket 30 is iastened to the underside of the cover shell I4 and has a pair of downward extending ears 3| rotatably supporting a pair of supporting legs 32 each having a pintle 33 and an angular extension leg 34. The ends of the pintles 33. are hollowed out and are connected by a splined or square shaft 35 slidably and non-rotatably positioned in the hollowed out ends of the pintles 33. The pintles 33 are spring-biased towardeach other by springs 33 abutting at one end against the ears 3| and at the other end against the shoulders 3l on the ends of the pintles 33.

Attached to the inner side of the shoulders 3l are cam engaging members 33 which cooperate with a'pair of downwardly and outwardly inclned cam members 39 attached at their upper ends to the lower face of the bracket 33. At their lower ends the cam members 39 have stop shoulders 4G which linut the rotary movement of the cam engaging members 38 as will later appear.

Rigidly attached centrally of the shaft 35 is a pinion gear 4I which cooperateswith rack teeth 42 on the lower end of a reciprocating plunger 43 extending upwardly through the recess 28 in the front handle leg I9 and through an opening 44 extending through the top of the handle I6. The plunger 43 is guided for vertical reciprocation by its enlarged end 45 tting in the opening44 and a bracket 43 attached to the top of the cover shell I4. The plunger 43 is normally biased to upper position by a spring 4l positioned between the enlarged end 45 and the bracket 4B. A shoulder 48 on the plunger 43 engages the bracket 46 to limit its upward movement.

Operation of Figures 1 and 2 The spring 41 normally holds the plunger 43 in its upward position with the upper end 45 projecting above the handle i6. In this position the shoulder 448 buts against the lower side of the bracket 43 and the legs 34 lie horizontally closely against the sides of the cover shell I4.

When it is desired to support the iron in an inclined position as shown in the drawings the front of the iron is raised slightly and the upper end y45 of the plunger 43 is pressed downwardly. The teeth 42 on the lower end of plunger 43 will rotate the gear 4I clockwise as viewed in Fig. l which will also rotate the shaft 35 and the pintles 33 clockwise. The cam engaging members 38 ride over the cams 33 whereby the pintles 33 will be moved outwardly against the biasvof springs y36 as they are rotated until the camV engaging members 38 contact the stops 40 to position the legs 34 in the position shown in Figs. l and 2. The iron is then lowered so that the ends of the legs 34 engage the supporting surface. The weight of the iron will then hold the legs 34 in supporting position and the iron will be supported in an inclined position, asshown, by the ends of the leg 34 and the rear ends of the downward extensions 26.

To move the legs 34 back to retracted position it is only necessary to tip the iron backwardly and the springs 41 and 36 will return the legs to retracted position so as to lie closely against the cover shell I4.

As in the modification of Figs. 1 and 2 the modiiication of Figs. 3 and 4 has supporting legs 32 comprising angular extensions 34 and pintles 33 rotatably mounted in the ears 3l of bracket 3i) and spring-biased inwardly by the springs 3S acting between the ears 3| and the shoulders 31. Also the pintles are connected by the shaft 35 slidably and non-rotatably received in the recesses in the ends of the pintles 33.

Non-rotatably attached to the central portion of the shaft 35 are a pair of crank arms 5I) having slots 5I in their outer ends which cooperate with a pin or bolt 52 passing through an opening in the lower end of an actuating link 53. At its upper end the link 53 carries a pin or bolt 54 passing through a slot 55 in the arm 5S of an actuating lever 51 pivotally mounted in the recess 28 at 58. The lever 51 is spring-biased clockwise by a spring 59 and extends through a slot 30 through the front of leg I9. At its lower end the slot G0 has an offset 6I for a purpose which will be described hereinafter.

Intermediate its ends the link 53 carries a pair of wedges 52 projecting from either side thereof. The wedges 62 cooperate with a pair of rollers 63 carried by the upper end of crossed links 34 pivoted intermediate their ends, at 65 where they cross each other, by a bracket E3 extending upwardly from the cover shell I4. At their lower ends the crossed links 64 carry rollers 51 which coact with the outer ends of shoulders 31 on pintles 33 in a manner which will presently appear.

