IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR REMOVING DIRT FROM THE BOTTOMS OF BOOTS, SHOES, AND GOLOSHES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Tidcombe, of Bushey, in the County of
Herts, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR
REMOVING DIRT FROM THE BOTTOMS OF BOOTS, SHOES, AND GOLOSHES."
Sealed the 16th February 1869, and dated the 24th August 1868.
24th August 1868.
I, GEORGE TIDCOMBE, of Bushey, in the County of Herts, Engineer,
5 do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MEANS FOR REMOVING DIRT FROM THE BOTTOMS OF BOOTS, SHOES, AND GOLOSHES,'
to be as follows:-
The object of the Invention is to obtain a surface of a durable
character adapted for use jointly as a mat and a scraper in removing

page_text: dirt from the bottoms of boots, shoes, and goloshes. For this purpose
I form the surface of iron, steel, or other metal, by preference cast
and of trellice or other suitable form, with the upper edges of the
form adopted sharper than the under surfaces thereof, so as to facilitate
the cleansing of the bottom of the boot, shoe, or golash. Cleansing
surfaces of different sizes may thus be obtained in one or several pieces
to rest on a floor or other surface or over a recess or pit, or in a
box prepared for them to receive the dirt thus removed. In some
eases both surfaces may be formed with like sharp edges, the thickening
for strength being in the middle of the depth, by which facility will
be obtained for using either surface. Mats thus formed are particularly
applicable to out of door or exposed situations.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Tidcombe in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th February 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
TIDCOMBE, of Bushey, in the County of Herts, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, hearing date the Twenty-fourth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said George Tidcombe, Her special
licence that I, the said George Tidcombe, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Tidcombe, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agrec 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MEANS POR REMOVING DIRT FROM THE BOTTOMS OF BOOTS, SHOES, AND
GOLOSHES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Tidcombe, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what

page_text: 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
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Tidcombe, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The object of the Invention is to obtain a surface of a durable
character adapted for use jointly as a mat and scraper in removing dirt
from the bottoms of boots, shoes, and goloshes. For this purpose I
form the surface of iron, steel, or other metal, by preference cast, and
of trellis or other suitable form producing reticulate or cellular openings
or open chambers with the upper edges of the form adopted sharper
than the under surface thereof, so as to facilitate the cleansing of the
bottom of the boot, shoe, or golosh thereon. Cleansing surfaces of
different sizes may thus be obtained in one or several pieces adapted
to the situation to which they are applied to rest on a floor or other
surface or over a recess or pit, or in a box prepared for them to
receive the dirt thus removed. In some cases both the upper and
the under surfaces may be formed with like sharp edges, the thickening
for strength being in the middle of the depth, by which facility will be
obtained for using either surface for a time as the uppermost and then
changing it for the other. Mats thus formed are particularly applicable
to out of door or exposed situations..
But that the Invention may be better understood I will, by the aid of
the accompanying Drawing, proceed to describe means pursued by me
in carrying the same into effect.
Figure 1 shows a plan or upper side view of a mat arranged
according to my Invention adapted to the removal of dirt from the.
bottoms of boots, shoes, or goloshes; Figure 2 shows a front edge view;
and Figure 3 an end view of the same; Figure 4 shows a section
through the line (1), (1), of Figure 1. In each of the Figures of the
Drawings the same letters are employed to indicate corresponding
parts.

page_text: The surface upon which the rubbing or scraping of the bottoms of
the boots, shoes, or goloshes is effected is formed of the bars a and b,
surrounded by the border c.
The bars a, b, as shown, are arranged to
form a series of diamond figures or openings, but the form of these
openings may be varied, and in place of their being formed of four
sides each may have other number of sides, so long as distinct and
separate open chambers are formed by lines of bars crossing or other-
wise arranged in relation to each other, so that the edge of such
surfaces may act in different directions to remove dirt. By the edges
of the sets of bars being thus placed in lines crossing. each other
protection is also afforded against slipping whilst walking over such
surfaces. The border c is formed with necks or bolts d, d, which
are supported in the bearings e, e, from the quadrangular plate f
which serves as a base for the combined mat and scraper to rest upon
and admit of its being raised so as to facilitate the removal of any
dirt as it accumulates under the open chambers or cells. is a pro-
jection to the front edge of the border c for facility in raising it on
its hinges or pivot bolts d, d, when so raised it may be supported by
the leg g, as shown by the red lines in Figure 3. The base plate f
may rest in or be let into the surface to which the combined mat
and scraper is applied, or the combined mat and scraper may simply
rest on or form part of the floor or other surface, as shown by the
sectional view, Figure 5, or may be applied in or over any suitable
recess, box, or pit, and be formed in several parts if desired. When
it is desired that they should turn on pivot or hinge joints on stone
the bearings for such pivots may be let into the stone as shown
by the sectional view of one, Figure 6, or otherwise.
Figure 7 shows a section, full size, of one of the bars a or 6; and
Figures 8, 9, 10, and 11 show sectional views of other forms of the
bars, which may be adopted, care being taken in any case to obtain
a comparatively thin upper surface or an upper surface to the bars
having thin surfaces thereon. The forms Figures 9 and 11 are adapted
to the cleansing surface, being reversible, so that one surface may be
uppermost at one time and the other at another. In such case the
frame of bars c will either be loose or its hinge joints will be applied
centrally and the bearings admit of its being shifted for either side.
Figure 12 shows parts of bars a and b of Figure 1 at the point

page_text: of junction to a larger scale. The hinge joints are also a security
to prevent the too ready removal of these scraper mats.
Having thus described my Invention, I would have it understood that
what I claim is, the adaptation of means for the removing of dirt from
the bottoms of boots, shoes, and goloshes, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Tidcombe, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.

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