IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF BROOMS AND BRUSHES, AND IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jesse Ascough, of Handsworth, in the County
of Stafford, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF BROOMS AND BRUSHES, AND IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY TO BE
EMPLOYED THEREIN.”
Sealed the 9th December 1875, and dated the 23rd September 1875.
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jesse Ascough at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd September 1875.
I, JESSE ASCOUGH, of Handsworth, in the County of Stafford, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF BROOMS AND BRUSHES, AND IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY TO
BE EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention refers, amongst other improvements, to the employ-
ment in the manufacture of brooms and brushes of the grasses known
as "spartum, esparto, atocha, alpha, and feather or bass-grass," and
their analogous species of grasses, either alone, or in combination with
other vegetable or animal fibres.

page_text: To utilize these grasses to the greatest advantage I deprive them of
their excess of silica, or other brittle element or constituent they
contain, by steaming or immersing them in chemical solutions such as
those usually employed, or other for preparing flagged and other brush
fibres, after which and with or without being dressed or polished they 5
will be adapted for, and may be used alone in the manufacture of
brooms and brushes.
The addition of dye colours and chemicals will also improve their
appearance and flexibility, and make them still better adapted for using
alone as well as in combination with other fibres; or I may make these 1
grasses more valuable by supplementing the before named processes by
immersing them in hot oil, melted paraffin, tallow, paraffin oil or spirit,
solution of soap, or other indurating medium; or by polishing, dressing,
or otherwise treating them to increase their toughness.
If I employ theso grasses or their analogous species in their natural 1
state, and without any preparation or dyeing, I mix them with, or
surround, or support them by other tougher fibres, such as piassava,
bass, whisk, kitool, cocoa, flagged fibre, or bristles.
My Invention also refers to the formation of brush material of any
kind into separate tufts, the binding of these with iron, their ready
carriage by magnetic power to the holes or perforations in the brush
stock, and also their fixture therein.
In making doubled tufts I twist or bind round the centre of the
material with iron wire, iron rod, or any other piece of iron suitable for
my purpose, and I can then apply to the iron fastening the magnetized
end of a punch, guide, or plunger, or a punch, guide, or plunger
charged with magnetism, by which the iron will be attracted, adhere,
and be held by the magnetic power, and the iron fastening with the
wrapped tuft may thus be carried to its intended hole or perforation in
the brush stock, and both driven into position by any suitable pressure
or power. Or I pass the doubled part of the material into a holder or
carrier, such as a round, oval, or other shaped ring, and lay across the
centre of the doubled material a piece of iron wire, iron rod, or other
shaped piece of iron, to retain the material temporarily in the holder,
and subsequently to fasten the tuft in the hole; I can then lift the tuft
by the magnetic power applied to the iron as before described, bring it
to the hole, and drive both tuft and iron fastening down securely. The

page_text: holder will then be liberated and can be used again, and continuously as
a tuft holder and carrier. Or instead of binding the doubled tuft I can
place any required quantity of material, sufficient for a loose tuft, over
the hole or perforation, and by magnetic power bring any suitable piece
of iron and lay it across the loose material, when the iron being driven
will carry down the loose material, also forming the tuft in the fixing.
In making single tufts I wrap around the end of the material any
suitable shape of iron, and to make the tuft more secure as well as to
give opportunity for the application of the magnetic punch, I pass the
iron fastening over and through the tuft, whence it may be at once
lifted as before described.
I can also take bristles, or any other material made into tufts by the
common and well-known process of binding or wrapping with twine,
followed by immersion in hot pitch or other cement, and across or
through each tuft I place a T nail, hook, or other similar fastening, or
one or more pieces of iron of any convenient shape for my purpose, and
bent, straight, or otherwise, so that I may lift each tuft separately
by magnetic power, and carry it to any hole or perforation for its
fixture.
In each of the before-named processes the size and strength of iron
must be adapted to the size of the tuft, and the hole or perforation in.
which the iron fastening is to fix the tuft, so that the tuft shall be held
by compression or by the impingement of the iron fastening into 'the
wood stock, or by a combination of these conditions.
I have described iron fastenings for the tufts, but such fastenings may
be made of steel or iron, partially converted into steel if preferred.
.
My Invention further relates to improvements in the manufacture of
drawn brooms and brushes, which I facilitate by carrying the wire from
a bundle or reel continuously through by means of a hook, eyelet,
catch, loop, holder or other contrivance, attached to a guide or plunger,
and worked by parts similar to those in ordinary braiding and sewing
machines. The hook or other contrivance carrying the wire having
passed through the hole in the stock is made to leave a sufficient
quantity of wire on the opposite side to form a loop, into or through
which the material to compose the tuft is passed; the wire-is then
drawn tightly by the return or other action of the machine, which
doubles up the material and brings the tuft into the required position.

