IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BROOMS, BRUSHES, OR OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL. TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
METCALFE, of Eaton Square, Pimlico, in the County of Middlesex, Brush
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Seventh day of December, in the' eighth year of Her
reign,; did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Metcalfe, Her especial license, full power, sole privilége
and authority, that I, the said Thomas Metcalfe, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, and such others as I, the said Thomas Metcalfe, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with; and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein men-
tioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed; my Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BROOMS, BRUSHES, OR OTHER SIMILAR
ARTICLES" in which'said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me,
the said Thomas Metcalfe, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said. Invention,
:,
.

page_text: and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to
be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Let-
ters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more
fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Metcalfe, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly de-
scribed and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference
being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention consists, firstly, in a peculiar application to hair brooms
and brushes of certain vegetable and animal substances which possess an
elastic character (but are less elastic than the hair or bristles), whereby
a stiff sweeping surface is obtained, capable of removing dirt and other
substances requiring removal, while at the same time the bristles will
take up or drive forward the smaller particles which the more stiff vege
table and animal substances may leave behind. The substances which I
propose to employ for this purpose are those commonly known in the trade
under the names of bast or bass, whisk, cane, kiava, cocoa-nut fibre, and
whalebone, but any substance having the same property of elasticity may be
used. By referring to the Drawing hereunto annexed, the mode in which I
apply my Invention to the various descriptions of brooms and brushes will be
clearly seen. Figs. 1, 2, and 3 represent side, end, and plan views of a broom
for sweeping floors, &c. The bast, whalebone, or other stiff substance is
placed in the front part of the broom, as shewn at a, a, and the hair or
bristles b, b, form the back half of the broom. Fig. 4 represents the improve-
ment applied to what is termed a banister brush; and Figs. 5 shew it applied
to a clothes brush. I would remark, that in all cases the bast, whisk, cane, or
other similar substance, should be placed on that side of the broom or brush
which, according to the ordinary mode of using it, first comes in contact with
the dust or dirt to be removed.
The second part of my Invention consists in a combination of broom and
scraper which I call a street broom. Fig. 6 represents a front view of this imple-
ment, and Fig. 7 an end view of the same. a, a, is an iron plate or scraper
placed in front of the bast b, and attached to the wooden back c, c, by means
of screw bolts which pass through the plate and secure it to the slotted brackets
d, d, attached to the wooden back, as shewn in the Drawing. The plate a, a,
is made capable of adjustment, in order that as the brush is worn away the

page_text: edge of the scraper may be brought to a level with it. This is effected by
unscrewing the nuts e, e, and passing them further up the slots of the
brackets d, by which means the edge of the scraper may be elevated as
required; or, instead of rendering the scraper adjustable, it may be fixed,
and the scraping edge cut away with shears to make it even with the
broom.
The third part of my Invention consists in cutting and arranging the hair
or bristles of a tooth brush so that one part of the hair or bristles may enter
the hollows or spaces between the teeth while the other portions of the hair
are clearing the surface of the teeth, thus making one brush serve the purposes
for which two are usually employed. Figs. 8 represent, in side and end views,
my improved tooth brush. a is the middle of the brush, composed of bristles
or stiff hair, and cut to a sharp angle. The sides b, b, are made of softer hair
or fine bristles, and cut level and shorter than the middle portion. By the
employment of this brush the advantage of stiff bristles is obtained, while at
the same time the soft hair or bristles which (forming the sides of the brush)
come against the gums will clean the teeth to their roots without tearing or
injuring the gums.
In conclusion, I would remark that I am aware it has been proposed to mix
various vegetable substances with hair or bristles, so as to form a cheap
broom, and also that an outside edging of hair has been given to brushes com-
posed of whisk, in order to improve their appearance; I do not therefore
claim the exclusive use of bast, whist, cane, kiava, cocoa-nut fibre, whale-
bone, and other substances having the same property of elasticity when com-
bined with hair or bristles. But I do claim, under the first head of my
Invention, the peculiar method above described, and shewn in the Drawing,
of combining hair or bristles with the before-mentioned animal and vegetable
substances, whereby the separate advantages of a coarse and fine broom or
brush are combined in the same instrument.
Secondly, I claim the combination of a broom and scraper to be used by
hand in cleaning streets and other places as above described; and,
Lastly, the peculiar cut of hair or bristles, and the arrangement of the same,
for the formation of a tooth brush, described with reference to Figs. 8 of the
Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Metcalfe, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.
THOMAS (L.S.) METCALFE.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Sixth day of June,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Thomas Metcalfe came before
our Lady the Queen in Her Chancery and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid; and all and every, thing therein, contained,, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Seventh day of June, in the year above written.