CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SWEEPING CLEANSING STREETS, ROADS, OR WAYS
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WEBSTER
FLOCKTON, of the Spa Road, Bermondsey, in the County of Surrey, Turpentine
Distiller, 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 Twelfth day of September, in the eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Webster Flockton, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and autho-
rity, that I, the said Webster Flockton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, and such others as I, the said Webster Flockton, 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, an Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SWEEPING
CLEANSING STREETS, ROADS, OR WAYS," being a communication from a Foreigner
residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging
me, the said Webster Flockton, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Webster Flockton, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say :-
The improvements consist in a certain novel construction and arrangement
of machinery by which a series of brooms or brushes connected to a carriage
may be made to move horizontally over the street, road, or way, in a circular
direction, as the carriage advances, for the purpose of sweeping the mud,
dirt, and other matters into a ridge or heap by the side of the carriage, from
whence it is to be afterwards taken up by hand labor into mud carts or other
suitable receptacles.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of the
machine; Fig. 2 is a horizontal view of the same, that is, as it would appear
if seen from above; and Fig. 3 is a section taken longitudinally through the
machine in the direction of Fig. 1, in all which Figures similar letters of refe-
rence point out the same parts of the machine. A rectangular frame a, a, a,
is formed, consisting of two longitudinal rails, each being strengthened by a
truss above, and connected by several transverse rails. By this frame, which
constitutes a carriage, the whole of the machinery is supported. To the fore
part of the frame or carriage the axletree b is attached by a vertical pin,
allowing it to turn for locking as usual, and this axletree carries the front
running wheels.
At the back part of the carriage the frame is extended in
breadth for the purpose of supporting the axle or shaft c, on which the hinder
running wheels are mounted. Two circular concentric rings d, d, are securely
affixed to the under part of the frame by lugs and bolts e, e, e, the rings being
coincident as to their level; and which rings are intended to form a circular
railroad for conducting the series of revolving brushes f. ff. A horizontal
drum or wheel 9, called by me the cylindrical box, and which carries the
sweeping apparatus, is suspended below the rings d, d, by the following
means Into the upper side of the drum g four studs h, h, h, h, are inserted
and made fast, each of which studs carries two antifriction rollers i, i, intended
to run upon the upper surfaces of the circular railways, and thereby support
the suspended drum, and conduct it as it travels round with its sweeping appa-
ratus. Upon the axle or shaft c of the hinder running wheels a bevel-toothed
wheel is made fast, which takes into another bevel-toothed wheel Z on the
end of a longitudinal shaft m. The reverse end of this shaft m has also
affixed to it a bevel-toothed wheel n, mitreing into a similar wheel o fixed

page_text: upon the lower end of a vertical stud p, turning freely in the central transverse
shaft of the frame a. This vertical stud p is, by a clutch box q, connected to
the axle of the horizontal drum wheel g. The brooms f, f, f, of which I
propose to employ eight in the series (but do not confine myself to that
number), are long and thin, and bent into segmental forms, as best suited to
the purpose, and are made of any of the ordinary materials used for sweeping.
One of these brooms, with its appendages, is shewn detached at Fig. 4. The
brooms are severally affixed to the outer end of a lever », the inner end of
which lever is connected by a joint to the hub or nave of the drum wheel,
and a long slot or opening in the periphery of the drum, through which the
lever passes, allows the lever to rise and fall freely. The extended positions
of the brooms are preserved by rods s, s, s, attached to their outer edges, and
linked to the periphery of the drum.
Having now described the general construction of the improved sweeping
machinery, I proceed to explain the manner in which it performs its functions.
The carriage, being drawn forward by animal or manual labor, runs upon the
four wheels in any course in which it is directed. The hinder running wheels
of the carriage are connected to the axle c by spring clutch boxes t, t, the one
clutch of each box being fastened to the nave of each running wheel, the
other clutch of each box to the axle c; and they are kept locked together by
means of internal spiral springs, which force their ratchet teeth into close
connection and lock the wheels to the axle. Hence it will be perceived, that
as the carriage moves onward, the rotation of the hind wheels in rolling over
the ground will, through the clutches t, t, cause the shaft c to rotate, and in so
doing to give rotary motion to the toothed wheels k, l, shaft m, and mitre
wheels n, o, by which means, through the clutch q on the stud p, the drum
wheel g will be driven round, its supporting studs h, h, h, h, passing between
the rings d, d, and their friction rollers i, i, running round upon the railways
or faces of the rings. By these means the series of curved brooms f, f, f, will
be made to travel in circular courses, and to sweep the mud and other matters
into a heap or ridge on the left-hand side of the advancing carriage; and
should any obstruction present itself to the progress of the brooms, the jointed
connections of their levers r to the drum g will allow them to rise and pass
over any slight impediment. In some cases, however, I propose to guard the
brushes by placing before them wire scrapers, as shewn at v, v, v, in the
Figures. These may be readily attached to or detached from the fronts of the
brooms by any convenient modes of fastening, or in place of these guards, a
series of scrapers inay be employed to cut up or remove any hard substances.
When the brooms, as they revolve, approach the hinder part of the carriage,

page_text: they are to be lifted up off the ground. This is effected by an additional,
railway, of a segmental form, affixed in an inclined position to the under part
of the carriage, as shewn at w, w.
Arms are attached to the upper part of
each curved broom, having an antifriction roller u upon each of them; and,
as the brooms come round, these rollers u, mounting up the inclined segmental
rail w, will cause the brooms successively to be raised from the ground, and
be let down again when they arrive at the part where the sweeping is to com-
mence. I sometimes find it desirable to apply a series of cutters, rakes, or
scrapers in the front of the carriage, as at x, which have spiral springs upon.
the upright guide rods of their frame for the purpose of enabling the scrapers
to rise should they come in contact with any considerable resisting substance.
It may also be desirable at times to water the ground before the brooms for
the purpose of moistening the materials, allaying dust, or liquefying the mud.
This may be done by placing a water tank, as, at 3, on the back part of the
carriage, and leading a leather pipe or hose therefrom to a trough = in front,
by which means a constant flow of water may be made to jet from a series of
holes in the trough, which will effectually moisten, the dirt, allay, the dust,.
and liquefy the mud when necessary.
Having now described the improved machinery or apparatus for, sweeping,
or cleansing streets, roads, or ways, as communicated to me by a certain,
Foreigner residing abroad, I would observe, that I do not intend to limit
myself to any particular dimensions of the machine as a whole, or to the,
particular proportions of the parts represented in the Drawing, as they may
be considerably varied without departing from the general arrangement and,
principle of the mechanism; nor do I intend to confine myself to the par-
ticular forms or number of the brooms or scrapers employed, as they may be
varied to suit circumstances; nor to the materials of which the brushes shall.
be made, as bristles, whalebone, vegetable fibrous materials, and metal. wires
may be any of them used alone or combined; nor do I limit, myself to any.
particular rotary speed by which the brushes shall be made to travel round in
their circular course, as all these things may be varied in particular cases; but
the Drawings represent a machine in all its parts capable of working with
effect. I therefore claim,―
Firstly, the general arrangement of mechanical parts thero shewn.
Secondly, the cylindrical box, drum, or wheel in which the brooms are
carried, and the means by which they are made to revolve and to rise in cases
of obstruction.
Thirdly, the long curved forms of the brooms, of whatever materials they are.
made, and either with or without wire guards or scrapers.

page_text: Fourthly, the circular railways affixed to the carriage, by which the cylin-
drical box carrying the brooms is supported and conducted round as the
carriage progresses.
And, fifthly, the segmental inclined railway, and the appendages to the
brooms, whereby the brooms are successively raised out of operation at the
hinder part of the machine, and brought into operation again at the part
required.
.
I would further remark, that a hood or covering may be attached to and
placed over the machine, to confine the dust which may rise in dry weather,
and that the machine may be applied to clear the rails of railways from dirt
and snow, by attaching it in front of the railway tender or engine.
In witness whereof, I, the said Webster Flockton, have hereunto set
my hand, this Twelfth day of March, One thousand eight hundred and
forty-five.
WEBSTER (L.S.) FLOCKTON.