Iron

Object Name:

Iron

Object ID:

1989.035.24

Creator:

Knapp-Monarch Company

Place of Origin:

St. Louis, MO

Date:

1940-1950

Description:

Iron. Electric, travel. Steel, wood, and plastic. Cast bottom plate has almost flat back end. Sides bulge toward pointed front end. Sides chamfered. Near front, sides extend upward to create V-shaped fence at front. Sides from bottom, polished. Top of bottom plate has heavy stamped metal cover secured with three round-head slotted screws. At front, plate pushes up against inside of elevated fence, where plate side drops down, top cover is folded down to meet surface on side all the way to back. Top cover extends beyond back plate where it flares to rounded corners. Back edge of plate slightly concave. Cover has nine parallel raised channels from front to back. Raised channel around edge of back for more rigid surface. Channels interrupted in one area by rectangular space with raised letters in it. Two large capital letters with interrupted diagonal line running through them, "K M"; line doesn't touch letters. Tab bent upward at front of iron; part of top plate. Same at back. Heavy sheet-iron assembly riveted through tabs. Handle assembly can pivot on these rivets. Front handle slightly concave. Extends upward in shallow semi-circle. It enters into front of brown plastic handle. Two right-angled bends in a slot where it goes into handle. Shiny brown plastic handle slightly tapered, smooth, bullet-shaped. Flat back end has slot in it. Flat heavy handle piece extends upward from rivet into open slot on back. Hex nut with washer over it where it passes through sheet metal arm and enters through body of handle. Sheet metal collar that slides up and down on back handle arm and base stub; folded around its front surface to partially enclose itself. Small riveted flattened wood knob attached to slide. Sliding collar locks handle in upward position when fully in bottom location. On right side, near back, an additional sheet metal rounded cover attached through holes in cover plate. Oval opening on right rear side of this cover. Two round electrical conductors pass through opening and angled upward slightly. Metal conductors have hexagonal bases where they are fastened through possible mica in slight oval depression in an internal metal plate. Iron stands upright on its back where it rests on ends of top plate and end of plastic handle. Handle folds down to make unit 1.6" high. Stamped numbers and other information are shadowed on opposite side where surface is smooth and shiny. Cord assembly consists of round unpolarized plug with brass prongs made from sheet metal folded over onto itself to make spring-like contact. Otherwise plug made for standard U. S. AC. Molded plug body round with knurled edge near bottom. Cylindrical top with slightly raised edge and alternating rectangular, concave areas on side for gripping. Removable heavy paper plate covers bottom of plug. Cloth-covered cord topped with two-tone checkered pattern that extends its length. At other end that fits iron, spring about 1.8" long is part of plug body. Spring prevents cord from bending sharply. Synthetic plug body roughly rectangular. Made of two pieces with two screws that hold halves together. Sides slightly rounded and flat surfaces have slightly enlarged and tapered band to provide grip. Two grooved pieces of sheet metal inside each opening on front end; they slide over male portion on iron. Raised lettering on plug in circle pattern near back on top and bottom: "6 A. 250 V." Below that is "10 A 125 V." Near center, capital letters aligned vertically: "EXCEL". From top to bottom, these letters become small. Across bottom edge: "MADE IN U. S. A." Top of iron reads, �K M / KNAPP MONARCH / TRAVEL IRON.� Base reads, �V.115 / W 400 / CAT.NO. / K43-R / 1.951.176 / 2,039,222 / 2,136,763 / PATSPEND. / KNAPP-MONARCH Co. STLOUIS U.S.A.� Two red paper bands with black writing with some abrasions. "UNDERWRITERS / LABORATORY, Inc. / "CORD - E5449".

Material:

Plastic
Wood
Brass
Textile
Paper
Steel

Dimensions:

H-4.2 L-7.7 D-3.9 inches

Provenance:

From Davis Homestead, Contoocook or Davisville, NH.

Credit Line:

Gift of Margaret Davis

People:

Davis, Margaret (1916-2009)