US3214851A - Ironing accessory - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 2, 1965 e. D. WEBSTER 3,214,851

IRONING ACCESSORY Filed Jan. 24, 1964 INVENTOR.

' GEORGIA D WEBST BY 4 I A TOR United States Patent OfiFice 3,214,851 Patented Nov. 2, 1965 3,214,851 IRONING ACCESSQRY Georgia D. Webster, 844 Piedmont Ave. SE, Atlanta, Ga. Filed Jan. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 340,100 3 Claims. (Cl. 38141) This invention relates to an ironing accessory and more particularly to a stand including an extension cord for connecting an electric iron with a current source, and means for supporting ironed materials, such as garments and the like.

Accessories of this general type which heretofore have been available have been adapted for attachment on one end of an ironing board, and as a result, it has been necessary to attach and remove the device to the ironing board each time that the board is placed in use. This attachment and removal not only has been a time consuming nuisance, but it has also occasioned considerable wear on the ironing board cover. Moreover, these devices support the cord at a level only slightly above that of the ironing board so that during the ironing operation, the cord would frequently rub along the board and engage the ironed material and cause wrinkles therein. Finally, the operator would have to provide entirely independent means for supporting material after it was ironed.

Having in mind the defects of the prior art apparatus, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide an ironing accessory of the aforementioned type which is supported independently of the ironing board and supports the extension cord at an elevation above the ironing board so that it cannot possibly contact the material on the board.

It is another object of this invention to provide an ironing cord extension unit including a vertically adjustable upright stand adapted to dispose the extension cord at a desired elevation, and to enable swiveling movement of the cord so that the stand may be disposed in any desired elevation and in any position relative to the ironing board, that is adjacent one end or along one side thereof.

It is another object of the invention to provide an iron ing accessory including an upright stand supported independently of an ironing board and including an extensible and retractable electric conductor for connecting an electric iron with a power source and also including means for supporting material after the material has been ironed.

It is still another object of the invention to provide an ironing accessory of the aforementioned type having simplicity of design, economy of construction and efficiency in operation.

The novel features that are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of an ironing accessory in accordance with the present invention, and shown in operative position in relation to an ironing board and an electric iron;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view similar to that in FIG. 1, but showing only one end of the electric conductor support during operation of the iron;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken online 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 4, and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken online 66 of FIG. 5.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, specifically to FIG. 1, an ironing accessory in accordance with the present invention comprises anupright stand 10 including a floor supportedbase 12 and a vertically disposedsupport 14 including a lowertubular portion 16 and an upperrodlike portion 18 slidably mounted within thetubular portion 16. Aswivel connection 20 is mounted on the upper end portion of theupper support portion 18 for pivotal movement about a vertical axis and thisswivel connection 20 in turn supports an extensible and retractableelectric connector unit 22 for connection with an electric iron.

A horizontally extendingarm 24 is mounted at the upper end of theupper support portion 18 for supporting ironed material. Preferably, acoil spring 26 is disposed within thelower support portion 16, and urges theupper support portion 18 upwardly to counterbalance the weight thereof to facilitate vertical adjustment of thesupport 14. A set screw, or other suitable securing means 28 may be provided for rigidly securing theupper portion 18 in selected relation to thelower support portion 16 so as to dispose theconnector unit 22 andarm 24 at the desired elevation.

Theswivel connection 20 is best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and may comprise a socket member 30' secured on the upper end of theupper support portion 18. Conveniently, thissocket member 30 may be mounted by means of astud element 32 inserted within the upper end of thesupport portion 18 and secured by ascrew 34. Thesocket member 30 has a vertically disposedbore 36 opening through the upper end thereof for pivotally receiving thestem 38 of a swivel element 49. Thestem 38 preferably has anannular groove 42 into which is projected apin 44 protruding from ascrew 46 threaded radially into thesocket 30 to retain thestem 38 in thebore 36, but permit pivoting thereof.

The swivel element includes an angularly disposedneck 48 having acylindrical portion 50 at the upper end thereof and preferably over which is fitted atubular cover 52 which may be curved or gooseneck in configuration, and may be of either rigid or flexible construction as desired. Thecylindrical portion 50 is provided with a coarsethreadlike groove 54 for threadedly receiving and supporting one end of acoil spring 56 which extends through thecover 52. Anelectric conductor 58 having astandard connector 60 for cooperation with a household outlet extends into thetubular cover 52 through anaperture 62.

Theconductor 58 is coiled to coincide with the convolutions of thespring 56, and preferably the spring and theconductor 58 are secured together by asheath 64 throughout their lengths within thecover tube 52 to form a unitary extensible and retractableelectric conductor 65. Astandard connector outlet 66, FIGS. 1-3, is electrically connected with theconductor 58 at the other end of the extensible-retractable conductor 65, and is normally retracted against the free end of thecover tube 52. Obviously, if desired, thecover tube 52 can be omitted so that thespring 56 constitutes the sole support for theconductor 58, but thecover tube 52 is preferred so that the stress on the spring will be limited substantially to expansion and contraction.

In use and operation, thestand 10 may be disposed at any convenient location relative to an ironing board B, either adjacent one end thereof, as shown in FIG. 3, or adjacent one side of the board opposite the operator. The support may then be extended or elevated by raising theupper support element 18 to the desired level and securing it by thescrew 28, or other suitable clamping means.

J Theconnector 60 may be attached to a standard household outlet, or the like, and the connector C of the usual electric cord E extending from an iron I coupled with theoutlet connector 66.

While ironing, the cord E andextensible conductor 65 are disposed byconnector unit 22 well above the ironing board so as not to interfere with the ironing operation, and freedom of movement is assured both by the expansion and contraction of theextensible conductor 65, as shown in FIG. 2, and/or the swiveling of theconnector unit 22 by means of theswivel connection 20. The curvature of thecover 52 permits ready expansion and contraction of theconductor portion 65, and the free end of the cover is disposed at an incline approximating that of the conductor to the iron and avoids any sharp bending thereof. Thesheath 64 protects the conductor from frictional engagement with thecover 52 as it extends and contracts.

When not in actual operation, the iron may be rested on the usual insulated stand S on one end of the ironing board or disposed on one end as is usual with some electric irons. As materials are ironed, they may be suspended from thearm 24 so that they are retained in a neat, unrufiled condition and not in contact with walls or the like from which they may become slightly soiled. If the material being ironed is in the form of flat Work, such work may be folded in the usual manner and draped over thearm 24; or if in the form of garments, they may be placed on hangers which may be suspended from thearm 24. l

Upon completion of an ironing operation, the connection C for the iron may be disconnected from theoutlet 66 and thesupport 14 collapsed by releasing thescrew 28 and depressing theupper support portion 18 so that the stand will occupy relatively small space and may be placed in a closet or the like, for example in the usual ironing'board closet along with the ironing board. It thus becomes evident that the present invention provides a highly useful ironing accessory that is easily placed into and removed from operation, and greatly eases and facilitates the ironing operation.

Although a certain specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is obvious that many modifications thereof are possible. The invention,

therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is nece's-' sitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An accessory for use with an ironing board and an iron having an electrical cord attached thereto; said accessory comprising a vertically adjustable floor supported upright having an upper end, means releasably securing said upright in adjusted positions with the upper end disposed above the ironing surface of an ironing board, a swivel joint attached to said upper end for free movement about an .axs coaxial with the vertical axis of the upright, said swivel joint including a neck portion comprising upper and lower segments forming an obtuse angle, a curved coil spring having opposing inner and outer ends, the inner end of the spring being attached to the upper segment, and an electrical conductor associated with and carried by the spring and having a connection means at the outer end of the spring for attachment to the cord of an iron with said outer end of the spring selectively overlying any part of the ironing surface of an ironing board, said conductor and said spring uniting at a point adjacent but beyond said upper segment.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein a tubular cover encloses the coil spring and is provided With a radial aperture for the passage therethrough of the electrical conductor.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein the upper seg ment has .a cylindrical free end portion formed with annular grooves and the inner end of the spring is coiled on said free end portion and fitted in the grooves with the grooves being of a depth to receive completely the spring.

References Qited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,329,173 1/20 Goldthwaite 248-51 1,730,945 10/29 Poole 248-51 -1,796,384 3/31 McElroy 248161 2,472,244 6/49 Brady 3 8-107 2,795,641 6/57 Rowell 174-69 2,896,347 7/59 Hortman.

FOREIGN PATENTS 8 62,295 1/53 Germany. 383,697 11/32 Great Britain. 434,859 9/35 Great Britain.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. AN ACCESSORY FOR USE WITH AN IRONING BOARD AND AN IRON HAVING AN ELECTRICAL CORD ATTACHED THERETO; SAID ACCESSORY COMPRISING A VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE FLOOR SUPPORTED UPRIGHT HAVING AN UPPER END, MEANS RELEASABLY SECURING SAID UPRIGHT IN ADJUSTED POSITIONS WITH THE UPPER END DISPOSED ABOVE THE IRONING SURFACE OF AN IRONING BOARD, A SWIVEL JOINT ATTACHED TO SAID UPPER END FOR FREE MOVEMENT ABOUT AN AXS COAXIAL WITH THE VERTICAL AXIS OF THE UPRIGHT, SAID SWIVEL JOINT INCLUDING A NECK PORTION COMPRISING UPPER AND LOWER SEGMENTS FORMING AN OBTUSE ANGLE, A CURVED COIL SPRING HAVING OPPOSING INNER AND OUTER ENDS, THE INNER END OF THE SPRING BEING ATTACHED TO THE UPPER SEGMENT, AND AN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR ASSOCIATED WITH AND CARRIED BY THE SPRING AND HAVING A CONNECTION MEANS AT THE OUTER END OF THE SPRING FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE CORD OF AN IRON WITH SAID OUTER END OF THE SPRING SELECTIVELY OVERLYING ANY PART OF THE IRONING SURFACE OF AN IRONING BOARD, SAID CONDUCTOR AND SAID SPRING UNITING AT A POINT ADJACENT BUT BEYOND SAID UPPER SEGMENT.

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