IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTATORY HAIR BRUSHES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Douglas, of Nos. 21 and 23, New Bond
Street, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ROTATORY HAIR BRUSHES."
Sealed the 21st June 1864, and dated the 30th March 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Douglas at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 80th
March 1864.
I, ROBERT DOUGLAS, of Nos. 21 and 23, New Bond Street, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ROTATORY HAIR BRUSHES," to be as follows:―
This Invention has for its object improvements in rotatory hair brushes.
Rotatory brushes have heretofore been made in which a cylindrical brush is
mounted on a straight axis with a handle at one end, and on the other side
of the brush a cranked handle is fixed. In using the apparatus the brush is
held by the handle at the end of the straight axis against the head and by the
crank handle it is caused to rotate.
Now, according to my Invention, I make a similar but more effective
brush by applying a crank handle at each end, or placing both the handles of
the brush at a distance from the centre or axis thereof, and then both handles
are effective in turning the brush in place of one only as heretofore.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Douglas in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th September 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
DOUGLAS, of Nos. 21 and 23, New Bond Street, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Robert Douglas, Her special licence that I, the said Robert
Douglas, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Robert Douglas, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ROTATORY HAIR BRUSHES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Robert Douglas, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Robert Douglas, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in rotatory hair brushes.
Rotatory brushes have heretofore been made in which a cylindrical brush
is mounted on a straight axis with a handle. at one end, and on the other
side of the brush a crank handle is fixed. In using the apparatus the brush
is held by the handle at the end of the straight axis against the head and by
the crank handle it is caused to.rotate.
Now, according to my Invention, I make a similar but more effective, brush
by applying a crank handle at each end, or placing both the handles of the
brush at a distance from the centre or axis thereof, and then both bandles are
effective in turning the brush in-place of one only as heretofore.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an end view, and Figure 2 a longitudinal section of a rotatory
hair brush constructed according to my Invention.
a is a cylinder made conveniently of boxwood, it forms the back of the
brush, the bristles being fixed in it all round, as the Drawing shows, so as to
form a cylindrical brush; b, b, are metal discs secured by screws to the
ends of the brush, and each having formed with it an arm 6¹, into the outer
end of which a pin c is screwed, and this pin receives the handle d; there is a
head at the end of the pin to retain the handle, which, however, is able to
rotate freely on the pin. In using the brush it is held by the handles, one in
each hand, and a circular motion being given to the hands, the brush is rotated,
and a little practice will enable the user to maintain a regular rotatory
motion whilst the brush is held with a steady pressure against the head.
Figures 3 and 4 show a brush of a slightly different construction and more
convenient for packing, the handles and parts connected therewith being
capable of being readily removed; the discs 6 are not in this case fixed
directly by screws to the cylinder or back a of the brush, but metal plates e
are fixed at the ends of the brush, and these at the centre have on them pro-
jections of square or other convenient form corresponding with which at the
centre part of each of the discs 6 a hole is formed. When the brush is
required for use the discs 6 are applied as is shown so as to rest against
the plates e, the projections thereon passing through the holes in the discs,
and the discs with the handles are each secured in position by a thumb screw f
screwed into the centre of the projection on the plate, e, the screw having
a collar f which bears on the face of the disc b.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Douglas, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
ROBERT DOUGLAS. (L.S.)