IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR BRUSHING HAIR
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank Stanley Willoughby of Heaton Norris in the
County of Lancaster, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
BRUSHING HAIR"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frank Stanley Willoughby
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th December 1882.
FRANK STANLEY WILLOUGHBY of Heaton Norris in the County of Lancaster
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR BRUSHING HAIR
"
The object of this invention is the construction and arrangement of mechanism
for operating the usual revolving brushes for brushing hair and which have hitherto
been actuated by motive power situated at a distance.
Now this invention consists in arranging a crank shaft to be operated by a
treddle beneath the chair upon which the person is seated whose hair is being
brushed and which treddle is actuated by the attendant such shaft being fitted with
a suitable fly-wheel to give the required momentum.
Motion is communicated to the spindle of the revolving brush from the said
crank shaft by means of a flexible shaft similar to but stronger than those used for
dental purposes or the core of such shafts may be employed.
This flexible shaft being connected at one extremity to the crank shaft or to an
intermediate vertical or other shaft geared to the crank shaft by bevil gearing and
at the other extremity is connected direct to the spindle of the hair brush or to
bevil gearing connected to such spindle-the necessary increase of speed being
obtained and regulated by the size of the intervening tooth or bevil wheels
employed for gearing the shaft and spindle together.
At the back of the chair I secure a clip into which the brush attached to the
shaft can be placed so as to be completely out of the way when not required
for use.
Instead of the driving shaft being operated by the attendant it may be arranged
to be operated by the person whose hair is being brushed and in this case it is
preferred to be fitted with a pair of cranks and treddles so that whilst seated he
can operate with both feet. It is found in practice that the flexibility of the shaft
is sufficient to enable the revolving brush to be applied to persons of different
height and also to brush well all parts of the head.
It should be understood that the flexible shaft need not be in one continuous
length but may be made up of one two or more rigid shafts and short lengths of
flexible shaft.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Frank Stanley Willoughby in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th June 1883.
FRANK STANLEY WILLOUGHBY of Heaton Norris in the County of Lancaster
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR BRUSHING HAIR."
The object of this invention is the construction and arrangement of mechanism
for operating the usual revolving brushes for brushing hair and which have hitherto
been mainly actuated by motive power situated at a distance.
Now this invention consists in arranging a crank shaft to be operated by a
treddle beneath the chair upon which the person is seated whose hair is being
brushed and which treddle is actuated by the attendant such shaft being fitted with
a suitable fly-wheel to give the required momentum. Motion is communicated
to the spindle of the revolving brush from the said crank shaft by means of a
flexible shaft.
And in order that this my said invention may be the more readily seen and.
understood I have hereunto annexed a sheet of drawings illustrative of my improve-
ments and will now proceed to describe the same with the assistance of the Figures
and letters of reference marked thereon
Fig 1 is a side view and Fig 2 a hack view of a chair fitted up with revolving
hair brushing machinery in accordance with my invention.
A is the crank shaft revolving in suitable bearings B and carrying a pair of
heavy fly-wheels C to give the required momentum.
This shaft is actuated by the treddle D and is geared at one extremity by bevil
wheels E to the flexible shaft F which in its turn and at its other extremity is
geared by bevil wheels G to the spindle H of the revolving brush I. The flexible
shaft which I employ is similar to but stronger than those used for dental purposes
or the core of such shafts may be employed
It will thus be seen that the operator who causes the brush I to revolve by
placing his foot upon the treddle D is enabled by means of the flexible shaft to
take in both bands the brush in any direction limited only by the length of the
flexible shaft and thus he is enabled to reach and brush all parts of the head of the
person operated upon.
At the back of the chair I secure three clips J K and L into which the brush
attached to the shaft can be placed so as to be completely out of the way when not
required for use-the flexible shaft F resting in the upper clip L and the handles
of the brush in the clips J and K as indicated by the dotted lines.
Instead of the driving shaft being operated by the attendant it may be arranged
to be operated by the person whose hair is being brushed and in this case it is
prefered to be fitted with a pair of cranks and treddles so that whilst seated he
can operate with both feet, and for this purpose the machinery may be mounted
beneath the dressing table.
It is found in practice that the flexibility of the shaft is sufficient to enable the
revolving brush to be applied to persons of different height and also to brush well
all parts of the head.
It should be understood that the flexible shaft need not be in one continuous
length but may be made up of one two or more rigid shafts and short lengths of
flexible shaft.
In conclusion I would observe that I am aware that flexible shafts have been
hitherto employed for driving machinery and therefore I make no claim to the use
of flexible shafts except in combination as hereinbefore described.

page_text: Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention together with the best methods with which I am acquainted for carrying
the same into practical effect I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details relative proportions or dimensions of the
various parts of my improved mechanism herein before described and illustrated on
the accompanying drawing as the same may be considerably varied without
departing from the invention, but what I do claim is
The combination of a treddle and crank shaft with a flexible shaft mounted on
a chair or its equivalent for operating revolving hair brushes substantially as and
for the purpose bereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying
drawing.
In witness whereof I the said Frank Stanley Willoughby have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Twenty sixth day of June in the year of our Lord
One thousand Eight hundred and Eighty three.
FRANK STANLEY WILLOUGHBY (L.S.)