Steam iron water gauge

Abstract

In a steam iron having a connected handle with a steam control thereon, a fill opening to an interior water tank, a ported soleplate having a steam generating boiler with a coverplate thereover forming steam distribution passages and with a water sight gauge connected to the tank, an improvement is provided in the gauge of an opening in the top of the tank within the confines of the handle and disposed in the opening is a closed top vertically directed tube extending through the opening so that it extends both into the tank and into the handle and is sealed to the tank preventing leakage. An aperture is provided through the tube inside the tank in the upper portion thereof for venting the tube inside the tank and a window is provided in the handle and is sized to extend along part of the tube and including the top. Float structure is disposed in the tube with the float being covered by the window when the tank is empty. The float may include a sealed hollow cylinder slidable in the tube in one modification and a pair of spaced ball-like members connected by a wire strand with one ball floating on the water surface in another modification. Both floats preferably have a specific gravity of less than 1 for extreme buoyancy to give a fast response to water level when the iron is filled. The arrangement permits constant viewing of water level in the tank through the window when the iron is in horizontal or ironing position with the float disappearing when the tank is empty and also permitting the water to enter the tube so it is visible when the iron is being filled in the heel rest position.