AN IMPROVED DOOR MAT, BOOT, AND SHOE, CLEANER.
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hopewell of the Borough of Salford in the county
of Lancaster for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED DOOR MAT, BOOT, AND
SHOE, CLEANER.'
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hopewell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th August 1882.
JOHN HOPEWELL, of the Borough of Salford, in the County of Lancaster,
IMPROVED DOOR MAT BOOT AND SHOE CLEANER "
" AN
The object of this Invention is to enable boots and shoes to be cleaned from mud,
dust, and moisture in a more perfect manner than has hitherto been attained.
In one arrangement, a single apparatus consists of a recessed foundation board or
casting in which is placed a trough having at the 'back a grid or scraper, and at the
front a small mat, and above the scraper there are two brushes, held to the trough
by rods and chains, and pressed at their backs by springs, the brushes being placed
horizontally with each set of bristles opposite each other, which brush and clean
the sides of the boot or shoe when the wearer moves his foot towards his body:
When desired several of these Boot and Shoe Cleaners can be placed side by side,
and one, two, or more mats may be used as desired, and instead of making the board,
trough, and scraper in separate pieces, they may be all cast together in one casting.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Hopewell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th February 1883.
•
JOHN HOPEWELL of Salford in the County of Lancaster "AN IMPROVED DOOR
MAT, BOOT AND SHOE CLEANER”
In one arrangement, the apparatus consists of a recessed foundation board, or
trough, of wood, or metal, in which is placed a wooden or metal frame, having at
the back a scraper and grid, and at the front a small mat. Above the scraper and
grid there are two brushes held to the frame by rods and chains, and mounted with
springs, the brushes being placed horizontally, or inclined, with the bristles of one
brush opposite those of the other, so that when the wearer of the boot or shoe to be
cleaned places his foot firmly on the scraper, and brings it towards his body, the
scraper removes the mud or dirt from the sole of the boot or shoe, the brushes
clean the sides, and the mat finishes the cleaning of the heel and sole
On the accompanying sheet of drawings Fig. 1 is a longitudinal elevation, and Fig. 2
a plan of one of my improved Door Mat, Boot and Shoe Cleaners, Fig. 3 is a longi-
tudinal section, and Fig. 4 an end view of the scraper and grid, with part of the
frame and foundation board or trough, and Fig. 5 is a plan of one of the brushes
detached, the foundation board or trough being marked a, the frame b, the scraper
and grid c, d, the brushes e, the springs f, the chains g, and the mat h. Each brush
has two rings i, working on small rods k, fixed to the grid, and the rods 7, also fixed
to the grid are for the purpose of giving resistance to the springs, and pressure to
'the brushes when they are opened out by the passage of the foot from the scraper
to the mat. When required several of these Boot and Shoe Cleaners can be placed
side by side, and one, two, or more mats may be used as desired, and instead of
making the trough, frame, and scraper in separate pieces, they may be all cast
together in one casting; and in some cases where it is desired to have a toe brush
I place transversely above and in front of the scraper a brush held by springs, the
brush rising when the toe of the boot or shoe is pushed under it and giving pressure
by means of the springs.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention, I desire
it to be understood that I do not claim any of the parts taken separately, but what
I do claim in Door Mat, Boot and Shoe Cleaners, is the combination of the
trough, frame, scraper, brushes, and mat in one apparatus, or the combination of
two or more sets of scrapers and brushes either with one or more mats in one
apparatus.
In Witness whereof, I, the said John Hopewell have hereunto set my hand
and seal this fifteenth day of February in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.