Improvements in Mops.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Dec., 1895-Accepted, 25th Jan., 1856
Improvements in Mops.
We, GEORGE EDWARD. CLARKE, of 33 Saint Mark's Road, Wolverhampton
in the County of Stafford, Cycle Works Manager, and WILLIAM CHARLES
STACKHOUSE, of 65 Compton Road, Wolverhampton, aforesaid, Clerk, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improved means for holding the rags or other
soft fibrous or textile material to the handles of mops. According to the usual
method of fixing such material to the handle of a mop, a nail is passed through it
and is driven tightly into the end of the handle, a metal ferrule around the end of
the handle being used to prevent the wood from splitting. The nail, however, gets
very rusty, which is objectionable, and when the fibrous or textile material
requires to be renewed great difficulty is experienced in withdrawing the nail from
the handle, the head of the nail having frequently to be screwed up in a vice for
the purpose. Moreover, the hole rapidly becomes too large in the end of the
handle to enable a nail to be fixed therein.
with a nut.
Now, according to this invention, the handle itself is fixed within a metal socket
of which the outer end is closed except for a square hole therethrough. A bolt,
having a square portion immediately under the head, is passed through the square
hole at the closed end of the socket before the handle is placed within the socket,
and the inner end of the handle prevents the bolt from being pushed. back into
the socket. The square portion of the bolt is a sufficient fit within the square
hole of the socket to prevent the bolt turning. The outer end of the bolt is fitted
The fibrous or textile material is passed over the end of the bolt, and
the nut is then screwed tightly up to hold such material securely in place. It is
preferred that the bolt and nut shall be of gun metal or other non-corrosible or
not readily corrosible metal or alloy, and as they are of course very light the
expense of using such metal or alloy is trifling, though the resulting advantage is
very great. When it is desired to replace the fibrous or textile material with fresh,
the nut is simply removed from the pin, the old material withdrawn therefrom, the
fresh material pushed over the pin, and the nut again screwed up.
A washer may
of course be interposed between the nut and soft material, if desired, so as to give
a broader bearing surface against the outer or under face of such material.
The
It will be seen that by the use of this invention the handle itself is not interfered
with in fixing the soft material of the mop in place, or in refixing a fresh lot.
handle will, consequently, last a very considerable length of time. It will be seen
also that the removal and replacement of the soft material is effected in a manner
which is so extremely simple that it can be performed by any person using simply
a spanner which will fit the nut, or even a pair of pincers by which the nut can be
gripped.
It is preferred to make the socket above described split along one side, or along
the top or bottom, or it may, if desired, be split on opposite sides, or both at top
and bottom. When the handle has been inserted within the socket, one two or
more pins is or are passed through the socket and through the handle in a direction
transverse to that of a liue passing from the slit or slits through the centre of the
socket, and such pin or pins is or are then tightened up and the socket thus caused
to grip the handle. As the pin or pins passes or pass through the handle it
ГО..!.. 011

page_text: cannot become detached from the socket even though it may shrink or otherwise
become loose or easy therein.
Dated this 'th day of March 1895
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicants.
Improvements in Mops.
We, GEORGE EDWARD CLARKE, of 33 Saint Mark's Road, Wolverhampton
in the County of Stafford, Cycle Works Manager, and WILLIAM CHARLES
STACKHOUSE, of 65 Compton Road, Wolverhampton, aforesaid, Clerk, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
According to the usual method of attaching rags or other soft fibrous or textile
material to the handle of a mop, a nail is passed through it and is driven tightly
into the end of the handle, a plain metal ferrule or socket around the end of the
handle being used to prevent the wood from splitting. The nail, however, gets
very rusty, which is objectionable, and when the fibrous or textile material requires
to be renewed great difficulty is often experienced in withdrawing the nail from
the handle, the head of the nail having frequently to be screwed up in a vice for
the purpose. Moreover, the hole rapidly becomes too large in the end of the
handle to enable a nail. to be fixed therein; and the wood is liable to become
loose in the ferrule and the ferrule to become detached therefrom.
Now, according to this invention, the handle itself is fixed within a metal
socket, or ferrule of which the outer end is closed except for a hole formed
therethrough to receive a bolt or pin; and the fibrous or textile material is
attached by means of a bolt, which is passed through the hole in the inner end of
the socket before the handle is fixed therein, and has a nut on its outer end, or
by means of a pin, having a large head, which is screwed up through the hole in
the inner end of the socket. The fibrous or textile material is held between the
nut or pin head, as the case may be, and the end of the socket, the bolt or pin
passing through the material. The handle is fixed to the socket by means of a
bolt or bolts passing transversely through the handle and through opposite sides of
the socket; and it is preferred to form the socket with a slit down one side or
down opposite sides, so that as the transverse bolt or bolts are tightened up the
socket will be thereby caused to securely grip the handle. This construction of
socket or ferrule, and method of fixing the handle therein, permit of the socket
being tightened around the handle in case, from shrinkage or other cause, the handle
becomes loose in the socket.
Referring now to the drawings herewith, which illustrate the invention, Figure 1
shews, in vertical section, an arrangement according to this invention, by which the
soft material of a mop is connected to the handle by. means of a bolt and nut and
socket or ferrule. A is the inner end of the handle, B the socket or ferrule closed
at the bottom h, C a bolt which passes through both sides of the socket and
transversely through the handle. D is a bolt having a square part d immediately
under its head d', and a nut e on its outer end.
Figure 2 is a detached view of the socket B as seen looking down upon the top
thereof. is an open slit down one side of the socket which enables the socket to
close in around the handle and grip it tightly as the bolt C is tightened up. The
bolt C passes through the socket in a direction transverse to that of a line passing
from the slit f through the centre of the socket. Two or even more of such bolts
may, of course, be used, but one will usually be found sufficient. A slit corre-
sponding to the slit f may be formed also down the opposite side of the socket to

