AN IMPROVED APPARATUS OR MACHINE FOR POLISHING WOOD FLOORING
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS OR MACHINE FOR POLISHING
WOOD FLOORING."-A communication from abroad by Gustave Renard,
of St. Ouen, Seine, France.
Sealed the 15th June 1875, and dated the 24th December 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 24th December 1874.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS OR MACHINE
FOR POLISHING WOOD FLOORING,” a communication, to be as follows :—
This Invention has for its object the construction of a novel apparatus
or machine for polishing wood flooring, and which is composed of two
brushes placed in the interior of a carriage and operated by an arrange-
ment of levers and pinions.

page_text: This apparatus is worked by hand by means of two main levers which
arc actuated in opposite directions, that is to say, by raising one lever
while depressing the other an alternate or to-and-fro motion in opposite
directions is imparted to the brushes. This peculiar motion affords to
the brushes the necessary support for causing them to advance and [
retire. The portable apparatus thus neutralized remains independent
and serves only for moving the brushes along to any position required
upon the surface of the flooring.
This improved apparatus for polishing floors leaves the person using
it full liberty of movement and only requires him to keep upright, and 1
it follows from this constant vertical position that the accidents which
frequently happen to those engaged in polishing wood floors will be
avoided.
The frame of the said apparatus has its sides united by cross bars, and
it carries at its lower part rollers covered with india-rubber, on which
rollers the said apparatus travels. The upper cross bar serves for the
jointing of two straight levers arranged symmetrically within the frame,
and each of which is solidly fixed to a spur pinion; these pinions gear
with the toothed ends of two elbow lovers.
The lower part of each of the aforesaid straight lovers terminatos with a
socket, through which is passed a rod whereon are fitted two small rollers
working in vertical openings made in the interior of rectangular metal
pieces. These metallic pieces are heavy, and aro-designod to exert upon
the brushes the pressure necessary for the proper working of the
apparatus. For this purpose I have provided for increasing the thickness
of the said pieces or blocks by adding to the same upon their upper
surface counterweights which are fitted on spindles arranged for their
reception, and provided with keys or collars for securing them in place.
The lower part of each of the said picces or blocks is mado hollow with
a small external rim or flange that serves as a frame for the wood
portion or block of the brush which is inserted theroin, and is
held in place only by its accurate fitting; therefore when a brush is
worn out it may be readily replaced without removing or disturbing any
of the parts of the apparatus.
The to-and-fro movement is given to the brushics through the medium
of tho said elbow levers which are jointed upon the rear cross bar of the
apparatus. The short arm of cach lover has at its extremity a toothed

page_text: portion which gears with the corresponding pinion. The opposite part
of the small end of each elbow lever has a socket into which is inserted
a wooden handle or rod similar to that of a broom and of any required
length.
The above described method of transmitting the movement by pinions
and toothed levers may be replaced by the following, that is to say, I
may form upon the lower part of each of the main straight levers at the
proper angle a small arm terminated by an oval eye or slot in which I
fit a pin or stud fixed laterally on each small arm of the elbow lovers.
This very simple arrangement has the advantage of working without
noise and without the shocks and chattering which sometimes accom-
panies transmissions by pinions when their lubrication is neglected.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 15th June 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
cighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during tho
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 “AN IMPROVED
Apparatus or MACHINE FOR POLISHING WOOD FLOORING," a communication to
me from abroad by Gustave Renard, of St. Ouen, Seine, France, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,

page_text: 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 performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner tho samo
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
This Invention has for its object the provision of a novel apparatus or
machine for polishing oak and other wood flooring, and which has two
brushes placed inside a carriago and operated by main lovers and elbow
levers so arranged that their action is produced by a slight movement of
the said main levers.
This apparatus is worked by hand by actuating in opposite directions
the two main levers, that is to say, by raising one, and at the same time
depressing the other lever. The repetition of this action gives to the
brushes a rectilinear, reciprocating, or to-and-fro movement reversed
and repeated, which doubles their effect. This reverse movement by
opposition gives mutually to the brushes the necessary support for
causing them to advance and retire. The portable apparatus thus
neutralized remains independent, and then serves no other purpose
except that of moving the brushes along over the surface of the flooring.
This improved apparatus for polishing floors leaves the person charged
with the working of it full liberty of movement and only requires him
to stand upright, and by keeping this vertical position the accidents that
frequently happen to those employed in polishing wood flooring will be
avoided.
avoided.
The said Invention will be clearly understood by the aid of the accom-
panying Drawing, which is an illustration of the said apparatus.

page_text: a, a, are the rectangular brushes of the said apparatus; b is the metal
frame; c, c, are cross bars uniting the two sides of the frame b; d, d, are
rollers covered with india-rubber, and whereon the apparatus is movable;
e, e, are the right-hand levers jointed upon the upper cross bar; f, f, are
pinions placed at the upper part of the levers e; g, g, are small rollers
occupying the lower extremity of the levers e; h, h, are rectangular
blocks serving to give weight to the brushes a; i, i, are counterweights
for augmenting the weight of the blocks ; j,j, are pins for keeping in
place the counterweights i; k, k, are the elbow levers for operating the
said apparatus; is the toothed portion of the said levers.
•
As will be seen in the Drawing the said polishing apparatus is com-
posed of a pair of rectangular brushes a placed within a metallic frame b,
whose sides are united by three cross bars c, and it carries at its lower
part rollers & covered with india-rubber, on which rollers the said
apparatus travels. The upper cross bar serves for the jointing of two
straight levers e arranged symmetrically within the frame b, and each of
which is solid with a toothed pinion f; these pinions gear with tho
toothed ends of the two elbow levers as herein-after described.
The lower part of each lever e terminates with a socket through which is
passed a pin, whercon are fitted two small rollers g working in vertical
openings made in the interior of rectangular metal pieces h. These
metallic pieces are heavy, and as above stated are designed to excrt upon
the brushes the pressure necessary for the proper working of the apparatus.
For this purpose I have provided for increasing the thickness of tho said
pieces or blocks `h by adding to the same upon their upper surface the
aforesaid counterweights i which are fitted in bolts or spindles ; arranged
for their reception, and provided with nuts or keys for securing them in
place. The lower part of each piece is made hollow with a small
external rim or flange that serves as a frame for the wood portion or
back of the brush which is inserted therein, and is held in place only by
its accurate fitting; therefore when a brush is worn out it may be
readily replaced without removing or disturbing any of the parts of the
apparatus.
The to-and-fro movement is given to the brushes through the medium
of the said elbow levers which are jointed upon the rear cross bar of
the apparatus. The short arm of each lever has at its extremity a toothed
portion which gears with the corresponding pinion. The part opposito
the small arm of cach elbow lever has a socket, into which is inserted a

page_text: wooden handic or rod similar to that of a broom and of any required
length.
The working of this apparatus is very simple. Let it be supposed
that the brushes are in the position of rest that they occupy in the
Drawing, to set them in motion it is only necessary to grasp with cach
hand the handle of each elbow lever, taking care to raise one hand whilo
lowering the other, then giving to the brush on the right, if it is the
lever on the right which is raised, a forward movement, while on the
contrary the brush on the left travels backward in the same path, and
changing the position of the levers changes the position of the brushes,
which during their course of movement brush and polish.the flooring;
and this brushing and polishing may be continued as long as desired by
the person in charge of the apparatus.
The contrary action given to the actuating levers renders the frame
completely immovable, and it rests upon its rollers without the possibility
of displacement during the working of the brushics so long as the person
using the apparatus does not move it either forward or backward.
Morcover it will be remarked that the arrangement of the brushes with
a capability of extending before or behind the frame permits the rubbing
of the flooring at those parts where the frame might otherwise interforo
with their action.
The above described method of transmitting the movement by pinions
and toothed levers may be replaced by that represented in Figure 3,
that is to say, upon the lower part of each of the main straight levers
and at a determined angle is formed a small arm m terminated by an
oval eye or slot in which I fit a pin or stud fixed laterally on each small
arm of the elbow levers k. This very simple arrangement has tho
advantage of working without noise and without the shocks and
chattering which sometimes accompany transmissions by pinions when
their lubrication is neglected.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I do not limit myself to the precise con-
struction and arrangement of the frame and the other parts of the said
apparatus above set forth, and that I claim tho said apparatus or
machine for polishing wood flooring as a whole and the following special
ſcatures, namely,-

page_text: First. The simultaneous movement in opposite directions of the two
brushes of the apparatus, whereby the stability of the apparatus upon
the flooring during any required time is insured.
Second. The employment of elbow levers with their fulcrums so
arranged as to diminish in a determined proportion the movement of the
controlling levers while preserving a sufficient extent of reciprocating
motion of the brushes of the said apparatus.
In witness witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake,
have hereunto set my hand and scal, this Twelfth day of
June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-five.
Witness,
HENRY JAMES NOONE.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)