An Improved Carpet-beating Machine.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 14th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 17th Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Carpet-beating Machine.
We, PETER FYFE, Sanitary Engineer of No. 1 Montrose Street Glasgow, and
ARCHIBALD BUCHANAN MILLER, Engineer of No. 28 West Nile Street Glasgow
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
From the necessity of obtaining a thorough cleansing and disinfection of carpets,
particularly after cases of infectious disease: the following improvements over
present methods of machine carpet-beating are herein specified.
Carpet beating machines at present are constructed internally of a rectangular
shape, and have angles, corners, ledges etc., on which lust and debris collect. Dust
pits are fitted underneath. These together with the ledges and shelving in the
present machines require to be cleaned out periodically by manual labour, with
unsatisfactory results and loss of time. For disinfecting purposes the present
machines are unreliable as a disinfecting medium, in consequence of the dust not
being got rid of during the course of the operation. As previously deposited dust
is disturbed and reabsorbed by carpets following. the germs of infectious disease
may be redistributed among and carried away in the various fabrics. A rapidly
driven centrifugal fan of small diameter has hitherto been generally used on these
machines, presumably with the intended object of removing the dust. This fan is
usually placed at the side or on the top of carpet-beaters. The result is not
satisfactory. The internal condition of such machines conclusively testify to the
fact that large quantities of dust etc. remain.
The invention comprises the following features, viz. :-
First. The casing of the applicants proposed improved carpet-beating machine,
to be constructed in a cylindrical form with no dust pit underneath, perfectly
smooth internally from end to end.
Second. An open fan-preferably of the Blackman type-to be fitted at one end.
of a diameter equal to the width of the carpet-beating machine, and so arranged
and constructed as to draw off immediately, every particle of dust from the interior,
and force it through a duct of same superficial capacity as fan, into collecting
it or destructor at a distance from the machine.
Third. Air inlets to be formed all over the surface of the end of carpet beater
urthest from fan, to permit the necessary ingress of currents of air to the whole
area. These air openings to be so constructed as to be increased or diminished at
will as may be necessitated by alterations in the speed of the fan.
Fourth. An automatic arrangement at opening where carpets are inserted to be
beaten, in order to overcome the hitherto objectionable escape of dust in the face of
the workers.
Fifth. An improved beating bed to be so constructed and stretched that the dust
particles will obtain the greatest facility for escape, and the bands act independently
as the beaters strike them, preventing undue friction on the fabrics while under
treatment.
Dated this First day of June Eighteen hundred and ninety-three.

page_text: An Improved Carpet-beating Machine.
We, PETER FYFE, Sanitary Engineer, of No. 1 Montrose Street, Glasgow,
and ARCHIBALD BUCHANAN MILLER, Engineer of No. 28 West Nile Street,
Glasgow, 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 obtaining of a quicker and more thorough
cleansing and disinfection of carpets particularly after cases of infectious disease
than has hitherto been possible.
To that end we construct the casing of our improved carpet beating machine of
such shape as to present no corners, ledges or shelves as dust collectors, which
ledges in machines in use at present require to be cleaned or brushed out periodically
by manual labour with unsatisfactory results and loss of time. The ordinary
machines have also dust pits, and for disinfecting purposes such machines are
consequently unsafe and unreliable as the dust is not got rid of during the beating
operation. As previously deposited dust is disturbed and re-absorbed by succeeding
carpets the germs of infectious disease may be re-distributed among and carried
away in the various fabrics. A rapidly driven centrifugal fan of small diameter
has hitherto been used with the object of removing the dust. This fan is usually
placed at the side or top of the apparatus but the internal conditions of such
machines conclusively testify that large quantities of dust remain. To overcome
this objection we fit at one end an open fan or air propellor, preferably of the
Blackmann type, of a diameter equal or approximately equal to the diameter of the
machine to draw off all dust from the interior immediately it is beaten out of
the carpet and force it through a duct of larger superficial area than the fan into
a collecting pit or dust destructor at a distance from the machine.
The apparatus constituting the invention is illustrated on the accompanying
drawings, Figure 1 being a cross section and Figure 2 a plan while Figure 3 shews a
letailed view of part of the beating bed.
The casing A of the improved machine is of cylindrical or approximately
cylindrical form and has passing through it from end to end a trussed shaft C driven
by a belt passed over a pulley C¹ in conjunction with which two idler pulleys C2, C3
are provided, a second belt for reversing the motion on operating the belt shifting
fork being passed round one of the idlers. On the shaft C beater arms D are
strung and secured in position by keys or otherwise. Attached to these beater
arms, of which a series of six or any other desired number form one complete
spiral convolution around the shaft, are looped beaters D' composed of rope,
leather or india-rubber so as to act lightly but sharply upon the entire surface or
area of the carpet in its passage through the machine. The carpet is fed by hand
over the rollers b through the opening a covered by a spring closed lid a' the object
of which is to prevent dust escaping in the face of the worker.
From the opening a the carpet passes over the flexible wire bed E more
particularly seen by the enlarged plan, Figure 3, to the exit side where it is caught
by a small rapidly revolving brush A* capable of being raised clear of the carpet
when desired and driven from the central shaft of the machine. This brush which
extends the whole length of the machine serves to feed the carpet between the
rollers H, 1. The direction of rotation of the beaters and revolving brush is now
reversed by actuating the belt shitter and the carpet is now drawn through the
machine by the rollers H, I, against the action of the beaters and revolving brush.
The revolving brush A2 is carried at each end on levers A³ keyed on a shaft A
carried in bearings in the machine one end A³ of the levers A³ being carried
beyond the shaft and having attached to them a chain or light rod connected

page_text: through a bell crank and chain or rod to a foot tread or hand lever A' at the front
of the machine. To assist the operator in raising the brush by operating the
hand lever or tread the ends A of the levers A' have hung from them a series of
weights A'.
The rollers H, I, are driven from the pulley L the spindle of which has a worm
screw upon it geared with a worm wheel K on the spindle of the roller I which is
geared with the spindle carrying the rollers H by spur gearing J. The pulley L
is loose upon its shaft and is connected and disconnected thereto as desired by the
clutch L
The sections of the beating bed E are composed of lengths of wire e having
eyelets at both ends which are strung upon rectangular frames and so spaced as
to permit the dust to freely escape under the action of the beaters, each section of
the bed being rigidly attached at the entrance end to the frame of the machine
and at the exit end to an upright lever F centred on a shaft c and kept taut by the
action of a spring or weight which at the same time permits sufficient yielding of
each section to prevent stress upon or tearing of any part of the carpet, and also
allows a sharp reaction against the underside of the carpet which is being beaten.
On the shaft C and at one end of the machine a large air propellor G is fitted
which removes the dust immediately it is beaten out of the carpet.
The end A' of the casing is left open for free access of air and permits of easy
entrance to the inside of the apparatus. On each side of the machine flush with
the inside circular spy windows or side lights are fitted glazed with glass which so
light up
the interior of the machine that all parts of the beating process can be
observed from the outside.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. A carpet beating machine constructed substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to the accompanying drawings and wherein the interior of the
beating chamber is smooth and of cylindrical form.
2. In a machine of the class set forth an open fan or air propeller forming one end
of the beating chamber and arranged to operate as described.
3. In a machine of the class set forth an automatically closing lid fitted at the
feed opening as and for the purpose described.
4. In a carpet beating machine a beating bed composed of sections each built up
as described, laid alongside each other and extending from the feed to the delivery
side of the machine the several sections being stented independently of each other
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 13th day of February 1894.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.