Improvements in Feather-dusters and the like.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 17th Jan., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Feather-dusters and the like.
A communication from JOSIAH TAYLOR HAIR, of Chicago, County of Cook, State of
Illinois, United States of America, Manufacturer.
1, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT M.I.M.E., of 323 High Holborn in the County of
Middlesex, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in feather-dusters and consists in certain
peculiarities of construction and arrangement of the same as will be hereinafter fully
described.
In order to enable others skilled in the art to which this invention pertains to
make and use the same I will now proceed to describe the improvements referring
to the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the duster showing its internal construction in
lotted lines.
Fig. 2 is a view showing the main body of the duster opened or folded out and
showing the internal construction.
Fig. 3 is a detail view of frame attached to handle by wire with dotted lines showing
frame before attached to handle.
Fig. 4 is a detail view of the frame showing it connected to the handle by its lower
ends forced into the centre of the handle bound by wire or other material or not
as desired.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the duster showing handle extended into and entirely
through or nearly so of the main body.
Fig. 6 is a detail view of the frame showing it attached to handle and secured by
wires or bands holding ends of frame compressed into the groove in the handle and
Fig. 7 is a similar view showing attached and secured by clips or ferrules soldere
or otherwise.
Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the several views.
A represents the material of which the duster is composed consisting preferably
of turkey-down or of any suitable feathers or material. This turkey-down is woven
into suitable fabric so as to firmly retain the same securely in a strip preferably of
a rectangular form as shown in the drawings. The matter of this weaving is not
described fully as it is old and well known in the art and this invention does not lie
therein. The warp or backing of said weaving is designated by the letter B.
A strip of canvas cloth or other suitable material is taken and folded down the
side edges being sewn together so as to form a pocket D, this pocket is secured by
weaving or otherwise at its closed end to or near the centre of the inner side of the
web or feather cloth which pocket is for the reception and retention of the wire
frame F as clearly seen in the drawings. The other portion of the pocket being
left loose or free from the main body of the duster. It is preferable to fasten by
tacking or otherwise the open end of the pocket to the handle.
G is a handle preferably of wood having near its butt end the hole d for the
reception and retention of the ends of the wire frame F as presently explained and
as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 7 of the drawings,
F is a frame of wire or any other suitable material preferably bent in the form
or shape as shown in the drawings and preferably in one piece. The form of the
same at its upper end is rectangular and towards its lower end it slopes inward at
an angle from a to b, thence straight from 6 to e and its extreme ends being
preferably bent inward at right angles so that the ends will enter the hole d in the
ID 1

page_text: handle or the ends may extend straight down into a hole d in the centre of the handle
as shown in the drawings especially in Fig. 4; the handle also may be provided
with notches d² at its sides in which the wire meets as clearly shown.
The ends of the said frame being placed in the hole in the handle the frame is
firmly secured to the end of the handle by means of a wire thread or binding H
wound around the handle and the frame and securely tied by some of the threads
passing across the end of the handle so as to prevent the frame from being pulled
While I prefer to secure the frame and handle by the winding of the wire as
shown it is evident that the same can be accomplished by a collar, clip, ferrule or
han as shown in the drawings. Instead of the woven feather-cloth it may be
desirable to use feathers secured upon fabric by an adhesive substance with or
without the bone from the feather.
our.
The manner of construction and operation is as follows:-The down having been
woven into the suitable size and shape desired and the pocket having been attached
as before described and the frame and handle having been secured together in the
manner as before stated the end of the handle is then fastened to one end of the
main body of the warp or feather-cloth by means of a tack or otherwise and the frame
having been placed in the pocket the main body is folded down so that the ends
meet and the edges of the warp all around are sewed together when the duster will
then be complete presenting an oval or oblong appearance. The flat or oval form
is preferred but my correspondent does not wish to be confined to said form as it
may be made circular or round or of any other suitable shape.
While I prefer the construction of the handle with the wire frame and in almost
all cases will use that it is evident that the frame or pocket can be dispensed with
in which case the handle will extend up to or near the top end of the duster and
secured to the feather-cloth by tack or otherwise.
The construction shown forms a feather-duster which will be elastic not liable to
wear or get out of order and is cheap and durable.
Having .ow particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination of a feather-duster of down or feather-cloth with a handle
extending up between the folds of the feather-cloth and secured near its upper and
lower ends substantially as shown and described.
2. In a feather-duster the combination of a down or feather-cloth with a handle
provided with a frame substantially as shown and described.
3. In a feather-duster a pocket located between the folds of the down and feather-
cloth in combination with a frame substantially as shown and described.
4. In a feather-luster the combination of the down or feather-cloth A the handle G
having hole the frame F pocket D and wire H substantially as described.
5. In feather-duster a pocket located between the folds of the down or feather-
cloth substantially as shown.
6. In a feather-duster a pocket located between the down or feather-cloth in com-
bination with a frame and handle substantially as shown and described.
7. In a feather-duster the combination of feathers with or without bones secured
upon fabric by an adhesive substance with a handle provided with a frame substantially
as shown and described.
Dated this 9th day of December 1890.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.