IM- PROVEMENTS IN ERASERS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Darling, of the City and County of Providence,
State of Rhode Island, United States of America, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN ERASERS." Partly a communication from Alfred S. Miles, of
Brooklyn, New York.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Darling at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th September 1877.
SAMUEL DARLING, of the City and County of Providence, State of Rhode Island,
United States of America. IMPROVEMENTS IN ERASERS." Partly a communi-
"
cation from Alfred S. Miles, of Brooklyn, New York.
My Invention has reference to that kind of erasers known as india-rubber erasers,
and consists, first, in the peculiar arrangement of the end of the rubber so as to
facilitate the erasing of ink or pencil marke, or smoothing the paper after a steel or
other eraser has been used, and it further consists in connecting with such a piece
of rubber a brush, arranged so that the same, when laid flat or slightly bent, will
readily remove the particles of paper and rubber separated by the act of erasing.
The erasers, consisting of prepared india-rubber in which pumicestone or other
powdered erasing substances are incorporated, are useful articles, required on every
writing desk, and pure or prepared india-rubber erasers have to be frequently used
by draughtsmen and artists, and in erasing portions of ink or pencil marks it
becomes desirable that only a certain fixed portion should be erased without injuring
the rest; I therefore provide one end of my rubber eraser with a bevelled edge
which enables the user to firmly hold the eraser and bring the same up to the
desired line without encroaching on the same, the lower bevelled surface being in
contact with the material from which the mark is to be erased, and the upper
Price fid1

page_text: bevelled surface enabling the eye to see the edge of the eraser, which is not the
case when the usual form is used, such as a square end, in which the upper
edge projects over the lower when in use, and prevents the accurate use of the
same.
When the eraser has been used, a portion of the paper or other material, as also
a portion of the india-rubber, become detached and have to be removed, and to do
I secure
this cleanly and with the same instrument, already in the hand of the user,
a brush to the other end of the eraser; and to facilitate the operation, I make such
brush of sufficient length so that the side of the brush only is laid on the paper, and
by one sideway sweep all the particles can be removed. For book-keepers and
writers, the length of this brush projecting beyond the rubber is the length of two
spaces of writing or thereabout; but for other uses, the length of the brush is
adapted to the specific use, so that the side of the brush will readily remove all
loose particles.
The brush may be secured within the rubber, or it may be secured by means of a
ferrule, and the india-rubber may be pure or compounded and prepared in any
suitable manner.
The rubber may be square, round, oblong, oval, hexagonal, or of any other
suitable section, and of any desired dimensions, and the brush may be of any desired
cross section, but should be of sufficient length to be used on one of its sides in
preference to using the end of the same for removing the loose atoms.
The instrument is a great convenience, and when once used will become indis-
pensable to writers or artists. It is useful for two purposes, and ensures cleanliness
and accuracy.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Samuel Darling in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th March
1878.
SAMUEL DARLING, of the City and County of Providence, State of Rhode Island,
United States of America. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ERASERS."
My Invention has reference to that kind of erasers known as india-rubber erasers,
and consists in the peculiar arrangement of the end of the rubber so as to facilitate
the erasing of ink or pencil marks, or smoothing the paper after a steel or other
eraser has been used, and it further consists in connecting with such a piece of
rubber a brush, arranged so that the same, when laid flat or slightly bent, will
readily remove the particles of paper and rubber separated by the act of erasing.
In the Drawing forming part of this Specification,-
Figure 1 represents one style of my improved eraser.
Figure 2 is a sectional view showing the brush secured to a ferrule and the ferrule
to the rubber.
Figure 3 is also a sectional view showing the brush secured in the rubber and
strengthened by the ferrule.
Figure 4 is a flat piece of rubber pointed at one end and provided with a brush
at the other end.
Figure 5 is a sectional view of the eraser shown in Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of an eraser for artists' use; this kind may be
made of any desired width and length, and the brush of such length as will allow
of its use on one of its sides so that a large surface may be swept at once by the
side of the brush and not by the end of the same.
Figures 7 and 8 are views of the improved eraser without the brush.
Erasers, consisting of prepared india-rubber in which pumicestone or other
powdered erasive substances are incorporated, are useful utensils, required on every
writing desk, and pure or prepared india-rubber erasers have to be frequently used
by draughtsmen and artists, and in erasing portions of ink or pencil marks it
becomes desirable that only a certain fixed portion should be erased without injuring
the rest; I therefore provide one end of my rubber eraser with a beveled edge,
as is shown in the Drawing, which enables the user to firmly hold the eraser and
bring the same up to the desired line without encroaching on the same, the lower
beveled surface being in contact with the material from which the mark is to be
erased, and the upper bevelled surface enabling the eye to see the edge of the eraser,
which is not the case when the usual form is used, such as a square end, in which
the upper edge projects over the lower when in use, and prevents the accurate use
of the same.
When the eraser has been used, a portion of the paper or other material, as also a
portion of the india-rubber, become detached and have to be removed, and to do
this cleanly and with the same instrument, already in the hand of the user, I secure
a brush to the other end of the eraser, and to facilitate the operation, I make such
brush of sufficient length so that the side of the brush only is laid on the paper,
and by one sidewise sweep all the particles can be removed. For book-keepers
and writers, the length of this brush projecting beyond the rubber is the length of
two spaces of writing, or thereabout; but for other uses, the length of the brush is
adapted to the specific use, so that the side of the brush will readily remove all
loose particles.
The brush may be secured within the rubber, or it may be secured by means of a
ferrule, as shown in the Drawings, in which a is the india-rubber, which may be
pure or compounded and prepared in any suitable manner; b is the bevelled end
forming a thin edge at the extreme end; c is the brush; and d, the ferrule.
The rubber may be square, round, oblong, oval, hexagonal, or of any other
suitablo section and of any desired dimensions, and the brush may be of any desired

page_text: cross section, but should be of sufficient length to be used on one of its sides in
preference to using the end of the same for removing the loose atoms.
The instrument is very convenient, and when once used will be indispensable
to writers or artists; it is useful for two purposes, and ensures cleanliness and
accuracy.
Having thus described my Invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by
Letters Patent,—
First. An eraser made of pure or prepared rubber provided with a bevelled or
tapering end, substantially as described as a new article of manufacture.
Second. The combination with the pointed eraser, substantially as described, of a
brush c, arranged and operating as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Third. The combination with the rubber eraser a, provided with the brush c
and ferrule d, arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Fourth. An eraser, consisting of a piece of pure or prepared rubber, provided with
a brush as a new article of manufacture.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Darling, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
In presence of
JOSEPH A. MILLER
SAMUEL DARLING. (L.S.)