Operation of Figures 3 and 4 The angular extensions 34 of legs 32 normally lie closely against the cover shell I4 in the position shown in dotted lines of Fig. 3. When it is desired to support the iron its front end is raised slightly and the lever 51 moved forwardly against theV bias of spring 59. During the first part of the movement of the lever 51 the actuating link 53 will be moved downwardly to cause the wedges 62 to engage the rollers S3 and move the upper ends of crossed links B4 apart. This will cause the lower` ends of the crossed links 64 to move apart whereby the rollers 61 will engage the shoulders 31 on the ends of pintles 33 and move the legs 32 outwardly against the bias of springs 38 so that the angular extensions 34 will clear the sides of the sole plate IG. At the same time the lower end of the actuating link 53 will rotate the crank arms 55 clockwise as viewed in Fig. 3. This will rotate the shaft 35 and correspondingly the pintles 33 and move the angular extensions 34 of the legs 32 to the position shown in Fig. 4. The lever 51 is then moved into the oiset 5I of the slot to whereby the legs 32 are locked in supporting position. The lower ends of the angular extensions 3d and the downwardly extending lugs 23 will then support the iron in an inclined position as shown.

To release the legs 32 for movement to retracted position it is merely necessary to move the lever 51 from recess 6I and the legs will be returned to retracted position under the combined action of the springs 59 and 36.

According to each of the modications shown the supporting legs are supported from the cover shell and are not in heat exchange relationship with the sole plate so that they will be comparatively cool at all times. Additionally the air cooled rearwardly extending support is also comparatively cool thus assuring that Athe ironing board cover or material being pressed will not be scorched or burned when the iron is supported in its inclined position.

Also according to each modification the supporting legs are moved to their nal retracted position by spring action.

According to the modification of Figs. l and 2 the supporting legs are held in extended position by the weight of the iron against the bias of the retracting springs.

According to the modification of Figs. 3 and a the supporting legs are held in their extended position by latching the operating lever in its forward operative position,

While I have shown but two modifications of my invention it is to be understood that these modications are to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. I do not wish to be limited to the particular structure shown and described but to include all equivalent variations thereof except as limited by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

i. An electric smoothing iron comprising, a sole plate, a cover shell secured to said sole plate, said sole plate extending outwardly beyond the sides of said cover shell, a manipulating handle having a front supporting post secured to said cover shell, a bracket secured to the under surface of said cover shell beneath said front supporting post, a pair of supporting members having pintles rotatably and slidably carried by said bracket and having angularly extending legs normally lying closely against said cover shell above said sole plate and means operable from said handle supporting post for sliding said pintles outwardly of said cover shell and simultaneously rotating them whereby said angularly extending legs are moved outwardly so as to clear the edges of said sole plate and downwardly so that their ends extend below the lower surface of said sole plate.

2. A smoothing iron comprising, a sole plate, a cover shell secured to said sole plate, the side edges of said sole plate extending outwardly beyond the side edges of said cover plate, a manipulating handle secured to said cover shell, a pair of supporting legs carried by said cover shell adjacent its front end, said supporting legs having pintles slidably and rotatably mounted relative to said cover shell on a horizontal axis so that said supporting legs normally lie in a horizontal position against the sides of said cover shell and means operable from said manipulating handle and operatively connected with said pintles for slidably moving said legs outwardly relative to said cover shell so as to clear the edges of Said sole plate and simultaneously rotating them relative to said cover shell to move the ends of said legs to a position below said sole plate into a position to support said sole plate above a supporting surface.

3. A smoothing iron according to claim 2 including spring means for biasing said legs to retracted position and in which said supporting legs extend forwardly at an angle to said sole plate when extended so that the engagement of the ends of said legs with a supporting surface permits the weight of the iron to hold said legs in extended position.

4. A smoothing iron according to claim 2 including spring means for biasing said legs to retracted position and means for latching said legs in extended position against the bias of said spring means.

