AN IM- PROVEMENT IN AND APPARATUS FOR SPRINKLING SUBSTANCES IN A STATE OF POWDER
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street,
in the City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN IM-
PROVEMENT IN AND APPARATUS FOR SPRINKLING SUBSTANCES IN A STATE OF
POWDER." A communication from F. H. Ouin.
Sealed the 20th February 1857, and dated the 9th September 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald Brooman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th September 1856.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVEMENT IN AND APPARATUS FOR SPRINKLING SUBSTANCES IN A STATE OF
POWDER," (communicated to me by F. H. Ouin, a foreigner residing abroad,) to
be as follows:-
This Invention consists in sprinkling vines and other plants with powdered
sulphur, in salting, peppering, flouring, spicing, and sugaring provisions, in
blacking" moulds, and in sprinkling other substances in a state of powder
by means of a brush, broom, tuft or tufts of wool, hair, fibre, wire, or other
material, to which the powdered material is supplied through the handle, or

page_text: otherwise; and this Invention also consists in an instrument or apparatus
which I employ for the purpose. This apparatus consists of a hollow handle,
to the bottom of which is screwed, or otherwise attached, a moveable socket
or cap with a perforated bottom, to which is fastened a brush, consisting of
tufts of wool, hair, wire, or other material, the tufts or filaments being attached
to some of the orifices in the perforated bottom, while others are left open.
The top of the handle is closed by a screwed cap, or otherwise, and pegs or
cross pieces, for the better dividing of the substance, may be inserted in the
handle.
The substance to be sprinkled is placed in the hollow handle, and the
instrument shaken, when the substance will be ejected or sprinkled through
the socket and brush.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 5th March 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special licence that I, the said Richard
Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree 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
"AN IMPROVEMENT IN AND APPARATUS FOR SPRINKLING SUBSTANCES IN A STATE OF
POWDER," (a communication from F. H. Ouin, a foreigner residing abroad,)
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Archibald
Brooman, 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 manner the same was

page_text: 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 Richard Archibald Brooman, 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, reference being had to the Drawings annexed, that
is to say:
This Invention applies to the sprinkling of vines and other plants with
powdered sulphur, to the salting, peppering, flouring, spicing, and sugaring of
provisions, to powdering, or, as it is technically called, "blacking" moulds," to
scattering seeds, distributing manure, and to sprinkling substances generally in
a state of powder or finely divided state.
The improvement consists in sprinkling, distributing, or scattering sub-
stances in a state of powder by means of a brush, broom, or of a bunch, tuft
or tufts of cloth, hair, fibre, wire, or other material, to which the powdered
substance is supplied through a perforated plate, cap, or handle, or otherwise,
in such manner that the powdered substance may have no other issue except
through the perforations, and thence through the filaments, fibres, or pieces of
the brush, broom, or bunch.
And the Invention further consists in an instrument or apparatus to be
employed for carrying the improvement into effect.
This apparatus consists of a hollow handle, to the bottom of which is
screwed, or otherwise attached, a perforated plate, or a moveable cap or socket,
with perforated or net work bottom, to which is fastened a brush or broom,
consisting of a tuft or cluster, or of tufts, clusters, or strips of wool, cloth,
shreds, hair, fine wire, or other suitable material, attached to some of the
orifices in the perforated cap, while others of the orifices are left free and open.
The top of the handle is closed, and pegs, for the better dividing of the sub-
stance, may be inserted within the handle.
The powdered material to be sprinkled is introduced into the handle, and the
instrument shaken, when the substance will be ejected through the perfora-
tions in the plate or socket, and then through the fibres, filaments, or tufts of
the brush or broom, and so sprinkled or distributed.
The annexed Drawing represents, at Figure 2, an implement constructed
according to the present Invention for (by way of example) sprinkling vines
with powdered sulphur. The first dose of sulphur may be given by means of a
small broom or brush, of the description shewn at Figure 1, which consists of

page_text: a brush of woollen shreds or filaments D, fastened to a handle H, and which
may be dipped into a box containing sulphur, to receive a supply.
Figure 2 shews, in external view, and Figure 3, in section, an implement
constructed according to this Invention. A is a hollow conical handle, made
of tin or other suitable material, and closed at top by means of a fixed or
removable cap c'; at the other end of the hand is a socket C, shewn detached
at Figure 4, the bottom of which is perforated with a number of holes, so that
the socket forms a sort of sieve or sifter. The socket C is attached to the
handle by two hooks E, catching on a collar F, soldered round the body of the
handle. To the bottom of the socket is fastened a brush or broom, consisting
of a bunch, or of tufts or fibres of cloth, cotton, reed, wire, or other material,
which are fastened into every alternate hole in the socket by means of wire,
every other hole being left clear or free, or into every two or more alternate
holes, while the others are left free. B, B, are pegs soldered in the
handle, for the more complete division of the material. The inside of the
handle forms a chamber for containing the sulphur or other substances to be
sprinkled, which is poured in it through the top or bottom end by removing
one of the caps C or c¹; the handle may be about a quarter filled, and the cap
screwed in place again. The implement is then shaken, while the brush is
directed towards the parts to be sprinkled. The instrument may be held in
one hand, leaving the other hand free to move the leaves, as required.
For distributing seed or manure in a divided state, a number of these
implements may be mounted on a framework, or on the frame of a seed-
planting or manure-distributing machine, or on or to other parts of such
machinery; or ordinary seed planters and manure distributors may be provided
with one or a number of these implements, consisting of conical chambers for
holding the seed and manure separately or combined, and terminating in a
perforated plate, cap, or socket, to which a brush, broom, or other like
distributor is rastened, as described.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―
First, the sprinkling, scattering, or distributing of substances in a state of
powder by means of a brush, broom, bunch, cluster, tufts or fibres of cloth,
horsehair, rush, fine wire, or other equivalent material, to which the substance
to be sprinkled is supplied in such manner as to pass wholly or partially
through the fibres and filaments, and whereby, on shaking or agitating them,
the said substance is sprinkled about and well distributed or dispersed.
Second, the employment, for sprinkling or scattering seeds, manure, spices,.

page_text: sulphur, and other substances in a state of powder, of a brush, broom, tuft or
cluster of filaments of fibrous material, wire, shreds, or other equivalent sub-
stance attached to a perforated plate or socket, or other like sifting agent
similar in action to a sieve.
Third, the particular apparatus, represented in Figure 2 of the Drawings
annexed, consisting of a hollow conical handle terminating in a perforated
cap or socket, to which a brush or broom is attached, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of February, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
R. A. BROOMAN. (L.S.)