IMPROVEMENTS IN BRUSHES AND IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME.
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Ashworth, Robert Ashworth, and Elijah Ash-
worth, all of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BRUSHES AND IN THE METHOD OF AND
APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME.'
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Ashworth, Robert
Ashworth, and Elijah Ashworth at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
on the 18th February 1879.
GEORGE ASHWORTH, ROBERT ASHWORTH, and ELIJAH ASHWORTH, all of Man-
chester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BRUSHES
AND IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME.”
Our Invention relates principally to the class of brushes having the brushing
parts composed of hog-bristles, but may also be applicable in cases wherein sub-
stitutes of animal or vegetable origin are employed in lieu of the said hog bristles.
In the ordinary manufacture of such brushes a number of bristles are drawn
together into one hole in the back, the central part of the fagot of bristles being
drawn into the hole, whereby the two ends of the bristles are brought together. The
brush thus consists of a collection of bunches or clusters of bristles.
According to our Invention we form the brush of a collection of isolated bristles.
We take a length of bristle and bend it into a staple form and thrust each limb of
the staple through a separate hole in the backing or foundation material so that
two isolated bristle ends project from the face of the backing. Other bristles are
inserted in like manner in other perforations made suitably close together until a
sufficiently large surface of the backing is covered with the bristles. In the
apparatus which we consider to be the most suitable to employ in the insertion of
the bristles a nipper formed with a moveable jaw advances and seizes the end of
a bristle presented to it, and in retiring brings the central part of the bristle into
position to be acted upon by the parts which bend the bristle into a staple. A
pricker forms two perforations in the backing. A guide then rises close to the
backing. The said guide is formed with two bell mouthed channels which guide
the ends of the bristle exactly to the said perforations. The limbs of the staple
are then thrust through the perforations until the head of the staple touches the

page_text: backing. The machine may be fed by placing the bristles successively in position
to be seized by the said nipper or by placing them in grooves or recesses in a
travelling feeder, or a number of bristles may be placed in a hopper so constructed
as that the bristles have a tendency to fall towards a delivery opening, whence
they are withdrawn as required by the said nipper, or we may arrange the bristles
in notches or perforations in holders which can be filled away from the machine
and be applied to the machine, and which are caused to rotate or move so as to
present the bristles successively to the said nipper. We use leather, woven-fabric,
or any other suitable material for the backing or foundation in which the bristles
are inserted. To secure the, bristles: more firmly in the foundation material, we
may apply cement to the back of the said material, or stitch cement, or secure a
thin backing material to the said foundation. The foundation material set with
bristles is secured in or to backs or handles, or is otherwise mounted, finished, or
prepared according to the uses for which the brushes are designed.
.32.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Ashworth, Robert Ashworth, and Elijah Ashworth in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th August 1879.
GEORGE ASHWORTH, ROBERT ASHWORTH, and ELIJAH ASHWORTH, all of Man-
chester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BRUSHES
AND IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS for ManUFACTURING THE SAME."
Our Invention relates principally to the class of brushes having the brushing
parts composed of hog-bristles, but may also be applicable in cases wherein sub-
stitutes of animal or vegetable origin are employed in lieu of the said hog
bristles.
In the ordinary manufacture of such brushes a number of bristles are drawn
together into one hole in the back, the central part of the faggot of bristles being
drawn into the hole whereby the two ends of the bristles are brought together.
The brush thus consists of a collection of bunches or clusters of bristles.
According to our Invention we form the brush of a collection of isolated bristles.
We take a length of bristle and bend it into a staple form and thrust each limb of
the staple through a separate hole in the backing or foundation material, so that
two isolated bristle ends project from the face of the backing.
Other bristles are inserted in like manner in other perforations made suitably
close together until a sufficiently large surface of the backing is covered with the
bristles. We have devised machinery and appliances for use when carrying our
Invention into effect and have attached hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative
of the same, to which Drawings we will now refer.
The
Figure 1 represents a front elevation; Fig. 2, a side elevation; and Fig. 3, a
plan of the machine we employ in the setting of the bristles in the foundation
material, the said Figures being drawn to a scale of about four inches to the foot,
and marked with letters of reference. The said machine is a modification of the
ordinary wire-card setting machine, and therefore it has not been considered to be
necessary to represent all the ordinary and well known parts of such machines,
and especially such parts as we have not altered to suit the requirements of our
Invention; Fig. 4 represents a vertical section of the machine and illustrates the
actions of the principal parts of the apparatus; Figs. 5 and 6, drawn about the full
size, illustrate a form of holder by means of which the bristles are fed to the
machine. In Figs. 5 and 6, a is a cylindrical holder upon which are formed two
collars a¹ and a. In the collar a' a number of holes are perforated in a circle
concentric with the axis of the holder, and are parallel with the said axis.
bristles are cut into the required lengths and are singly inserted in the said holes,
one end of each length of bristle resting against the collar a³ which determines the
extent of projection of the bristles from the front of the holder. If the holder is
to be adapted for varying lengths of bristles we make the collar a² adjustable upon
a shank formed on the collar a². The holder is mounted upon a shaft b, seen in
Figs. 1 and 3. The said shaft is jointed at 6' in order that the part upon which
the said holder is mounted may be turned up to receive the said holder. Upon
a part of the said shaft which is fitted to revolve in bearings is fixed a ratchet
wheel c with which a pawl d engages. The said pawl is jointed to a lever e, which
is acted upon by a cam on the driving shaft f in such a manner as that the said
pawl is caused to impart an intermittent rotatory movement to the shaft b and
therefore to the bristle holder. A pair of nippers g is fitted to slide to and fro,
being actuated by means of a lever h, which is acted upon by a cam h² on the
driving shaft. The said nippers consist of two hinged parts or jaws which are
forced apart by means of a spring. The said nippers slide to and fro between two
stops which limit the movement in each direction. The end of the lever à engages
with a stud i upon a block which can slide upon the upper jaw of the nippers.
When the said lever is moving in the direction indicated, the nippers are carried

page_text: forwards by frictional contact with the said block until arrested by the forward
stop, at which time they will be in position to seize a bristle contained in the
older. The lever / continuing its movement, the block upon which the lever
acts slides upon the upper jaw and thereby depresses it and causes it to nip the
bristle. When the said lever makes a return movement, the nippers are carried
back until their movement is arrested by the back stop, the said block sliding
back upon the upper jaw which then rises to release the bristle. This backward
movement of the nippers has withdrawn the bristle from the holder and has brought
the central part of the bristle opposite the end of the sliding bar. A crown piece j
now descends and the bristle is nipped and held in a similar manner as in the case
of the length of wire in the card setting machine. Two wings now advance and
bend forwards the projecting ends of the bristle so as to form a staple. As the
action of these parts is not new it will not be necessary to describe the means
whereby they are actuated. The material in which the bristles are to be set is
indicated by the dotted lines k. This material may be leather, cloth, caoutchouc,
or a compound material, or any material found to be suitable. The material is fed
by means of rollers in the ordinary or in a suitable manner. Preparatory to the
insertion of the staple a pricker 7 advances, pricks the material and retires out of
the way of the advancing parts which hold the staple. The pricker bar is acted
upon by a cam which pushes the bar forwards towards the material at the right
time. The forward end of the said bar trails upon a fixed pin, and the bar is so
formed as that when it is pushed forward the pricker points are raised into position
to act, and when the said points retire they are lowered as aforesaid. This will
appear from an inspection of the parts in Fig. 4. A guide m is jointed to a lever
n which is mounted upon a fulcrum at n¹, and is actuated by a cam o upon the
driving shaft. The upper end of the said guide is formed with two surfaces which
are curved downwards as indicated in the enlarged view, Fig. 7. Preparatory to
the insertion of the staple the said guide is raised by the action of the cam o as
aforesaid, until the tops of the two guiding surfaces are exactly opposite to the
two perforations made in the material by the pricker. The parts carrying the
bristle staple now advance and the points of the bristle slide up the said guide.
As the said points may be bent out of the straight line, owing to the nature of the
material, the action of the said guide is rendered important, as without its use the
bristle ends would not with any practical degree of certainty enter the perforations
in the material. As the points of the staple slide upon the said guide the said
points are guided to the perforations in the material. When the points have
entered the said perforations the guide is lowered out of the way and the staple
is pushed home. To ensure that the points of the staple shall be guided into the
perforations even when bent upwards, we cause the perforations to be pricked a
little higher than the line of a straight bristle, so that the points of the bristle run
up the inclined guiding surfaces into the perforations. When the machine is in
action the pawl d acting on the ratchet wheel turns the holder after the with-
drawal of a bristle to the extent which will present the next bristle to the nippers.
A detent and notched wheel p hold the shaft upon which the holder is mounted
during the return movement of the pawl. Each to and fro movement of the
nippers withdraws a bristle from the holder, and each bristle is bent into a staple
and inserted in the foundation material until the holder is emptied. The jointed
end of the shaft b is now turned up and the empty holder is removed and a full
one is put in its place. The shaft is then turned down and the operations of the
machine are resumed. As each bristle is withdrawn from the holder it is trailed
over a jointed support, seen at r, which sustains the end of the bristle which has
been drawn out of the holder. This support yields each time that the nippers
advance to seize a bristle. The said holders are filled away from the machine by
assistant operators or by the attendant upon the machine, and if filled holders are
kept at hand, the changing of the holders may be quickly effected. The forms of
the said holders may be varied. We may employ a grooved holder, either rotating
or travelling in a straight line, or a perforated holder travelling in a straight linë,

page_text: or the bristles may be placed by the attendant in grooves or recesses in a rotating
or travelling feeder without removing the same from the machine, in which case
the speed of the machine would be so regulated as to allow time for the filling of
the said grooves with bristles during the action of the machine. The machine
may be supplied with bristles by placing the bristles singly and successively in
position in a channel so that the nippers can seize the end of the bristle, or the
bristles may be placed in a hopper so constructed as that they have a tendency to
fall towards a delivery opening, whence they are withdrawn singly as required.
We may adopt other means for supplying the bristles than those indicated, but at
present we consider the method indicated in the Drawings to be suitable. The
material when set with bristles may be secured to backs or handles, or be other-
wise mounted, finished, or prepared, according to the uses for which the brushes
aro designed.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of our said Invention and
the manner in which we carry the same into practical effect, we would have it to
be understood in conclusion that we claim,―
First. The formation of brushes by bending bristles into staple form and inserting
them singly into a suitable material so as to form a brushing surface composed of
isolated bristles.
Secondly. Forming brushes by feeding bristles to parts which bend each bristle
into a staple form and insert it singly in a suitable material, the operations being
repeated and the material moved until a sufficiently large brushing surface is
.obtained.
Thirdly. The apparatus, substantially as and for the purpose set forth and
indicated.
Fourthly. The sliding or reciprocating nippers for seizing the bristles singly, and
for drawing each bristle forwards to be held and bent into a staple, substantially
as set forth and indicated.
And, lastly. The bristle holder, substantially as set forth and indicated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Elijah Ashworth, for myself and on behalf
of the said. George Ashworth and Robert Ashworth, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
Witness,
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
Agent to the Patentees.
'ΣΤΑΤΟ Α παν την ρτητη
(LS)