IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING SOOT OR DUST OR THE LIKE FROM FLYING ABOUT IN ROOMS OR OTHER PLACES DURING THE OPERATION OF SWEEPING CHIMNEYS OR FLUES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Clara Rouse, of Chislehurst, in the County of Kent, for
an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING
SOOT OR DUST OR THE LIKE FROM FLYING ABOUT IN ROOMS OR OTHER
PLACES DURING THE OPERATION OF SWEEPING CHIMNEYS OR FLUES."
.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Clara Rouse at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th May 1880.
CLARA ROUSE, of Chislehurst, in the County of Kent.
MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING SOOT OR DUST OR THE LIKE FROM
FLYING ABOUT IN ROOMS OR OTHER PLACES DURING THE OPERATION
SWEEPING CHIMNEYS OR FLUES."
.
OF
It is well known to housekeepers that much damage is done to walls, ceilings,
etcetera, and much inconvenience caused during the common operation of sweeping
chimneys; the chief reason being that the soot and dust flies about the rooms and
deposits upon the walls and articles.
Now my Invention is designed to get rid of this objection and I carry it out in the
following manner :-I construct, of any suitable material, and in any convenient
manner, a tent, the distinguishing features of which are as follows:-
I prefer to use four uprights (though I do not bind myself to four, as a greater
or smaller number might be employed) with suitable cross pieces to bind them
together; these may be placed at top or bottom. This framework is covered
with any suitable material, such as fine close canvas, and one of the sides is
divided and so formed that it may button up or be otherwise securely closed
or opened at will. The side of this tent nearest the fire place is made full and
in part double, one part being arranged to rest upon the chimney piece and the
other falling down to about the level of the top of the fire place. Side pieces are
also arranged, preferably so as to be able to slide upon the pillars of the frame so as.
to suit the different heights of different chimney pieces; suitable strings or other
means are provided for drawing these closely together, and an apperture is left
through which the sweep operates.
To use the apparatus, which is made light and portable for convenience, it is
moved up as close as possible to the fire place, and the canvas or other covering
placed in position; the sweep then enters, and the divided side is buttoned up
behind him, and when he has finished the housemaid can enter the tent and
sweep up everything inside. I find that by means of this Invention it is no
longer necessary to remove pictures from the walls or cover up delicate objects.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Clara Rouse in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th November
1880.
CLARA ROUSE, of Chislehurst, in the County of Kent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING SOOT OR DUST OR THE LIKE FROM
FLYING ABOUT IN ROOMS OR OTHER PLACES DURING THE OPERATION
SWEEPING CHIMNEYS OR FLUES."
OF
I construct of suitable materials and in a suitable manner a tent or screen, by
preference rectangular in plan, having at the side or part away from the fire place
an opening, through which the sweep enters, and which is buttoned or otherwise
securely fastened behind him; at the fire place side openings are arranged for the
mantle piece, and the sweep's brush, etcetera. The frame I prefer to make of iron,
either solid or tubular, and I make this in pieces which fit together when wanted
for use, but can be taken to pieces and laid together in a bundle out of the way
when not wanted. The frame is covered with close canvas or its equivalent
provided with front and back openings, as already described, and left long all round,
so as to lie quite close on the floor and prevent the passage of soot, etcetera.
Tapes, strings, or the like are used for tying this onto the framing, and it can be
taken off and shaken when done with and rolled up with the bundle of framerods.
When using this tent a floorcloth or sheet should first be laid upon the carpet or
floor to protect the part within the tent or screen.
Reference being now had to the accompanying Sheets of Drawings, in which like
letters represent like parts. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the framing as it stands
when in place before the fire place, the cover being removed for the sake of
clearness; Fig. 2 is a plan of two of the heavy corner pieces or standards joined by
one of the lower side rods of the framing; Fig. 3 is a side view of the same rod
showing how the ends are bent at right angles so as to drop into holes in the base
of the standards as shown in Fig. 2; Figs. 4 and 5 are two views of the top rods
and joinings showing the brass or other knobs which screw onto the tops of the
four corner vertical rods or pillars; Fig. 6 is a plan of the canvas spread out before
the sides are stitched together at the corners; Figs. 7 aud are two views of the
apparatus to which the sweep's ordinary soot bag or screen is fastened.
In Fig. 1 A, A, are the four heavy feet or standards, each carrying a vertical
rod B, which slides into a long hole A¹ in each standard, and is thereby rendered
sufficiently firm without further fastening, though a set screw may be provided for
this purpose if desired.
The feet or standards A are joined in pairs by rods C, as shown at each side of
the fire place, the front being left clear lest the sweep or other person entering
should catch on the rod and trip. These rods C are forked, and the ends bend
down to enter holes in the feet, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The horizontal rods D
at the top are pierced at the ends and slip over pins or equivalent on the top of the
four vertical rods, and knobs E may be screwed on over these to hold all securė.
A gusset or angle stay F (Fig. 4) is placed at each corner to keep the frame firm;
the ends are turned down and fit into holes D¹ in the top framing rods D. The
stays F have holes F, so that when not in use they may be strung together to keep
them safe.
It sometimes happens, as in the case of an Elizabethan over-mantle, that the

page_text: rod D has to be brought further forward to make room for the over-mantle while
the standards remain where they were. This is effected by means of two sleeves
or slides G, Figs. 4 and 5, which slide on the side rods D and carry each a stud,
over which the back rod D fits, and can thereby be adjusted to any required
distance from the face of the wall. By preference the side rods D are square in
section at the part of their length, upon which these sleeves move, so as to add
additional rigidity when the back rod D is in place; set screws or equavalent may
if desired be employed to keep the sleeves G in place.
The covering, as shown in Fig. 6, is opened out flat, but when made up and the
sides stitched together it resembles somewhat a square extinguisher, and may be
put on over the frame and fastened to it by tapes or the like where necessary.
H is the front when made up, and it opens down the middle or thereabouts
to form an entrance, and may be buttoned up as shown. At the back or part
against the fire-place I are two pieces hanging from the top, left very full and
tied together by tapes as before. These are intended to close the space above the
mantle shaft; while below it, and right across the fire place, stretch two other
pieces K joined with tapes as before, the sides being protected by narrow vertical
strips L. It must be understood that all theso pieces are left very full, so as to
allow of their filling up every crevice through which soot or dust might escape,
and on the ground I prefer to let them lie to the extent of about two feet; thus if
the frame be 6 ft. high I would make the cover 8 ft. long.
The usual plan adopted by sweeps for securing the soot bags or screens which
they use (and which they may still use with my improved apparatus) is to drive
an old fork or similar instrument through the material and into the plaster or
morter between the metal firegrate and the surrounding marble, but this of course
spoils the appearance, and with the tiles now so commonly used cannot always be
managed, so that a new way of fastening the screen had to be devised. Figs. 7
and 8 show what I find to be a convenient form of stand or support for the soot
bag. It consists, as shown, of a pair of trestles M with projecting studs N at the
top, over which fits a rod O; the bag is arranged over and around these, and may
be held close in place by them. The form shown in the Drawing (Fig. 7) is suitable
for a fire place in which the recess in the chimney piece is rectangular, but where
it is round, or nearly so, as in Fig. 1, the rod O should be curved, and the trestles M
slightly altered in shape to suit the recess. I generally make these trestles and
bar of wood, as being light and cheap.
It is evident that considerable modifications may be made in the details without
in any way departing from the principle of my Invention; for instance, the frame-
work could be made of wood instead of iron, and the 'tent made semi circular or
triangular instead of rectangular in plan, and coarser material used for the covering
instead of the fine canvas which I have mentioned; also the whole tent might, if
desired, be made rigid with the parts of the framing permanently attached to each
other, the tent being removed bodily when done with (it would then have to be
made small enough to pass through the doorway, and would not require the heavy
feet); but I have described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings only
what I believe to be the best form and materials for the construction of this
improved tent or "anti soot screen.'
"
Having now described my Invention, and the method of performing the same, I
wish it to be understood that what I claim, and desire to protect under the
0 herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The herein described tent or screen constructed, arranged, or employed
substantially as and for the purposes set forth and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.

page_text: Second. The use or employment in the sweeping of chimneys of a close fitting
tent or screen over the fire-place or opening into the chimney within which the
sweep is, and operates substantially as and for the purposes set forth and shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said Clara Rouse, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
Witness,
STEPHEN C. HUNT,
Clerk to W. P. Thompson, & Co.,
323, High Holborn, London,
Patent Agents.
CLARA ROUSE: (L.S:)