Improvements in Apparatus for Removing Dust from Cushions, Carpets, and other Articles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 13th May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 13th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 8th May, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Removing Dust from Cushions,
Carpets, and other Articles.
We, JOHN ELIOT HOWARD, of Oakhurst, Hampsteal Heath, in the County of
London, Engineer, and JOHN CHARLES TAITE, of 63 Queen Victoria Street, in the
City of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention has reference to constructions of apparatus whereby dust can be
readily removed from railway carriage cushion, carpets and other articles liable
to become impregnated with dust-it may be whilst they are in their ordinary
places for use-by the aid of a partial vacuum produced in the apparatus. For this
purpose there is provided in connection with a suitably formed portable box or
chamber (hereinafter called the suction chamber) having a suitable inlet aperture
(or apertures) and discharge pipe or passage and adapted to be held in or
manipulated by the hand so that it can be moved over the article to be cleaned,
means for producing an exhausting or sucking action through the suction chamber,
the arrangement being such that when the apparatus is in action and is moved
over the article to be cleaned with its inlet aperture (or apertures) in proximity
thereto, dust will be sucked up and thus removed from the article by the air that
is being drawn into and through the apparatus. The dust laden air thus obtained
can be discharged at any desired place, as for example through a flexible discharge
pipe. For causing the exhausting or sucking action, there is preferably combined
with the suction chamber and its discharge pipe or passage, an ejector arrangement
adapted to be worked by fluid under pressure and so constructed and arranged that
the issuing fluid will not only cause a partial vacuum in the suction chamber but
will act to force the dust laden air out of the apparatus.
As will be obvious apparatus to operate on the principle of this invention as
above set forth can be constructed in various forms.
According to one construction, the apparatus comprises a suction chamber
having a flattened flaring front end in the lower side of which is an elongated
narrow inlet aperture that may be of arc shape in plan. The rear end of this
suction chamber is made preferably of circular form and secured to the front end
of a casting adapted to be held in the hand, and formed with a discharge passage
and a compressed air supply passage, the joint between the chamber and casting
being made fluid tight in any suitable way, as by the interposition of a washer of
suitable jointing material. The rear ends of the discharge and supply passages are
suitably adapted for the attachment thereto of flexible pipes for leading away dust
laden air from the one passage and supplying compressed air to the other passage.
A nozzle is secured within the front end of the casting so as to form with the
discharge pipe a discharge passage that is in connection with the air supply pipe
and through which compressed air will issue rearwards into the discharge pipe in
the form of a hollow jet or stream that will cause a partial vacuum in the nozzle
aud connected suction chamber and induce air to enter at the aperture and flow
through the said chamber and nozzle, so that if the front end of the apparatus be
passed over a cushion or other article containing or covered with dust, such
Just will be sucked up by the air current and drawn into the discharge pipe
through which the dust-laden air will be forced by the action of the issuing jet of
compressed air. To enable the action of the apparatus to be readily controlled,

page_text: the air supply pipe is provided at some convenient place with a cock or valve. In
one arrangement the aforesaid annular passage is connected with the compressed
air passage by a connecting passage that extends through and around a removable
screw plug and is controlled by a valve carried by a stem provided externally with
a knob that is adapted to be readily depressed by the hand of the person holding
the apparatus, in order to open the valve against the action of the compressed air
therein which serves to automatically lose the valve when the external pressure is
removed from the knob. A washer of jointing material compressed between the
screw plug and the casting serves to effect a tight joint between these parts. The
discharge and air supply pipes instead of being cast together may be separate and
be carried by a holder which also carries the suction chamber.
In a modified arrangement, the suction chamber is provided at its rear end with
a discharge pipe into the front end of which projects a compressed air nozzle so as
to form therewith an inducing passage through which dust laden air is inducel to
pass by the central jet of compressed air issuing from the nozzle. A flexible
discharge pipe is connected to the rigid discharge pipe. A flexible compressed air
supply pipe is connected to the air nozzle which extends laterally through the
suction chamber.
In another modification the arrangement is similar to that last described, but the
rear end of the suction chamber and the front end of the discharge pipe gradually
merge the one into the other.
In another arrangement the rear end of the conical suction chamber is made to
extend like a nozzle into the closed conical end of a discharge pipe so as to form
therewith a surrounding passage like that in the first arrange nent and which is in
communication at the front end with the flexible compressed air supply pipe and at
the rear with the discharge pipes.
The suction chamber instead of being directly and rigidly connected to the
discharge pipe and ejector arrangement, may be connected therewith by a flexible
pipe. In one arrangement of this kind there are or may be several suction
chambers which can be of flaring form like that in the arrangement first herein
described, and each of which is connected by a flexible pipe with a conical exhausting
chamber that projects into the closed conical end of the discharge pipe so as to
form therewith a surrounding discharge passage for compressed fluid supplied by a
suitable pipe. This construction is specially adapted for use in places where a
supply of high pressure steam is available for causing a suction through the
exhausting chamber and connected suction chamber or chambers as the only parts
that need be held in the hand is the said latter chamber or chambers.
Dated this 13th day of May 1896.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.
Improvements in Apparatus for Removing Dust from Cushions,
Carpets, and other Articles.
We, JOHN ELIOT HOWARD, of Oakhurst, Hampstead Heath, in the County of
London, Engineer, and JOHN CHARLES TAITE, of 63 Queen Victoria Street, in
the City of London, Engineer, 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:-
This invention has reference to improved constructions of apparatus of the kind
forming the subject of cur previous Patent N. 2577 of 1896 whereby with the aid

page_text: of a partial vacuum produced in the apparatus, dust can be readily removed from
railway carriage cushions, carpets, boiler flues, and other articles in which dust is
liable to collect. For this purpose there is provided in connection with a suitably
formed portable box or chamber (hereinafter called the suction chamber) having a
suitable inlet ape. ture (or apertures) and discharge pipe or passage and adapted to
be held in or manipulated by the hand so that it can be moved over the article to
be cleaned, an ejector arrangement adapted to he worked by fluid (air or steam)
under pressure the construction and arrangement being such that when the apparatus
is in action and is moved over the article to be cleaned with its inlet aperture
(or apertures in proximity thereto, the compressed fluid issuing from the ejector
arrangement will produce a partial vacuum in the suction chamber with the result
that dust will be sucked up and thus removed from the article by the air that is
being drawn into and through the apparatus, and the dust laden air will be forced
out of the apparatus and thus the dust instead of being stored in the apparatus and
having to be afterwards removed therefrom will as it is drawn into the apparatus
he forthwith discharged in an automatic fashion therefrom at any desired place, as
for example through a flexible discharge pipe into the external atmosphere or
otherwise.
Referring to the accompanying illustrative drawings,
Fig. 1 shows in centra! vertical longitudinal section one construction of apparatus
embodying our present invention.
Fig. 2 shows a plan, and Fig. 3 a cross section on the line of Fig. 1.
Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are sectional views illustrating diagrammatically, modified
constructions of the apparatur.
According to the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, the apparatus
comprises a suction chamber 1 having a flattened flaring front end in the
lower side of which is an elongated narrow inlet aperture 2 that may be of arc
shape in plan as shown. Instead of a single aperture, there may obviously be
two or more such apertures arranged near to one another. The rear end 1 of the
suction chamber 1 is made preferably of circular form as shown and secured to the
front end of a casting 3 adapted to be held in the hand, and formed with a discharge
passage 4 and a compressed air supply passage 5, the joint between the chamber
and casting being made fluid tight in any suitable way, as by the interposition of a
washer 6 of suitable juinting material. The rear ends of the discharge and supply
passages are suitably adapted, as by the provision of pipes 4 and 5 respectively,
for the attachment thereto of flexible pipes for leading away dust laden air from
the one passage and supplying compressed air to the other passage. A nozzle 7 is
secured within the front end of the casting 3 so as to form with the discharge
pipe 4 a discharge passage 8 that is in connection with the air supply pipe and
through which compressed air will issue rearwards into the discharge pipe 4 in the
form of a hollow jet or stream that will cause a partial vacuum in the nozzle 7 and
connected suction chamber 1 and induce air to enter at the aperture 2 and flow
through the said chamber and nuzzle, so that if the front end of the apparatus be
passed over a cushion or other article containing or covered with dust, such dust
will be sucked up by the air current and drawn into the discharge pipe 4 through
which the dust-laden air will be forced by the action of the issuing jet of
compressed air. To enable the action of the apparatus to be readily controlled,
the air supply pipe is provided at some convenient place with a cock or valve.
