AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR WASHING OR CLEANSING FRONTS OF WAREHOUSES, CARRIAGES, WAGGONS, RAILINGS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Ferdinand Bernard, of Boulevard Saint Denis,
No. 1, at Paris, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR WASHING OR CLEANSING FRONTS OF WAREHOUSES, CARRIAGES, WAGGONS,
RAILINGS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."
Sealed the 16th April 1878, and dated the 29th October 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Ferdinand Bernard
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th October 1877. .
JOSEPH FERDINAND BERNARD, of Boulevard Saint Denis, No. 1, at Paris, Manu-
facturer. "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR WASHING OR CLEANSING FRONTS OF
WAREHOUSES, CARRIAGES, WAGGONS, RAILINGS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."
My Invention has for object a system of portable apparatus for washing or
cleansing fronts of warehouses, railway and other carriages and vehicles, sign
boards, railings, and other similar structures and objects; and it consists in con-
necting 'the washing brush with the receiver containing the water or wash by
means of a hose or moveable conduit, so that it becomes unnecessary for the operator
to have to continually wet the brush.
The apparatus is composed of a receiver shaped like an ordinary pail or bucket,
and made of zinc, wood, or other suitable material. It is of such size as to be
readily transportable and capable of containing a sufficiently large quantity of
water or other wash. A small double-acting pump is placed in the receiver, and is
worked by a treadle. The piston of the pump is continually forced to rise by
means of a spring placed under it, and thus the water drawn up is forced out as
the treadle is worked. By means of this spring the suction in the pump is per-
manent. The water passes into the hose, one end of which is attached to the pump
and the other to the handle of the washing brush, such handle being for this purpose
tubular. From the tubular handle the water or wash passes into the "stock
body of the brush, which for this purpose is also constructed hollow so as to forin
a chamber or receptacle for the water or wash, and whence it issues through orifices.
contrived in such "stock" amongst the tufts of hair or bristles.
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or

page_text: In some cases the body or stock of the brush is provided with a metal sliding
cover, furnished with a hollow socket to receive the tubular handle.
The stock of the brush, the socket of the handle, and the metal sliding cover, may
be covered with an envelope or casing of india-rubber, to prevent injury to the
surface to be washed, -but then the casing must have orifices to permit the passage
of the bristles and the exit of the water.
For washing sign boards the brush I employ is like an ordinary painter's brush, but
in the midst of the hairs I place a perforated india-rubber bag, pocket, or receptacle,
through which passes the supply of water coming from the hose, and I attach it to
the stock or body by a hollow socket.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Joseph Ferdinand Bernard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th April 1878.
JOSEPH FERDINAND BERNARD, of Boulevard Saint Denis, No. 1, at Paris, Manu-
facturer. "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR WASHING OR CLEANSING FRONTS OF
WAREHOUSES, CARRIAGES, WAGGONS, RAILINGS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."
My Invention has for object a system of portable apparatus for washing or
cleansing the fronts of warehouses, carriages, railway carriages, sign boards, gratings,
and the like, and consists in joining the washing brush direct with the receptacle
containing the water. or wash by means of a moveable conduit or tubing, so that it
becomes useless for the operator to dip the brush into the water. Hand brushes for
carriages, long handled brushes for railway carriages, and the like, are readily
adaptable to this system of apparatus, the water from the portable receptacle being
drawn up and forced out by a small pump placed in the said receptacle, and worked
by a treadle. The water is brought into the body or stock of the brush, which for
this purpose is hollow, by a moveable tube (by preference an india-rubber one), and
by the tubular handle of the brush from thence the water issues in the midst of the
bristles or hairs through holes pierced amongst the tufts.
The wood of the brush and collar of the handle are covered with india-rubber, to
prevent injury to the surface to be washed.
My system of apparatus will be well understood on reference to the annexed
Drawings.
Figure 1 is a view of the whole apparatus; and Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figures 3 to 10 are front and side views of different arrangements of brushes
adapted to the washing of the fronts of structures, carriages, railway cars, sign
boards, and the like, and constructed according to my Invention.
My apparatus is composed of a bucket or pail shaped receptacle a, made of wood
or zinc, and of sufficient size to be easily portable, and capable of containing a
sufficiently large quantity of water or wash, according to the washing to be done.
In the receptacle a I place the barrel of a suction and force pump b, the piston c of
which is joined to the rod d, articulated to a levér f. This lever is itself articulated
at one part to a connecting rod g, having its point of articulation h on the upper

