Larry and Carole Meeker

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 Antique Dealers & Brokers
 

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530-620-7019

Antique Pressing & SadIron

Sales Archive

The Comfort Revolving Gas Fueled Iron    The early 1900's was a time period of creative thought and new invention in terms of novel ideas for designs in pressing irons.  The old methods of heating an iron---putting it on the stove to heat it from the outside or heating it with charcoal from within---were replaced with methods such as the one that powered this iron---combustible gas or other liquid fuels.  This example, manufactured by the Comfort Gas Appliance Manufacturing Co. of Boston, Massachusetts, would have been heated by running a flexible hose from a natural gas outlet in the wall to the pipe coming out the back of the iron.  Inside the iron body is a perforated tube within which the mixture of air and gas would burn.  A waffle patterned grid work of metal provided the screening to prevent the waste products of combustion and the flame from shooting outward.  What is unusual about this particular gas iron is its ability to revolve, a feature that allowed for multiple surfaces of the iron body to be used so that the iron could be turned over when the bottom face had cooled.  Given the fact that heat rises, the top face of the body would constantly be heated as the bottom face was being used and cooling.  A spring loaded latching mechanism was attached to the handle to provide for the locking and unlocking of the body.  This iron is in excellent condition with most of the original nickel plating remaining.           SOLD         

 

Mann's Patent Revolving Fluting / Flat Combination Iron    At first glance this iron appears to be remarkably similar to the John Hewitt patent revolving combination fluter / flatiron.  However instead of a separate removable fluter plate that is the hallmark of the Hewitt iron, the Mann patent iron is designed with a "built-in" fluted bottom.  A close inspection of the construction of the body reveals it was actually cast as two individual pieces and then permanently pinned together as one.  The body is stamped "Mann's Pat. Oct. 8, '72" and the patent indicates it was meant to be a fluter, a flat iron and a polisher, depending on which of the four sides were used.  Though both Hewitt and Mann apparently lived and worked in Pittsburgh, PA during the same time Mr. Hewitt was no doubt the more financially successful of the two, given that Hewitt's combination iron is by far more frequently found than this model of Mr. Mann's.  This iron is from the longtime Glissman collection.              SOLD    

 

 

Patented Indicator Fluter with Temperature Gauge  At first glance this piece looks like a typical roller fluter, but when you look closely you see there is a pointer built into one end that indicates whether or not you are about to scorch your good shirt.  Not a thermometer per say, but within the fluting base is a piece of steel that moves as it gets hot to make for a heat-activated gauge.  This same fellow also manufactured an indicator spade-shaped flatiron under the same patent, but I don't imagine either were very much of a commercial success given the few of them that you come across.  It was kind of a goofy idea as it probably didn't tell you the fluter was too hot until it was  too late to matter.  This fluting has been in our collection for a number of years---we were happy to find it one day at Brimfield, just a few steps ahead of the four other die-hard iron collectors who were there.       SOLD

 

 

The American Electric Heating Corp. Patented 1893 Electric Iron  Electric irons are the bane of most antique iron dealers and collectors.  Oh sure there are a few later examples that are considered rare and desirable, but there are millions of the other ones that no one, and I mean no one, cares about.  This is not to disparage or talk down to those who do collect electric Irons, (I have a few boxes of them myself)  It is about being offered electric irons at prices, and seeing electric irons with prices on them, that would make one think that they might actually be rare or desirable. 

This is the most unusual electric iron that we have ever seen or owned, and certainly one of the most unusual and rare electric plugs available.  ( I was once told it was common)  Check out that plug!  I have never seen it before or seen this style switch in the handle which would allow one to control the heat by squeezing and releasing the lever as needed.  It has an extremely early (for an electric iron) patent date from 1893 on the plate on the rear.  The lady of the house must have really been excited when she got to upgrade from the stove heated model to this new and previously unheard of marvel of electrical technology, and  I'll bet hubby even bought her one of those new fangled electric vacuum cleaners as a replacement for her pump vacuum to go with it.  Progress 1890's style.  SOLD!

Special Note:  We have more pressing irons and laundry related antiques  for sale on our sister site www.patented-antiques.com.   Please take a look if interested.  

Note:  To see more sales results we have had over the years visit the Past Sales Archives on our sister site www.Patented-Antiques.com

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