A short history of irons

During its long history irons made from hard pieces of iron heated on a stove have developed into easily movable electrical appliances with steam features and a thermostat for adjusting temperature. The earliest irons, in a shape that we know today, appeared in the early 16th century and ever since then their typological development can be followed according to the heat source. The simplest irons are those made from a single slab of metal which do not have a heat source within them but are heated directly on a stove. They can be light and flat or heavy tailor’s irons with a big base and detachable handles. Irons on live coals have a hollow and enclosed case in which coals are placed. Lateral openings on the case ensure a stream of air going into the iron and incandescing coals. From 1870, new heat source was introduced and many irons were heated by industrially produced live coals in a shape of briquettes. They burnt for a long time with the minimum smell and smoke which gave them the preference over other irons. Irons with an iron implant were present from the 16th century. They had an opening on the rear side and the implant, formerly incandesced in fire, was set up in it with special pliers. Special types are long, narrow, semicircular oxtongue irons. Irons heated by alcohol appeared and were used from the second half of the 19th to the second half of the 20th century. They originated in the USA and were comprised of a heating element in the iron case and an alcohol container outside the case. Connecting element between the alcohol container and the burner is a fuse made from cotton thread. Gas irons were in a considerable number present from 1920. First such irons were heated on the gas stove and later models were directly connected to a gas supply. The temperature could be to a certain extent regulated but the difficulty in handling with it was made by a rubber duct. Electric irons appeared in the end of the 19th century and ever since then they have varied in the type of the heating element. First electric irons have a resistance wire set in a ceramic insert and in later once, the heating spiral is placed in ceramic tubes situated in the grooves of the base. They were heavy and without thermo regulator which often caused burning of fabric. In the first quarter of the 20th century they have a softer, curvy shape and bimetal thermo regulator for regulating temperature. Irons of the second half of the 20th century did no longer have a weight which inserted in the body of irons since it was thought that ironing besides temperature required pressure as well. Instead of cast iron, the base of irons started to be produced from aluminium or sheet steel. A significant step to easier ironing was made by the introduction of steam electric irons which had been patented in the end of the 19th century. They finally reduced heaviness of their predecessors and ensured ironing of delicate, synthetic fabrics. Automatic devices in modern irons make possible for the use of strong heaters (up to 2000 W) which shortens the heating time and ensures ironing of even most delicate fabrics. Irons made of colourful plastic materials, rounded and fairly light, with regulators of steam have become appliances which remain controlled and used by the human hand