Improvements in Brushes for Sweeping Flues and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brushes for Sweeping Flues and the like.
I, WILLIAM FRANCIS, of 184, 185. and 186. Great Dover Street, London, S.E.,
Tube, Flue and Bottle-Brush Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in the heads of flue brushes as used by
chimney sweepers and others, and has for its object, to construct such heads capable
of more effectually removing the hard and incrusted soot, which accumulates in
certain chimney shafts or flues, than possible by the use of brushes as at present
made.
.
According to my invention I employ steel wires for the fibres of the brush
proper instead of bass or cane as hitherto, and the said steel fibres I set in spiral
form, within that portion of the head adapted to receive and hold the same, and
technically known as the "frame," the said frame being composed of a number of
wires twisted in spiral form, but according to my invention the said twisted wires
are alternated by leather strips in pairs, and between the said leather strips the said
steel fibres are placed and held, these being to preserve or maintain the flexibility
of the said fibres, and prevent the same from being cut or ruptured by the twisting
or subsequent grip of the wires of the frame when in use.
The said frame is connected at each end to a solid metallic portions each having
an external screw thread formed thereon, one of which may receive and hold the
carrier of a rotary wheel or ball, while the other may serve for connecting the said
head to a section of a cane or metal handle in the usual way, and between the said
threaded portions, and the head and tail of the frame, I provide a washer or
washers of leather or like resilient material.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street Buildings, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Brushes for Sweeping Flues and the like.
I, WILLIAM FRANCIS, of 184, 185, and 186, Great Dover Street, London, S.E.,
Tube, Flue and Bottle-Brush Manufacturer, 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:—
My invention relates to improvements in the heads of flue brushes as used by

page_text: chimney sweeps and others, and has for its object, to more effectually cleanse, and
more quickly remove the hard or incrusted soot which accumulates in certain
chimney shafts or flues, than is possible by the use of such brushes as at present
made and used.
In order that the construction of my said improved brush-head may be clearly
understood, I have hereunto appended a sheet of drawings, of which,
Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the manner of first placing together the
materials employed in the construction of the said head or frame, while Fig. 2 is
a cross sectional view of same.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a finished head or frame according to my invention,
while Fig. 4 is an elevational view of a frame for carrying a wheel or ball, and
adapted to be fixed upon either end of Fig. 3.
In carrying my invention into effect I employ suitably tempered steel strips or
wires, cut into desired lengths, in place of bass, cane, or bristles hitherto employed,
as the fibres forming the brush portion of the said head, and in constructing the
said head (technically known as the frame) I place the said wires or metallic
bristles A side by side in regular order, and in one or more layers, between a pair
of strips of leather or other resilient material B and C, and outside each of the
said leathers or the like a pair or more of wires DD, and E, E, respectively, sub-
stantially as at Figs. 1 and 2, the said head or frame being then formed by twisting
the whole together as at Fig. 3, the effect of which being, that the said wires or
metallic bristles radiate from the said head or frame in spiral form, in a manner
similar to that of the fibres in such brushes generally, but according to my in-
vention, the said metallic bristles are between and held by the resilient strips B
and C, which serve to maintain the necessary flexibility of the said wires when in
use, and prevents the same from becoming snapped, cut, or otherwise ruptured
during the said twisting process.
The said frame may be formed at each end to provide, or have connected thereto
a metallic portion, upon which a male thread is cut, but for preference I braze
or otherwise connect to the ends of the said frame a metallic cylindrical member
such as F, and F¹, respectively upon each of which is mounted a resilient washer G,
and if desired a metallic collar H, the said members F and F1 having formed upon
their ends male threads J and K respectively, these being, that either end of the
said frame may be connected to the metallic end of the usual cane or bamboo
sections constituting the rod of the brush in the ordinary way, while the other end
of the said frame may have screwed thereon a frame or carrier such as L, (Fig. 4)
carrying a wheel or ball such as M for reducing friction between the head of the
said frame and the shaft or chimney up which it may be passing the object of
having such threaded portion at each end of the frame being that the said head or
frame may be interchangable for the purpose of more even wear and tear of the
said brush.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
(1) In the manufacture of flue, chimney and like brush heads, the employment
of metallic strips or wires as the fibres of the said brush, the said strips or wires
being held between strips of leather or other resilient material, grasped by, and
held between, twisted wires, forming the head'or frame of the brush, substantially
as described and shewn.
(2) In an improved flue or chimney brush the combination of metallic strips or
wires such as A as bristles or fibres for the said brush, the said 'strins or wires
being gripped between strips of leather or the like such as B and C, the said
resilient strips being held between and grasped by wires such as DD and E E,
the whole being twisted to impart a spiral formation to the said bristles A, and
having at each end a threaded portion, or carrying a cylindrical attachment such
as F and F¹ having such threaded portion J and K, for receiving the usual section

page_text: of a flexible rod, or a frame or carrier such as L, having a rotary wheel or ball
such as M substantially as herein described and shewn by the appended
drawings.
1000
day of my
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.