Improvements in Automatic Coin-freed Boot Brushing Machinery.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 28th June, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 26th Mar., 1900-Accepted, 28th June, 1900
PROVISIONAL PICATIONR
Improvements in Automatic Coin-freed Boot Brushing Machinery.
A communication from abroad by ALBERT MARTIN, of 19, Rue Cambon, Paris,
France, Engineer.
I, JOHN CORRY FELL, of the Firm of Fell and James, of 1, Queen Victoria
Street, in the City of London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to automatic coin freed mechanism for brushing and
polishing boots or other foot coverings.
The functions of the brushes consist, firstly, in cleaning the dirt off the boots,
secondly, in spreading a fresh supply of blacking thereon, and thirdly, in
polishing the boots when blacked; three separate brushes being employed, one
for each purpose, a fourth brush covered with flannel, felt or cloth being added
if desired for a final polish.
!
The brushes are rotary, of a trough shaped section to embrace every side of
the boot, and fixed upon a rotating shaft operated by an electric or other motor
freed by the insertion of a coin into a slot:
The brushes are arranged in the base of the apparatus provided with covers
having apertures for the insertion of the boot above or below the brushes.
Where an electric or other motor supplied from an external source of power
is used, a hand switch is employed to close the operative circuit and to admit
the power to the motor, such hand switch being locked when not in use and
freed only by the insertion of a coin for a predetermined time or a hand motor
may be used freed by the coin.
During such time as the machine is in use, the starting hand switch is
automatically engaged and locked against the action of a recoil spring, so that
the supply of current or power continues for the predetermined time, after
which the apparatus itself releases the engaging bolt of the hand switch, the
source of power is cut off and the hand switch returns to normal position and
is again locked in its ineffective or out of action position until a further coin
is inserted for its release.
In order that the user may appreciate the time that he should devote to each
brush in succession: so that the operations of cleaning, blacking and polishing,
may be duly completed within the predetermined time, automatically decided
by the action of the machine: a conspicuous dial and pointer is provided, which
indicates the periods which should be given by the user to each brush in suc-
cession. If this indication is disregarded by the user, he can continue the
polishing or other desired operation after stoppage of the machine by the inser-
tion of a further coin and again moving the starting handle.
Dated this 28th day of June 1899.
FELL & JAMES,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in Automatic Coin-freed Boot Brushing Machinery.
A communication from abroad by ALBERT MARTIN, 19, Rue Cambon, Paris,
France, Engineer.
I, JOHN CORRY FELL, of the Firm of Messrs. Fell and James, of 1, Queen
Victoria Street, in the City of London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered
Patent Agent, 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:-
My invention consists in the combination of a mechanical boot-brushing
apparatus with an automatic device for starting the brushes, controlled by a
coin-freed disengaging mechanism, the whole forming a new automatic machine.
The functions of the brushes of the brushing device are, firstly, to brush off
the dirt, secondly, to apply blacking to the boot, thirdly, to put a polish on
the boot.
The functions of the coin-freed disengaging mechanism are to start the brushes
and to distribute the blacking, on the introduction of a coin into the apparatus
and to stop the brushes after a suitable time.
The cleaning and polishing of the boots of anyone desiring to have his boots
blacked may be done at any time without the necessity of taking them off. The
following description clearly sets forth the operation and the method of using
my invention.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of my machine,
the casing being removed.
Figure 2 is a part sectional plan on the line 1-2 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a section through a brush and brush guard and Figure 4 is a
side elevation of the movable blacking box.
Figure 2 shows on the left, a part of the casing covering the brushing
apparatus, this casing, is specially arranged so as to permit the foot to be
introduced below or above the brush.
In order to use my automatic blacking machine it is sufficient to put a coin
of the predetermined kind into the opening a which is within easy reach of the
public. This coin slides down an appropriate chute, and is stopped in its course
by a footstep which terminates the upper part of the oscillating lever b.
After the introduction of the coin, the operator turns, in the direction of the
arrow, the handle which is fixed on and turns with the switch bar d which
latter on turning leaves the fork e against the spring re-action of M and causes
the upper end of a lower pivotted switch bar to enter into the fork e¹. These
forks e and el are respectively in connection with a different pole of a source
of electricity. Upon release of the handle e, the spring M brings the upper part
of the switch bar once more into contact with the fork e. The circuit is thus
closed as and are connected together by a chain X and the motor f, arranged
in the pedestal of the machine, starts.
The boot-blacking machine will remain in action during the whole time of
the complete operation, the switch bar being held in its contact e by the action
of the spring M and the switch bar is retained in contact with e by means
of the sliding-piece g, which is held in place during the operation by the stop-
notch and the spur or bolt . This spur is mounted on a spring at the upper
end of a vertically suspended stem j.
The lower switch bar carries on its upper part a small pin on which a
rod k, ending in a slotted and bent nose, is pirotted.

page_text: The rod, when there is not a coin in the disengaging device, abuts against
a shoulder of the plate against which the sliding-piece slides, and the
machine is prevented from working, the starting handle being then locked.
The coin which has been introduced at the opening a falls down and rests
on the oscillating lever b, a little in front of the shoulder, and forms an inclined
plane in front of the slotted bent nose of the rod to enable the latter to mount
upon the coin.
Then, while turning the handle c, the bar & pushes the sliding-piece g
towards the left, the end of the rod passes above the coin, and thus above the
stop and the sliding piece g can thus be pushed to the end of its travel,
allowing the switch bar d to make contact with e and thus to energize the
motor so soon as the switch bar d has returned to contact with e and the motor
will work immediately.
The electric current being established in the manner described above, the
motor drives the gear wheels 1, 2, 3.
The brushes m, n, o, are mounted side by side on the same axle.
On the left side, this axle carries the gear wheel 3 and at its right end it
carries an eccentric p.
The brush m is for the preliminary cleaning of the boot, the brush n is for
applying the blacking and the brush is for polishing. The time occupied
by the operation is divided into three equal parts corresponding to these three
operations and an indicating dial informs the person using the machine as to
the time to change the foot to another brush.
From the eccentric p works a rod q Fig. 2 formed with a detent at its end
which acts as a feed pawl to the ratchet wheel which determines the periods
of the operation and finally the stopping of the machine as hereinafter described.
The other extremity of the axle carrying the ratchet wheel carries a bevil
pinion 4 engaging with a bevil wheel: 5 whose vertical axle s carries at a deter-
mined height, a bevil pinion t, gearing with a bevil wheel u. On each of its
two faces this wheel carries two pins and w, the first one on the front side
controls the distribution of the blacking, the second one on the back deter-
mines the falling of the coin and shortly afterwards the stopping of the
apparatus.
The position of these pins is calculated according to the timing of the operation.
The blacking machine being set in motion, the cleaning operation takes place,
the wheel a continues its rotary motion regularly, under the impulse of the
ratchet wheel and the pawl feed from the cam or by any other mechanical
combination serving the same end, in connection with the axle of the brushes.
At a determined moment the pine lifts the finger which lifts a metal bar
acting on the lever y causing two elbows of which the ends engage in the
base of A and which are on the same axis as y to rock, thus effecting the advance
of the blacking receptacle A against the brush. This receptacle consists of
a cylindrical box made of metal or of any other suitable material, sliding
horizontally as before described, obeying the actuating elbow levers which
brings it up and takes it away again.
This box ends in a trough made integral with it. This trough contains a
roller C covered with felt and turning about an axis perpendicular to that of
the box.
A series of rollers D in channelled wood closely follow by their outward
peripheries the shape of the trough shaped brush n and by their inward peri-
pheries are in permanent contact with the felt covered roller C which furnishes
them with blacking.
In the longitudinal axis of semi-cylindrical box A and in front is-situated
a small horizontal shaft G carrying inside the box a pallet agitator in the
blacking receptacle and on its outer end a bevil pinion which receives its move-
ment from another bevil pinion 5 keyed to the vertical shaft s. The feed of
the blacking is made in the following manner, When the apparatus is in

page_text: movement and before the box A is moved forward the bevil pinion on the
shafts communicates the movement to the pallet agitator to mix the blacking
and finally the two elbows advance the receptacle until the rollers are in close
contact with the brush n.
This contact at once sets the rollers D in, motion and these in their turn
operate the roller C covered with felt, which always dips into the blacking.
The rolls are thus charged with blacking and transmit it to the brush n,
during the whole time of the feeding of the blacking, which ends on the retreat
of the receptacle A by the descent of the lever, which is produced by its own
weight as soon as the pin has passed from under the tappet by the continued
movement of the wheel u.
The latter continuing to turn, the pin placed on the back face of the rim,
abuts, at a given moment when the wheel u has nearly completed one move.
ment, against the lower extremity of the lever b, causes it to swing and the
coin, upheld until then by the upper end of this same lever, will be liberated and
will fall through the chute J into the box I.
The wheel always continuing to revolve, the same pin will engage with
the branch arm K of a counter-balanced elbow lever L in such a way as to raise
the upper elbowed extremity of the said lever, and then to become disengaged
from, it the next instant. This bent end will then under the influence of the
counter-weight strike sharply into a groove in the vertical stem supporting by
spring tension at its upper end the bolt i which has been up to the present
holding the sliding piece G in the extended position maintaining the closure
of the switch arm d¹ against the spring reaction M¹. The shock causes the bolt
to become disengaged and under the influence of the spring M' the switch bar
is disengaged from the fork contact e¹ and returns to its initial position in which
the circuit is broken; the motor stops, and the lever comes into its normal
position so as to engage against the shoulder in the locked position of the
apparatus should the handle C be again moved and the machine will only be
able to begin to work again after the introduction of another coin into the
opening a.
The vertical arbor S carries at its upper end a pinion which engages with
any suitable counting mechanism, which causes a needle to move over a visible
dial on the exterior of the machine so as to indicate to the person using the
machine, the duration of the three before mentioned operations of cleaning,
blacking and polishing.
In order to produce a still better polish, I may add a fourth brush, of the
same form as that of the three preceding ones, but furnished with flannel, felt
or cloth.
This supplementary brush can be fixed on the same arbor as that
of or can be fixed directly on the axle of the dynamo and outside the machine
with a casing like that of the three brushes.
In my apparatus as shown, I use an electric current derived from a dynamo
or from any electric main.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1st. A mechanical boot cleaner and polisher consisting of in combination cir-
cular brushes, a motor rotating said brushes, a starting handle for said motor
liberated by a coin receiving mechanism: a recoil spring upon such handle,
and locking devices to said starting handle, adapted to automatically lock the
handle out of action when not in use, until released by insertion of a coin, and
to hold the handle to maintain supply of motive force until disengaged auto-
matically by the apparatus after lapse of predetermined time, substantially as
described.
2nd. In a mechanical boot cleaner and polisher, the combination with a
starting handle, having a recoil spring, of a locking bar; a detent, adapted to be

page_text: overpassed upon receipt of a falling coin, engaging with said locking bar when
no coin lies on detent; a spring pressed locking pin engaging with said locking
bar when handle is moved to start; and means, connected by gear to brush
axle, by which the coin is removed from first receptacle on first said detent, and
by which the second spring detent is disengaged from locking bar of said
starting handle, substantially as described.
3rd. In a mechanical boot cleaner and polisher, the combination with rotary
brushes, adapted as to shape to embrace the surface of a boot, of a motor operated
by an external source of power; coin-freeing mechanism to unlock and admit -
operation of said motor; and mechanism to maintain operation and to stop the
operation of such motor within a defined limit of time, substantially as described.
4th. In a mechanical boot cleaner and polisher the combination with a series
of rotary brushes, each adapted to effect an individual operation in succession,
of an indicating dial and a pointer thereon, mechanically connected to the
rotative shaft of the brushes, to indicate to the user successive intervals of time
for each successive operation, substantially as described.
5th. In a mechanical boot cleaner the combination of three brushes upon one
rotating shaft, adapted, the first to remove dirt and dust, the second to apply
blacking and the third to polish the blacking, substantially as described.
6th. In a mechanical boot cleaner the combination of four brushes upon one
rotating shaft, adapted, the first to remove dirt and dust, the second to apply
blacking, the third to polish the blacking and the fourth adapted by a covering
of flannel cloth or felt to add lustre to the polish, substantially as described..
7th. In a mechanical boot cleaner and polisher, the combination with a rotary
brush of a sliding receptacle carrying liquid blacking, an open feed trough thereon,
distributing rollers in said trough contacting with the said rotary brush, means
connected to starting handle to press receptacle forward to brush, and means
for ejecting liquid blacking into feed trough whilst the apparatus is in operation,
substantially as described.
Sth. In a mechanical boot cleaner and polisher the combination with the
rotative brush axle of a vertical spindle gear for transmitting motion from one
to the other, and a time determining wheel operated by vertical spindle having
pins on periphery of said wheel, and means operated by said pins to remove
coin from first position of rest and to remove defent from starting handle locking
bar, substantially as described.
Tatal thi DIRI Any of Varch 1900