In the arrangement now being described, the annular passage 8 is connectel with
the compressed air passage 5 by a connecting passage 9 that extends through and
around a removable screw plug 10 and is controlled by a valve 11 carried by
a stem 12 provided externally with a knob 13 and is adapted to be readily
depressed by the hand of the person holding the apparatus, in order to open the
valve against the action of the compressed air which serves to automatically close
the valve when the external pressure is removed from the knob. A washer 14 of
jointing material compressed between the screw plug 10 and the casting 3 serves to
effect a tight joint between these parts. The discharge and air supply pipes 4 and 5

page_text: instead of being cast together as shown may obviously be made separate and be
carried by a holder which also carries the suction chamber 1.
In the modified arrangement shown in Fig. 4, the suction chamber 1 is provided
at its rear end with a discharge pipe into the front end of which projects
a compressed air nozzle 7 so as to form therewith an inducing passage 8 through
which dust laden air is induced to pass by the central jet of compressed air issuing
from the nozzle 7. A flexible discharge pipe 16 is connected to the rigid discharge
pipe 4b. A flexible compressed air supply pipe 17 is connected to the air nozzle 7
which extends laterally through the suction chamber I.
Fig. 5 shows an arrangement similar to that shown in Fig. 4 but the rear end of
the suction chamber 1 and the front end of the discharge pipe 4 gradually merge
the one into the other.
Fig. 6 shows another arrangement in which the rear end of the conical suction
chamber is made to extend like a nozzle into the closed conical end of the
discharge pipe 4° so as to form therewith a surrounding passage 8 which is like that
shown in Fig. 1 and is in communication at the front eud with the flexible
compressed air supply pipe 17 and at the rear with the discharge pipes 4
and 16.
The suction chamber instead of being directly and rigidly connected to the
discharge pipe and ejector arrangement, may Le connected therewith by a flexible
pipe. Fig. 7 shows one arrangement of this kind in which there are several suction
chambers 1 (or there may be only one) which may be of flaring form like that
shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and each of which is connected by a flexible pipe 19 with
a conical exhausting chamber 20 that projects into the closed conical end of the
discharge pipe 4 so as to form therewith a surrounding discharge, passage 8 for
compressed fluid supplied by a suitable pipe 17. This construction is specially
adapted for use in places where a supply of high pressure steam is available for
causing a suction through the exhausting chamber 20 and connected suction
chamber or chambers, as the only parts that need to be held in the hand is the said
latter chamber or chambers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. An apparatus for removing dust from cushions and other articles wherein a
suction chamber with appropriate inlet and discharge openings and means for
inducing suction by fluid (air or steam) under pressure are so combined and
arranged that when fluid under pressure is being fed to the apparatus and the inlet
or inlets is or are moved over and near to the surface of a dusty cushion or other
dusty article, dust will be not only drawn therefrom into the apparatus but the dust
so drawn in will be forthwith and in an automatic manner discharged from the
apparatus, substantially as described.
2. Apparatus for removing dust from cushions and other articles comprising a
portable suction chamber having an inlet or inlets for dust and dust laden air at its
forward end, an air discharge pipe connected with the rear end of the said suction
chamber, and a compressed fluid supply pipe or passage arranged between the two
and so as to project rearwardly into and towards the said discharge pipe so as to cause
a suction through the said chamber and project dust laden air through and out of
the discharge pipe, substantially as described and shown.
3. Apparatus for removing dust from cushions and other articles, comprising a
suction chamber having a flaring part adapted to be moved closely over the
surface of an article from which dust is to be removed and provided with one or
more narrow elongated inlet openings, a discharge passage connected to the
rearward end of the said suction chamber, a nozzle fixed within the said discharge
pipe so as to form therewith an annular passage in communication with the
discharge pipe at the rear end of the said nozzle, a compressed fluid supply pipe or
passage in communication with the said annular passage, and means for controlling

page_text: the supply of fluid under pressure to the said passage, substantially as herein
described.
4. Dust removing apparatus constructed, arranged and operating substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference respectively to and shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3;
in Fig. 4; in Fig. 5; in Fig. 6 and in Fig. 7 of the drawings annexed.
Dated this 12th dox of March 1807
J. E. HOWARD.
For the Applicants,
W. Lloyd Wise,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent..