A New or Improved Process of Hardening Quills used for the Manufacture of Brushes, and Apparatus for Outting the same.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Dec., 1891-Accepted, 6th Feb., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Process of Hardening Quills used for the
Manufacture of Brushes, and Apparatus for Outting the same.
We, WILHELM DONNERSTAG and EDUARD APITZ both of No. 11 Pasewalker-
strasse, Berlin, in the Empire of Germany, Manufacturers, 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 :-
Quills constitute a known material for employment as a cheap substitute for
animal bristles in the manufacture of brushes. In their natural state or as they
have hitherto been treated quills give but poor results on account of their want of
elasticity and hardness. A brush so produced is soon destroyed by use with water
on account of the change of shape of the quill bristles.
In order to prepare useful brushes from quills, a material which is very suitable
in itself, the process hereinafter to be described is employed and a brush whose
bristles shall have the necessary hardness and elasticity is obtained.
In carrying out that part of our invention which consists of the process for
hardening the quills they are dipped in a solution of cyanide of potassium in
sulphuric acid and are then placed in a mixture of sand and common salt heated to
a considerable temperature, care being taken not to cause scorching. The quills
having been thus treated are subjected to the action of the apparatus shown in the
accompanying sheet of drawings in which similar letters of reference apply to similar
parts.
In order to slit the quills and introduce them separately rolled out between the
cutting discs d d, the apparatus is provided with a feeding and slitting device
attached to the frame of the apparatus by the plate f and bolts h h¹.
In Figures 3 and 4 this arrangement for slitting and feeding is represented in side
elevation and isometric projection on a larger scale with a protruding and half slit
quill therein so as to make clear the functions of this part of our apparatus which
consists of two jaws 9 and i perpendicular to the plate f. Between the jaws and
joined to i at the base is a conical or wedge-shaped piece k which rises up between
the jaws so that its point or apex is slightly above the level of the top of the
jaws.
A web or thin plate l connects the piece k to the jaw i for the whole of its height.
The top edge of the web is sharpened so as to form a knife edge. The surface of
the other jaw g is shaped on the side next to k so as to be the counter-part of the
surface of k but leaving an even space m of from th to th of an inch wide
everywhere between the two surfaces. This space m is continued down through
the plate and between the flat guide plates n whose lower edges are placed in a
suitable position above and between the two cutting rollers d the lower edges of the
plates n being parallel to the axes of the shafts a as shown in Figure 1.
The cutting apparatus is composed of shafts a a which are laid so as to be able
to turn in the bearings b and communicate with each other by means of toothed
wheels c so that by turning a crank handle on one of the shafts the two rollers are
caused to rotate with equal speed but in contrary directions relatively to each
other. The bearings are attached to the frame by means of binding screws in
slots and can by means of this arrangement be easily adjusted as required.
On the shafts a a are placed cutting discs d with cutting edges which discs can
be adjusted with respect to one another by means of the nuts ee according to the
strength to be given to the quill strips.
A quill with open end being stuck on to the point k¹ and pressed in the direction
of the arrow I, is cut up one side by the knife edge of the web l. In its descent it
slides over the conical piece k and descends through the space m in which it is

page_text: gradually flattened out and is delivered in this form through the guiding plates n
between the cutting discs d d. These discs on account of their opposite rotary
movement catch it and cut it up into bristles of suitable size as hereinbefore
explained.
By means of this apparatus quill strips for brushes of widely different degrees of
hardness may be easily and economically manufactured.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is.
1. The new or improved process for hardening quills for brushes substantially as
set forth.
2. The new or improved apparatus for cutting quills for brushes substantially as
set forth.
Dated this 2nd day of December 1891.
WILHELM DONNERSTAG.
EDUARD APITZ.
Per J. G. L.