IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FEATHER DUSTERS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Andrade, of No. 49, Barbican, in the City of
London, Merchant, and the Senior Partner of the Firm of Joseph Andrade and
Company, of the City of New York, America, Ostrich Feather Merchants, for
an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FEATHER
DUSTERS." A communication from abroad by Susan M. Hibbard, of Geneva
Lake, in the County of Walworth and State of Wisconsin.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Andrade at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st January 1880.
JOSEPH ANDRADE, of No. 49, Barbican, in the City of London, Merchant, and
the Senior Partner of the Firm of Joseph Andrade and Company, of the City of
New York, in America, Ostrich Feather Merchants. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF FEATHER DUSTERS." [A communication from abroad by Susan
M. Hibbard, of Geneva Lake, in the County of Walworth and State of Wisconsin.]
To overcome the difficulties heretoforé found in manufacturing feather dusters
and similar articles from the strong stiff feathers of the wings and tails of turkeys,
geese, and other birds, such feathers being so subject to be broken or permanently
bent, owing to the stiffness of the stems.
To manufacture such articles by making them of feathers split as hereinafter
described.
The stems are cut away by means of any ordinary pocket knife, but in order to
do it accurately and expeditiously, a knife with a gage to regulate the depth of
the cut, like a splitting knife or spokeshave, is preferable.
The advantages of cutting away the stem are that the feather is left pliable and
flexible, and can be bent in any direction without breaking, and thus feather
dusters can be made from feathers which have heretofore, owing to their stiffness,
been worthless for that purpose.
When these prepared feathers are made into dusters they are wound upon and
fastened in the handle in the usual way.
The novelty of the Invention is this, "that the feather duster, when complete,
has the stems of the feathers split longitudinally, and a part thereof severed from
the remaining part."

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Andrade in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th July
1880.
JOSEPH ANDRADE, of Number 49, Barbican, in the City of London, Merchant, and
the Senior Partner of the Firm of Joseph Andrade and Company, of the City of New
York, America, Ostrich Feather Merchants. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF FEATHER DUSTERS." [A communication from abroad by Susan M. Hibbard, of
Geneva Lake, in the County of Walworth and State of Wisconsin.]
To overcome the difficulties heretofore found in manufacturing feather dusters
and similar articles from the strong stiff feathers of the wings and tails of turkeys,
geese, and other birds, such feathers being so subject to be broken or permanently
bent owing to the stiffness of the stems.
To manufacture such articles by making them of feathers split as hereinafter
described.
The stems are cut away by means of any ordinary pocket knife, but in order to
do it accurately and expeditiously, a knife with a gage to regulate the depth of the
cut, like a splitting knife or spoke shave, is preferable.
The advantages of cutting away the stem are that the feather is left pliable and
flexible, and can be bent in any direction without breaking, and thus feather
dusters can be made from feathers which have heretofore, owing to their stiffness,
been worthless for that purpose.
When these prepared feathers are made into dusters they are wound upon and
fastened in the handle in the usual way.
The novelty of the Invention is this,―
That the feather duster, when complete, has the stems of the feathers split
longitudinally, and a part thereof severed from the remaining part.
In witness whereof, I, the
and seal, the
eight hundred and eighty.
said Joseph Andrade, have hereunto set my hand
day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
Signed, sealed, & delivered
by the within named
Joseph Andrade, in the
presence of
ALFRED WALTER BENJAMIN,
Merchant Tailor,
Ulster House,
Conduit Street,
London.
JOSEPH ANDRADE. (L.S.)