A New or Improved Device, forming a Substitute for Sponges, Brushes, and the like, for Bathing, Scrubbing, Polishing, and other Purposes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 24th June, 1893-Accepted, 26th Aug., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Device, forming a Substitute for Sponges,
Brushes, and the like, for Bathing, Scrubbing, Polishing, and
other Purposes.
I, WALTER MARTENE TAYLOR, of 25 Regents Square, Kings Cross, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a cheap and effective substitute
for sponges, brushes, and the like, for bathing, cleaning, scrubbing, polishing, and
other purposes.
According to this invention I provide a hollow vessel of any suitable shape and
construction of india-rubber or other suitable elastic or yielding material. A
portion of the surface of this device is formed with a number of ribs, ridges, or
other suitable projections arranged in any suitable manner.
For instance, they may be in the form of a number of concentric circles, eclipses,
or rectangles, or they may be arranged in parallel lines crossing one another at
right or other angles. The lower edges of these ridges should be notched or
serrated to admit the air and so prevent the device adhering to the surface to which
it is applied by a "sucker" like action. Between each of these ridges the vessel is
perforated with a number of small holes. It will be readily understood that on the
device being squeezed or otherwise compressed and inserted in water or other liquid
and then allowed to resume its normal condition by the removal of the pressure it
will, in expanding, draw in a quantity of liquid by atmospheric pressure. The
device thus charged may be transferred to any part of the body or any other
surface to which it may be applied and, on being squeezed, will eject a shower of
liquid.
While answering all the purposes of a sponge, it possesses one great advantage
over the same, i.e. the liquid may be ejected from it with a certain amount of force,
as from the rose of a shower bath. As is well known this cannot be done with a
sponge, the liquid from which drops heavily to the ground, no matter how suddenly
the sponge is compressed.
I
Where the device is to be employed for polishing or cleansing purposes
sometimes form the rubbing surface or face thereof of an admixture of some
grinding, polishing, or abrading material with the india-rubber or other substance
of which the said device is formed.
Dated this 26th dox of September 1892.
CASTLE SMITH,
Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Device, forming a Substitute for Sponges,
Brushes, and the like, for Bathing, Scrubbing, Polishing, and
other Purposes.
I, WALTER MARTENE TAYLOR (formerly of 25 Regents Square) but now
residing at 36, Great Percy Street, Kings Cross, in the County of Middlesex,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:—
The object of this invention is to provide a cheap and effective substitute for

page_text: sponges brushes and the like, for bathing cleansing, scrubbing, polishing and other
purposes. According to this invention I provide a hollow vessel of any suitable
shape and constructed of india-rubber or other suitable elastic or yielding material.
A portion of the surface of this device is formed with a number of ribs, ridges or
other suitable projections arranged in any suitable manner. For instance they
may be in the form of a number of concentric circles, elipses, or rectangles, or
they may be arranged in parallel lines crossing one another at right or other
angles.
The lower edges of these ridges should be notched or serrated to admit the air
and so prevent the device adhering to the surface to which it is applied by a
"sucker" like action. Between each of these ridges the vessel is perforated with
a number of small holes. It will be readily understood that on the device being
squeezed or otherwise compressed and inserted in water or other liquid and then
allowed to resume its normal condition by the removal of the pressure, it will, in
expanding, draw in a quantity of liquid by atmospheric pressure. The device thus
charged may be transfered to any part of the body, or any other surface to which
it may be applied, and on being squeezed, will eject a shower of liquid. While
answering all the purposes of a sponge, it possesses one great advantage over the
same, i.e. the liquid may be ejected from it with a certain amount of force as from
the rose of a shower bath.
As is well known this cannot be done with a sponge, the liquid from which drops
heavily to the ground, no matter how suddenly the sponge is compressed.
When this device is to be employed for polishing or cleansing purposes, I some-
times form the rubbing surface or face thereof of an admixture of some grinding,
polishing, or abrading material with the india-rubber or other substance of which
the said device is formed. In order that my invention may be more fully under-
stood and carried into practice I will now proceed to describe the same with
reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings illustrative of this invention.
In the drawings,
Figure 1 is an underside plan, Figs. 2 and 3, longitudinal and transverse vertical
sections respectively, and Fig. 4 an underside plan of the herein described device
showing a modified arrangement of the ribs or ridges thereon.
As shown in the drawings this device consists of a hollow vessel of india-rubber
or other suitable elastic material, a portion of the surface of the same being made
hollow or concave and provided with a number of ribs or ridges arranged in any
suitable manner.
Figs. 2 and 3 show the curvature of this part of the device and also the said ribs
or ridges a, and b, which in the arrangement shown cross each other at right angles
as shown in plan, Fig. 1. All or certain of the spaces lying between these ridges
are perforated at c so as to communicate with the interior of the device. These
openings are shown in every alternate space on the lower half of Fig. 1, and right-
hand half of Fig. 3 while they occupy every space in the upper half of Fig. 1 and
left-hand side of Fig. 3.
It will be readily understood that each half of these figures is intended to
illustrate a different arrangement of perforations according to either of which the
device may be constructed.
In order to insure the liquid ejected from the device passing out in a jet, even
when but slight pressure is applied, and not running sidewise to the ridges by
capillory attraction, I cause the exterior of each of the openings c to terminate in a
slight projection or nipple as shown at Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings.
To permit of the admission of air to the under side of the device and so prevent
the same adhering to the surface to which it is applied by suction, I notch or serrate
the edges of the ribs or ridges a, b, in as many places as may be necessary to allow
access of air to the cells or chambers lying between the said ribs, also to prevent
adhesion to the bottom of vessel containing liquid. This may be done as shown in
Figs. 2 and 3, by hollowing out the edges of the longitudinal ridges only, which
arrangement will be found to establish communication between atmosphere and

page_text: each of the said cells. It is obvious that any other suitable arrangement of notches
or recesses may be employed for this purpose.
The arrangement shown at Fig. 4 differs from that already described in the
arrangement of the ribs or ridges which in this case take the form of a number of
concentric circles, the perforations or openings into the interior of the device lying
between them.
Each of these circles is notched or recessed in at least one place so as to establish
communication with the atmosphere in the manner and for the purpose already
described.
Though it is obvious that the general form or shape of the device hereinbefore
described may be varied considerably, I have shown in the drawings that form
which in my opinion will be found the most suitable for general use.
This, as an inspection of the drawings will show, is a most convenient form for
readily grasping within the hand after the manner of an ordinary scrubbing brush,
the device being made longer than it is broad to permit of its being more readily
grasped. Again, owing to its mean diameter being less at the lower side than it is
higher up it can be held for a long period with ease and comfort, the fingers of
the operators hand more nearly at their tips or points.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
The general arrangement and construction of the herein before described device,
consisting of an elastic collapsible chamber one face of which is provided with a
number of ridges or points between which are arranged a number of perforations
substantially as and for the purpose set forth and described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 24th day of June 1893.