A New or Improved Machine for Cleaning, Renovating, or Steaming Carpets, Rugs, and other Textile Fabrics.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 8th July, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 6th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 18th Feb., 1899
A New or Improved Machine for Cleaning, Renovating, or
Steaming Carpets, Rugs, and other Textile Fabrics.
We, WILLIAM BOWIE and JOHN BOWIE, both of Clyde Dye Works, 221, Strath-
clyde Street, Bridgeton, Glasgow, Dyers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
At present when cleaning carpets, rugs, etc., it is usual, after they have been
subjected to the beating or brushing process for the purpose of removing the dirt,
to renovate them by means of brushes charged with a detergent which are vigorously
rubbed over the fabric by hand. This entails much labour and absorbs a great deal
of time.
The main object of our invention is to provide a machine whereby the carpet or
other fabric can be renovated without the necessity for hand rubbing. The machine
is, or may be, also provided with means whereby the carpet can be steamed if
necessary.
The chief feature of the invention is the use of a reciprocating frame (or frames)
operated mechanically and which is provided with one or more sets of brushes.
These brushes, as the frame reciprocates, pass over one or more rollers arranged in
a trough containing benzene (with or without the addition of benzene soap) or other
suitable detergent, and take up a certain quantity of such detergent and apply it to
the fabric at the same time brushing the fabric.
The invention can be carried out in various ways but one convenient mode is to
have a cast iron or other frame provided with a table and the usual delivery and
take up rollers for traversing the carpet over the table. The take up roller may be
operated, as usual, by means of ratchet and pawl mechanism operated from a longi-
tudinal shaft driven by power. Arranged immediately over the table and extending
the length of the machine is the reciprocating frame carrying the brushes, this
frame, which, at the ends, works in guides is, or may be, driven by means of a con-
necting rod from a crank or wheel on the power shaft aforesaid. The reciprocating
frame is, preferably, so arranged that it can be adjusted vertically so as to regulate
the height of the brushes from the table to suit different thicknesses of fabrics, or
for the purpose of changing them, by means of cam or screw mechanism or a com-
bination of cam and screw mechanism. If desired each brush may be provided with
means, such as adjusting screws, for adjusting it separately.
Troughs for benzine are preferably arranged at the back and front of the table
and in these troughs suitable rollers either fluted, ribbed or plain are fitted. The
rollers may be capable of being turned simply by the action of the brushes or they
may be revolved by suitable mechanism provided for the purpose.
Arranged, preferably, along the centre of the table is a perforated steam pipe or
box from which, when so desired, jets of steam may be caused to impinge upon the
carpet for the purpose of raising the pile and brightening the colours.
The table over which the carpet travels may be flat or corrugated; or be formed
of a series of rollers.

page_text: The machine may be constructed so as to reciprocate the brushes in either a
horizontal or inclined plane.
The troughs would, preferably, be filled with the detergent to a certain level at
which it is automatically maintained by means of a ball cock or other suitable
arrangement. If desired the benzine or other detergent may be allowed to flow
continuously through the troughs.
Instead of applying the benzine by means of rollers it can be applied in the form
of a spray by means of a perforated pipe, spraying nozzles, or such like.
Dated this 7th day of July 1898.
A New or Improved Machine for Cleaning, Renovating, or
Steaming Carpets, Rugs, and other Textile Fabrics.
We, WILLIAM BOWIE and JOHN BOWIE, of Clyde Dye Works, 221, Strathclyde
Street, Bridgeton, Glasgow, Dyers, 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:-
At present when cleaning carpets, rugs, etc., it is usual, after, they have been
subjected to the beating or brushing process for the purpose of removing the dirt,
to renovate them by means of brushes, charged with a detergent, which are
vigorously rubbed over the fabric by hand. This entails much labour and absorbs
a great deal of time.
The main object of our invention is to provide a machine whereby the carpet or
other fabric can be renovated without the necessity for hand rubbing. The machine
is, or may be, also provided with means whereby the carpet can be steamed if
necessary.
The chief feature of the invention is the use of a reciprocating frame (or frames)
operated mechanically and which is provided with one or more sets of brushes.
These brushes, as the frame reciprocates, pass over one or more rollers arranged in
a trough containing benzine (with or without the addition of benzine soap) or other
suitable detergent, and take up a certain quantity of such detergent and apply it to
the fabric at the same time brushing the fabric.
The invention can be carried out in various ways but one convenient mode is to
have a cast iron or other frame provided with a table and the usual delivery and
take up rollers for traversing the carpet over the table. The take up roller may
be operated, as usual, by means of ratchet and pawl mechanism operated from a
longitudinal shaft driven by power. Arranged immediately over the table and
extending the length of the machine is the reciprocating frame carrying the brushes,
this frame, which, at the ends, works in guides is, or may be, driven by means of
a connecting rod from a crank or wheel on the power shaft aforesaid. The
reciprocating frame may be so arranged that it can be adjusted vertically so as to
regulate the height of the brushes from the table to suit different thicknesses of
fabrics, or for the purpose of changing them, by means of cam or screw mechanism,
or a combination of cam and screw mechanism. If desired each brush may be
provided with means, such as adjusting screws, for adjusting it separately.
Troughs for benzine are preferably arranged at the back and front of the table
and in these troughs suitable rollers, either fluted, ribbed, or plain are fitted. The
rollers may be capable of being turned simply by the action of the brushes or they
may be revolved by suitable mechanism provided for the purpose.

