IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRUSHES AND BROOMS."
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Ludbrook, of Harford Street, Mile End, in the
County of Middlesex, Brush Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRUSHES AND BROOMS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Ludbrook at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th December 1878.
SAMUEL LUDBROOK, of Harford Street, Mile End, in the County of Middlesex,
Brush Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRUSHES AND
BROOMS."
My Invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of brushes and brooms,
and is more especially applicable to those in which bass or piasoava is used for the
knots or tufts, although I may use bristles or other fibres. The said Invention is
designed to afford the means for ensuring a stronger and more permanent setting
of the knots or tufts, thereby rendering the brushes more durable while diminishing
the cost of material and labour in their manufacture.
The said Invention is carried into practice as follows, that is to say:-The stock
of the brush or broom is drilled or perforated with a suitable number of holes of
the proper size to receive the knots, but these holes extend only partly through the
said stock. Each knot or tuft is made of the proper size to fill these holes and is
secured therein by a wedge or other piece of wood in the following novel and
peculiar manner. I double or fold the bass or other material of which the knot or
tuft is formed over or upon the said wedge or other piece of wood, and then insert
the fold of the knot into the hole, and by means of a punch or other suitable im-
plement, I drive the wedge with the knot into the hole in such a manner that the
folded end of the knot is forced down to the bottom of the hole and the wedge fits
tightly above it in the said hole.
I prefer to make the said wedge or other piece of wood slightly greater in width
than the diameter of the hole, so that when driven in the same over the knot as

page_text: above described it will fit very tightly against the sides of the hole or will slightly
enter or penetrate the same and will thereby be very securely held in place.
The said wedges may be formed of beech or other hard or close grained wood.
They are prererably made of a thickness equal to about one eighth of the diameter
of the hole and slightly taper. It will be obvious that by thus using wedges or
pieces of wood to secure the knots in the stock I obviate the difficulties experienced
in the use of wire or metal pieces which are liable to rust, and thereby cause the
rapid wearing out or destruction of the material forming the knots. And on the
other hand, I secure advantages which cannot be secured by the ordinary methods
of making brushes with false backs, or by the process of manufacture in which the
knots are dipped in pitch, then bound with string, and covered with pitch before
inserting them in their holes, which process is commonly known as setting, the
latter method of manufacture being very unsatisfactory, as the brushes made
thereby will not bear exposure to heat.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Samuel Ludbrook in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th June
1879.
SAMUEL LUDBROOK, of Harford Street, Mile End, in the County of Middlesex,
Brush Manufacturer. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRUSHES AND
BROOMS."
My Invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of brushes and brooms,
and is more especially applicable to those in which bass or piassava is used for the
knots or tufts, although I may use tufts of bristles or other fibres. The peculiar
and novel feature of this Invention is the securing of the tufts or knots of fibre in
the back or stock of the brush or broom by means of wedge shaped or other pieces
of wood, as hereinafter described, and the said Invention is designed to afford the
means for ensuring a stronger and more permanent setting of the knots or tufts,
thereby rendering the brushes more durable while diminishing the cost of material
and labor in their manufacture.
The said Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a vertical section through a portion of the back or stock of a brush;
and
Figure 2 is a similar section on the line x, x, Figure 1.
Like letters indicate the same parts in both Figures.
The stock a of the brush or broom is drilled or perforated with a suitable number
of holes b of the proper size to receive the knots, but it will be seen that these holes
extend only partly through the said stock. Each knot or tuft c is made of the
proper size to fill one of these holes, and is secured therein by the novel and peculiar
means above specified, that is to say, by the use of a piece of wood d, wedge-shaped
or otherwise formed. In the Drawing I have shewn the same slightly taper or
I double or fold the bass or
wedge shaped, and this is the form I prefer to use.
other fibres of which the knot or tuft c is formed over or upon the said wooden
wedge or piece d; I then insert the fold or part c¹ of the knot into the hole, and by
means of a punch or other suitable implement I drive the wedge with the knot into
the said hole in such a manner that the folded end of the knot is forced down to
the bottom of the hole and the wedge d fits tightly above it in the said hole, as
shewn in the Drawing.
I prefer to make the said wedge or other piece of wood d slightly greater in length
between the sides 1 and 2 in Figure 2, than the diameter of the hole, so that when
driven in the same over the knot as above described it will fit very tightly against
the sides of the hole, or will slightly enter or penetrate the same, and will thereby
hold the tuft very securely in place.
The said wooden wedges or pieces may be formed of beech or other hard or close
grained wood. They are preferably made of a thickness equal to about one eighth of
the diameter of the hole, and should have their grain extend in the direction of the
lines shewn in Figure 1. And I prefer that when they are driven into their holes
their length from 1 to 2 should be in the direction of the grain of the wood in the
stock.
It will be obvious that by thus using wedges or pieces of wood to secure the
knots in the stock I obviate the difficulties experienced in the use of wire or metal
pieces which are liable to rust, and thereby cause the rapid wearing out, displace-
ment, or destruction of the material forming the knots. And on the other hand, I
secure advantages which cannot be secured by the ordinary methods of making
brushes with false backs, or by the process of manufacture in which the knots are
dipped in pitch, then bound with string and covered with pitch before inserting
them in their holes, which process is commonly known as setting, the latter method
of manufacture being very unsatisfactory for the reason that the brushes made
thereby will not bear exposure to heat.

page_text: Having thus fully described my said Invention and the manner of performing the
the same, I wish it understood that I claim in the manufacture of brushes and
brooms,
The employment of wedge-shaped or other pieces of wood in combination with
the tufts or knots of fibre for securing the same in the holes in the back or stock
of the brush or broom, as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Ludbrook, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
S. LUDBROOK. (L.S.)