page_text: enable it more readily to close in around the handle, but a single slit will usually
be found sufficient for the purpose. Any slit, however, is not essential (though
much preferred, for the purpose above stated) as the bolt C securely prevents the
socket falling off the handle though it may be quite loose therearound. A square.
hole g, through which the bolt D is passed, is formed through the middle of the
closed bottom of the socket, and is of a size which prevents the square portion d
of the bolt from turning therein. The bolt D is passed through the bottom of the
socket before the handle is inserted therein, & the inner end of the handle, when
fixed within the socket, prevents the bolt from being pushed back. The soft
material of the mop is passed over the bolt D and is held between the nut e
and the bottom of the socket B. A washer i may be interposed between the
nute and the soft material to give increased bearing surface." When the soft
material needs to be replaced with a fresh lot, the nut e is unscrewed from the
bolt D, the material is then drawn from off the bolt, and the fresh material passed
thereover and fixed in place by the nut e.
Figure 3 shews a modification in which a pin D' is substituted for the bolt D and
nut e. The pin has a head j, conveniently of the form shewn in plan by Figure 4..
This pin is passed through the soft material, and screwed up into a tapped hole.
formed in the bottom of the socket in lieu of the square hole g before described..
The flutes k, shewn by Figure 4 as formed in the sides of the head j, enable the
pin D to be screwed up by hand. A hole is formed up the axis of the inner end
of the handle to receive the end of the pin D' as it is screwed up.
It is preferred that the bolt D and mute, or the bolt D', as the case may be, shall
be of gun metal, or other non-corrisible or not-readily-corrosible metal or alloy, and
as they are of course very light the expense of using such metal or alloy is trifling,.
though the resulting advantage is very great.
It will be seen that by the use of this invention the handle itself is not interfered
with in fixing the soft material of the mop-in place, or in fixing a fresh lot. The
handle will, consequently, last a long while. It will be seen, also, that the removal
and replacement of the soft material is effected in a manner which is so extremely
simple that it can be performed by any person using, in the case of the arrangement
which comprises the bolt D and nut e, simply a spanner which will fit the nut, or
even a pair of pincers by which the nut can be gripped, and, in the case of the
arrangement which comprises the pin D', simply by the finger and thumb.
A socket or ferrule formed open at each end, and having a slit formed down one
side for a whole or part of the depth thereof, and if desired a slit formed at the
opposite side also for a portion of the depth thereof, may be substituted for the
plain ferrule or socket usually employed with mop handles, when the soft material
of the mop is to be attached in the ordinary manner, and be tightened up around
the handle by means of a transverse bolt or bolts passing through the sides of the
ferrule and through the handle similarly as the split socket above described is fixed.
When this is done, however, the soft material is more conveniently fixed by means
of a screw screwed up into the end of the handle than by a nail.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we-
claim is :-
1. In a mop, the combination of a close-ended socket or ferrule in which the
handle is securely fixed, with a bolt or pin by means of which the soft material
of the mop is held against the end of the socket or ferrule, substantially as.
described.
2. A mop handle socket or ferrule formed with a slit or slits and provided with a
transverse bolt or bults by means of which it may be closed up tightly around the
handle, substantially as described.
3. In a mop, the combination of a close-ended socket or ferrule, formed with a
slit or slits, within which the handle is secured by a transverse pin or pins by means
of which the socket or ferrule may be tightened around the handle, with a bolt or

page_text: pin by means of which the soft material of the mop is held up against the end of
the socket or ferrule, substantially as described.
4. The means by which the soft material of a mop is attached to the handle,
substantially as described and shewn by the drawings herewith, whether the socket
or ferrule is formed with a slit or slits or not, as described.
Dated this 21st day of December 1895.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicants.