Improvements in "Soot Catchers" or Appliances for Sweeps' Use.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 11th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 6th June, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in "Soot Catchers" or Appliances for Sweeps' Use.
I, Reverend JAMES RITCHIE, of The New Manse, Stromness, Orkney, do
hereby d clare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The improved soot catcher in connection with chimney-sweeping, is a bag sheet
or the like made of any suitable material and shape, its mouth being furnished
with seli-acting and if necessary spring-controlled tubes rods or the like for
adjustment to any size or shape of chimney. It is provided in front with inverted
sleeves, and with gloves, to admit the arms of the sweeper for the purpose of
working the sweeping brush from the inside of the bag.
Dated this 20th day of July 1895.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
I, Reverend JAMES RITCHIE of The New Manse, Stromness, Orkney, 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:-
The improved soot catcher in connection with chimney sweeping is a bag, sheet,
or the like made of any suitable material and shape, its mouth being furnished
with self-acting, and if necessary spring controlled tubes, rods, or the like for
adjustment to any size or shape of chimney. It is provided in front with inverted
sleeves, and with gloves to admit the arms of the sweeper for the purpose of
working the sweeping brush from the inside of the bag.
In order that my invention may be fully understood and ascertained, it is
illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which :--
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a soot catching bag according to my invention.
Fig. 2 is a front elevation with part broken away to shew the flaps,
Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the same.
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a special form of telescopic spring rod as used
in some cases.
The essential feature of my invention being the use of a bag, or equivalent
device, for the purpose of catching the soot which falls from a chimney during
sweeping it is obvious that many different forms or shapes may be employed
without departing from the principle of my invention.
In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings I illustrate a simple form of bag consisting
of a main receptacle or pocket A which catches and contains the falling soot, and
inside which the whole of the operation is conducted. The receptacle A may be
of any convenient length, is rectangular in cross section, and is open at its upper
end which is preferably extended in the shape shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, so that it
may easily and conveniently be introduced into the chimney opening. Two slits
or other openings a are made in the front of this receptacle, and surrounding these
Price 8d1

page_text: are attached two sleeves a¹ of such a size that the arms of the operator may be
introduced into the same so that the hands being thrust through the sleeves are
then inside the receptacle A and situated in such manner that the brush and rods
used for sweeping can be manipulated to the best advantage.
The top of the receptacle is fashioned into a hem a² and each of the long sides
of this hem has enclosed in it a bamboo or other flexible rod a³, which rods can,
with the top of the receptacle, be bent to the shape shewn in dotted lines in Fig. 2
for the purpose of inserting it into the chimney through the opening in the same;
when inserted the rods a³ spring open to their straight or normal position as shewn
in Fig. 1, and engaging with the inside of the chimney serve to retain the apparatus
-in-such a position that the soot falls into it through the open upper end. Or the
rods instead of being bent may-be-inserted end ways.
The apparatus as above described constitutes the simplest form of my invention
and is used as follows:-The rods and brush to be used are placed inside the
receptacle A and the upper end of the apparatus is inserted into the opening in the
chimney by bending the rods in the manner shewn in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and
these being allowed to spring out to their normal positions while the front and
back of the upper end are retained in contact respectively with the front and back
walls of the chimney, the corners of the receptacle engage with the chimney and
hold the bag in position with the lower end depending from the chimney and
projecting into the apartment. The hands of the sweeper are then inserted
through the openings a and sleeves a' when it is obvious that the sweeping devices
can be connected, used, and disconnected, while the soot falling cannot drop into
the apartment or come into contact with any part of the person of the sweeper
save his hands. When the operation is complete, the hands can be withdrawn and
the receptacle A with its contained soot removed from the chimney.
In some cases I attach gloves to the ends of the sleeves a', and thus protect even
the hands of the operator from contact with the falling soot.
Instead of inserting the upper end of the apparatus into the chimney before the
hands are thrust through the openings a, the hands may first be inserted and the
placing of the apparatus in position follow this.
I preferably add a pocket as to the main receptacle A for the purpose of
holding the brush and rods and connect the pocket to the receptacle by a slit or
opening a in the back of the latter. This opening is closed by a flap a' this
being buttoned over as shewn in full lines when the soot is falling into the
receptacle A during sweeping, to prevent the soot finding its way into the pocket a³;
but being buttoned over in the position shewn in dotted lines when the receptacle A
is to be emptied of its contents. The brush and rods which are normally carried
in the pocket a³ can be easily removed from and returned to the same through the
opening a; the covering flap a' being also easily manipulated.
Instead of elastic rods which can be flexed for the purpose of inserting the upper
end of the receptacle into the chimney, it is obvious that a sliding telescopic rod
may be substituted and in Fig. 4 1 illustrate a form of such rod broken off which
inay be of any convenient length. The inner rod B may be solid, and slide freely
in the outer tube C within limits which are governed by the flange b upon the
rod B coming into contact with the cap c which is screwed to the end of the outer
tube C. This latter has a fixed end c¹ and between this and the end 6 of the rod B
a helical spring D is inserted in the tube C in such manner as normally to thrust
the rod bout to its full length as shewn in dotted lines. A flange bi is formed
integrally with and near the outer end of the rod B, and upon the end of the
latter is screwed a toothed collar b²; by inserting the end of the rod B through a
hole in one end of the hem on the upper end of the receptacle A, and screwing the
toothed collar 2 tightly down upon it, the textile material of the bag is gripped
between the flange 6' and the back of the toothed collar 62, the latter being on the
outside of the receptacle. The fixed end c¹ has a groove in that part which is
inside the tube C, and the point of a screw e passing through the tube C prevents
the part from moving endways while allowing it to be rotated freely. The

page_text: part is continued outwards, and has a screwed end c', and passing transversely
through it is a pin c3 by means of which it can be rotated. An internally screwed
cap screws loosely upon the screwed end ct, and in its other end screws loosely
a plug which also has screwed upon it a toothed collar ca similar to 63; and
between the end of the cape' and the toothed collar c³, the hem at the other end
of the open mouth of the receptacle A may be gripped, as between 61 and 62.
Through the cap c and the end of the tube C a small screw c' is inserted in such
manner that it can be screwed down by the fingers so as to press upon the rod B
and secure it in any required position.
When these rods are used in place of flexible rods one is inserted in each of the
seams a³ upon the longer sides of the upper end of the receptacle, and slits or
openings are formed in the inside of the seams so as to allow the head of the
screw to be accessible as well as the pin c by means of which the part c¹ is
turned. The rods B are forced in so as to compress the springs D and secured by
the screw in the position shewn in full lines. Then the hands being inserted in
the sleeves a¹ the upper end of the receptacle is inserted into the opening in the
chimney, and the screws c' loosened so as to allow the springs D to force out the
rods B, the whole being thus fixed at the four corners by the ends 62, 62, and e³, €8
pressing against the interior of the chimney. Then the brush and rods can be
manipulated as before. When the pressure of the springs is insufficient to hold
the whole firmly, the screws c³ can be tightened up to fix the rod B, and then by
turning the parts c¹ by the pins e in one direction (the caps c and tubes C being
prevented from turning) the caps c", plugs c7, and toothed collars es can be forced
outwards so as to fix the whole firmly in position. The converse of these
operations enables the receptacle to be removed after usc.
The rod B may have an extension removably fitted to it, to be used only when
the apparatus is to be fitted to an exceptionally wide chimney.
Instead of telescopic or flexible rods I may use rigid ones, and insert them into
the chimney endwise.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The improved soot-catcher substantially as described and shown.
2. For sweeping chimneys a bag or bags for catching the soot as it falls,
arranged in such manner that the soot is prevented from falling into the room or
coming into contact with the person of the operator, while the latter is free to
operate the brush and rods used, substantially as shewn and described.
3. For use in sweeping chimneys, a bag or receptacle having sleeves for the
insertion of the hands of the user, and the upper end of which can be inserted and
fixed in a chimney by means of flexible or extensible rods, substantially as shewn
and described.
4. In combination with the soot-catcher as hereinbefore claimed the pocket a³
having a flap a', substantially as shewn and described.
5. For use with a soot-catcher as herein before claimed the extensible rod,
substantially as shewn and described with reference to Fig. 4.
Dated this 10th day of April 1896.
WILLIAM WALLACE LEASK,
Agent for the Applicant.