US3071879A

US3071879A - Steam pressing iron

Info

Publication number: US3071879A
Application number: US165085A
Authority: US
Inventors: Blank William
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-01-09
Filing date: 1962-01-09
Publication date: 1963-01-08
Anticipated expiration: 1980-01-08

Description

Jan. 8, 1963 w. BLANK 7 3,071,879

STEAM PRESSING IRON Filed Jan. 9, 1962 'E1 d 4 J ,15

E lg-T'fi EIg j I {6 Inventor:

William BLANK E1g 4 Attorneys 3,671,879 Patented Jan. 8, 1963 3,071,879 STEAM PRESSING IRON William Blank, 270 Queen St., Montreal, Quebec, Canada Filed Jan. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 165,085 2 Claims. (Cl. 3877) This invention relates to improvements in steam irons and particularly to means whereby the sole-plate of the iron is kept at a relatively low temperature required for ironing of synthetic fabrics.

Steam irons are generally fitted with a solid sole-plate through which steam passages are drilled with relatively small diameter holes through which the steam is carried over a large part of the area of the sole-plate. This particular type of construction has various disadvantages such as the sole-plate being kept at a relatively high temperature, the only control of which is thermostat of the iron. A further disadvantageds that the steam tends to condense in the relatively small diameter passages and the ejection of water particles on the fabric which retards efficient ironing. Also, when the iron is allowed to stand, there is a tendency for the passages to become encrusted with foreign matter to further reduce the efiiciency of the iron.

The present invention is intended to overcome the above disadvantages and consists essentially in forming the sole-plate of the iron in two parts, one on top of the other and separated by an asbestos gasket. The opposing surfaces of the two parts of the sole-plate are hollowed out to provide a large steam area divided into two sections by a barrier forming an elongated narrow passage permitting the steam to pass from one section into the other. The section nearest the steam inlet forms a steam expansion chamber where the steam is dried by contact with the hot upper part of the sole-plate which is in direct contact with the heating element of the iron. The asbestos gasket between the upper and lower part of the sole-plate reduces the transfer of heat from the top part to the lower part so that the lower part can be kept at a moderate temperature and only dry steam is permitted to escape through the apertures in the lower part to come in contact with the fabric being ironed.

The object of the invention is to provide in a steam iron means whereby the sole-plate of the iron can be kept at a moderate temperature suitable for ironing synthetic fabrics.

A further object of the invention is to provide means in a steam iron for a large expansion of the steam and to retain it in a dry condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide a two part sole-plate for a steam iron, one of which is kept hot and the other relatively cool.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a typical corporating the present invention. 1

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the sole-plate of the steam iron partly cut away to show the two chamber interior.

FIG. 3 is. a vertical section on the line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section on the line 44 of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the steam iron 5 shown in FIG. 1 is a typical example and is provided with a two part sole-plate comprising an upper part 6 and a lower part 7 separated by an asbestos gasket 8.

steam iron in- The iron 5 is provided with a steam chamber 9 and a heating element 10 and has a steam supply inlet 11.

The two part sole-

plate

6 and 7 have their opposing surfaces hollowed out at 12 and 13 to form a large area steam chamber divided by the opposing

transverse barriers

14 and 15 oppositely disposed in each of the two

parts

6 and 7 and separated from each other to form an elongated narrow slot 16 to permit passage of steam from one chamber 17 to the other chamber 18.

The two

parts

6 and 7 are secured together by the screws 19 passing through the upper part 16 and secured in the threaded holes 20 in the lower part 7.

The steam chamber 9 is provided with an outlet fitting 21 while the compartment 17 is provided with a steam inlet fitting 22, the

fittings

21 and 22 being connected by the pipe 23. The entry of steam through the supply inlet pipe 11 is controlled by the valve 24 in the well known manner, and a thermostat controls the heating element 10 also in well known manner.

In the operation of this device, steam from the supply inlet 11 is permitted to flow into the steam chamber 9 where it is heated and dried by the heating element It From the steam chamber 9 the dried steam passes through the pipe 23 into the chamber 17 in the sole-plate of the iron where the steam is rapidly expanded. Due to the fact that the upper part 6 of the sole-plate is in direct contact with the heating element 10 it is kept at a relatively high temperature. Any condensation of the steam which takes place due to its passage through the pipe 23 is compensated for by the rapid expansion of the steam in the chamber 17 and its contact with the very hot upper part 6 of the sole-plate, causing the steam in the chamber 17 to become very dry again. This dry steam then passes through the elongated slot 16 into the chamber 18and thence through the apertures 25 in the lower part 7 of the sole-plate.

Because of the asbestos gasket 3 separating the upper and

lower parts

6 and 7 of the sole-plate, there is a minimum of heat transfer between the hot upper part 6 and the lower part 7 thereby keeping the lower part 7 at a relatively low temperature suitable for ironing synthetic fabrics. Furthermore, due to the rapid expansion of the steam in the chamber 17 and the contact of the steam with the large heated surface of the upper part 6 of the soleplate the steam is kept in a very dry condition while it passes through the chamber 18 and out through the apertures 25. The dry steam coming in contact with the fabric results in excellent ironing of the fabric without the appearance of water spots as was previously the case when the temperature of the sole-plate was reduced to the relatively low temperature required to press synthetic fabrics.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a steam pressing iron including a first steam chamber and a heating element located on the underside of the said steam chamber, a sole-plate secured to the underside of the iron, the said sole-plate comprising an upper member and a lower member, the said upper memher being in contact with the said heating element, each of the said upper and lower members having their 0pposing surfaces recessed, and a gasket forming a peripheral seal between the said upper and lower members, a transverse barrier on the opposing recessed surfaces of the said first and second members, the said barriers being spaced apart from each other to form an elongated slot communicating on one side with a steam expansion chamber and on the other side with a third steam chamber, the said lower member having a series of apertures forming steam passages between said third steam chamber and the outside of the sole-plate, and means to pass steam from the said first mentioned steam chamber to the said steam expansion chamber.

2. In a steam pressing iron as set forth in claim 1, in which the said transverse barrier is formed by opposing ribs on each of the upper and lower members of the soleplate and extending transversely of the recessed opposing surfaces of the upper and lower members and spaced apart slightly from each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNTTED STATES PATENTS 1,347,224 Kako July 20, 1920 1,384,301 Buskard July 12, 1921 2,299,202 Bass Oct. 20, 1942 2,876,565 Jacobson Mar. 10, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 732,559 Germany Mar. 5, 1943

Claims

1. IN A STEAM PRESSING IRON INCLUDING A FIRST STEAM CHAMBER AND A HEATING ELEMENT LOCATED ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE SAID STEAM CHAMBER, A SOLE-PLATE SECURED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE IRON, THE SAID SOLE-PLATE COMPRISING AN UPPER MEMBER AND A LOWER MEMBER, THE SAID UPPER MEMBER BEING IN CONTACT WITH THE SAID HEATING ELEMENT, EACH OF THE SAID UPPER AND LOWER MEMBERS HAVING THEIR OPPOSING SURFACES RECESSED, AND A GASKET FORMING A PERIPHERAL SEAL BETWEEN THE SAID UPPER AND LOWER MEMBERS, A TRANSVERSE BARRIER ON THE OPPOSING RECESSED SURFACES OF THE SAID FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS, THE SAID BARRIERS BEING SPACED APART FROM EACH OTHER TO FORM AN ELONGATED SLOT COMMUNICATING ON ONE SIDE WITH A STEAM EXPANSION CHAMBER AND ON THE OTHER SIDE WITH A THIRD STEAM CHAMBER, THE SAID LOWER MEMBER HAVING A SERIES OF APERTURES FORMING STEAM PASSAGES BETWEEN SAID THIRD STEAM CHAMBER AND THE OUTSIDE OF THE SOLE-PLATE, AND MEANS TO PASS STEAM FROM THE SAID FIRST MENTIONED STEAM CHAMBER TO THE SAID STEAM EXPANSION CHAMBER.