Improvements in Cleaning Carpets and other Fabrics.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 10th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 10th Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cleaning Carpets and other Fabrics.
I, FRANCIS CLARK of 17 Goldenacre Terrace, Edinburgh, Book-keeper, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Hitherto carpets, rugs, and other fabrics have been cleaned by beating, or by
blowing the dirt out of them by a blast of air or by a combination of these methods.
In my invention better results are obtained by combining one or more jets or series
of jets of compressed air with one or more rotary brushes.
In carrying out my invention I prefer to use, as usual, a hollow box or casing
surrounding the working parts of the machine. In this casing is fitted, preferably,
two oscillating perforated or like pipes through which is passed compressed air.
The pipes lie or may lie parallel to each other and at an angle so that the blasts
delivered through the perforations or equivalent meet in the carpet or material to
be cleaned and thus extracts or lifts the dust to the surface. The dust so lifted is
carried away by a revolving spiral or round brush. The dust is drawn from the
machine by means of a fan or other usual arrangement at one end.
The carpet or other material to be cleaned is carried forward to the pipes and
brush by means of a travelling table or other suitable arrangement.
Dated this 22nd day of May 1891.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cleaning Carpets and other Fabrics.
I, FRANCIS CLARK, of 17 Goldenacre Terrace, Edinburgh, Book-keeper, 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 :-
Hitherto carpets, rugs, and other fabrics have been cleaned by beating, or by
blowing the dirt out of them by a blast of air or by a combination of these methods.
In my invention better results are obtained by combining one or more jets or series
of jets of compressed air with one or more rotary brushes.
In carrying out my invention, I prefer to use, as usual, a hollow box or casing
surrounding the working part of the machine. In this casing is fitted, preferably,
two oscillating perforated or like pipes through which is passed compressed air.
The pipes lie or may lie parallel to each other and at an angle so that the blasts
delivered through the perforations or equivalent meet in the carpet or material to
be cleaned and thus extracts or lifts the dust to the surface. The dust so lifted is
carried away by a revolving spiral or round brush. The dust is drawn from the
machine by means of a fan or other usual arrangement at one end.

page_text: The carpet or other material to be cleaned is carried forward to the pipes and
brush by means of a travelling table or other suitable arrangement.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have hereunto
appended two explanatory sheets of drawings, whereon:-
Fig. 1 is a front view, partly broken away, of the machine.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the machine, with the upper parts removed.
Fig. 3 is an end view looking from the left hand.
Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line - Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is an end view looking from the right hand.
Referring to the drawings, whereon, the same reference letters wherever repeated
indicate the same parts.
A are the side frames of the machine, which carry two rollers B C, having
pulleys B, C, at their ends and driven by belts from the pulleys, B2, C², on a
driving shaft I which has fast and loose pulleys I³, I, and is rotated by a belt I¹
(Fig. 5) from an overhead shaft not shown. D is the usual casing or cover. E is
a rotating brush, carried on the shaft F and driven by the belt pulley G. The
pulley G is driven by a belt G¹, see Fig. 5, (the pulley and belt are shown dotted)
from an overhead shaft not shown. The rollers have on them travelling bands H,
suitably joined at H', for carrying and traversing the carpet or other fabric
through the machine. To stretch the bands tightening screws J, J', are used.
These screws work through nuts or equivalent K, connected to the bearings L,
which latter slide on the brackets M, M. O, are the pipes for compressed air,
which may be supplied from any suitable source. The pipes O are fitted at one
end in stuffing boxes O¹ on the pipe connections 0%. Each of the connections O
have or may have a valve O³ for cutting off air supply. The pipes, which are
perforated throughout their length, as shown at Fig. 4, are reciprocated or oscillated
back and forward by means of connecting rods P connected to pins P¹ on the
wheels Q, which are carried on a shaft Q₁ rotated by the pulleys R, R', and belt S
(see Fig. 5). The connecting rods are fitted to couplings T, connected to the ends
of each pair of pipes O. The ends of couplings have guide blocks or equivalent,
which, as the pipes O are reciprocated, slide in guides U. In Fig. 2, one pair of
air pipes is shown as pulled outwards, whilst the other pair are thrust inwards
by the action of the connecting rods. P.
The pipes O may have valves p on them to cut off air from a part of the pipes
so as to prevent waste of air, when only a small width of carpet is being cleaned.
The carpet would, of course, in this case, be inserted at the left-hand side of the
machine.
When the brush E is not in use, it can be lifted up out of action, by means of
the levers V, which are connected together by the rod V1. The levers V are
connected by links to the axle of the brush, as shown at Figs. 3, 4 and, 5. W, are
guides for guiding the brush as it is raised and lowered.
The dust is exhausted from the machine by the pipe X, which communicates
with a fan Y of any suitable construction and driven by power. The fan is shown
as enclosed in a casing Z.
The perforations in the pipes are, preferably, cut at an angle, so that the currents
of air, from each pair of pipes, meet in the carpet or other fabric, as shown at 7
Fig. 4, and thoroughly extracts or lifts the dust.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I am
aware that it has been previously proposed to use brushing mechanism and also
that it has been proposed to use blowing mechanism of the kind herein described
and I lay no claim to such brushing or blowing mechanism per se but what I
claim is :-
.
1. The general arrangement and combination of parts of my improved machine
for cleaning carpets and other fabrics, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

page_text: 2. In a machine for cleaning carpets and other fabrics the combination with one
or more air delivery pipes of a brush or brushes (E), substantially as and for the
purpose herein before set forth.
Dated this 7th day of September 1891.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.