IMPROVEMENTS IN MATS OR APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING OR REMOVING DIRT OR DEPOSIT FROM THE FEET
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MATS OR APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING OR REMOVING
DIRT OR DEPOSIT FROM THE FEET."-A communication from abroad by
Charles Marien Roullier, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 9th March 1875.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MATS OR APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING OR
REMOVING DIRT OR DEPOSIT FROM THE FEET," a communication to me from
abroad by Charles Marien Roullier, of Paris, in the Republic of France,
to be as follows:-

page_text: use of the ordinary mats which are rapidly worn by the friction of the
feet, and also retain upon their upper surface the mud and dirt deposited
thereon, and it consists essentially in forming the mat of a number of
parts consisting of brushes mounted upon a jointed framework, or of
elastic or flexible plates or strips put together so as to constituto the
joints of the mat; such flexible brushes, plates, or strips being arranged
so as to leave intervals between them for the passage of the dirt there-
through which thus falls directly to the ground and does not adhere to
their upper surface, as is the case with the mats of the ordinary
description.
According to one modification the mat is composed of a series of
brushes each fixed between two links of a jointed framework upon cross
pins or rods, the distance between the brushes being regulated by
washers which maintain them at a suitable distance apart so as to leave
sufficient space to allow the dirt and mud which is removed from the
shoes by the brushes to fall through. This mat may be readily washed
or cleansed, as it is proposed to construct it of substantial materials, such
for example as galvanized iron or other metal wire for the pins or rods
and connections of the brushes; wood, metal, india-rubber, or leather
for the links and separating washers, and cocoa-nut fibre or any other
suitable material for the brushes themselves.
The fibres of which the brushes are composed are bound and pressed
together by means of a metal wire, and the brushes are fastened between
the links of the frame by two cross pins which hold or bind them firmly
thereto and admit of their being replaced with facility when worn out.
In some cases strips or scales more or less rigid or flexible composed
of leather or any other analogous substance may be employed in lieu of
the brushes herein-before described.
According to another modification it is proposed to substitute for the
brushes plates or strips fastened together after the manner of the links
of chains upon metal wires which pass through them and extend to the
whole width of the mat, uniting one row of links to those in the next
row in succession. These links present an acute or rounded angle at
their upper part, and a flat surface at their base on which the mat rests,
they are each provided with a hole destined to receive the metal wire
which is to bind them together, and a slit which facilitates the operation
of fitting them together when they are united with one another.

page_text: The flexible links may be arranged in their thickness either single or
double, or alternately with these two combinations, according to the
requirements of the manufacture.
According to a further modification the links are made of an oval
shape and are separated by washers, the number of which may be varied
as required in order to augment the space between the links as much as
may be judged useful. This arrangement admits of the mat being turned
over without inconvenience, which increases its duration, since when
one surface is worn out the other surface may be used until it becomes
worn out in its turn.
It is preferred to use leather for making the links in the two modifi-
cations of the mat lastly herein-before described, as this material is at
once solid, flexible, and little liable to injury from damp; but other
materials capable of fulfilling the same conditions, such for example as
felt, cloth, vegetable silk, cocoa-nut fibre, hair, and the like may be
employed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 9th September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that
I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors,
administrators, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN

page_text: MATS OR APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING 02 REMOVING DIRT OR DEPOSIT FROM THE
FEET," a communication to me from abroad by Charles Marien Roullier,
of Paris, in the Republic of France, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my exccutors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner tho
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:-
The said Invention relates to an improved arrangement of mat, having
for its object obviating the inconveniences attending the use of the
ordinary mats which become rapidly worn by the friction of the fect,
and also retain upon their upper surface the mud and dirt deposited
thereon; and it consists of a combination of brushes with a jointed
framework fitted together in the manner herein-after described.
In the manufacture of the improved mat materials are employed
which are less liable to wear and more capable of maintaining a rough
surface, and an arrangement is adopted admitting of the dirt passing
through the mat and falling directly upon the ground. The improved
mats also fulfil a condition which it has not heretofore been possible to
realize, videlicit, the automatic detaching of the dirt in consequence of
the isolation of the cleansing brushes, which according to this Invention
are held between jointed links constituting the framework of the mat.
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 several Figures on the annexed Sheet of
Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts
in all the Figures :-
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a side elevation of
the mat; Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of the same.

page_text: Figure 3 is a front elevation of a brush fixed between two links;
Figure 4 is an end view of the same; and Figure 5 is a plan of the
under side.
Figure 6 represents an elevation; and Figures 7 and 8 are corre-
sponding plans of mats constructed according to modifications of tho
preceding arrangements.
ASCO
Figure 3 is a front elevation of a brush fixed between two links;
Figure 4 is an end view of the same; and Figure 5 is a plan of the
under side.
Figure 6 represents an elevation; and Figures 7 and 8 are corrc-
sponding plans of mats constructed according to modifications of the
preceding arrangements.
Figure 9 represents a leather link rounded at the upper part.
Figure 10 represents a link formed of flexible material, such for
example as felt, cloth, vegetable silk, cocoa-nut fibre, and the like,
doubled and bound.
Figure 11 represents a link provided with two slots for the reception
of wires.
Figure 12 represents in elevation another modification of the jointed
mat; and Figure 13 is a corresponding plan of the same.
In the arrangement which it is preferred to employ, and which is
represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the accompanying Drawings,
the mat is composed of a series of brushes each fixed between two links
of a jointed framework upon cross pins or rods; the distance between the
brushes is regulated by means of washers which maintain them at a
suitable distance apart so as to leave sufficient space to allow the dirt
and mud which is detached from the shoes by the brushes to fall
through. The dirt or deposit is therefore never allowed to remain on
the surface of the mat, which moreover can be taken up and washed or
cleaned, since it is composed of substantial materials, such for example
as galvanized iron or other metal wire for the pins or rods and con-
nections of the brushes, wood, metal, india-rubber, or leather for the
links and separating washers, and cocoa-nut fibre or any other suitable
material for the brushes themselves.
Referring to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the annexed Drawings, the
links a, a, which constitute the jointed framework of the mat are com-
posed of wood or of any other suitable material, and connected together
by means of rods or pins of metal b, b, and such links have interposed
between them separating washers c, c, of leather, caoutchouc, or other
material, admitting of the spaces between the links being regulated as
desired.

page_text: The brushes d, d, are composed by preference of cocoa-nut fibres
bound and pressed together by means of metal wire b', and the brushes
are fastened between the links a, a, of the frame by two cross pins c¹, c²,
which secure them firmly thereto whilst admitting of their being
replaced with facility when worn out.
It is obvious that numerous modifications of the system of mat herein-
before described may be employed whilst still retaining the advantages
which it presents; thus for example, the shape and arrangement of the
links may be modified, or the brushes may be replaced by small pieces
or strips of a material of a more or less rigid or flexible nature; such for
example as leather or an analogous substance.
Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 of the annexed Drawings represents one
modification of the system wherein the brushes are replaced by pieces e
fastened together after the manner of the links of fusce chain upon
metal wires b which pass through them and extend to the whole width
of the mat, uniting one row of links to those in the next row in
succession. These links present an acute or rounded angle at their
upper part and a flat surface at their base on which the mat rests, they
are each provided with holes d¹ for the reception of the metal wire b
which is to bind them together and with slots e¹ which facilitate the
operation of fitting them together when they are united with one
another. In this modification as in the construction first herein-before
described, the result of the arrangement of the links is to leave intervals
between any two of them for the passage of the dirt which thus escapes
without adhering to the mat, the latter simply requiring to bo turned
over in order to clean it.
The flexible links may be arranged either in sets of two, as shewn in
Figure 7, or singly, as shewn in Figure 8, or alternate with these two
combinations according to the requirements of the manufacture.
Figures 12 and 13 represent another modification of the jointed mat
in which the links are of an oval shape and are separated by washers c,
the number of which may be increased as required in order to augment
the space between the links to the extent desired. Under theso con-
ditions the mat can be turned over without inconvenience, whereby its
durability is increased. since when one surface is worn out the other

page_text: It is preferred to use leather for making the links in the two modifi-
cations of the mat lastly herein-before described, as this material is at
once solid, flexible, and little liable to injury from damp; but other
materials capable of fulfilling the same conditions, such for example as
felt, cloth, vegetable silk, cocoa-nut fibre, hair, and the like may be
employed.
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 the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the con-
structing mats in parts consisting of brushes mounted upon a jointed
framework in such a manner as to leave intervals for the passage of the
dirt or deposit, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated
by the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whercof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of
September, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.