IMPROVE- MENTS IN CHIMNEY SWEEPING APPARATUS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Thomas Fullicks, of Kentish Town Road, in the
County of Middlesex, Architect and Surveyor, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CHIMNEY SWEEPING APPARATUS."
ealed the 8th April 1879, and dated the 23rd October 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Thomas Fullicks at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd October 1878.
ARTHUR THOMAS FULLICKS, of Kentish Town Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Architect and Surveyor. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CHIMNEY SWEEPING APPARATUS."
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the collecting of soot as it is drawn
down from the chimney by the ordinary broom and discharging it into a receiving
bag in a more cleanly manner than heretofore.
To this end I provide a flexible tube of peculiar construction which serves to
conduct the descending soot from the chimney to the sack or other receptacle
without permitting of the escape of soot into the apartment.
The upper end of this flexible tube when inserted in the chimney will close the
opening above the register and present an open channel for the reception of the
descending soot, and the lower end will enter the mouth of the sack and maintain
an open passage for the descent of the soot into the sack. This tube, which I make
by preference of a non-porous material, I slot laterally to permit of the canes or
jointed rods of the chimney sweeper's broom being passed upwards into and with-
drawn from the chimney, and within the tube I form a sleeve terminating in a glove
for receiving the arm and hand of the sweep, and permitting of his operating with
a hand brush and scraper above the register without his hand and arm coming into
contact with the soot. To provide for the flexible tube or channel being temporarily
secured to the chimney that is about to be swept, I construct the upper end of the
tube with an annular chamber of india-rubber or equivalent material, and to this
chamber I connect an air pipe through which it may be inflated when the tube has
been passed upwards through the register. The inflation of this air chamber will
ensure the retention of the tube in place while the chimney is being swept, and
Drvice C11

page_text: will also keep the mouth of the tube open. The lower end of the tube I fit with a
metal ring or flanged collar, which when inserted in the mouth of the sack may be
secured thereto by an india-rubber ring or any equivalent binding material.
-But-before-applying-the-flexiblo_tube_to_the chimney, I propose_to_insert.the
broom in the mouth of the chimney and to pass its stem through the slit in the
side of the tube. I also propose to place in the chimney the usual hand brush,
scraper, and any other appliance that may be required, and then to apply the
flexible tube, securing it in place by the inflation of the annular air chamber,--then-
attach the sack to the tube and proceed to advance the broom in the chimney in
"the ordinary way, taking care that the edges of the slit through which the broom
canes or rods are passed are so guarded as to prevent the passage outwards of any
soot. The broom being now manipulated in the ordinary manner, the soot will be
brought down, and passing through the flexible tube will be discharged into the
sack. When the chimney has been swept, the sweep will, before removing his
apparatus, be required to dislodge any soot that may lie above the register, and for
this purpose the hand brush and other appliances before mentioned are provided.
The sweep now enters his arm in the sleeve attached to the tube, and passing his
hand upwards to the brush or scraper, will be able to seize it and operate with it
for the dislodgment of the soot without his hand becoming contaminated therewith.
When the chimney is thus cleaned it is only necessary to discharge the air from the
annular chamber, and the apparatus may then be withdrawn from the chimney.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Arthur Thomas Fullicks in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd
April 1879.
ARTHUR THOMAS FULLICKS, of Kentish Town Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Architect and Surveyor. " IMPROVEMENTS IN CHIMNEY SWEEPING APPARATUS."
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the collecting of soot as it is drawn
down from the chimney by the ordinary broom and discharging it into a receiving
bag in a more cleanly manner than heretofore.
To this end I provide a flexible tube which serves to conduct the descending soot
from the chimney to the sack or other receptacle without permitting of the escape
of soot into the apartment.
