US2468813A - Electric iron having a supporting mechanism - Google Patents

Description

y 1949. B. COOPER ET.AL

ELECTRIC IRON HAVING A SUPPORTING MECHANISM 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed April 28, 1947 lNl EN TORS BENJAMIN COOPER ALBERT/. HOHMANN' ATTORNEY May 3, 1949'. B. COOPER ET AL ELECTRIC IRON HAVING A SUPPORTING MECHANISM Filed: April 28, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v /Nl EN7'O/?$ BENJAM/N COOPER ALBERT E HOHMANN ATTORNEY Patented May 3, 1949 ELECTRIC IRON HAVING A SUPPORTING MECHANISM Benjamin Cooper, New York, N. Y., and Albert F.

Hohmann, Teaneck, N. J.; said Hohmann assignor to said Cooper Application April 28, 1947, Serial No. 744,304

2 Claims.

This invention relates to electric irons and the like in combination with retractable supporting means therefore.

An object of this invention is to provide in combination with an electric iron or the like, improved retractable means for supporting the iron on a surface so that its heating surface is out of contact with said surface when the iron is not in use.

Still another object of this invention is to provide in a device of the character described, improved retractable support means which may be readily moved into supporting or non-supporting positions.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide in a device of the character described, retractable support means which is pivotally mounted on the device in a manner which permits movement of the support means with a minimum amount of effort.

Still another object of this invention is to provide in a device of the character described, pivoted supportin means mounted on either side of the device and having means resiliently connected with said supporting means which urges the movement of said supporting means into operative or inoperative positions by movement of the device while holding same by its handle, with respect to a supporting surface. 7

Yet another object of this invention is to provide in a device of the character described, pivoted supporting means mounted on the device in such a manner as to be readily rotated into supporting position by movement of the device itself into a predetermined position with respect to a base surface. The supporting means may be retracted into a non-supporting position by manipulating the device into another predetermined position with respect to said base surface.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a compact and rugged ironing device in combination with retractable supporting means therefore which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, sure and positive in operation and practical and efficient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will be in part be obvious and inpart hereinafter pointed out. The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements,

and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown various possible illustrative embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of an iron embodying the invention and showing it in its supported position;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of iron in its unsupported position with parts cut away to show the support actuating mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 but showing the supporting legs in a projected position and Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the details of the leg support actuating mechanism showing the leg support in its projected position.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, l0 designates an iron embodying the invention. The same comprises a casing II which contains the usual heating element not shown, a sole plate 12 which is heated by the heating element and is secured to the lower portion of the casing, a top plate I 3 secured to the upper portion of the casing and a handle Hi secured to theupper face of the top plate l3.

The casing ll comprises an upwardly inclined top wall [5 of conventional triangular shape, from which a pair of side walls l6 extend downwardly and outwardly toward the sole plate l2. The walls It converge towards each other at their fore portions to form the apex portion l6a of the iron. The walls iii are formed with openings Ifib for the purpose hereinafter described. A rear wall I! extends downwardly and is inclined outwardly from the top wall i5 and interconnects the side walls Hi. The sole plate l2 which is generally triangular in shape and comprises side edges [8 and a rear edge 19 is secured to the bottom portion of the casing H in a manner well known in the art. The rear edge [9 of the sole plate I2 is spaced from the rear wall ll of casing ll, thereby forming an opening 2i? of generally rectangular shape.

Secured to a foreward portion of the inner surface of the wall l5 of the casing by rivets, welding or the like and extending towards the side walls I6 is a bracket 2|. The same comprises a web 2'2 contacting the wall l5 and outwardly and downwardly inclined flanges 23, 23a which are spaced from and substantially parallel to the adjacent side walls l6 of the casing. The flanges 23, 23a are formed with through openings 24 aligned with openings l 6b in the walls I 6, for the purpose hereinafter described. Secured to a rear portion means of rivets, welding or the like.

