IMPROVEMENTS IN FOOT MATS FOR DOORS, BATH-ROOMS AND OTHER PLACES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Powley Alexander of 36 Southampton Buildings
in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOOT MATS FOR DOORS, BATH-ROOMS AND
OTHER PLACES" Communicated to him from abroad by Charles Cheswright
of Bordeaux in the Republic of France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Powley Alexander
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th January 1883.
EDWIN POWLEY ALEXANDER of 36 Southampton Buildings in the County of
Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOOT
MATS FOR DOORS BATH-ROOMS AND OTHER PLACES A communication to me
from abroad by Charles Cheswright of Bordeaux in the Republic of France,
"
This invention relates to a cheap and effective construction of foot Mat for doors
bath rooms and other places and consists in making such mats from a number of
strips of wood or other suitable material which can be hinged or jointed together
at their ends by wire or other pins passing through rows of such strips one row
breaking joint with the other so as to leave interstices between the strips for
receiving the dirt rubbed off from the shoes and in the case of a bath room mat for
allowing the wet to pass through. These mats from the nature of their construction
can obviously be folded up into a very small compass and opened out flat when
required for use. They may be colored or ornamented to taste by using stained
woods of different colors and arranging the strips accordingly.
When used in the house passage canvass or any other suitable material can be
attached to the four corners of the mat in order to collect the dirt rubbed off from
the shoes which escapes when the same is folded up and shaken. The strips when
required can be faced or headed with cork or India Rubber for Bath purposes and
the canvass referred to made of water-proofed material.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edwin Powley Alexander in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th July 1883.
ル
EDWIN POWLEY ALEXANDER of 36 Southampton Buildings in the County of
Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOOT
MATS POR DOORS BATH ROOMS AND OTHER PLACES A communication to me
from abroad by Charles Cheswright of Bordeaux in the Republic of France
The said invention relates to a cheap and effective foot mat for use in door-ways
bath-rooms and other places and consists in making such mats from a number of
strips or pieces of wood or other suitable material placed edgeways and hinged or
jointed together at their ends by wire or other pins passing through the strips or
pieces disposed side by side in rows the strips or pieces in one row breaking joint
with those of the adjoining rows so as to leave interstices or openings between
the strips for receiving the dirt rubbed off from the shoes or in the case of a bath-
room mat for allowing the water to pass through.
And in order that the said invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to
the figures on the explanatory sheet of drawings hereunto annexed the same letters
of reference indicating corresponding parts in both the figures.
Figure 1 of the drawings is a plan of the improved mat and Figure 2 is a
corresponding side elevation or edgo view of the same drawn to a scale of about
one half the full size.
a a are the short strips or pieces of wood placed edgeways side by side in rows
the ends of the strips of one row being interposod between the ends of those of the
adjoining, row so as to leave interstices or openings between them. bbare lengths
of wire or other suitable material threaded through holes drilled in the ends of the
several strips so as to connect the several rows flexibly together provision being
made for preventing the accidental displacement of the said wires or pins by
bending them at each end as at d d or forming or applying enlarged heads thereon
or thereto. The ends of the mat are completed by interposing short distance
pieces of wood or other suitable material oc between the outer ends of the strips a.
These mats from the nature of their construction can obviously bo readily folded
up into a small compass and opened out flat when required for use and as they
may be inade from refuse or waste pieces of wood of no other use except as fire
wood their cost is very slight. They may be more or less coloured or ornamented
according to taste by using strips or pieces of wood or other suitable material of
different colours stained or otherwise and arranged to form any desired pattern.
When intended for use in the passages of houses or other like places a sheet of
canvas or other suitablo material may be removeably or otherwise attached to the
mat so as to cover the under side thereof and thereby sorve to collect the dirt from:
the shoes which can be readily discharged when the mat is folded up and shaken.
For bath-room use it is further proposed to cover or face the treading surface of
the said jointed pieces or strips of wood composing the mat with cork india.rubber
or other like material presenting a more comfortable surface for the feet than plain
wood also to combine with such mats a sheet of water-proof material as an under-
backing to receive the moisture or drip from the body.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said invention
and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect I would
observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original and therefore
claim as the invention secured to me by tho hereinbefore in part recited lotters
Patent is
First. The manufacture and use of jointed or folding foot mats for doors bath-
rooms and other places composed of strips or pieces of wood or other suitable

page_text: material arranged and hinged or jointed together substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the drawings hereunto annexed.
Second. The combination with the aforesaid foot mats of a sheet of plain canvas
or of waterproof material forming a backing to the underside of the mat for the
reception (in the case of door inats) of the dust and dirt from the shoes or (in the
case of bath-room mats) of the moisture or drip from the body substantially as and
for the purpose herein before described.
Third. Facing or covering the treading surface of the aforesaid foot mats with
cork india rubber or other like material as and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof I the said Edwin Powley Alexander have hereunto set my
hand and seal this eighteenth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
EDWIN P. ALEXANDEK (LS.)