An Improved Crumb-collector.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left. 18th July, 1894-Accepted, 18th Aug., 1894
An Improved Crumb-collector.
I, FRANCIS MOUSSIER, of 15 Rue du Delta, Paris, in the Republic of France,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an automatic crumb-collector designed to gather the
crumbs which remain on table-cloths and on tables after repasts. For effecting
this operation use as heretofore generally been made of a brush for sweeping the
cloth and of a plate for receiving the crumbs; this mode of proceeding takes a long
time and is often inefficacious, whereas by. the employment of my crumb-collector
the result is obtained in a prompt, easy and perfect manner.
One form or arrangement of this automatic crumb-collector comprises a box
divided into two compartments by a vertical partition.
The box is traversed longitudinally in its middle by an axis upon which is fixed
a cylindrical brush the bristles or tufts of which are by preference arranged
helically.
In the interior of one of the compartments is arranged a barrel forming one piece
with a toothed wheel mounted loosely upon a sleeve placed upon the central axis;
the barrel encloses a spiral spring attached by one of its extremities to the said
sleeve. The toothed wheel on the sleeve gears with a pinion keyed upon the same
axis as a toothed wheel engaging with a pinion secured upon the central axis.
The second compartment is provided with an aperture adapted to be closed by a
lid; the box carries a knob which facilitates the handling of the apparatus.
Before using the apparatus a handle is turned in order to wind up the spring in
the barrel; then the handle is relinquished and the knob seized with the hand, the
apparatus being moved over the table or table-cloth to be cleaned. As the spring
expands it causes the barrel and the wheel forming one piece therewith to turn; the
latter wheel communicates its movement to the aforesaid pinion and to the wheel
which is secured on the same axis and turns the pinion keyed upon the central
axis. This axis in its rotary movement carries away the brush, and the latter,
owing to its helicoidal arrangement, conveys all the crumbs into the second
compartment, whence they can be easily removed by opening its lid.
I may add to the apparatus a simple device which enables the barrel to be
disengaged just at the moment when it is desired to use the crumb-collector. The
crumb-collector may also be constructed without a spring motor, in which case the
operation will take place by reason of the movement imparted to the apparatus by
hand through the medium of suitable transmitting devices; two wheels rolling
upon the table cloth will communicate the requisite rotatory movement to the
brush.
Another form or arrangement of this apparatus comprises a box made of two
dismountable parts and traversed longitudinally in its middle by an axis upon which
is fixed a cylindrical brush similar to that of the apparatus herein before described.
Upon the central axis is keyed a toothed wheel gearing with two pinions which
are loose upon axes carried by a disc preferably of wood and secured to the box.
These pinions gear with an interiorly toothed wheel mounted upon a disc which is
loose upon the central axis and provided with a circular flange which prevents the
crumbs or pieces collected by the apparatus from passing between the toothed
wheels. This disc on the central axis is provided with a groove in which an india-
rubber ring is placed.
A disc is mounted loosely at the other extremity of the central axis and, like the
aforesaid disc. is provided with an india-rubber ring.

page_text: In lieu of mounting a simple loose disc at one of the extremities of the central
axis I may arrange at the two extremities of this axis a disc, provided with a
toothed wheel in gear with a system of toothed wheels similar to that hereinbefore
described so that the movement of the brush takes place symmetrically at the two
extremities of the central axis.
The box carries a knob which facilitates the handling of the apparatus.
For using this second crumb-collector it is sufficient to take hold of the same
by the knob and move it over the table-cloth or table to be cleaned while pressing
upon the said knob.
The india rubber rings in contact with the table-cloth or table turn and carry
away the two dises upon which they are placed. One of these discs in its rotation
carries away the interiorly toothed wheel which communicates its movement to the
two pinions; these pinions in their turn carry away a toothed wheel together with
the central axis and brush. The latter conveys the crumbs which it encounters
into the box whence they can easily be removed through apertures provided for
this purpose in this box.
•
In order that the apparatus may not rock to the rear or to the front when being
used it is provided on its lateral faces with balls suitably arranged and held with
play in chambers forming one piece with or secured to the box.
Dated this 13th day of February 1894.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
I, FRANCIS MOUSSIER, of 15 Rue du Delta, Paris, in the Republic of France,
Merchant, 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 :-
My invention relates to an automatic crumb-collector designed to gather the
crumbs which remain on table-cloths or on tables after repasts. For effecting this
operation use has heretofore generally been made of a brush for sweeping the
cloth and of a plate or tray for receiving the crumbs; this mode of proceeding
takes a
long time and is often inefficacious, whereas by the employment of my
crumb-collector the result is obtained in a prompt, easy and perfect manner.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figures 1 and 2 represent respectively a transverse section and a longitudinal
section of a crumb-collector having an automatic spring and a single brush.
Figures 3 and 4 are respectively a longitudinal section and a transverse section
showing a crumb-collector with a single brush and without a spring.
Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 are respectively a sectional elevation, a plan and two
transverse sections of a crumb-collector having two brushes without a spring, to
which collector I give up to the present time the preference, both by reason of its
construction and by reason of its efficient operation.
The automatic crumb-collector represented in Figures 1 and 2 is substantially
composed of a box a divided into two compartments a¹ and a² by a vertical
partition a³.
The box a is traversed longitudinally at its middle by an axis b upon which is
fixed a cylindrical brush c the bristles or tuits of which are by preference arranged
helically.
In the interior of the small compartment a² is arranged a barrel d forming one
piece with a toothed wheel d' mounted loosely upon a sleeve d² placed upon the
axis b; the barrel d encloses a spiral spring e attached by one of its extremities to

page_text: the sleeve d². The toothed wheel d¹ gears with a pinion ƒ keyed upon the same
axis as a toothed wheel g engaging with a pinion & secured upon the axis b.
The compartment al is provided with an aperture i adapted to be closed by a
lid; the box a carries a knob k which facilitates the handling of the apparatus.
Before using the apparatus the haudle m is turned in order to wind up the
spring e in the barrel d; then the handle m is relinquished, and the knob k seized
with the hand, the apparatus being moved over the table or table cloth to be
cleaned. As the spring e expands it causes the barrel d and the wheel d¹ to turn;
the latter communicates its movement to the pinion f and to the wheel g which
turns the pinion / keyed upon the axis b. This axis in its rotary movement
operates the brush c, and the latter conveys all the crumbs into the compartment a¹
whence they can be easily removed by opening its lid i¹.
I may add to the apparatus a simple device which enables the barrel to be
disengaged just at the moment when it is desired to use the crumb-collector.
The second arrangement represented in Figures 3 and 4 comprises a box a made
in two parts a and a traversed by an axis upon which is fixed a cylindrical
brush e similar to that of the apparatus hereinbefore described.
с
Upon the axis b is keyed a toothed wheel d gearing with two pinions d' d' which
are loose upon axes carried by a disc e preferably of wood and secured to the
box a.
These pinions d' d' gear with an interiorly toothed wheel d² mounted upon
a disc which is loose upon the axis and provided with a circular flange which
prevents the crumbs or pieces collected by the apparatus from passing between th
toothed wheels. This disc f is provided with a groove in which an indiarubbe.
ring g is placed.
A disc is mounted loosely at the other extremity of the axis band, like the
disc f, is provided with an indiarubber ring h¹.
In lieu of mounting a simple loose disc such as h at one of the extremities of the
axis I may arrange at the two extremities of this axis b a disc, such as f provided
with a toothed wheel in gear with a system of toothed wheels similar to that.
hereinbefore described so that the movement of the brush c takes place symmetrically
at the two extremities of the axis b; a knob k facilitates the handling of the
apparatus.
For using this second crumb-collector it is sufficient to take hold of the same
by the knob k and move it over the table-cloth or table to be cleaned while pressing
upon the said knob k.