3 of the under side of wall I5 and parallel to the bracket 2|, is a bracket Z5 which comprises a web 26 and depending flanges 21 which are formed with aligned openings 28. Mounted in the openings 28 is a transverse pivot pin 28 extending parallel to the top wall iii of the casing and formed with headed end portions 29a to retain the pin against longitudinal movement. Secured on the pivot pin 23, exteriorly of the flanges 21, is a pivoted member 38 which comprises a rear wall 3| extending parallel to the pivot pin 29 and at right angles thereto a pair of parallel arms 32 formed with aligned openings 32a for receiving the pin 23. The arms-'32 extend rearwardly towards the rear wall ll of the casing The arms 32 comprise curved downwardly extending rear portions 33 which project through the opening 28 and extend slightly below the lower edge of wall ll as shown in Fig. 2. Secured to the wall 3| and member 34 is a substantially U- :shaped member 34. The member 34 comprises 'a =wal l 35 which is substantially coextensive with wall 3| of member 38 and is secured'thereto by The member 34 further comprises a pair of parallel lever arms 36 extending at right angles from wall 33 towards the bracket 2!. The end portions of :arms 33 are formed with teeth 3? for the purpose hereinafter described.

Mounted in the opening 24 of flange 23 of bracket 2| and in the opening iiib of the adjacent wall H3 is a transverse pivot pin 38. Secured'on the pin 38 and lying between the flan e 23 and the wall it is a helical gear 39 which meshes with the teeth 3? on the adjacent arm 36 of member 34. The outer end of pivot pin 38 extends through the wall It and is formed with a reduced end portion 39 to which is received a supporting leg 48. The supporting leg 48 comprises an upper portion 4| formed with an opening-4'2 toreceive the reduced end portion 38 of pin 38. Extending from upper portion 4| of arm '48 is an outwardly curved and offset portion 42 which is adapted to clear the edge l8 of sole plate l2 in spaced relationship thereto when in the position shown in Fig. 4. The length of arm '48 is such as to raise the sole plate 12 with respect to an ironing base surface 48a when the arms is extended in the position shown in'Figs. 1 and 4.

.Mounted in the opening 24 of flange 23a and v the opening it?) of adjacent wall I6, is a transverse pivot pin 43. Mounted on the pivot pin 43 and lying between the flange 23a and the wall I6 is a helical gear 39 similar to that previously described and which also meshes with the teeth 31 on the other arm 36 of member 34. The outer end of pin 43 extends through the wall l8 and has mounted thereon a supporting arm 48 similar :to that previously described. The inner end of pin 43 extends through the opening in flange 23a and is provided with a collar 44 which spaces a circular disk 45 mounted on the pin 43, from the inner side of the flange 23a. The disk 45 has a part of its circumferential portion formed with'a peripheral notch 46 which provides shoulderiportions Al, 48 on either end thereof. The shoulders 41 and 48 are adapted to contact the side portions of web 22 of bracket 2| upon'rota- .tional movement of the disk 45 in clockwise and counterclockwise directions, respectively. The disk '45 is provided with an anchor post 49 secured to a peripheral outer portion adjacent the :shoulder' 48. The wall 35 of member 34 is provided with a hook 50. A coiled tension spring 5| has one end secured to the hook 50 and the other end secured on anchor post 49.

When using the iron the supporting legs 40 are in their retracted position lying along the side walls it as shown in Fig. 2. When it is desired to raise the heated sole plate I2 out of contact with the ironing surface 430 the iron 'is'tilted while holding the handle l4 in the usual manner, using the rear edge IQ of the sole plate 52 as a fulcrum thereby bringing the apex portion |5a upwardly and simultaneously bringing the rear portions 33 of the pivoted member 33 into contact with the ironing surface 48a. Continued tilting movement of the iron causes the portions 33 of the arms '32 to press against the surface 48a thereby causing the pivoted member 38 to rotate about :the pivot pin 28- in a clockwise direction, which in turn causes the teeth 3'! on arms 38 to rotate the gears 39 in a counterclockwise direction. The movement of the gears 38 as indicated, rotates the associated supporting .legs 45] also-in a counterclockwise direction towards other supporting positions as shown in Figs. 1 and l. It will be apparent from a consideration of Figs. 2 and 5, that as soon as the arms 36 have caused the gears 38 to rotate to a position which brings the anchor post 49 on the-as'sociateddisk 45 to a point slightly above the axis of the inner endof pivot pin 43, the tension of spring 5| will cause accelerated rotational movement of the supporting legs 48 in a counterclockwise direction to their final operative position. The final position of the :arms 48 is determined by the stop action of shoulder 48 on disk 45 as it bears against the edge of web 22 of bracket 2|. In this position the iron is tilted back so that his supported with-respect to the surface Mia-by the endportion 33-of arms 32, the rear edge l9-of the sole plate l9 and the arms '48 extending substantially at right angles to the Walls l6 of the casing.

When it is desired to retract the legs48 to-such a position asto permit the normaluse of the iron, it'ls only necessary to tilt the iron forward, using the end portions of the legs 48 as a fulcrum, until the legs pass through a position-vertical with respect to the ironing surface 48a. The ir'on'is then pressed in a direction towards the ironing surface 48a which initiates rotational'movem'ent'ofthe pivoted legs-48 in a clockwise direction about'plv- -ot pins 38, 43. Continuedmovement of the legs 48 will bring the gears'39 and the disk'45 into a position wherein the anchor post 4931s below the axis of the-pivot 43. At this point, the tension of spring 5! will accelerate "the movement of the gears 38 and the associated legs 40 un't'il the shoulder 4"! on the disk 45 abuts the edge ofsthe web 22 of bracket 2 Simultaneously, "the movement of the legs '48 causes the counterclockwise movement of the arms 36 through the gears. 39 and the engaging teeth 37 on arms 36, thereby pivoting the arms '32 about pin 29 "to bring the end portions-33 of the arms :32 into their original position as shown in Fig. 2.

The use of the helical gears 39 on the inclined pivot pins 38, 43' permits Lproper engagement of the lever arms 36 therewith during the pivoted movement of the lever arms.

It will .beapparent that the movement ofpositioning legs 48 from their non-supportingto'supporting positions and vice versa may be accomplished with one hand holding the iron in the usual manner and requires-a minimum am'oun-t of effort inasmuch as the spring 51 is adapted to cause a major portion ofthe necessary rotational movement of the legs.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An iron comprising a casing, said casing comprising outwardly inclined side walls, a top Wall and a rear wall, a sole plate on the bottom portion of said casing, the said sole plate terminating short of said rear wall thereby providing an opening between said rear wall and an edge of said sole plate, a flanged bracket seamed to the inner surface of said top wall, the flanges of said bracket extending in parallel, spaced arrangement to said side walls, an inwardly and downwardly inclined pivot pin mounted on each of said flanges and said adjacent side walls, said pins projecting through said side walls, supporting legs secured to the projecting portions of said pins, and disposed outside of said casing, helical gear means mounted on each of said pins between said flanges and said side walls, a pair of levers fixed to each other and pivotally mounted within said casing, one end portion of each of said levers being formed with gear means meshing with an adjacent helical gear, the other ends of said levers being formed with end portions projecting through said opening.

2. A device of the character described comprising a. casing, said casing comprising a, pair of side walls and a bottom wall, a supporting leg pivotally mounted on each of said side walls, and adapted in one position to maintain said device'i'n a tilted position with respect to a base surface, means within said casing for causing said supporting legs to rotate towards and away from said position, said means comprising a rotatable disk on a pivotal portion of one of said supporting legs, stop means on said disk to limit rotation of said disk through a predetermined angle, and spring means fixed at one end within the said casing and secured at its other end to said disk whereby initial rotational movement of said disk on either side of a line connecting said fixed point and the axis of rotation of said disk will impart continued rotational movement of said disk towards the limits of movement of said disk.

BENJAMIN COOPER. ALBERT F. HOI-IMANN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 30 2,029,948 Schwartz Feb. 4, 1936 2,422,505 Tangemann et al. June 17, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 30,475 Denmark Oct. 23, 1922

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