AN IMPROVED IMPLEMENT FOR THE REDUCTION OR ERADICATION OF CORNS ON THE FEET
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Matthew Wilson, of Leadenhall Street, in the City of
London, Merchant, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED IMPLEMENT FOR THE
REDUCTION OR ERADICATION OF CORNS ON THE FEET."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Matthew Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th July 1880.
MATTHEW WILSON, of Leadenhall Street, in the City of London, Merchant.
AN IMPROVED IMPLEMENT FOR THE REDUCTION OR ERADICATION OF CORNS ON
THE FEET."
<<
This Invention relates to an improved implement of peculiar form with rasping
or roughened surfaces for the reduction or eradication of corns or hard excrescences
on the feet.
The said Invention consists chiefly in forming the end or ends of the said
implement with a round or blunt pointed head or protuberance, so that the same
may be caused to operate with a drilling or perforating action, and thereby
penetrate and remove the central portion or core of the hardened excrescence which
forms the corn.
The said implement has a round, oval, or flat, or half round and flat longitudinal
portion, which may be used to assist in rubbing down or reducing the corn.
I prefer that the said perforating heads, ends, or extremities of the implement
should be spherical or nearly spherical portions formed in one piece with the said
longitudinal or intermediate portion of the implement.
The said implement may be formed of glass by melting the latter and mixing it
with sand, emery, or the like. Or it may be formed of wood, metal, bone, or other
material, and coated or covered with emery, corundum, sand, glass, or similar
rubbing or rasping substance. Or it may be covered with shark skin, or formed
of glass or other material roughened by moulding or by the sand blast, or otherwise
in imitation of shark skin, or to give it a similar cutting, rasping, or rubbing
surface. When both ends of the implement are provided with the aforesaid
perforating or drilling or spherical portions, the latter may be of the same size or
of different sizes.
The said implement will afford great comfort, if properly used, to all troubled
with corns, as it may be very easily manipulated and will quickly eradicate or
greatly reduce a corn without pain or danger to the foot..

page_text: .
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Matthew Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th
January 1881.
:
MATTHEW WILSON, of Leadenhall Street, in the City of London, Merchant.
"AN IMPROVED IMPLEMENT FOR THE REDUCTION OR ERADICATION OF CORNS ON
THE FEET."
This Invention relates to an improved implement of peculiar form with rasping
or roughened surfaces for the reduction or eradication of corns or hard excrescences
on the feet.
In Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing I have shewn one form of implement
constructed according to my Invention, which consists chiefly in forming the end
of the said implement a with a round or blunt pointed head, end, or protuberance a¹,
so that the same may be caused to operate with a drilling or perforating action,
and thereby penetrate and remove. the central portion or core of the hardened
excrescence which forms the corn.
The said implement has a round longitudinal portion a², which is serrated or
roughened, and which may be used to assist in rubbing down or reducing the.
corn; or this portion will serve as a file, which may be used for trimming the
nails of the hands or feet as desired. The instrument shewn in this Figure is
preferably made entirely of glass or metal, and the roughened parts a', a², of the
same are formed thereon by cutting, grinding, or moulding, or in any suitable
manner. Instead of providing the instrument with a roughened head or extremity a¹
at one end only, it may have roughened heads at both ends.
I prefer that the said perforating head or heads of the implement should be
spherical, or nearly spherical, as shewn; and formed in one piece with the
longitudinal or intermediate portion of the implement.
Figure 2 shews an implement which is provided with two roughened or serrated
round portions a³, a², one of which is preferably, finer than the other, in combination
with the spherical roughened head a¹.
Figure 3 shews an implement provided with a roughened head a¹ at one end,
but without the roughened portions a².
When the implement is made of glass I in some cases make the same hollow,
and in the course of manufacture insert colored paper or other material to give it
an ornamental appearance, or the said interior hollow space may be used for
advertizing purposes if desired.
