IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BROOMS AND BRUSHES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Fox, of Amiens, in the Empire of France,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BROOMS AND
BRUSHES."
Sealed the 3rd October 1862, and dated the 10th April 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Fox at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th
April 1862.
I, WILLIAM Fox, of Amiens, in the Empire of France, do hereby declare
the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BROOMS
AND BRUSHES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of brooms
and brushes. For these purposes flat steel wire or narrow strips of thin
sheet steel are used in a hardened and tempered state. These steel wires or
steel strips are fixed together, and to a suitable head or block as hereafter
described. It is preferred to employ flat steel wire, hardened and tempered,
which is afterwards cut into suitable lengths according to the purpose to
which the broom or brush is intended to be applied, and the strength of the
wire will also be varied according to the purpose to which the broom or brush
is to be applied. One end of each of these pieces or lengths of tempered
flat steel wire is coated with tin, and then a series of the pieces are placed

page_text: edge to edge with their coated ends in a narrow trough of bent sheet metal
wide enough to receive such pieces; these parts are to be temporarily held
together and dipped into a bath of soldering metal, so that the same may fill
the trough and solder and fix the ends of the pieces of wire to each other and
to the trough, or the soldering of the ends to each other and to a trough-like
or other suitable plate may be otherwise performed. Any number of these
rows of pieces of flat tempered wire, or of narrow strips of thin tempered
steel may be fixed together. in any convenient manner, but it is preferred that
their lower and soldered parts should be put side by side, and any number
thereof put into a trough of sheet metal and held therein till the whole have
been dipped into a bath of suitable soldering metal, and thus fixed to each
other and to the trough. In some cases sheet steel is employed cut into
narrow strips, except at one edge where the sheet is not cut through, or the
sheet may be cut on each side of it into narrow strips, leaving an uncut portion
in the middle, so that the narrow strips may come on each side of the uncut
portion: The sheet of strips thus produced is to be hardened and tempered,
and then any desired number of such sheets are in a condition to be fixed
together by soldering several of them side by side, or by rivets or otherwise.
In some cases the flat tempered steel wire or tempered strips of steel are
corrugated or bent into a trough-like section at their inner ends so as to give
greater stiffness thereto, whilst, the outer ends being left flat, the strength of
each strip is modified.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Fox in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th
October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
Fox, of Amiens, in the Empire of France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Fox, Her special licence that I, the said William Fox, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Fox, 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

page_text: vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OP BROONS AND BRUSHES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Fox, my executors or administrators, 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 William Fox, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is.
to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
brooms and brushes. For these purposes flat steel wire or narrow strips of
thin sheet steel are used in a hardened and tempered state. These steel wires
or steel strips are fixed together and to a suitable head or block as hereafter
described. It is preferred to employ flat steel wire hardened and tempered,
which is afterwards cut into suitable lengths according to the purpose to
which the broom or brush is intended to, be applied, and the strength of the
wire or steel strips will also be varied according to the purpose to which the
broom or brush is to be applied. One end of each of these pieces or lengths
of tempered flat steel wire or steel strips is coated with tin, and then a series
of the pieces are placed edge to edge with their coated ends in a narrow
trough (see No. 1), of bent sheet metal wide enough to receive such pieces;
these parts are to be temporarily held together and dipped into a bath of
soldering metal, so that the same may fill the trough and solder and fix the
ends of the pieces of wire to each other, and to the trough; or the soldering
of the ends to each other and to a trough-like or other suitable plate, may be
otherwise performed. Any number of these rows of pieces of flat tempered
wire, or of narrow strips of thin tempered steel, may be fixed together in any
convenient manner, but it is preferred that their lower and soldered parts
should be put side by side and any number thereof put into a trough
(see No. 2) of sheet metal and held therein till the whole have been dipped
into a bath of suitable soldering metal and thus fixed to each other and to
the trough. In some cases sheet steel is employed cut into narrow strips
except at one edge (see No. 3) where the sheet is not cut through, or the
sheet may be cut ou each side of it into narrow strips, leaving an uncut

page_text: portion in the middle, so that the narrow strips may come on each side of the
uncut portion (see No. 4), then the sheet may be cut across the uncut portion
and make two sheets, or doubled at the uncut part to make two rows of teeth
or strips of one sheet. The sheet of strips 'thus produced is to be hardened
and tempered, and then any desired number of such sheets are in a condition
to be fixed together by soldering several of them side by side, or by rivets or
otherwise. In some cases the flat tempered steel wire or tempered strips of
steel are corrugated or bent into a trough-like section at their inner end
(see No. 5) so as to give greater stiffness thereto, whilst, the outer ends being
left flat, the strength of each strip is modified. Although it is preferred to
use flat steel wire or strips of steel for brushes, other sections of steel wire
or strips may be used and similarly combined into brushes, and the brushes or
brooms may be made up into any desired form according to the purposes for
which they are intended to be used.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Fox, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.