5. A smoothing iron comprising, a sole plate, a cover shell secured to said sole plate, the side edges of said sole plate extending outwardly beyond the side edges of said cover plate, a manipulating handle secured to said cover shell, a bracket extending downwardly from said cover shell adjacent its front end, a pair of supporting legs having pintles slidably and rotatably mounted by said bracket with said legs normally lying in a horizontal retracted position against the sides of said cover shell, a shaft non-rotatably but slidably mounted in recesses in the inner ends of said pintles, a pair of cams extending downwardly from said cover shell adjacent the ends of said pintles, cam engaging members carried by the ends of said pintles in a position to engage said cam and manually actuatable means operable from said manipulating handlev for rotating said shaft to rotate said pintles and cause said cam engaging members to ride over said cams and move said pintles outwardly so that said supporting legs will clear the side edges of said sole plate as the ends of said legs are rotated to a position extending below the lower surface of said sole plate to support the iron in an inclined position upon a supporting surface.

6. A smoothing iron according to claim 5 in which said manually actuatable means comprises a toothed gear fixed to said shaft and a reciprocating rack bar having teeth engaging the teeth of said gear, said rack extending upwardly to the top of said manipulating handle into a position to be easily manipulated.

7. A smoothing iron comprising, a sole plate, a cover shell secured to said sole plate, the side edges of said sole plate extending outwardly beyond the side edges of said cover plate, a manipulating handle secured to said cover shell, a bracket extending downwarly from said cover shell adjacent its front end, a pair of supporting legs having pintles slidably and rotatably mounted by said bracket with said legs normally lying in a horizontal retracted position against the sides of said cover shell, a shaft non-rotatably but slidably mounted in recesses in the inner ends of said pintles, a shoulder carried by the inner ends of each of said pintles, a pair of crossed links pivotally mounted on said cover shell and having their lower ends in engagement with said shoulders and manually actuatable means operable from said manipulating handle for simultaneously rotating said shaft and moving the upper ends of said crossed links outwardly relative to each other to cause their lower ends to move outwardly and move said pintles outwardly so that said legs will clear the side edges of said cover shell as said shaft rotates said legs so that their ends move below said sole plate into a position to support the iron in an inclined position upon a supporting surface.

8. A smoothing iron according to claim 7 in which said manually actuatable means comprises a crank arm secured to said shaft, an oscillating actuating link having its lower end secured to said crank arm to rotate the same and a pivoted lever extending upward through said manipulating handle for oscillating said actuating link, and said actuating link having opposed wedge surfaces engaging the upper ends of said crossed links whereby oscillation of said actuating link will simultaneously rotate said shaft and move the upper ends of said crossed links outwardly relative to each other.

9. A smoothing iron according to claim 2 including spring means for normally biasing said legs to their horizontal retracted position against the sides of said cover shell.

10. A smoothing iron comprising; a sole plate; a cover shell secured to said sole plate and eX- tending beyond the rear end thereof to form a xed support; a handle secured to said cover shell and having a hollow front leg; a pair of supporting members pivotally supported by said cover shell beneath said hollow front leg; said supporting members including supporting legs exten-ding outside of and normally lying along the sides of said cover shell; said supporting legs being of a length that their ends extend below said sole plate when pivoted downwardly relative to said cover shell; and manually actuatable means connected to said supporting members, extending upwardly through said hollow front leg and being accessible from the top thereof to actuate said supporting members to move the ends of said supporting legs below the lower face of said sole plate a distance such that the iron may be supported on a supporting surface by the ends of said supporting legs and said fixed support with the sole plate free of the supporting surface.

11. A smoothing iron according to claim 10 in which said manually actuatable means is spring biased to a position to move said supporting legs to their retracted position.

12. A smoothing iron according to claim 1l in which said supporting members are also slidably mounted on said cover shell and are spring biased to normally hold said supporting legs closely against said cover shell.

13. A smoothing iron according to claim 12 in which said manually actuatable means includes means to move said supporting members outwardly of said cover shell so as to first move said supporting legs clear of said sole plate and'to thereafter Amove them to their extended position.

le. A smoothing iron according to claim 10 in which said supporting members are also slidably mounted on said cover shell and are spring biased to normally hold said supporting legs closely against said cover shell.

15. A smoothing iron according to claim 14 in which said manually actuatable means includes means to move said supporting Lkmembers outwardly of said cover shell to iirst move said supporting legs clear of said sole plate and to thereafter move them to their extended position.

HERBERT W. WILSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,308,125 Stevenson Jan. 12, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 651,605 Germany Oct. 16, 1937

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