IMPROVEMENTS IN PAINT BRUSHES. AND IN SIMILAR KINDS OF BRUSHES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Stephens, of 8, Northampton Road, Clerken-
well, in the County of Middlesex, Metal Worker, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PAINT BRUSHES. AND IN SIMILAR KINDS OF BRUSHES."
Sealed the 3rd September 1857, and dated the 4th March 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Stephens at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th March 1857.
I, JAMES STEPHENS, of 8, Northampton Road, Clerkenwell, in the County
of Middlesex, Metal Worker, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PAINT BRUSHES, AND IN SIMILAR KINDS OF
BRUSHES," to be as follows:-
My improvements in paint and other similar brushes refer to the fixing and
securing the hair or bristles of painters' brushes by means of an iron or steel
band, constructed and protected in the manner herein described, instead of the
cord or string usually employed for the purpose.
For round brushes I make the band of a cylindrical form of a piece of
iron or steel. This metal is first tinned, and afterwards coated or covered with
thin sheet copper soldered thereto, in order to protect the iron or steel from
the action of the atmosphere and matters that may be liable to corrode that

page_text: metal. The tinned iron or steel may be coated with copper on one or
both sides, either by soldering, or by electrical deposit, or otherwise. Instead
of copper, silver or other metal may be used that will serve as a pro-
tection to the harder metal (iron or steel) and prevent its corrosion. I
bend this metal in the form of a hoop, and after brazing or soldering the
junction, I further rivet it together, to afford the necessary strength. These
compound metal bands may be constructed at the edge to contract and com-
press the bristles, or may be otherwise formed to splay or spread the bristles
in any particular direction. I stiffen these metal bands by grooves or creases
carried their circumference; they are driven on the exterior of the brushes,
keeping the parts thereof compactly together, and rendering them extremely
durable. These metal bands may be used for whitewash and other formed
brushes, either flat or oval.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Stephens in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th September 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
STEPHENS, of 8, Northampton Road, Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex,
Metal Worker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Stephens, Her special licence that I, the said James Stephens, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Stephens, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN PAINT
BRUSHES, AND IN SIMILAR KINDS OF BRUSHES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said James Stephens, 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 Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the

page_text: 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 James Stephens, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My improvements in paint brushes and other similar brushes refer to the
fixing and securing the hair or bristles of painters' brushes by means of an
iron or steel band, constructed and protected in the manner herein-after
described, instead of the cord or string usually employed for the purpose.
For round brushes I make the band of a cylindrical form of a piece of iron
or steel. This metal is first tinned and afterwards coated or covered with
thin sheet copper soldered thereto, in order to protect the iron or steel from
the action of the atmosphere and matters that may be liable to corrode that
metal. The tinned iron or steel may be coated with copper or other metal
on one or both sides, either by soldering, or by electrical deposit, or otherwise.
Instead of copper, silver or other metal may be used that will serve as a pro-
tection to the harder metal (iron or steel) and prevent its corrosion. For
this purpose also zinc may be applied to the iron or steel band by the process
well known as galvanizing. I bend this compound metal in the form of a
hoop, and after brazing or soldering the junction, I further rivet it together, to
afford the necessary strength. These compound metal bands may be con-
tracted at the edge to contract and compress the bristles, or may be otherwise
formed to splay or spread the bristles in any particular direction. I stiffen
these metal bands by grooves or creases carried round their circumference;
they are driven on the exterior of the brushes, keeping the parts thereof
compactly together, and rendering them extremely durable. These metal
bands may be used for whitewash and other formed brushes, either flat, oval,
or of other shape.

page_text: zinc, or other suitable metal b, and place the one upon the other, as at Fig. 4,
and solder them together at one end. The edges of the copper or protecting
metal b is then folded over, and the whole drawn through successive draw-
plates, until the copper or protecting metal collapses closely to the iron or steel
body a, and has several creases or grooves produced in it, and assumes the
form exhibited in the side view, Fig. 6, and cross section, Fig. 7. The ends of
6 are also folded over a and soldered down. The band thus prepared may be
either the length for one or two bands. If used for two bands it is cut in
two pieces, taking care to secure the ends of the hoop with the cut end inside.
The metal is then bent in the form of a hoop, as at Fig. 3, and the ends
soldered or brazed together, and further secured by rivets c, c, through the
metal. Thus, all the strength of a steel or iron hoop is ensured, with this
advantage, that the iron or steel being covered, as described, is protected from
the corrosive action of the atmosphere, or of matters with which it comes in
contact in use.
The copper, zinc, or other protecting metal may be soldered over the
entire surface of the iron or steel instead of only at one end, as before
mentioned.
Instead of drawing the coating of copper or other metal on the iron or steel,
it may be deposited thereon by the agency of a galvanic battery, the steel or
iron having been first previously cleaned and tinned preparatory to the deposit
taking place by electrical agency, or the coating of protection may be merely
soldered to the iron or steel body of the band. or the iron or steel body may
be coated by the well-known process of galvanizing.
Although I have merely represented a round painters' brush or dusting
brush, it will be readily understood that my Invention is equally applicable to
similar kinds of brushes, whether round, flat, oval, or of other shape in which
such metal hoops can be applied, the form of the hoop being adapted to the
shape of the brush required. The bristles or hair having been arranged within
the metal hoop a, b, and secured by cement or otherwise, the taper handle
d is driven through the centre, and so fixes the parts of the brush together,
all as well understood.
=
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the
same may be carried into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I do
not make any claim to metal hoops on brushes generally, such having been
before in use; and I declare that what I claim as my Invention, intended to
be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the coating
or covering hoops of iron or steel with copper, silver, zinc, or other suitable

page_text: metal, as a protection to the iron or steel against corrosion, in the manufacture
of paint brushes, and other similar kinds of brushes, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Stephens, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Fourth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
W. CLARK, Patent Agent,.
53, Chancery Lane, London.
JAMS STEPHENS. (L.s.)