Thermostat and iron assembly

In an electric steam iron having an enclosed water tank in a shell under connected handle structure and a steam generating soleplate with ports for distribution of steam on demand, a pump connected to the tank with a button on the handle for manual pump actuation to deliver water to the soleplate generating means and a mount on the soleplate for close support of a heat-responsive thermostat means to control the temperature of the soleplate, the improvement in said thermostat means comprising,

• a substantially vertical control rod in the forward handle portion having manual temperature adjustment means external to the shell and high on the front thereof,
• a stacked thermostat assembly of a lower heat deformable blade secured to said soleplate mount,
• a conductive intermediate stiff spring blade,
• a conductive upper less stiff spring blade,
• all blades being supported, secured, and spaced apart at one end by interposed insulators and,
• electrical contacts on said conductive blades with means transmitting heat deformable blade movement to said upper blade to make and break the electric circuit controlling said soleplate temperature,
• a single structural bracket extending parallel over said blades and cantilever-mounted on and above said one end,
• said bracket having an enlarged integral portion on its free end,
• a vertical bore through the enlarged portion forming an elongated bearing guide between the ends of and over said blades,
• a control shaft rotatably supported in said bore and extending through an opening in the upper blade to contact and position said intermediate blade,
• means connecting said shaft and control rod to rotate the shaft by the external adjustment means,
• an arcuate cam surface with end stops formed as part of the integral portion and facing said upper blade,
• a cam follower extending from said shaft and biased by said intermediate blade against said cam surface,
• whereby the single integral bracket performs multiple functions of shaft bearing, cam surface and stops, and fixed locator of all structural parts between the stacked assembly components and control rod and connected means.