A MACHINE FOR SCOURING AND POLISHING FLOORS AND DECKS OF SHIPS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Stevens, of No. 1B, Welbeck Street,
Cavendish Square, London, in the County of Middlesex, for the Inven-
tion of "A MACHINE FOR SCOURING AND POLISHING FLOORS AND DECKS OF
SHIPS." A communication from abroad by Jean Jacques Monnié, of
Paris, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 24th April 1860, and dated the 27th October 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Stevens at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th October 1859.
I, CHARLES STEVENS, of No. 1B, Welbeck Street, Cavendish Square, London,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "A MACHINE FOR SCOURING AND POLISHING FLOORS AND DECKS OF SHIPS,"
and that it has been communicated to me from abroad by Jean Jacques
Monnié, of Paris, in the Empire of France, to be as follows:-
The machine is composed of brushes, which, being acted upon by springs,
present a steady and uniform pressure upon the floors. Rollers are adapted to
facilitate the guiding of the machine, and also to render it lighter; a broom
or brush with a long handle is adjusted in order to enable the machine to
cleanse and polish the corners of the room and the furniture; this is accom-
plished by none of the sides of the brush being at right angles with each other;
the number of sides may of course vary, provided that all the angles are acute.

page_text: The brushes are so arranged as to be removed, and in their place sandstone
or other matter used in cleaning can be adapted. The whole is fixed to a
handle, by which it can be guided from its peculiar shape into all corners
of the apartment, hall, deck of vessel, and other parts where its services can
be applied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Stevens in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th April 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
STEVENS, of No. 1B, Welbeck Street, Cavendish Square, London, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year
of Hèr reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Charles Stevens, Her special licence that I, the said Charles Stevens,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles
Stevens, 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 "A MACHINE FOR SCOURING
AND POLISHING FLOORS AND DECKS OF SHIPS," a communication from abroad by
Jean Jacques Monnié, of Paris, in the Empire of France, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Charles Stevens, 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.
sáid 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 Charles Stevens, do hereby declare the.
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
The object of the present Invention is a machine for scouring, cleaning,

page_text: waxing, and polishing floors, decks of ships, and other places where its services
may be advantageously employed, instead of the cleaning articles at present
used. The machine is composed of movable brushes, which being acted on
by springs present a steady and uniform pressure upon the floor.
The arrangements of the different parts will be easily seen on reference to
the accompanying Drawings.
Fig. 1 represents a full view of the machine when complete; Fig. 2, a plan
showing the shape of the apparatus; Fig. 3 represents in detail the wooden
box furnished with brushes; Fig. 4, a view of the bottom of the machine with
the brushes removed, leaving the brush holders; Figs. 5 & 6, two views of
a triangular shaped brush; Fig. 7 represents in detail the cast-iron box fur-
nished with brush holders; Fig. 8, shows another arrangement with a spiral
spring (conical or cylindrical); Fig. 9 shows an arrangement with two flat
springs m, n, which cross each other and act on the brush holders; Fig. 10,
brush in detail; Fig. 11 shows the holders furnished with wax; Fig. 12, the
holders furnished with sandstone, taking the place of the brush, for use on
board ship; Figs. 13, 14, 15, show the same opening in the middle by means
of a hinge adapted at one end so as to receive a plane iron, glass, or
sand paper for scraping or rubbing down floors. A, lever; C, handles; J,
rollers; K, brush holders; l, flat elliptical spring; M, wooden box furnished
with brushes; N, cast-iron box; m, n, flat springs crossing each other.
The rollers J are adapted to facilitate the guiding of the machine, and also to
render it lighter. The brush is so formed that all the angles are acute, which
enables the brush to enter corners. The brushes can be removed, and in their
place sandstone, wax, or other matters used in cleaning can be introduced.
The whole is fixed to a handle by which it can be guided, from its peculiar
shape, into all corners of the room, hall, deck of vessel, and other parts where
its services can be applied.
Having thus described my Invention, what I claim and desire to secure by
Letters Patent, is the arrangement of the machine, as above described and
shown in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Stevens, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
CHARLES STEVENS. (L.s.)