IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BRUSHES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard John Cole, of No. 21, Chepstow Villas
West, Bayswater, in the County of Middlesex, Esquire, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BRUSHES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard John Cole at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th February 1860.
I, RICHARD JOHN COLE, of No. 21, Chepstow Villas West, Bayswater, in the
County of Middlesex, Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BRUSHES," to be as follows:-
The first part of my Invention relates to the manufacture of handled brushes
for the purpose of giving them a degree of flexibility at the neck, or that part
between the handle and body of the brush. This I propose to effect in the
following manner:-The handle is to be separate from the body, but united or
jointed by any suitable elastic material or metallic springs, according to the
purpose for which the brush is intended. The handle may be so formed as to
be easily detached, so as to render the brush more portable.
The effect of this mode of manufacturing hair brushes, clothes or tooth
brushes, and the like, with handles is, that they will give or adjust themselves

page_text: to any undue pressure that may be applied, at the same time requiring less
rigidity of and giving greater ease to the wrist of the person using the same.
The second part of my Invention relates more particularly to the manu-
facture of head brushes for the purpose of rendering the same more portable,
thereby economizing space in dressing or travelling cases, and keeping the
bristles rigid and firm in using, which with brushes of the ordinary construction
cannot be done, as by continual use in the same direction the bristles
become gradually bent until they ultimately lose all their required power.
These objects I propose effecting as follows:-I pass the double end of the
bristles through holes made in a thin metallic plate, (or wood in some cases,
but for portability I prefer the former,) the sides of the holes nearest the
handle being bend inwards; a wire passes through the loops of the bristles, and
communicates with the handle, which is to slide into and out of the upper part
of the body of the brush; so it will appear that as the handle is withdrawn
from the body, the upper part or looped end of the bristles will be drawn
forward, bringing the bristles from a horizontal position into a rectangular line
with the perforated body of the brush. Great simplicity will be found in
cleaning brushes of this construction, as when the handle is pushed into the
body, and the bristles lying in the recesses formed in the brush, the plate presents
almost a flat surface, which can be cleansed from grease and dirt by a cloth,
sponge, or flannel. One of the principal advantages of brushes of this con-
stuction being that the bristles retain their stiffness until worn down to the
plate without being weakened by continual bending; the handles of these
brushes may also be made flexible, and to be detached as occasion may
require.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard John Cole in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th August 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
JOHN COLE, of No. 21, Chepstow Villas West, Bayswater, in the County of 3
Middlesex, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said 3

page_text: Richard John Cole, Her special licence that I, the said Richard John Cole, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard
John Cole, my executors, administrators, and 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 THE CONSTRUCTION
OP BRUSHES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said 'Richard
John Cole, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly 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 Richard John Cole, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in the manufacture of handle brushes for the
purpose of giving them a degree of flexibility at, in, or near the handle, and at
the same time rendering them more portable than brushes of the ordinary
construction.
In order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible, I now
proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, as follows:-
The handle is to be separate from the body of the brush, but united when:
required for use by any suitable adjustment; metallic or other springs or:
flexible matter may be employed in any part of the handle, the same being..
covered with any ornamental material when exposed to view. The handles of
these brushes (which I am now describing as head or clothes brushes) I make
of a circular or oval or eliptic form, so that they will accommodate themselves
to the grip of the band, at the same time giving more power and freedom. of
action. The springs may be of a flat, circular, or spiral form, and let in
between the brush-board and back, or in the handle, by any suitable mechanical
contrivance, the object of this part of my Invention being to render brushes.
self-adjustable to any undue pressure that may be applied, requiring less.
rigidity of and affording greater. ease to the wrist of the party using the
same..

page_text: Another feature in my Invention is to render head, clothes, and other such
like brushes portable by a simple and efficient method of "laying " the hair
when not in use, said brushes being well adapted for dressing, travelling, and
other cases where economy of space is an object. I pass the doubled or
looped end of the bristles through holes made in a thin metallic plate, (or wood
or other material in some cases, but for portability the former is preferable,)
the plate at the sides of the holes next the handle being bent inwards or
"countersunk," for the purpose of forming cavities or recesses for the
reception of the tufts of bristles, which are caused to fall into such recesses by
the action of wires attached to each tuft in connection with the handle or an
inner sliding plate, which will answer precisely the same purpose, thus it will
appear evident that as the handle is withdrawn from the body of the brush,
the looped ends of the bristles are also withdrawn, forcing the points out of
the recesses, and bringing them into a vertical position or at right angles with
the brush-board; when not in use the handle has but to be pushed in, when the
bristles fall into their cells, and the brush presents almost a flat surface, which
can be cleansed from grease and other extraneous matter by a cloth, sponge,
or flannel, one of the principle advantages of brushes of this construction
being that the bristles retain their stiffness, as they are not subjected to
continual bending in one direction. Another method of effecting a similar
object is by inserting the tufts of bristles into transverse bars or tubes, the ends
of which work on centres or pivots, a thread being cut in the middle of the
under side of each bar or tube, into which a longitudinal endless screw works,
the same being attached to the handle which actuates it; thus, by turning the
handle from right to left, or vica versâ, the tufts may be set to any required
angle, and when desired can be brought flat on the brush-board, the tufts being
so arranged as to fall one between or by the side of the other.
I also manufacture these brushes in various emblematic shapes for the sake
of ornamentation, to suit the tastes of the parties using them, such as coronets,
shields, coats of arms, leaves, flowers, antient and architectural, ornamental or
heraldic carvings, rosettes, bosses, scrolls, or other ornamentation of the backs,
in whatever material, suitable to the pattern or outline of the brush.
Having now fully described the nature and objects of my said Invention of
"Improvements in the Construction of Brushes," and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I would remark, in conclusion, that I do not
confine or restrict myself to the precise method of rendering brushes flexible
or portable as herein described, as the same object may be attained by other
although similar means, varying and modifying such means slightly without

page_text: departing in any way from the principle of my Invention; but what I claim
as my Invention, intended to be secured to me by the herein in part recited
Letters Patent, is, the manufacture of brushes in the manner and for the
purposes herein described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard John Cole, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
ALEX. PRINCE, Patent Agent,
4, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross.
R. J. COLE. (L.S.)