IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SCRAPING OR CLEANING BOOTS."
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Barons Northcote, junior, of Feniton
Rectory, in the Parish of Feniton, in the County of Devon, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of “IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
SCRAPING OR CLEANING BOOTS."

page_text: the side scrapers, the latter retire from or advance towards each other,
according as the former rises or falls.
If the sole scraper be made by means of an arm at each end with an
inclined surface to act directly upon the side scrapers or their springs,
the levers may be dispensed with.
If the sole scraper is a fixture to the stand of the apparatus side
scrapers may be attached to the stand in such a way that springs behind
them urge them towards one another, i.c., towards a centre between
them where the boot will pass over the sole scraper. Whilst the boot
passes between them and over the sole scraper, they will give way
sufficiently to permit its passage between them, but will at the same
time press themselves against its sides sufficiently to scrape them.
I do not limit myself to any particular form of scraper or to any
particular material for the scrapers, nor to any detail of arrangement
herein described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Barons Northcote in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
BARONS NORTHCOTE, junior, of Feniton Rectory, in the Parish of
Feniton, in the County of Devon, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said George Barons Northcote,
Her special licence that I, the said George Barons Northcote,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said George Barons Northcote, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS

page_text: FOR SCRAPING OR CLEANING BOOTS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said George Barons Northcote, my executors or admi-
nistrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Barons Northcote, junior,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner 1
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, that is to say:―
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for
scraping or cleaning boots, and consists in the combination, as herein-
after described, of side scrapers or cleaners for scraping both sides of a 1
boot together with a scraper for cleaning the sole.
2
Figure 1 shews an elevation; and Figure 2, a longitudinal vertical
section; and Figure 3 a plan of apparatus constructed according to my
Invention. In these Figures B is a cast-iron stand with hollow
uprights C rising up from it. A, A, are horizontal bars forming a scraper
for the soles of boots. Its ends pass into the hollow uprights and are
free to rise up or down. D, D, are rods passing down from the two
ends of scraper A through holes in the stand B. G, G, are the scrapers
for scraping the sides of the boots, they are jointed to the upper ends of
levers E. The levers turn on fulcrums at F.
2
In the arrangement shewn, by the right-hand portion of Figure 2,
the lower end of the lever is weighted with a weight K to draw the
side scrapers within the hollow uprights C, as shewn, and there is
also an arm upon the lower end of the lever upon which the rod D
rests.
When a boot is pressed on to scraper A this scraper descends and
turns the levers on their fulcrums, thereby bringing the side scrapers
against the sides of the boot, and as the boot is drawn across the
scraper A, and its sole is thereby cleaned, the sides of the boot will
also be cleaned by the side scrapers G bearing against them.
A modified-arrangement of the scraper is shewn on the left-hand side
of Figure 2. In this arrangement in place of employing a weight K to

page_text: hold up the scraper A and to draw back the side scrapers G a spring H
is used, the spring bears against the lower arm of the lever E which
carries the side scraper, and the rod D rests upon the top of the
spring.
When the scraper A is forced down by a boot being pressed upon it
the spring H is pressed away from the lever E, and the side scrapers are
then pressed inwards against the sides of the boot by springs I, as
shewn.
When the pressure of the boot is removed the scraper A and side
scrapers G are brought back to their former position by the springs H.
In some cases in place of the scraper A being movable, as above
described, I employ a fixed scraper and apply side scrapers in combina-
tion therewith, which are pressed constantly towards one another and
between which the boot is drawn whilst it is moved across the sole
scraper A.
Figures 4 and 5 shew an elevation and plan view partly in section of
a scraper so constructed; and Figures 6 and 7 shew a slightly modified
arrangement of a similar scraper. A are the horizontal scrapers formed
together with the stand B. Above the scrapers A are arms E which are
jointed to the stand B by pins D. H, H, are springs by which the
arms E are pressed towards one another.
In Figures 4 and 5 the arms E are composed of several plates, one
above the other, each acted upon by a separate spring so that the
scraping edges G at their ends may adapt themselves to the shape of a
boot. In Figures 6 and 7 the arms E have jointed to them the side
scrapers G.
When scraping a boot the heel is inserted between the side scrapers in
the direction shewn by the arrows, and the side scrapers yield and allow
the boot to be drawn between them at the same time continuing to
press upon it.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and in what
manner the same may be performed, I would have it understood, that I
do not confine myself to the exact details above described for these may
be varied, thus brushes may be used instead of scrapers; but what I
claim is, the combination with a scraper for scraping the soles of boots
of side scrapers, substantially as herein described, to press against and

page_text: clean both sides of the boots at the same time that their sole is also
being cleaned.
I also claim the arranging side scrapers, substantially as herein
described, to press against and clean both sides of the boot at the
same time.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Barons Northcote, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of July,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-four.