The upper end of this flexible tube when inserted in the chimney will fill the
opening and present an open channel for the reception of the descending soot, and
the lower end will enter the mouth of the sack and maintain an open passage for
the descent of the soot into the sack. This tube (which I make by preference of a
non-porous material) I slit laterally to permit of the canes or jointed rods of the
chimney sweeper's broom being passed upwards into and withdrawn from the.
chimney and within the tube. I form a sleeve terminating in a glove for receiving
the arm and hand of the sweep and permitting of his operating with a hand brush
and scraper to gather up the soot without his hand and arm coming into contact
with the soot.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 shews the mode of providing for tem-.
porarily securing to a chimney (without a register) that is about to be swept the
flexible tube or channel which conducts the fallen soot to the sack or other recep-
tacle. A is the tube fitted at its upper end with an annular chamber B made of
india-rubber, cloth, or equivalent material. To this chamber I connect an air
pipe b, through which it is to be inflated when pushed into place.
The inflation of this air chamber will insure the retention of the tube in place in
the chimney while the sweeping operation is proceeding, and will also keep the
mouth of the tube open. The lower end of the tube I fit with a metal ring or
flanged collar C, which when inserted in the mouth of the sack D admits of being
secured thereto by an india-rubber ring or any equivalent binding material.
E is the sleeve fitted to the inside of the tube A for the reception of the sweep's
arm, and F is an external sleeve through which the canes or rods of the sweeping
apparatus are passed to the chimney.
Before applying the tube A to the chimney I insert the broom head in the mouth
of the chimney and pass its stem through the sleeve F in the side of the tube, I
then, when necessary, place on a lodgment in the chimney the usual hand brush,
Scraper, and other appliance that may be required and then apply the flexible tube,
securing it in place by the inflation of the annular air chamber B; I next attach
the sack to the tube and proceed to advance the broom in the chimney, adding on
additional canes or rods to the broom stem one after the other in the ordinary way.
The broom being now manipulated in the ordinary manner the soot will be brought
down, and passing through the flexible tube will be discharged into the sack.
When the chimney has been swept, the sweep will before removing his apparatus be
required to dislodge any soot that may lie at the base of the chimney, and for this
purpose the hand brush and other appliances before mentioned are provided. The
sweep now enters his arm into the sleeve E attached to the tube, and passing his
hand upwards to the brush or scraper will be able to seize it and operate with it
for the dislodgement of the soot without his hand becoming contaminated there-
with. When the chimney is thus cleaned it is only necessary to discharge the air
from the annular chamber B, which will then collapse and permit of the apparatus
being withdrawn from the chimney.
Fig. 2 is a front view of a register stove, and Fig. 3 a section of the same shewing
any Invention applied thereto. In this instance, the tube A is attached to the

page_text: register itself by means of clips, which take the place of the annular air chamber B.
The sleeve E, it will be understood, is made sufficiently long to enable the sweep to
pass-his-hand-above-the-register-and-to-manipulate his brush_and_scraper_so_as_to_
sweep any soot that may lodge upon or above: the register down into the tube A.
An obvious modification of the Invention is shewn in front view and in section at
Figures 4 and 5. In this instance, the tube A is superseded by a screen A* which
covers the front of the fire-place and is fitted with a flanged-ring-O-to-receive-the-
mouth of the sack D. The screen A* is also provided with internal and external
sleeves E, F, the one for the admission of the sweep's arm and the other for the
canes or rods of the broom. In this case the soot will be brought down to the
hearth-according-to-the-ordinary_practice, and_may_then be shovelled into the sack
in the manner shewn in the Drawing, without risk of the soot escaping into the
apartment. By making the tube A. of sufficient capacity to hold the soot of one
chimney and by closing its lower end by a snap fastening formed by jointing the
ring C, and providing it with a spring catch, I am enabled to dispense with the use
of a sack and to discharge the soot into a portable receptacle outside the building.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in Chimney
Sweeping Apparatus," and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent,-
I claim the means above described for collecting soot as it is drawn down from s
the chimney into a receptacle for the purpose above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Thomas Fullicks, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.