Year: 1886

page_text: I JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this Invention which has been com-
municated to me from abroad by Richard Christian Fellows of the City County
and State of New York in the United States of America and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This Invention has reference to the manufacture of knots or tufts of bristles or
other fibre and also to a mode of securing such knots or tufts in a bored stock to
form a brush for toilet or other purposes.
The object of the first part of the invention is to produce wired knots or tufts so
formed that the wire does not interfere with the close fitting of the knots in the
holes while at the same time it firmly binds the bristles or fibres together and the
knots or tufts can be cheaply manufactured.
In the making of toilet brushes it is essential that the holes in the brush back or
stock should be well filled for the presence of any considerable number of partly
filled holes (commonly called gap knots) renders the brush unsaleable. It is also
essential that the individual bristles should be firmly held in place.
In order to produce the improved knots or tufts the proper number of bristles of
double the length of the proposed knot are bunched together evenly; a short wire,
fine and very pliable is laid across the middle of the bristles, the ends of the wire
are then bent down around the bristles, the latter are doubled so that the ends
come together and the wire ends are twisted tightly together so that the ring of
wire which encircles the bristles at the bight thereof binds them closely.
The improved knot thus consists of a number of doubled bristles or other fibre,
bound together at the bight or eye of the knot by a tightly fitting ring of fine wire
confined or prevented from spreading by the twisting together of the ends of the
wire composing it. It is essential that the wire be fine and pliable, because with
coarse or stiff wire it is impossible to insert the knots into holes which they would
completely fill, and because also it is impossible with such wire to make a tight
fitting ring. It has been proposed heretofore to secure looped knots in bored
71

page_text: wooden stock by wire staples consisting of a wire ring encircling the bristles, and a
shank formed by twisting together the ends of the wire of which the ring is made.
The shanks of the staples were to be driven into the wood. Staples of this kind are
entirely unsuited to the purposes of the present invention because necessarily made
of coarse and stiff wire which cannot conform itself to the bristles and which
would prevent the knot being inserted in a hole which it could complelely fill.
The binding wires of the improved knots are wholly incapable of use as staples.
The improved knots or tufts can be put up in saleable form in holders of any
suitable kind, or they may be made into a brush according to the mode forming
the second part of my Invention; which consists in securing knots of bristles in
bored stock by means of cement.
In order that the cement may be successfully employed for this purpose it is
necessary that the holes should be filled thoroughly and uniformly without the
presence of air bubbles in the holes. With liquid cement it is difficult or impossible
to do this, as the air prevents the introduction of the liquid. When the liquid is
poured over the stock or the latter immersed in the liquid there is no uniformity of
result; some of the holes becoming so full that when the knots or tufts are
inserted the cement overflows and runs along the knot or tuft and disfigures it,
while others contain too little cement, or none at all and the tufts or knots are
readily pulled, or drop out. When the knots or tufts are dipped in cement and
then inserted in the stock, more or less cement is liable to be scraped off by the
edge of the hole, thus disfiguring the brush.
The difficulties stated are overcome in the present invention by filling the holes
with the proper quantity of cement in the form of a powder, and afterwards
melting or liquifying it in the holes and allowing it to harden around the knots or
tufts. In this way a determined quantity of cement can be introduced into each
hole, there is no overflowing when the knots or tufts are inserted, and they are all
held tightly. Moreover, in introducing liquid cement the face of the stock or
brush back becomes coated with the cement, which has to be removed by use of a
solvent; whereas by using cement in powdered form this is entirely avoided.
The following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings
will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to practise the said
invention.
Figure 1 is a view in vertical section of one of the improved knots or tufts,
Figure 2 a view in cross-section and Figure 3 a view in side elevation showing the
knot confined by an eyelet.
A represents the bristles, doubled at the middle and there bound by the tight
fitting ring B composed of a fine and pliable wire whose ends are tightly twisted.
together as shown at C. The knot or tuft at the eye is elliptical in cross-section,
(see Figure 2) and the wire crosses the bristles in the direction of the shorter axis.
Being small it lies within the circle shown in dotted lines, of which the longer axis
of the ellipse is the diameter. It therefore never interferes with the setting of the
knots in the holes in the brush stock; but the wired knot can be inserted in any
hole which would receive it if unwired.
Soft brass wire of the size commonly used for wire drawing knots is preferred
for binding. To facilitate manufacture the binding wire is originally somewhat
longer than is necessary to form the ring B and twist C and after the ends have
been twisted the excess is cut off. This proceeding has also the further advantage
of leaving the wire tightly twisted to the ends.
For transportation and sale the wired knots can be inserted in holders consisting
of the eyelet D (one for each knot) or a disc or holder of wood or other material
may be provided with a number of holes to receive a group of these wired knots.
In making a brush with the wired knots just described, or with other suitable
knots or tufts of bristles according to the second part of the invention use is
preferably made of a powdered cement consisting mainly of one or more resins or
gum resins; but since cement solely of such material becomes brittle when set some
ingredient, such as Venice turpentine or linseed oil, is added to make it tough and

page_text: pliable, and a small quantity (say ten per cent 10%) of earthy material may be
added to diminish the cost.
The following mode of procedure is recommended.
Take three ounces of resin, melt it in a glue pot of suitable size, add three ounces
of shellac, and when it is dissolved in the resin add two ounces of Venice turpentine
or boiled linseed oil. Mix well and turn out into water. Then pulverize the
cooled material which is granular and it is ready for use.
The brush stock or back having been prepared with holes bored part way
through it, the pulverized cement is introduced into the holes by dusting the face
of the stock by means of a brush dipped in the powder until the holes are filled.
The surplus material is removed leaving the holes about three fourths or five sixths
full so as not to over run after the knots are put in place. The stock or back is
then heated by placing on a steam table or otherwise until the powdered cement is
melted in the holes. A heated cast iron form may be used for holding the stock or
back during this operation. The knots of bristles or other fibre are then inserted,
by hand or by machinery, in the holes in which the cement has been kept liquid
by the continued application of heat.
After the knots have all been inserted the brush is allowed to cool when the
cement hardens around the ends of the knots holding them securely.
If desired the knots or tufts can be inserted in the powdered cement and the
latter afterwards melted; but this mode of procedure is not so advantageous as
that first described.
Modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention
and parts of the invention may be used without others.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
First-The improved brush knot comprising a number of bristles or fibres
doubled at the middle and there encircled by a close fitting ring of fine and pliable
binding wire, the ends of which wire are tightly twisted together so as permanently
to confine and bind together the bristles in the ring, the diameter of said ring being
less than the greatest diameter of the knot at the eye so that the wired knots can
be set in holes which the bristles when inserted will sensibly fill, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
Second-The method of securing knots or tufts of bristles or other fibre in a
bored stock by introducing powdered cement, liquifying it in the holes by the
action of heat, inserting the knots or tufts, and allowing the cement to set or
harden substantially as hereinbefore described.