In Figure 4 I have shewn an instrument which is provided with a flat or nearly
flat roughened portion a³; but instead of forming the roughened spherical head a¹
by cutting or moulding the glass with serrations I combine with the glass, whilst
in a heated condition, corundum, sand, or emery, in such a manner that when the
glass cools the corundum or other material, and such glass, form a homogeneous
mass, having great penetrating and abrading power.
This spherical end, made by the combination of the corundum, sand, emery, or
'similar material, with the glass, may be formed on or applied to an implement
having any desired number of roughened portions a² either cut or otherwise formed
in the material of which it consists, and these roughened portions may be round,
oval, flat, or half round, as desired.
Figure 5 shews an implement in which round and flat roughened portions a², a³,
are formed by the combination of corundum, sand, emery, or similar material, with
the glass body of the implement whilst the glass is in a heated or plastic condition.
Instead, however, of forming the implement of glass or metal, as above described,
it may be formed of wood, bone, hard or vulcanized india rubber, celluloid,
porcelain, china, terra cotta, or other material, and may be coated or covered, when
desired with emery, corundum, sand, glass, or similar rubbing or rasping substance;
or the roughened portions on the same may be formed by cutting, moulding, or
otherwise, as desired.

page_text: Figure 6 shews an implement whose shank or body is formed of either of the
materials above specified, and has a head or end formed separately and inserted in
it. This head or end may be formed of glass or other suitable material, and its
rasping or cutting surface may consist of the corundum or similar material applied
as above described, or the glass or other material may be roughened or serrated. I
may combine with the body made of such materials strips of shark skin, or of
glass or other material roughened by moulding or otherwise, in imitation of shark-
skin, to give it a similar cutting, rasping, or rubbing surface, the said implement in
all cases being provided with the rasping 'head a¹ above described. When both
ends of the implement are provided with the aforesaid perforating or drilling
spherical heads or portions, the latter may be of the same size or of different sizes,
as shewn in Figure 7 of the Drawing. This implement also has a series of flat
roughened faces a³, preferably four, of different degrees of fineness arranged upon
the body of the implement.
Moreover, I may provide one end of the implement with a thin, flat, or curved
portion which may be employed for pushing back the "quick" of the nails on the
hands or feet. In some cases I form the body of clay or other plastic material, and
apply to the same a coating or glazing of porcelain or other material, the corundum,
emery, or similar rasping material being preferably mixed or combined with such
coating or glazing, so that on the hardening of the latter the rasping material will
be commingled with the same and constitute a homogeneous mass.
By the use of emery, corundum, or other like material, which may be without
injury subjected to the degree of heat required to reduce the glass or other material
to a plastic condition, I am enabled to provide my implement with rasping or
roughened surfaces which are permanent and practically indestructible, and in this
respect my implement is essentially different from others which have roughened
surfaces formed of emery or the like applied to them by means of glue or cement.
The said implement will afford great comfort if properly used to all troubled
with corns, as it may be very easily manipulated and will quickly eradicate or
greatly reduce a corn without pain or danger to the foot. Moreover, the said
implement is also applicable for reducing or trimming the nails on the feet or
hands, as above stated, or for reducing hard warts and the like.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and shewn how the same may
be conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, I wish it understood that
I do not confine myself to the particular forms of implements shewn in the Drawing,
as the same may be varied without departing from the principle of my Invention.
And I also wish it understood that I do not claim a round, square, or other shaped
device without a head or end, and with emery, sand, or the like, applied to its
surface with glue or similar cement, but I claim,-
First. An implement constructed or provided with a roughened, rasping, or
serrated head or end, and either with or without other roughened or rasping
portions, substantially as above set forth and for the purposes specified.
Second. Forming or providing the roughened or rasping surfaces of such
implements, when the same are made of glass, porcelain, or other like material, by
subjecting the same to heat, and while it is in a plastic condition, or by means of
a glaze, applying to the surfaces thereof corundum, emery, or the like, as and for
the purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Matthew Wilson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixth day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand