Year: 1888

page_text: I, WILLIAM HENRI LUTHER, of Petershill Road, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
This Invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved construction, or
arrangement and combination of composite metal and textile foot mats or mats with
their frames combined suitable for the doors of houses or foot mats for omnibusos
and other purposes, and which can be manufactured in a more simple and cheaper
manner than mats heretofore in use, while giving the advantages of having a dry floor
or door-step, easy removal of the dirt deposited by the feet, and enabling house
holders to renew the wearing parts with little trouble and at small expense.
And the nature and novelty of my invention consist in the use of corrugated fluted
or grooved metallic horizontal plates as a frame for and in combination with cocoa-
nut fibre, esparto grass or other ropes or equivalent wearing surfaces secured in the
corrugations, and on which the shoes of the feet are rubbed to have the dirt
removed.
In carrying my improvements into practice under one arrangement, I construct
the new mat of galvanized sheet iron or other metal formed with corrugations or
flutes, or alternate ridges and grooves or hollows transversely along its length. In
the hollows or grooves, preferably each alternate hollow, 1 place and secure one or
more lengths of a rope, of cocoa-nut fibre, esparto grass, or other fibrous material,
either new or after being used for other purposes. Or rubber or rubber and canvas
tubing or equivalent material may be used, preferably with a rope or other pressure
bearing material enclosed within them. The ropes or bearing surfaces would project
some distance above the ridges of the corrugations for the sole of the shoes to rest
and be rubbed on, and after being stretched would be secured to the outer ends of the
plate metal in the grooves, by strips of grooved or flat metal passing longitudinally
above and below the corrugated plate across the corrugations and ridges. The ropes
would be secured by means of screw bolts or pins on each side of their breadth or one
bolt passed through a hole in the centre of their ends, the bolts having screwed nuis
mine 17

page_text: on their under ends for case of removal when desired; or the ropes may be secured
by bent wires passing round their ends and twisted or secured underneath the plate.
Or the bars fixing the ends of the ropes may be secured by kneed and compressed
clamps or clips between the upper and under surface of the corrugated plato; or the
ends of the ropes may be drawn round and secured underneath the corrugated plate.
A few small holes would preferably be formed in the corrugations in which the ropes
are placed so as to permit any deposited water in out-door mats to flow away, while
the water deposited in the alternate hollows where the ropes are not placed would
flow away and escape at the ends, and any deposited dirt can be removed from
these hollows by turning the mat up on end when it will fall out. The hollows and
ridges of the corrugated plate might be from an inch and a half to four inches or so
in pitch that is from three quarters to two inches between each cleaning rope. And
the metallic plate may be rolled or embossed out of sheet tin or other sheet metal, or
when formed out of plain iron or steel sheets may be enamelled with silicate enamels,
japanned or otherwise ornamentally coated or covered; while the end bars or strips
securing the ropes and the bolts or clumps might be made of brass, or of iron covered
with sheet brass, or electro-plated with copper, nickel, or other ornamenial coating which
would stand the weather. The ends of the bars securing the ropes might be kneed down
and broadened out so as to form flect at the corners of the corrugated plate case to
support and steady and secure the whole on the platform of the door or floor where
used. And although the ropes have been described as made in short lengths and
secured at the ends of the grooves by the cross bars, the rope might be made in one long
length, secured at one end and undulated from the top groove at the one end back
along the alternate under groove and then again forward over the alternato top
grooves and back along the alternate under grooves, having the other end of the rope
fixed at the other end of the corrugated plato, in this way making the mat and its
metallic frame capable of being reversed and used with either side up.
T: 9 das of A-1 1088

page_text: I, WILLIAM HENRI LUTHER, of Petershill Road, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the
same is to he porformed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by. the
following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings, and to the reference letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:
This Invention has reference to and comprises a new or improved construction, or
arrangement and combination of composite metal and textile foot mats, or mats with
their frames combined, suitable for the doors of houses, or foot mats for omnibuses
and other purposes, and which can be manufactured in a more simple and cheaper
manner than mats heretofore in use, while giving the advantages of having a dry floor
or door step, easy removal of the dirt deposited by the feet, and enabling house
holders to renew the wearing parts with little trouble and at small expense.
And the nature and novelty of my invention consist in the use of corrugated fluted
or grooved metallic horizontal plates as a frame for and in combination with cocoa-nut
fibro, osparto grass, manilla or other ropes or equivalent wearing surfaces secured in
the corrugations, and over which the shoes of the feet are rubbed to have the dirt
removed.
And in order that my said invention, and the manner of performing or carrying the
same into effect or practice may be properly understood, 1 have hereunto appended an
explanatory Sheet of Drawings, in which the same reference letters are used to indicato
corresponding parts in all the figures where shown. Figures 1 and 2 are a plan and
end view respectively showing one arrangement of my new combined corrugated metal
and rope or textile fabric mat. Figure 3 is a tranverse vertical section as taken on
the line 1-1 in Figure 1. And Figure 4 is a perspective view of the new mat.
In carrying my improvements into practice under this arrangement, I construct the
frame of the new mat of galvanized sheet iron or other metal A formed with corrugations
or flutes or alternate ridges and grooves or hollows at a', a, transversely along its length.
In the hollows or grooves a, a, preferably cach alternate hollow a, I place and secure
one or more lengths of a rope 6 of cocoa-nut fibre, esparto grass, or other fibrous
material, either new or after being used for other purposes. Or rubber or rubber and
canvas tubing or equivalent material may be used, preferably with a rope or other
pressure bearing material enclosed within them. The ropes or bearing surfaces b
project some distance above the ridges a¹ of the corrugated plate A for the sole of the
shoes to rest and be rubbed on, and after being stretched would be secured to the outor
ends of the plate metal A in the grooves a by strips of grooved or flat metal a³, a¹¹,
passing transversely above and below them and the corrugated plate A across the
corrugations a and ridges a!. These plates and ropes are secured by means of
screw bolts or pins a passed through the plates a², al, A, or it might be by one bolt
passed through a hole in the centre of the rope ends, the bolts as having screwed nuts

page_text: on their under ends for ease of removal when desired; or the ropo b may be secured
by hent wires e passing round their ends and twisted or secured above or underneath
the plate A. Or the bars a³, a", fixing the ends of the ropes b, may be secured by
kneed and compressed clamps or clips between the upper and under surface of the
corrugated plato A; or the ends of the ropes may be drawn round and secured
underneath the corrugated plate A. A few small holes would preferably be formed
in the corrugations a, in which the ropes bare placed, so as to permit any deposited
water in out-door mats to flow away, while the water deposited in the alternate
hollows a, a, where the ropes are not placed, would flow away and escape at the ends;
and any deposited dirt can be removed from those hollows a, a, by turning the mat
up on end or with its upper face down, when it will fall out. The hollows a, a, and
ridges a¹ of the corrugated plato A might be from three quarters of an inch to two
inches or so in pitch, that is from an inch and half to four inches between each
cleaning rope b. And the metallic plate A may be rolled or embossed out of sheet tin
or other sheet metal, or when formed out of plain iron or steel sheets, may be
enamelled with silicato onamels, japanned or otherwise ornamentally coated or covered;
while the end bars or strips a², al, securing the ropes and the bolts or clamps a³,
might be made of brass, or of iron covered with sheet brass, electro-plated with
copper, nickel, or other ornamental coating which would stand the weather. A
metallic wire c is threaded round the ropes band under surface of the metal A, at the
centre of the mat to retain them in position as they are stretched. A rib or bar a¹
is rivetted or soldered across the centre of the under surface of the metal A for
the mat to rest on. Or the ends A¹ of the plate A, or the bars all securing the
ropes b, might be kneed down and broadened out so as to form feet at the corners
of the corrugated plate case A to support and steady and secure the whole on tho
platform of the door or floor where used. And although the ropes 6 have been
described as made in short lengths and secured at the ends of the grooves a by the
cross-bars a³, a", the rope b might be made in one long length, secured at one end
and undulated from the top groove at the one end back along the alternate under
groove and then again forward over the alternate top grooves, and back along tho
alternate under grooves, having the other end of the rope b, fixed at the other end of
the corrugated plate, in this way making the mat and its metallic frame capable of
heing reversed and used with either side up.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
The construction and use of door or foot mats formed of corrugated, fluted, or
grooved metallic plates or surfaces as a frame for, and in combination with cocoa-nut
fibre, esparto grass, manilla, or other ropes or textile fabrics or equivalent wearing
surfaces, secured in the corrugations, substantially as herein described in reference to
and shown in tho accompanying Drawings.
Dated the 29th December 1888