IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLYING MAGNETIC ACTION TO COMBS AND BRUSHES." IN APPLYING MAGNETIC ACTION TO COMBS ANDSHES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Mitchell Herring, of Basinghall Street, in
the City of London, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPLYING MAGNETIC ACTION TO COMBS AND BRUSHES."
IN APPLYING MAGNETIC ACTION TO COMBS AND BRUSHES."
Sealed the 27th February 1857, and dated the 8th September 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Mitchell Herring
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th September 1856.
I, FRANCIS MITCHELL HERRING, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLYING MAGNETIC ACTION TO COMBS AND
BRUSHES," to be as follows:-
I propose to make a brush, the brushing portion of which shall be a com-
bination of metal wire and caoutchouc, or other elastic material, with or with-
out a border of bristles. Suppose a hair brush made in the usual manner,
but having only a border of bristles, I place in the flat part within such
border a thin plate of iron, and on this the combination of metal wire and
elastic material aforesaid. The ends of this plate of iron are turned down-
wards; so as to pass through slits made in the wood to receive them. Turning
now to the back of the brush will be seen a hollow made in the wood, at the
extremities (lengthwise) of which the ends of the plate of iron will appear.
Into this hollow I propose to place a magnet, care being taken that its ex-
tremities (lengthwise) touch the turned ends of the iron plate aforesaid, by
which means I purpose communicating magnetic influence to the metallic

page_text: wires, of which in part or in whole the brushing part of the brush is composed.
As regards combs, I propose to cut the handle and teeth out of soft steel and
to harden and magnetize the whole, so that the handle may form the north
and the other extremity the south pole. Or, I propose to cut a piece of soft
steel in such wise, that by lapping it över, the cut parts may form the teeth, 5
and I then harden and magnetize, so that one portion of the teeth may form
the north and the other the south pole.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Francis Mitchell Herring in the Great Seal Patent Office or
the 7th March 1857,
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
MITCHELL HERRING, of Basinghall Street, in the City of London, Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, and in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Francis Mitchell Herring, Her special license that I, the said Francis
Mitchell Herring, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Francis Mitchell Herring, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter 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 Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLYING MAGNETIC ACTION TO COMBS AND BRUSHES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Francis Mitchell Herring,
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 per-
formed, 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 Francis Mitchell Herring, 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, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of Drawings

page_text: hereunto annexed, and forming part of this my Specification, and to the
several Diagrams drawn thereon, whereon similar letters of reference are
placed to denote similar parts (that is to say):-
:-
The object of my Invention is so to charge a comb or brush with magnetic
power that the comb or brush may be capable of transmitting the magnetic
action to the skin of men or animals, thus communicating the beneficial effects
produced by the action of the magnetic power or fluid.
I will now proceed to describe a mode of manufacturing a magnetic brush.
The foundation of the brushing part thereof is made of a fabric composed as
follows: On each side of a roll of linen or cotton cloth (of rather coarse
texture) I cause a sheet of caoutchouc (or other elastic material) to adhere,
thus forming a foundation fabric, through which metal wire is passed by
pushing the points of a piece bent parallel through the foundation. The repe-
tition of this process will produce a wire surface, similar to that produced by
bristles in ordinary brushes. This surface, if the two arms of the wire passed
through be of the same length, is even; if of different lengths the surface
becomes uneven, similar to the uneven surface formed on ordinary bristle
brushes. On reference to Figure 5 of the Drawing the position of the wires
will be easily comprehended.
In the Drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view of the bristled side of the brush;
Figure 2, a plan of the back of the brush, with a piece thereof (which I call
a slide) removed, in order to shew the position of the magnet. In reference to
other parts (the magnet being denoted by dotted lines), Figure 3 shews the
magnet; Figure 4, side view of one of two iron plates, whose use is hereafter
described; Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of the brush, taken through the
line A, B, at Figure 1; Figure 6 denotes a plate of soft steel cut into comb
back and teeth; Figure 6*, the same folded as a comb; Figure 7, a comb
complete. In the flat hollow of the brush two thin plates of iron B, B, are
placed (see Figures 2, 4, and 5), and over this the brushing material of caout-
chouc and wire is fitted (see Figure 5). The ends of the iron plates which are
to communicate with the magnet are turned downwards, so as to pass through
slots made in the wood of the brush to admit their passing through, and so
coming in contact with the poles of the magnet when the latter is in its place.
Turning now to the back of the brush, the slide being, as aforesaid, removed,
there will be seen a hollow made in the wood, at one end of which the ends
of the iron plates B, B, are seen projecting. Into this hollow the magnet C
is placed, with its ends touching the ends of the iron plates B, B; by these
means the magnetic fluid is passed from the magnet to the iron plates, thence
to the metallic wires, and, finally, by them to the skin. It will be seen that

page_text: the metal wires are surrounded by bristles, but they may be used without suc
border of bristles when found desirable, and so form the entire brushing part o
the brush. To make or manufacture a magnetic comb, I take a plate of soft stee
(or other appropriate metal) of such thickness as will suitably form a comb
and stamp or cut the said soft steel plate, so as to form the back and teeth, a
at Figure 6; this being folded produces a comb, of which Figure 6* shews
portion, the ends being secured by screw knobs d, of ivory or other suitable
material. I sometimes enclose a bar magnet, fitting tightly in the fold of back
part of the comb, shewn in dotted lines at Figure 6, (or the comb teeth may
be cut at once from a plate of soft steel, and pieces placed on each side of the
uncut portion of the plate, and rivetted through, so as to form the back of the
comb, as at Figures 8 and 8*); or one bent plate only may be used, placed
saddle-ways over each side of the uncut portion of the plate, Figure 8**. After
being doubled (or made at once, as immediately herein-before stated), it is (if
made of soft steel) hardened and magnetized, so that one portion of the teeth
shall form the north and the other the south pole. At Figure 7 is shewn a
side view of another form of comb, cut out of soft steel, hardened and mag-
netized, so that the handle may form the south and the comb end the north
pole, or vice versa.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and a manner in which
the same is to be carried into practical effect, I would here observe that I do
not intend to restrict myself to the exact arrangements herein described, and
shewn in the Drawing hereunto annexed, as the relative proportions and dis-
position of parts may be varied or modified without in any way departing
from the principle of my Invention; and I would further say, I lay no claim
to the exclusive use of any of the parts described or shewn taken as parts,
and not used in combination or for the purposes of my Invention.
In witness whereof; I, the said Francis Mitchell Herring, have hereunto
affixed my hand and seal, this Sixth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
FRANCIS MITCHELL HERRING. (L.S.)
Witness,
JOHN GEDGE,
4, Wellington Street South, Strand,
Patent Agent.