Improvements in Floor Brushes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 13th Dec., 1893--Accepted, 13th Jan., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Floor Brushes.
I, GEORGE LEAL of 103 Trongate in the City of Glasgow, Warehouseman, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention which relates to brushes for sweeping floors has for its object to
provide a brush which in ordinary circumstances can be used in the usual manner
but which when the wooden or other floor has an extra quantity of dust upon it
shall have means in conjunction with it for preventing the dust from rising and
doing damage to or soiling articles of merchandise in shops or warehouses or other
situations.
The brush as constructed under the invention consists of an iron or other frame
to which a long handle for pushing it is attached and in the frame there is carried a
spindle upon which the brush itself is secured, the said brush being of roller,
quadrilateral or other multangular form. At or near the centre of the spindle a
ratchet wheel is secured and in conjunction with the said wheel a lever or pawl also
carried by the framing and having its outer end close to the pushing handle is
provided.
There is also carried by the frame a closed vessel to contain kerosene, paraffin or
other volatilisable oil or essence the said vessel being at its lower part in proximity
to the hairs or bristles of the brush at which point it has projecting from it
throughout its length a strip of wick or other textile fabric which is always
saturated with the oil.
In using the brush in the ordinary manner for sweeping floors which are not
extra dusty the point of the pawl-lever is entered into the ratchet on the brush
spindle and the brush is thereby rendered rigid but when it is desired to prevent
the rising of dust the ratchet lever is withdrawn from the wheel whereby the
brush becomes loose and in operation rotates having the points of its hairs or
bristles slightly damped in such rotation by the oil exuded from the wick or other
textile strip..
Dated this 8th day of April 1893.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Floor Brushes.
I, GEORGE LEAL, formerly of 103 Trongate, Glasgow, and now of 34 John
Street, Glasgow, 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 the sweeping of floors and it has for its object to
provide a brush which, in ordinary circumstances, can be used in the usual manner,
but, which, when the floor has an extra quantity of dust upon it, shall have means,
in conjunction with it, for preventing the dust from rising and doing damage to or
soiling articles of merchandise in shops warehouses or other situations.

page_text: Fig. 14 is a section of another modified form of the brush.
Referring to the drawings whereon the same reference letters wherever repeated
indicate similar or like parts.
a is a brush which is, preferably, made of cylindrical shape, as shown, with
pointed ends for the purpose of giving access to corners, etc. This brush is carried
on a wooden spindle or stock b which has a groove b¹ cut in it, at its centre, and
fitted on the spindle or stock, at the grooved part, is a clamp collar d which has a
'piece d' secured to it by the screw studs e. The part d' of the collar is, as will be
seen, made removable in order that the part d, to which the handle c is fixed, can
be removed. The handle (see Fig. 2) is screwed into the socket d³ made at the end
of the clamp d. The spindle or stock b, which can turn freely round within the
clamp collar d, has a number of radial and peripheral holes / bored in it at its
grooved part and into one or other of these holes the rod g, which passes up the
centre of the handle c, can be pushed so as to lock the spindle and, of course, the
brush a attached to it, and prevent it turning round when sweeping the floor. So
long as the rod g is pulled up out of the holes h the brush free to revolve when
sweeping.
The mechanism for operating the rod g may consist, as shown at Fig. 3, of a bent
catch g¹ for pulling up the rod and a spring g³ for normally forcing or pushing the
rod into one of the holes h.
Secured to the socket d is a vessel or reservoir made of tin or other light
material and which is partially filled with kerosene, paraffin, or other volatile
hydro-carbon oil or essence, obtained by distillation or decomposition. This vessel
which may be secured to the socket by means of a feather; and grooved projection k
is tapered to a point at its lower end where it has a hole o through which the
liquid passes into the interior of the wick p which latter extends the full length of
the vessel. This wick is made (see Fig. 11) of cotton-cloth or other suitable fabric
and is stretched across from side to side of the small metal holder p' secured to the
vessel 1. When the brush a revolves the bristles press against the wick, and, as a
consequence, by capillary attraction, liquid passes through on to them. is a guard
for the wick secured to the vessel l. 9 is a plate which is fitted along the length of
the vessel for the purpose of spraying or spreading the liquid. The bristles of the
brush, as they revolve, are bent back by this plate, and, when they pass it, they
spring again into their normal straight position and in so doing spread or spray the
liquid.
m is a screw plug for filling liquid into the vessel 7.
n is an air admission valve. This valve is made in the form of a hollow screw
plug (see Fig. 5) having a groove or slot n' cut in it, or out of the vessel 1, for the
purpose of regulating the amount of air admitted to the vessel and the outflow of
liquid from the wick.
Instead of having an air valve as hereinbefore described it may be made as shown
at Fig. 4, i.e. it may be a screw plug cut away to a taper at one side. The air passes
down the tapered part into the vessel and by screwing or unscrewing the plug the
amount of air admitted can be regulated.
The air valve and filling screw may be made in one, as shown at Fig. 5.
Figs. 7 to 10 show a hand brush constructed on the same principle. The only

page_text: essential differences between it and the brush Figs. 1 & 2 are that the vessel / is.
carried directly on the spindle 6 by means of the straps 6' and that the spindle b is.
free to revolve on a pivot pin r secured in the handle c¹ of the brush. The spindle
bas on it, at the end nearest the handle c', a circular plates bored with holes &¹-
(see Fig. 9) into any one of which a spring pin u may be pushed or bolted so as to-
lock the brush and prevent it turning round. to is a small catch made on the bolt ..
vis the spring (see Fig. 10). Fig. 9 is a front view of the perforated plate s to an.
enlarged scale.
The vessel may be fitted on a hinge or bar secured to the straps 6* so as to be.
capable of being laid back.
In Fig. 12 the outflow of liquid from the reservoir / is controlled by means of a.
valve having a long lever handle a fulcrumed to the vessel at a³. The handle ¹.
is forked at as shown at Fig. 13, which is a plan view of the handle, and this
fork catches on a button or washer g³ on the rod g. In this case the wick p may
be a strip of fabric inserted between the plates and of the vessel 7. In this.
case, when the rod 9 is pulled up, the button g³ pulls up the handle and opens
the valve and when the rod g is released the spring a closes the valve x and.
prevents further outflow of liquid until the rod 9 is again pulled up.
Fig. 14 shows the liquid reservoir i adapted to a flat brush. In this case the
reservoir is secured to the top of the brush and the valve x is opened and closed by
means of the lever ¹ and rod g attached to it. 2 is a compartment into which the
liquid from the reservoir flows when the valve is opened. The liquid passes from
the compartment z, through the holes ¹ to the bristles of the brush. As will be.
seen in this arrangement the sliding rod g is only used for operating the valve. The
handle c may, as shown, be tubular or partly tubular.
With my improved brush, Figs. 1 and 2 when it is pushed along the floor it does.
not revolve but sweeps up the dust in the same manner as an ordinary brush, but
when the catch g' is pulled up, the rod g is pulled out of the hole h, and the brush.
immediately begins to revolve with the result that the bristles in their rotation are
first bent back by the sprayer 9 and are then pressed on the wick p and damped.
When the bristles spring back again to their normal shape a very fine spray of
liquid is thrown over the floor, thus laying the dust, and, as the liquid is a
disinfectant, cleansing and purifying the dust particles. Although I prefer to use
one or other, or a combination of the disinfecting fluids hereinbefore mentioned I
may use any other suitable volatile oil or essence having disinfecting properties.
The construction of brush may be altered without departing from the invention.
The brush may be made in any suitable shape, and if desired it may be used for
sweeping carpets, as well as floors.
I am aware that water reservoirs have heretofore been used in conjunction with
brushes but it is to be understood that I never use water with my brush as its use.
is detrimental and causes the particles of dust to adhere together and form mud.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
consider novel and desire to claim is :-
:-
1. The combination with a brush for sweeping floors, carpets, etc., of a vessel
containing kerosene, paraffin, or other suitable volatile oil or essence, which is
distributed when the brush is operated and prevents dust rising and doing damage
to or soiling articles in warehouses, shops and other places, substantially as herein-
before described with reference to the drawings annexed.
2. In brushes, a reservoir, for containing a volatile oil or essence, which is fitted to
the handle or other part and is provided with a wick or its equivalent for delivering
the liquid, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
3. The construction of rotary brush or broom substantially as herein before
described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6 of the drawings annexed.
4. The construction of hand brush, substantially as hereinbefore described and
shown at Figs. 7, 8, 9 & 10 of the drawings annexed.

page_text: 5. The construction of brush substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to Figs. 12 & 13 of the drawings annexed.
6. The construction of brush substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to Fig. 14 of the drawings annexed.
Dated this 11th day of December 1893.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.