The indiarubber rings g and h¹ roll upon the table-cloth or table turn and
operate the disc and h upon which they are placed. The disc f in its rotation
operates the wheel d' which communicates its movement to the pinions d' d¹; these
pinions in their turn operate the toothed wheel d together with the axis b and
brush c. The latter conveys the crumbs which it encounters into the box a whence
they can easily be removed through the apertures a as provided for this purpose
in the box.
In order that the apparatus may not rock to the rear or to the front when being
used it is provided on its. lateral faces with balls o o suitably arranged and held
with play in chambers forming one piece with or secured to the box a.
The third modification of the improved crumb-collector (Figures 5 to 8)
comprises a casing a to which I preferably give the form of a small chest or trunk;
but without limiting myself exclusively to this form, this casing is formed of a
cover a¹ and is provided interiorly with a frame a' which strengthens it, and the
short sides of which support the axes 61 and 62 of two cylindrical brushes and c¹
of the same diameter arranged parallel and tangentially.
These brushes are
surrounded over a certain portion of their respective surfaces by curved
partitions 63 fixed upon the long sides of the frame a' whose dented edges form
two parallel combs 6 and 66.
C
Upon the short sides of the frame are also fixed two partitions as a which
provide in the casing a two small lateral compartments (a aº. Between the
partitions as a on the one hand and between the partitions 63 64 and the long sides

page_text: of the casing a on the other hand are the two compartments at all in which
accumulate the crumbs collected by the apparatus as will hereinafter be seen.
At each extremity of the axis 6' is a roller i fluted or not and partially concealed
in one of the compartments a° a°; at each extremity of the axis 62 is mounted a
small toothed pinion k which gears with another pinion of the same diameter,
secured to a roller also partly concealed in one of the compartments as a and
whose axis is fixed upon one of the short sides of the frame a' as clearly shown
in Figure 8.
For operating this latter crumb-collector it is moved, like the preceding one, by
bearing lightly upon the table-cloth or upon the table to be cleaned with which the
four rollers i come in contact and make a rotary movement as they roll upon
it; the two rollers i i operate the brush e directly, whilst the rollers turn the
pinions which communicate the rotary movement of the pinions k and to the
brush e which thus turns in the opposite direction to the brush e as indicated by
the arrows of Figure 7.
The brush which is always carefully put in front causes to pass behind it all
the crumbs which it encounters in its passage, and these are taken up by the
brush c¹ which concurrently with the brush c carries them away to the upper part
of the casing a; the combs 65 and 66 clear the brushes c and c' of the crumbs
distributed upon their periphery and the latter fall into the compartments a¹0 and all
which may be easily emptied, by removing the cover a'.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. An automatic crumb-collector comprising a box divided into two compart-
ments one of which, provided with a cover contains a brush fixed upon an axis
which is set in movement by the spring of a barrel through the medium of toothed
wheels and pinions arranged in the second compartment, substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore set forth.
Second. A crumb-collector comprising a box traversed by a longitudinal axis,
a cylindrical brush fixed upon this axis which carries at its extremities two grooved
discs provided with indiarubber rings; one of these discs carrying an interiorly
toothed wheel gearing with pinions adapted to turn upon fixed axes carried by a
disc secured to the box, these pinions actuating a toothed wheel keyed upon the
axis of the brush; the box being pierced with discharge apertures and provided
laterally with balls, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.
Third. A crumb-collector comprising a casing formed of a cover and in which
are arranged tangentially two cylindrical brushes which may receive contrary
rotary movements from four rollers, two of which are fixed upon the axis of one of
them and the other two of which are connected with the axis of the second brush
by means of toothed wheels; these combined brushes being partially surrounded
at their upper part by curved partitions having edges preferably dented in the
form of combs and which form between them and the faces of the casing compart-
ments wherein may accumulate the crumbs conveyed by the brushes, substantially
as and for the purposes herein set forth.
Dated this 18th day of July 1801
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.