Year: 1889

page_text: I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co. Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
My invention bas reference to wire door mats and consists of certain improvements
all of which are fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accom-
panying drawings which form a part thereof.
Door mats have heretofore been made of steel wire woven or interlaced in such a
manner as to produce a substantial body well adapted to the purpose for which it is
designed. Such mats however have had the objection that they were bounded by a
rigid frame to keep the flexible center in shape, and the rigidity of this frame prevented
any possibility of rolling the mat up for transportation or other purposes.
Such construction was objectionable for, several reasons, among which may be men-
tioned, the non-flexibility of the mat border or bounding frame as an entirety, the liability
of the connection between the mat center and bounding frame to become worn and
allow of the border separating from the center causing the destruction of the mat or
its being rendered useless from a practical and ornamental standpoint, the great expense
due to the necessarily costly connection and metal required, and the liability to injure
the woodwork of the house from the rigid and pointed bounding frames employed,
when said mats are carelessly handled in use.
My object is to overcome these objections and produce a mat having the most
desirable qualities, not only in practical use, but in the matter of manufacture as well.
In carrying out my invention, I weave, interlace or connect the wire forming the
body of the mat in such a manner as to make a durable, light and open center, and to
such a body or center, I connect a border or bounding portion, also of wire, twisted,
coiled, bent, or so formed as to give it flexibility whereby it shall be capable of main-
taining its normal shape and cannot e permanently bent out of shape. It is im-
material to my invention how this bounding coil of wire may be connected to the body

page_text: or center. It may be coiled onto the center or may be tied thereto by a binding or
tying in wire, or in any other manner desired. The particular construction of the wire
center is unimportant as it may be formed in many ways, the essential requirement
being that it shall be of wire and present an open appearance. The bounding wire
coil surrounds the body or center portion.
While my invention broadly considered is not limited to any specific form of center
of woven or interlaced work, yet 1 prefer cert in constructions fully set forth hereinafter.
In the drawings :
Figure 1, is a plan view representing my improved mat, a portion of which Figure
shows the exact construction and coupling of the wire, and the remainder of the outline
being indicated in dotted lines.
Figure 2, is a crosstion of same un line X X.
Figure 3, is a sertional plan view of same on line Y Y, of Figure 2, and with the
intermediate coils of wire removed to illustrate the staple or hinge wires.
Figure 3, is an ond view of my mat rolled up (details of wire not shown).
Figure 5, is a perspective view of the splice tube.
Figure 6, is a plan view of a portion of a wire mat showing a modification of my
invention, and
Figure 7, is a cross-section of same taken on line Z Z.
Referring first to Figures 1 to 5 inclusive:
•
The body of the mat is made up of transverse parallel coils, A A, of spring steel
or other suitable wire, and arranged Side by side and interlocking as shown in Figures 1
und 2, and said coils are connected together with capity for flexibility by means
of the staple-striped hinge-rods B. These rols B, have a flat bend in the middle as
at, and after being pushed through the interlocked coils of three adja nt coils A,
so as to hinge them together, the ends, thereof are bent over as shown in Figures 1
and 3 to lock or secure them firmly in place. In practice it is customary to push
these hinge ro Is B, in a'ternately from opposite sides of the body of the mat and thus
more uniformly distribute the ends and make the only of the mat of unitorin
strength and durability. It is evident that these hinge rods ny he single or unbent
rods as shown at G. Figure 1, but there less work required and more strength gained
in making the mat with them in the form shown. This body portion of the mat it will
b.seen is made by tying or locking th adjacent coils together by the hinge rods, and
the coils or wires forming such body part are not of themselves interlace or interwoven
as is customary in other makes of mats of this class and when flexibility is not required.
The Lody part (so formed is bounded on its edges with coils D, of a similar
appearance and construction which are twisted into or interwoven with the lateral
terminals of the body coils A, as clearly shown in Figure 1. It is preferable to make
the bounding coils D, in two parts, and secure them to the sides of the mat as above
set out and then take the extending ends, d, (see dotted lines, Figure 1) and bend them
toward each other forming graceful rounded corners F, and connect the ends, d
together by a splice tube E, or otherwise, as desired. This splice tube would extend
into the coils of each end and will conceal the ends of such ruils so as to give the
appearance of a continuous coil all around the mat. These splice tubes are preferably
made of light sheet metal and are slotted as at , to receive the curved sides of the
adjacent coils, A (see Figure 2), and thus holds itself as well as the coils it supports in
a fixed relation with respect to the body coils. The coils of the ends of the hounding
coils, D, are connected or hinged to the adjacent, body coils, A, by the hinge wire, G,
as in the case of the wires, B, and body coils, and the ends, are hont over to scoure
said rods from being removed. It will be observed that the binding coils, D, are the
sides of the body part, (, as well as the ends, b, of the hinge rods, Band prevent the
coils A from shoving together and collapsing the mat; and likowis the splice tube, E,
nels to perform the function of holding the end coils out and giving an ornamental and
light appearance to the mat. It is oviient that the splice tube, E, might be made solid
if desired but there would be no object therein, and it would have the objection of
weight. The corners, F, in the construction hero shown are very ornamental and
extremely durable and that too with a minimum cost.

page_text: In carrying out the general feature of my invention the particular method of obtain-
ing the flexibility herein set out may be modified without departing from my invention.
Referring now to the construction shown in Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings:
A, is the body or center portion, and is formed of interwoven, interlaced, intercoiled,
or connected wire, adapted to form a comparatively thick, strong, and yet open
appearance to allow the dirt from the feet to fall through the spaces between the wire.
This center may be made in any suitable manner so long as it is constructed of wire,
that shown in the drawing being known as the Windt fabric. Surrounding this center
is a hounding coil of wire, B, twisted or coiled into or otherwise connected to the center.
At the side part of Figure 6, the bounding coil, B, is shown as coiled into the edge, D,
of the center or body part which edge is made secure by the ends of the body wires
being bent over upon each other as shown in Figure 7. In place of or in conjunction
with the above method of attachment the bounding coil, B, may be connected by a
separate tying or binding wire, K, shown at the top part of Figure 1. The coil, B.
at the corners of the mat are bent as shown at C, and form a rounded and ornamental,
as well as durable construction. In place of the bounding wire being in the form of
a coil, it may be in other slupes, the requisite being that it shall be made of bent wire
of a form adapted to the purpose. By this construction it is apparent that the mode of
construction is inexpensive, and at the same time the finished mat is both durable and
ornamental.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performe.l, as communicated to me by my
Foreign Correspondent, I declare that I am aware that wire mats with coiled wire
borders have previously been proposed, and I make no general claim to such, but
what I claim is :-
Ist. A mat having a body or center portion formed of wire work combined with
a bounding coil secured to the body part and continuous around the corners.
2nd. In a wire mat, a body part forined of a series of parallel coils connected together
in combination with a continuous bounding coil arranged transversely to the body coils
and along their ends, and wire rods extending through the body coils and entirely across
the body of the mat and connecting the bounding coils on diametrically, opposite sides
of the mat to the body coils.
3rd. In a wire mat, the body part formed of parallel coils of wire united by hinge-
rods, in combination with bounding coils, D, interlaced with the ends of the body coils
and having their end portions parallel to the ends of the body part and secured thereto
by connecting rod or hinge wire G.
4th. In a wire mat, the body part formed of parallel coils of wire united by hinge
rods, in combination with bounding coils, D, interlaced with the ends of the body coils
and having their end portions parallel to the ends of the body part and secured thereto
by connecting rod or hinge wire G, and united by a splice tube E.
5th. In a wire mat, a body part formed of wire work, combined with bounding
coils, D, extending along two diametrically opposite edges of the body part and bent
around the corners toward each other and made to meet, or substantially meet, on the
other edge of the body part, a splice tube, or piece E, arranged partly within each of
the ends of the bounding coils, and a connection between the said bounding coils on
each side of the splice tube and the body part.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, "W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.