page_text: odge of the receptacle a. The other extremity of the lever fis placed in connection
with a treadle i by means of a rod j. The treadle i is articulated to a bent bar k,
which is bolted to the outer circumference of the receptacle. Z is a handle for
facilitating the transport of the apparatus.
To determine the ascent of the piston in its barrel I place under its lower face a
spiral spring (Figure 1), so that it is continually urged to rise. By this arrange-
ment the suction is permanent, and pressure on the treadle is sufficient to force out
the water. The water forced out by the pump rises in the tube m, which terminates
in a joint n, and from which branches a sufficiently long caoutchouc tube o, termi-
nating at its extremity in a screw nozzle p.
On this nozzle is fixed the washing
brush, arranged for this purpose in a special way. These brushes are hollow at
their interior and form a chamber, in which flows the water coming from the pump
to be discharged through the orifices contrived for this purpose on to the place to be
washed, whilst the operator manoeuvres the brush. There is therefore no occasion.
to dip these brushes in the water, since it reaches them automatically.
I am now going to describe successively the several arrangements of brushes
specially adapted to my system for washing carriages, fronts of structures, railway
cars, sign boards, and other similar articles.
Figure 3 is a front view, and Figure 4 a side section of a brush intended for
washing carriages. This brush is composed of a wooden part r, on which are
arranged the bristles, and between each tuft is an orifice 8, permitting the discharge
of the water. The part is hollow inwardly, and forms a chamber t, which serves
as a receptacle for the water. This chamber is closed by a metal sliding cover u,
on which is soldered a socket v. In this socket the handle y of the brush is fixed,
and it is also provided with an interior conduit for the passage of the water. The
base of the handle carries a screw-threaded socket z, on which the nozzle of the
india-rubber tubing is screwed. An india-rubber casing a' covers the whole of the
part of the brush, and also the cover, so as to prevent the brush scratching
the place being washed. Orifices are contrived for the ejection of the water from
the interior, and also for the passage of the bristles or hairs.
The working is as follows:-The brush being fixed to a sufficiently long flexible
tubing o it can be manoeuvred while the treadle is being worked by the foot, so as
to produce the forcing of the water into the brush, and consequently its discharge
on to the place or thing being cleaned.
When the fronts of warehouses are to be cleaned I join the india-rubber tubing o
to a rigid tube X, which serves as a handle (see Figure 5), and at the two ends of
this rigid tube are two screw-threaded sockets, one for joining it to the nozzle p,
and the other for receiving the brush, see Figures 6 and 7. This brush is arranged
like the preceding one, except that the cover has a joint c', which has a sufficient
inclination, and from which the tube X branches. The working is the same as that
previously described.
Figures 8 and 9 show an arrangement of brush intended for washing cars, railway
carriages, vans, and the like.
:
For the washing of sign boards I employ the brush seen at Figure 10. This
brush is an ordinary painter's brush, the interior of which the water reaches by
means of a perforated india-rubber pocket d'. This pocket is fixed to a hollow
socket. The base of the brush terminates in a cap g', having a similar joint to
that seen at c in the preceding arrangements, and to which the tube X, Figure 5,
is fixed.
A modified arrangement of the apparatus is seen at Figures 11 and 12, and
consists, principally, in the direct working of the piston by the treadle, the levers
of articulation and g being suppressed. The working of the piston c is then
effected by means of a rod c¹, joined parallel to its upper part by a cross piece A.
The rod is attached by its base to the treadle i, and a coiled spring ¹ serves to
restore the treadle to its place on pressure being removed. Another coiled spring j
ensures and facilitates the movements of the treadle. It will therefore be under-
stood that in depressing the treadle with the foot the rod c, which is joined to the

page_text: piston rod by the cross bar A in such manner that these two rods can act parallel,
the rod c will carry with it the piston rod in the barrel of the suction and force
pump b, and will produce the injection of the water, as herein-before described.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same may be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First. The arrangement in the water or wash receptacle of a suction and force
pump, such pump being operated by means of a treadle during the working or
manoeuvring of the brushes, as herein described.
Second. The arrangement of the brushes, in the interior of which is contrived a
chamber, into which flows the water or wash from the suction and force pump, such
water or wash being ejected outwardly through orifices contrived for this purpose
in the midst of the bristles of the brush, as herein described, and shewn in the
Drawings in Figures 3 to 10.
Third. The modified arrangement of receptacle for the water or wash, as shewn
in Figures 11 and 12.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Ferdinand Bernard, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
ALBERT CAHEN,
Civil Engineer,
of Boulevard St. Denis, 1,
at Paris.
J. F. BERNARD. (L.S.)