An Improved Appliance for use in Cleaning Windows.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 16th June, 1893-Accepted, 22nd July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Appliance for use in Cleaning Windows.
We, WILLIAM HEBBARD, of 7 Worcester Place, Penn Road, Wolverhampton
in the County of Stafford, Gentleman, and JOSEPH BROMAGE, of 60 Broad Street,
Bilston in the said County, Insurance Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the construction and employment of an appliance
whereby windows may be readily wiped after they have been washed.
An appliance constructed according to this invention, for the purpose stated,
has its operative surface formed of indiarubber which is mounted in a head or stock
in such manner that while yielding readily to any uneveness of surface it may be
pressed firmly against such surface for the whole width of the rubber. The
appliance is conveniently constructed of a wood stock to which a handle is fixed at a
suitable inclination to enable the appliance to be conveniently used, and the rubber
is used in the form of sheet, in two or more widths, of which the inner edges are
let into and fixed within grooves formed in a downwardly inclined direction in
the stock and at such angles with one another that when the widths of rubber
are inserted in place the outer edge of the lower or inuer width is supported
by the upper or hinder width or widths as it is pressed against the surface
of a window. The apparatus is operated by drawing it downwards against
the surface of the glass. It is preferred to carry the strips of rubber slightly
beyond each end of the stock so that they may be readily worked into the angles
formed between the glass and frame. A strip of zinc or other sheet metal is fixed
along the inside of the stock with its upper edge against the inner or lower strip of
rubber near to the portion thereof which enters the groove in the stock, to prevent
moisture running down.the face of the rubber, and into the groove.
The appliance may have a short handle fixed thereto when for use for windows
which can conveniently be reached by hand, or it may have a long handle fixed
thereto if the appliance is for use for windows out of the reach of the hand.
'Dated this 15th day of September 1892.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Appliance for use in Cleaning Windows.
We, WILLIAM HEBBARD, of 7 Worcester Place, Penn Road, Wolverhampton
in the County of Stafford, Gentleman, and JOSEPH BROMAGE, of 60.Broad Street,
Bilston.in the said County, Insurance Agent, 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 :-
This invention has for its object the construction and employment of an
improved appliance whereby windows may be readily wiped after they have been
washed.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood, we will at once proceed
to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which
Figure 1 is an inner face view of the improved appliance, constructed according
to this invention, for the purpose of wiping windows after they have been washed.
Figure 2 is a back view of such appliance.

page_text: a side or end view thereof; and
Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the head or stock, hereinafter described
the same being taken on line x x of Figure 1.
In Figures 1, 2 and 3 the handle, hereinafter described, is shewn as broken off
for convenience of illustration.
It
The appliance consists of a stock A, which may conveniently be of hard wood
such as beech, to the lower edge or back of which is attached a socket B formed to
receive a wooden or other handle C which is held therein by means of a screw D
which passes through a hole in the socket and is screwed into the handle. The
handle may be readily detached from the socket by removing the screw.
The
screw head is formed as a loop in order that it may readily be unscrewed by
the thumb and finger, or it may be of other convenient shape for the purpose.
Strips of india-rubber sheet (preferably vulcanized), such as a b, have their inner
edges inserted within downwardly inclined grooves in the head within which they
are held by means of glue or cement, and the forward edges of such strips project
consequently forwards in an upward direction from the face of the head. The
lower strip a is fixed at a greater inclination than the upper strip b, and the latter
strip tends to support the forward edge of the strip a as the strip a is pressed
against the surface of a window. The appliance is operated by drawing it down-
wards against the surface of the glass in order to wipe the moisture therefrom.
is preferred to carry the strips of rubber slightly beyond each end of the head, as
shewn, so that they may be readily worked into the angles formed between the
glass and frame. A strip of zinc or other sheet metal E is fixed along the inner
face of the head, as shewn, by means of nails c, or in other convenient manner, so
that its upper edge comes against the lower rubber strip a. This strip E prevents
moisture from running down the face of the rubber and into the groove.
We find
it convenient, for the purpose of fixing the lower strip of rubber a, to first form a
cavity d in the face of the head of the shape shewn, and then to cut the inclined
groove, within which the inner edge of the strip is to be fixed, in or near the angle
or corner of the cavity, as shewn. The metal strip E is, preferably, fixed against a
portion of the face of the head A which is set slightly back so as to leave a shoulder
along the bottom which tends to keep the strip in place, and the upper portion
thereof is cranked or bent out slightly in cross section, as shewn, so that its upper
edge will bear against the lower face of the rubber a opposite to the upper edge of
the cavity d, and thus press more securely against the rubber so as to prevent
moisture passing between itself and the rubber than if it were made to bear
against the rubber lower down.
The appliance may have a short handle fixed within the socket when for use
with windows which can conveniently be reached thereby, and a long handle may
be substituted when the height of the window, or of a portion thereof, requires it.
In some cases, such as when wiping the lower portion of a window which is near
the ground or part on which the operator is standing, the socket itself may be
used as a handle. The socket (and consequently the handle which is fixed therein)
is, preferably, inclined backwards from the plane of the face of the head, for
convenience in using the appliance.
After the appliance has been drawn down the length of the glass in wiping the
surface thereof, it will be found advantageous to wipe the edge of the rubber with
a cloth.
By the use of the appliance above described, windows which are at a moderate
height from the ground or floor may be wiped without the use of a step ladder;
and thus, if the windows are first washed with a brush having a sufficiently long
handle, or by means of a hose, the danger of using such ladders on public foot-
ways and in such places, with the consequent inconvenience to passers by, is
avoided.
The india-rubber yields readily to any unevenness of the surface of the glass,
and may be compressed firmly against such surface for the whole length of the
rubber

page_text: We have described the appliance constructed in the manner in which we prefer
to use it for all ordinary purposes; but it may be modified considerably without
departing from the nature of the invention. For instance, the stock or head
might be provided with three strips such as a b, each lower strip being supported
by the upper strip. In an appliance such as we prefer to employ for ordinary
purposes, the rubber is slightly under th of an inch in thickness. The upper
strip projects in an inclined direction about ths of an inch from the face of the
head, and the lower strip projects so that its outer edge comes into the position
shewn in relation to the outer edge of the upper strip. The head is about
ten inches long, and the strips project about th of an inch beyond each end.
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. An appliance for use in cleaning windows, having a wiper of india-rubber
fixed to a head or stock from which it projects, the outer edge of such wiper being
supported by the outer edge of a width of elastic material (or by the outer edges
of more than one such width) also fixed to such head or stock, substantially as
described and shewn.
2. In an appliance for use in cleaning windows which has a wiper of india-rubber
projecting from a head or stock, a strip fixed to the head and having an edge in
contact with the lower face of the wiper to prevent moisture running down the
face of the wiper and into the joint which the wiper makes with the head,
substantially as described.
3. An appliance for use in cleaning windows, having a wiper of india-rubber
which extends at each end beyond the head or stock by which it is carried,
substantially as described for the purpose set forth.
4. An appliance for use in cleaning windows, constructed substantially as
described and shewn by the drawings herewith.
Dated this 15th day of June 1893.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicants.