An Improved Device for Cleaning Lamp Chimneys or the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Device for Cleaning Lamp Chimneys or the like.
I, FRANZ BLECHA of Steyr in the Empire of Germany 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 :-
The method hitherto used for cleaning glass chimneys (whereby a suitable
stick upon which the rag used for cleaning was wound was inserted in the chimney
where by twisting it or pushing it to and fro it was sought to remove the dirt
from the said chimney) had a very great defect viz. either the stick was not
sufficiently wound with the rag or duster used and could be too easily moved to and
fro in the chimney without filling the full calibre of the same whereby the cleaning
was rendered more difficult or the duster was sometimes too thickly wound and
could only be inserted with difficulty in the glass thereby frequently breaking the
end of the chimney wherein the said stick was forced. Moreover in order to cause
the stick to reach the widened part of the chimney the same had to be wound up
afresh so as to be made thicker.
These defects are remedied by the chimney cleaning device constructed according
to this invention in so far that the rag duster or cloth is not wound merely on the
stick but on a spring frame which when inserted in a glass chimney is automatically
compressed while expanding subsequently when the glass chimney is being cleaned
or this expansion and contraction may be determined by a ring pushed over or
drawn from the said spring frame.
Furthermore to permit of uniformly and simultaneously cleaning the chimney
and its widened part or base which is placed over the burner the spring frame
consists of a long and narrow part and of a short and wide part.
The accompanying drawings illustrate different manners of carrying into practice
this improved glass chimney cleaning device.
Figures 1 and 2 show a simple form of such cleaning device.
Figure 3 shows a double cleaning device for glass chimneys and their enlarged
bases.
To insert the device in the chimney the push piece a (Figures 1 and 2) is moved
upwards. This motion is transmitted by the collar or ring 6 upon the rod c
screwed therein and further to the wooden block farranged at the end of such
rod c between the nuts d and e whence it is further transmitted to the flat springs h
firmly fixed on the block f by the clamp g and forming the spring frame upon which
the cleaning rag is wound.
As the springs h are fixed at their lower ends by means of a clamp i to the
handle of the device the same must be compressed when the push piece u is
moved up and allow of the easy insertion of the device in the glass chimney.
After insertion and for the purpose of cleaning the chimney the push piece a is
drawn back again whereby the rod c is moved downwards again thus expanding
the flexible strips h until they completely fill the hollow part of the glass
chimney.
If at any time the spring power of the frame h should not suffice this frame can
be still further expanded by drawing back the push piece a so that the cleaning
rag can be tightly pressed against the inner walls of the glass chimney.
The mode of operation of the double cleaning device shown in Figure 3 is similar
to that of the above. The upward motion of the push piece a is transmitted to the
rod c clamp g and spring frame h. The latter is bent inwardly near its lower
extremity in order to be fixed by the clamp / upon a sliding block.
l

page_text: 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
claim is :-
1. A cleaning device-for glass lamp chimneys or the like-having a spring
frame consisting of several flexible strips and furnished with a handle for the
purpose of allowing the easy insertion in the chimney to be cleaned of the cleaning
rag duster or cloth wound up on the spring frame and of its being firmly pressed
when cleaning against the inner walls of the said chimney substantially as and for
the purposes herein before set forth.
2. In the glass lamp chimney cleaning device claimed above the arrangement of a
push piece a secured to the handle of the cleaning device and allowing with the aid of
the rod c of the spring frame being easily compressed for insertion in the glass
chimney and quite as readily expanded for cleaning the same substantially as
and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawing hereunto
annexed.
3. The modification of the glass lamp chimney cleaning device such as claimed
in the above Claims 1 and 2 whereby the spring frame is divided into a long
narrow part and a short wide part in order to allow for the simultaneous cleaning
of the glass chimney and of its widened part or part placed over the burner
substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this 28th day of Mar 1892.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.