AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRUSHES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Conner, of No. 68, Byrom Street, Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, Brush Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"
Sealed the 5th October 1855, and date the 20th July 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Conner at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
July 1855.
I, GEORGE CONNER, of No. 68, Byrom Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Brush Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRUSHES" to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to the use of a vegetable fibre obtained from a plant
known as Mexican grass, which when properly prepared is rendered suitable
for being manufactured into brushes, the object being to obtain a cheap and
efficient substitute for bristles, or for other vegetable fibres now used for the
like purpose.
The Mexican grass I cut to the required length, and I dress it by means of
a comb, in the ordinary manner of dressing bristles. I then bake it in an
oven to straighten the fibres, and dye it (when required) by immersion in any

page_text: suitable dye liquor. When dry 1 "draught "it with heckles, after the manner
pursued in treating horse-hair. The vegetable fibre may then according to its
quality be used in the manufacture of brushes of various kinds, and either
alone or mixed with hogs' bristles of an inferior quality, or with other fibres.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Conuer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th January 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
CONNER, of No. 68, Byrom Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Brush Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent. bearing date the Twentieth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Conner, Her special license that I, the said George Conner, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Conner, 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF BRUSHES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
George Conner, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Conner, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to he performed,
to be particularly described and-ascertained in and by the following statement
(that is to say)-
This Invention of "An Improvement in the Manufacture of Brushes"
relates to the use of a vegetable fibre obtained from a plant known as "Mexi-
can grass," or "agave Americana," which when properly prepared in the manner
hereafter mentioned is rendered suitable for being manufactured into brushes,

page_text: the object being to obtain a cheap and efficient substitute for bristles, or for
certain vegetable fibres that are now used for the like purpose, in the manu-
facture of brushes or brooms.
In order to remove extraneous matters from the useful fibre which I pro-
pose to employ for the aforesaid purposes, I cut the plant into pieces of the
required length, and having loosened the fibres by rolling, crushing, or other
convenient means, I dress the fibres by means of a comb, in the ordinary
manner of dressing other vegetable fibres or bristles, and by this means I
remove all the short useless waste and other extraneous matters from the
useful fibres, which I then bake in an oven in order to straighten the fibres,
which may, if required, be dyed of any suitable colour by immersion in any
suitable dye liquor. When dry I submit the fibres to the operation of heckles,
in the same manner as is pursued in treating horse-hair, and the result will be
a strong, firm, and stiff horny fibre, somewhat resembling coarse horse-hair.
This strong, horny, vegetable fibre may then according to its quality be used
in the manufacture of brushes of various kinds, and may be employed
either alone or mixed with hogs' bristles of an inferior quality, or with other
fibres.
Having now described my Invention of "An Improvement in the Manu-
facture of Brushes," and the means of carrying the same into effect, I claim,
in conclusion, the application to the manufacture of brushes of the fibres
obtained from the "agave Americana," or "Mexican grass."
In witness whereof, I, the said George Conner, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Seventeenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
GEORGE CONNER. (L.S.)
Witness,
JOHN WARBURTON,
of Princes Buildings,
26, South John Street, Liverpool.