Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning Windows.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVIDIONAL
Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning Windows..
I, HUGH BAIRD, of 93 Douglas Street, in the City of Glasgow, Retired Teacher,
lo hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to window cleaning and it has for its object to provide
apparatus by means of which the outer sides of window panes may be effectually
cleaned from the inside of the house.
To that end I form the frame of the apparatus of two parts fixed or hinged so as
to be placed at right angles to each other, the horizontal portion resting upon a
small table or frame placed upon the window sill and the upright portion being in
proximity to the outside of the window. On the upright portion I place a small
frame which slides thereon the distance from the top to the bottom of the window.
and which carries one, two or mone horizontal cylindrical brushes capable of being
revolved in bearings in said frame, said brushes being against the surface of the
window to be cleaned. These brushes are or may be each composed of several
lengths jointed to each other in order that a greater or less number may be used
according to the breadth of the window and the outer end of each may be provided
with rollers which run upon the window frame. The horizontal portion of the
frame carries a series of pulleys centred on spindles, on one of which a crank
handle is secured. An endless cord or cords is or are passed over the pulleys which
after passing round the horizontal brushes are brought over pulleys secured about
the uppermost point of the upright portion of the frame and back to the series
of pulleys carried by the horizontal portion of the frame. The brushes are thus
revolved by the action of the crank and in order that they may be raised and lowered
the entire height of the window at the same time, another cord is attached to the
upper side of the frame which carries the brushes, said cord being led over a pulloy
at about the uppermost point of the upright portion of the frame and then brought
down under a pulley situated at the junction of the upright and horizontal portion
of the frame thence round the roughened axle of the crank spindle and back to the
lower side of the brush carrying frame. The brushes are thus raised and lowered
at a much lower speed than they are revolved, or the cords may be worked by hand
where the work is easy. The table before mentioned which is placed upon the
window sill consists of a horizontal frame from the under side of which project
arms which bear upon the inner and outer vertical side of the window sill; and
the horizontal portion of the window cleaning apparatus has a set of rollers on its
under side by which the upright portion is advanced to or pushed from the window
upon its table in order to bring the brushes to the desired position.
Instead of revolving brushes, flat, square or rectangular brushes may be used,
the movement in which case would be lateral and would be imparted by means
of an inclined plane or wedge raised and lowered by the cords which formerly
revolved the brush, the other parts of the machine being of the construction, already

page_text: described, the only difference being that the crank which gives movement to the
brushes would be oscillated instead of revolved:
Dated this 24th day of December, 1896.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents,
62 Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agent for the Applicant.
I, HUGH BAIRD, formerly of 93 Douglas Street, now of 23 Radnor Street, in the
City of Glasgow, Retired Teacher, 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:-..
This Invention relates to window cleaning and it has for its object to provide
apparatus by means of which the outer sides of window panes may be effectually
cleaned from the inside of the house.
As illustrated by the accompanying drawings figure 1 being a side elevation,
figure 2 a horizontal section, und figure 3 a back elevation of one modification
of the improved window cleaning apparatus, I form the frame of the apparatus
of two parts A, A', fixed, hinged or otherwise sccured at right angles to each other,
the upright part A of the frame being adapted to be folded upon the horizontal
part A or to be withdrawn from sockets Bin the latter. The horizontal portion A
rests upon a small table or frame placed upon the window sill or upon castors C
secured to said part A¹ bearing on the sill, the upright portion A being in proximity
to the outside of the window. On the upright portion A, I place a small frame D
which slides thereon the distance from the top to the bottom of the. window and
which carries one, two or more horizontal cylindrical brushes capable of being
revolved in bearings in said frame, or a combination of revolving and fixed
brushes E, I, respectively, said brushes bearing against the surface of the window
to be cleaned. The castors Cadmit of the apparatus being moved transversely
over the surface of the window in order to clean the entire breadth or the brushes
may be each composed of several lengths jointed to each other in order that a greater
or less number may be used, according to the breadth of the window, the outer ends
of each being provided with rollers which run upon the window frame. The
horizontal portion of the frame carries a series of pulleys centred on spindles,
on one of which a crank handle is secured, or as shewn a single pulley or drum G
in centred on an axle H and actuated by a crank handle I. An endless cord or
cords is or are passed over the pulleys which after passing round the horizontal
brushes when all of these are intended to be rotated, are brought over pulleys
secured about the uppermost point of the upright portion of the frame and buck
to the series of pulleys carried by the horizontal portion of the frame. The brushes
are thus revolved by the action of the crank, and in order that they may he raised
and lowered the entire height of the window. at the same time, another cord
is attached to the upper side of the frame which carries the brushes, said cord
being led over a pulley at about the uppermost point of the upright portion of
the frame and then brought down under a pulley situated at the junction of the
upright and horizontal portion of the frame thence round the roughened axle
of the 'crank spindle and back to the lower side of the brush carrying frame. The

page_text: brushes are thus raised and lowered at a much lower speed than they are revolved,
or the cords may be worked by hand where the work is easy. The method 1
prefer to employ for raising and lowering the brushes is that illustrated on the
drawing and consists of attaching one end of a cord J to the upper side of the
frame D, the cord being led up over a pulley K at the top of the upright part A
down under a pulley L at the junction of the upright and horizontal part A, A',
of the frame and thence round the drum G and back to the under side of the
frame D. The brushes are raised and lowered by turning the crank handle I and
the revolving brush E is rotated upon the frame D being raised or lowered by.
the action of a fixed cord M which is passed round the spindle of the brush E.
The fixed brushes are covered by cloth, leather or other material in order to better
remove dirt, and one or more of the cloths may be damp, but the revolving brush
which is left uncovered projects a little in front of the fixed brushes and is intended
only to sweep the dust from the corners of the window sashes.
Instead of fixing the cloth upon each of the brushes it may, after being stretched
over the brush, be carried upon rollers situated on the upper and lower sides of
each brush, one of which rollers can be turned to unwind a clean portion of cloth
from the other.
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 improved apparatus for cleaning windows constructed and arranged to
operate substantially as described.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent. Agents,
62 Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
· Agent for the Applicant.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & l'airweather,
Chartered Patent. Agents,
62 Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agent for the Applicant.