Improvements in Washing and Rubbing Devices for Personal Use.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Lec., 1889-Accepted, 25th Jan., 1890
PROVISIONAL 'SPECIFICATION.
. Improvements in Washing and Rubbing Devices for Personal Use.
We KARL AUGUST LINGNER, Merchant, and GEORG WILHELM KRAFT, Technologist,
trading jointly under the firm of Lingner & Kraft of Wölfnitz-strasse No. 16
Dresden, Saxony, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
In the Specification of a former Patent No. 16334 of 1887, we described what we
called a Bath and Flesh Brush consisting mainly of a detachable bent handle and a
block or stock having a moulding or hand-hold at the back, the block or stock being
arranged to receive or to fit into a sponge. pad or rubber preferably made of loofa
(loupha) which could be readily removed from or fixed to the said block.
According to our present invention we combine with a device such as that described
in our said former specification a sponge of the ordinary kind and wo secure this
sponge in a novel, simple and effective manner which allows of its being readily
detached. It has heretofore been found difficult to fasten an ordinary sponge to a
handle without a troublesome mode of attachment. For instance, sponges have been
fixed to the backs of rubbing brushes by sewing the sponge to a plate and screwing
the plate to the apparatus; this sewing and screwing mode naturally prevents the
ready removal and refixing of the sponge. Other devices, such as clamps, screws or
like means are objectionable, as among other reasons, these parts are liable to come in
contact with the flesh. Now we fix the sponge by means of a loop in the following
manner.
We form two holes in the opposite ends of the moulding and we thread a suitable
string or cord, which will resist the effects of fresh or soapy water for some time,
through these two holes. We make a knot or form any other suitable obstacle at the
one end of the string outside the hole, so as to prevent the string from slipping
through this hole, and we provide at the other end of the string a button, knob or
like contrivance outside the hole; we also form at a suitable place in the moulding a
recess of conical shape. If now an ordinary sponge of suitable size is introduced
into the loop between the two holes, or in other words, if the sponge is laid against
the moulding, and the loop formed by the string between the two holes is drawn over
the middle or nearly over the middle of the sponge, and the button end of the string
is pulled tight and this end of the string is then secured in the conical recess of the
moulding, the sponge will be fixed to the apparatus ready for use, while by simply
withdrawing the string out of the conical shaped recess the sponge can easily he
removed for squeezing and refilling, or at the end of the washing operation to be hung
up to dry.
This mode of fixing a sponge for washing purposes may be applied to any block or
stock or to any sort of brush or rubber if the holes for the string and the conical
shaped recess for fixing the one end of the string are provided.for.
When applied to the apparatus described in our said former Specification it is
obvious that the handle should be inserted into the block or stock so that the curve
of the handle is towards the brush or rubber side or towards the sponge side according
to which of these sides is to be used.
Instead of a block or stock having a moulding at back as in the apparatus described
in the former Specification we can use a simple plate or board of circular, oval or
other convenient shape, with a hole at the periphery to receive the end of the handle,
and we can use a rubber, preferably made of loofah, drawn over the plate like a glove
and fixed in any suitable way such as by buttons and holes provided in the two sides
of the rubber.
Dated this 21st day of March 1889.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Washing and Rubbing Devices for Personal Use.
.WO KARL AUGUST LINGNER Merchant and GEORG WILHELM KRAFT, Technologist
trading jointly under the firm of Lingner and Kraft of Wölfnitz-strasse No. 16,
.Dresden, Saxony, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
In the Specification of a former Patent No. 16334 of 1887 we described what we
called a bath and flesh brush consisting mainly of a detachable bent handle and a
block or stock having a moulding or hand-hold at the back, the block or stock being
arranged to receive or to fit into a sponge pad or rubber preferably made of loofah
(loupha) which could be readily removed from or fixed to the said block.
According to our present invention we combine with a device such as that described
in our said former Specification a sponge of the ordinary kind, and we secure this
sponge in a novel, simple and effective manner which allows of its being readily
detached. It has heretofore been found difficult to fasten an ordinary sponge to a
handle without a troublesome mode of attachment. For instance sponges have been
fixed to the backs of rubbing brushes by sewing the sponge to a plate and screwing
the plate to the apparatus; this sewing and screwing mode naturally prevents the
ready removal and refixing of the sponge. Other devices such as clamps, screws or
like means are objectionable as among other reasons these parts are liable to come in
contact with the flesh. Now we fix the sponge by means of a loop in the following
manner.
}
We form two holes in the opposite ends of the moulding and we thread a
suitable string or cord which will resist the effects of fresh or soapy water some
time, through these two holes. We make a knot or form any other suitable obstacle
at the one end of the string outside the hole, so as to prevent the string from slipping
through this hole; and we provide at the other end of the string a button, knob or
like contrivance outside the hole; we also form a recess at a suitable place in the
moulding.
If now an ordinary sponge of suitable size is introduced into the loop between
the two holes, or in other words, if the sponge is laid against the moulding and
the loop formed by the string between the two holes, is drawn over the middle or
nearly over the middle of the sponge, and the button end of the string is pulled tight,
and this end of the string is then secured in the recess of the moulding, the sponge
will be fixed to the apparatus ready for use, while by simply withdrawing the string
out of the recess the sponge can easily be removed for squeezing and refilling, or at
the end of the washing operation to be hung up to dry.
The annexed drawings illustrate our invention. Figure 1 is a side view and
Figure 2 a back view of the device complete, that is to say of the handle, stock and
moulding fitted both with the pad or rubber in accordance with our said former
invention and with a sponge secured by a loop at back as herein before described.
Figures 3 and 4 are respectively a back view and a side view of the handle and stock.
without either the pad. or rubber or the sponge, but showing the loop or string for
securing the sponge. Figure 5 is a section of the pad or rubber separately and
Figure 6 a side view of the device with the pad or rubber fitted thereto and with
the loop or string for securing the sponge. e is the stock and g the moulding at back
⚫ of same.
a is the loofah or material that constitutes the flesh rubber; it is filled with
any suitable material c backed up with canvas or other material d, and after being
fitted over the stock e it can be tightened by means of the cord b which is carried
in a hem around the same. In the moulding are formed a hole leading from 1 to 2
(Figure 3) and a hole leading from 3 to 4 (Figure 3) through which we pass a
string or cord as shown. There is a knot at the string end at 1 to prevent the
string being pulled through the hole, while at the other end of the string is a
In order to secure the sponge (seen at in Figures 1 and 2) it is
button "h.
.

page_text: slipped under the loop formed by the string f and then this string is pulled tight
by means of the button and slipped into the recess or notch which serves to
hold it.
This mode of fixing a sponge for washing purposes may be applied to any block
or stock or to any sort of brush or rubber if the holes for the string and the recess
for fixing the one end of the string are provided for.
When applied to the apparatus described in our said former Specification it is
obvious that the handle should be inserted into the block or stock so that the curve
of the handle is towards the brush or rubber side or towards the sponge side
according to which of these sides is to be used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
The combination with a flesh or bath brush or rubber, comprising a bent handle,
a block or stock and a rubbing pad, of a sponge-securing string or cord passed
through holes in the said block or stock and capable of being drawn tight and
secured to a recess in the block or stock, whereby a sponge inserted between the
string and the block can be readily affixed to the block and be again readily released
therefrom, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1880
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.