page_text: The holder. guide or plunger is then passed through the next hole and
takes up another tuft, fixes it, and repeats the process until each hole or
perforation becomes filled.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Jesse Ascough in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd March 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JESSE
ASCOUGH, of Handsworth, in the County of Stafford, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Jesse Ascough, Her
special license that I, the said Jesse Ascough, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Jesse
Ascough, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven- |
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BROOMS AND BRUSHES, AND
IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Jesse Ascough, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
"
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jesse Ascough, do hereby declare :
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :—
This Invention refers amongst other improvements to the employment

page_text: in the manufacture of brooms and brushes of the grasses known as
"spartum, esparto, atocha, alpha, and feather or bass grass," and their
analagous species of grasses, either alone or in combination with other
vegetable or animal fibres, as herein-after more fully described.
•
To utilize these grasses to the greatest advantage I deprive them of
their excess of silica or other brittle element or constituent they contain
by steaming or immersing them in chemical solutions, such as those
usually employed for preparing flagged and other brush fibres, but more
especially in solutions which contain boron as it exists in borate of soda
or borax, borate of lime, boracic acid, &c. The boron having great
affinity for will combine with the silicon, the brittle constituent of the
grass fibres removing it, and thus causing the fibres to be tough and
elastic. The proportion of boracic compounds I find most useful,
without confining myself to the exact quantities given, are, borate of
soda, five pounds, to fifty gallons of boiling water; borate of lime, nine
pounds; and boracic acid, two pounds to the same quantity of water.
After this operation and with or without being dressed or polished the
grasses will be adapted for and may be used alone in the manufacture
of brooms and brushes.
The addition of any of the usual black, brown, red, yellow, or other
dye colours with the chemical processes ordinarily employed in fixing
them will also improve the appearance and flexibility of these grass
fibres and make them still better adapted for using alone, as well as in
combination with other fibres. Or I. make these grasses more valuable
by supplementing the before-named processes or any one of them by
immersing the fibres in hot oil, melted paraffin, tallow, paraffin oil, or
spirit, solution of soap, or other indurating medium, or by polishing,
dressing, or otherwise treating them to increase their toughness.
'
If I employ these grasses or their analagous species in their natural
state and without any preparation or dyeing, I mix them with, or to
utilize them to the fullest advantage, I surround or support them by
other tougher fibres, such as piassava, bass, whisk, kitool, cocoa, flagged
fibre or bristles.
My Invention also refers to the formation of brush material of any
kind into separate tufts, the binding of these with iron, their ready
carriage by magnetic power to the holes or perforation in the brush stock,
and also their fixture therein.
:

page_text: In making doubled tufts I twist or bind round the centre of tho
material with iron wire, iron rod, or any other piece of iron suitable for
my purpose, and I can then apply to the iron fastening the magnetized
end of a punch guide or plunger, or a punch guide or plunger charged
with magnetism, by which the iron will be attracted, adhere to, and be 5
held by the magnetic power, and the iron fastening with the wrapped
tuft may thus be carried to its intended hole or perforation in the brush
stock, and both driven into position by any suitable pressure or power.
Or I pass the doubled part of the material into a holder or carrier, such
as a round, oval, or other shaped ring, and lay across the centre of the 1
doubled material a picce of iron wire, iron rod, or other shaped piece of
iron to retain the material temporarily in the holder (and subsequently
to fasten the tuft in the hole); I can then lift the tuft by the magnetic
power applied to the iron, as before described, bring it to the hole, and
drive both tuft and iron fastening down securely. The holder will then 1
be liberated and can be used again and continuously as a tuft holder
and carrier. Or instead of binding the doubled tuft I can place any
required quantity of material sufficient for a loose tuft over the hole or
' perforation, and by magnetic power bring any suitable piece of iron
and lay it across the loose material, when the iron being driven will
carry down the loose material, also forming the tuft in the fixing.
In making single tufts I wrap around the end of the material any
suitable shape of iron; and to make the tuft more secure, as well as to
give opportunity for the application of the magnetic punch, I pass the
iron fastening over and through the tuft, whence it may be at once lifted,
as before described.
I can also take bristles or any other material made into tufts by the
common and well-known process of binding or wrapping with twine,
followed by immersion in hot pitch or other cement, and across or
through each tuft I place a T nail, hook, or other similar fastening, or
one or more pieces of iron of any convenient shape for my purpose, and
bent straight or otherwise, so that I may lift cach tuft by magnetic
power and carry it to any holo or perforation for its fixture.
In each of the before-named processes the sizo and strength of iron
must be adapted to the size of the tuft and the hole or perforation in
which the iron fastening is to fix the tuft, so that the tuft shall be held
by compression or by the impingement of the iron fastening into the
wood stock, or by a combination of these conditions.

page_text: I have described iron fastenings for the tufts, but such fastenings may
be of steel or iron partially converted into steel if preferred.
My Invention further relates to improvements in the manufacture of
drawn brooms and brushes, which I facilitate by carrying the wire from
a bundle or reel continuously through or by means of a hook, eyelet
catch, loopers, holder, or other contrivance attached to a guide or
plunger, and worked with a reciprocal motion, or by parts similar to
those in ordinary braiding and sewing machines. The hook or other
contrivance carrying the wire having passed through the hole in the
brush stock is made to leave a sufficient quantity of wire to form a loop,
through which the material to compose the tuft is passed; the wire is
then drawn tightly by the return movement of the plunger doubling up
the material forming the tuft, and bringing the tuft into the required
position, as in ordinary-hand work. The guide or plunger is then passed
through the next hole and takes up another tuft, fixes it, and the process
is repeated until each hole or perforation becomes filled.”
"
•
Having thus described the object and nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be carried into effect, I claim without
limiting myself to these precise details,―
The employment of the various grass fibres herein alluded to, or their
analagous species, treated by preference as herein described.
The formation of tufts or knots, with or without pitch or other
cement, and the fastenings for these tufts or knots, together with the
manner in which they are to be carried to and fixed in the brush stocks,
as herein described.
And the improvements in the manufacture of drawn brooms and
brushes by mechanical arrangements, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jesse Ascough, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-