page_text: Arranged, preferably, along the centre of the table is a perforated steam pipe of
box from which, when so desired, jets of steam may be caused to impinge upon the
carpet for the purpose of raising the pile and brightening the colours. The table over
which the carpet travels may be flat or corrugated; or be formed of a series of
rollers.
The machine may be constructed so as to reciprocate the brushes in either a
horizontal or inclined plane.
The troughs would, preferably, be filled with the detergent to a certain level at
which it is or may be automatically maintained by means of a ball cock or other suitable
arrangement. If desired the benzine or other detergent may be allowed to flow
continuously through the troughs.
Instead of applying the benzine by means of rollers it can be applied in the form
of a spray by means of a perforated pipe, spraying nozzles, or such like.
And in order that our said invention may be properly understood we have
hereunto appended two explanatory sheets of drawings, which show, by way of
example, a convenient mode of carrying out the invention.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine.
Fig. 2 is a view of one end of the machine and Fig. 3 is a view of the other
end.
Fig. 4 is a section of the machine taken on the line -x Fig. 1.
On the drawings the same reference letters wherever repeated indicate the same
parts.
g, are
a, a, is the frame of the machine. bis the machine table over which the carpet
to be cleaned and renovated is traversed. The dotted line c (Figs. 2, 3, & 4)
indicates the carpet. d is the delivery roller from which the carpet is unwound. is
the take-up roller. f, f, is the reciprocating frame carrying the brushes.
the brushes. are the blocks of the brushes. i, i, are benzine troughs. jis the
benzine. k, k, are copper benzine supply rollers. 1, 1, are covers, removably hinged
in place, for the benzine troughs. m, is a perforated steam pipe running along the
centre of the machine. This pipe m is divided into two parts by a vertical partition
at its centre so that steam can, as desired, be supplied to either one end or other of
the machine or to both ends. n, n, are steam supply pipes leading from the steam
pipe o to the pipe m. P, P, are drain pipes for drawing off condensed water from
the two parts of the perforated steam pipe. 9, 9, are guide rollers over which
the carpet passes. ",", are guides for the ends of the reciprocating frame f
carrying the brushes. s is the driving shaft. s¹, s, are fast and loose pulleys
on this shaft s, and 82, is a belt for driving the fast pulley from an overhead shaft.
t, t, are pinions, on the shaft s, which gear, respectively, with cog wheels t, t, on
each end of a secondary shaft f. 13, t, are connecting rods which are jointed at one
end to the wheels t and at the other end to the reciprocating frame f, f.
u, u, are eccentrics at each end of the shaft . u, u, are eccentric
rods which, at one end, are connected to eccentric straps working on
the eccentrics u and, at the other end, to levers u fulcrumed
on the
shaft e¹ of the roller e. 3, 3, are ratchet wheels keyed on the ends of the
shaft e¹. u, u, are driving pawls pivotted to the levers u². ",", are stop pawls
pivotted to the frame a. v is a bevel wheel at one end of the shaft d' of the roller d.
is a bevel pinion, on the shaft ², gearing with the wheel v. 3 is a wheel with
handle for rotating the shaft v². w is a pulley on the shaft w¹ is an endles belt
passing round the pulley w and round a small pulley on the end of the back benzine
roller k. x is a crossed driving belt passing round the pulley ¹ on the extended
of the front benzine roller and also round a small pulley s on the shaft s.
y is a fork, pivotted at y¹, for shifting the belt s². is a perforated plate arranged
along the centre of the table and above the pipe m.
end
The modus operandi is as follows:-
The carpet c to be cleaned which is first wound upon the roller d, by actuating
the bevel gearing, ¹, and hand wheel ³, is automatically unrolled from the
roller on to the roller e by means of the pawl and ratchet mechanism u³, u,

page_text: actuated by the eccentric rods. The carpet whilst being rolled up is caused to
gradually travel over the table and during such travel it is subjected to the
rubbing action of the brushes g, I. At each forward reciprocation the front row
of brushes g comes in contact with the front benzine roller whilst, at each
back reciprocation, the back row of brushes comes in contact with the back roller k.
Thus the brushes, at each reciprocation, comes in contact with the benzine
rollers which latter revolve in the benzine troughs i (the lids of which are opened
out as shown in Fig. 4) and, as a consequence, they lift a certain amount of the
benzine from the rollers which, at the next reciprocation, is rubbed into
the carpet. The action of the benzine combined with the rubbing action of the
brushes effectually cleans and renovates the carpet.
It may be stated that the carpet is preferably beaten before being placed in
the machine.
Whilst the carpet is travelling over the table b steam may be blown through it
from the pipe m.
As will be seen from Figure 1 there are three duplicate sets of brushes in the
machine arranged so as to suit the various widths of carpets. When a narrow
carpet is being cleaned one set of brushes need only be used and the other sets may
be raised up by means of the screws f¹ so as not to perform any work.
By means of the screws f the brushes can be raised and lowered in their
frames and thereby adjusted So as to suit different thicknesses of
carpets.
When one or other of the sets of brushes is not in use the benzine troughs
opposite such set or sets may be closed by means of their lids 7. It may be
further stated that the lids when in the position shown at Fig. 4 prevent benzine
being splashed about by the action of the brushes.
Whenever necessary the pawls u may be thrown out of engagement with the
ratchet wheels us by means of cords which can be pulled upwards (these cords
may pass over overhead pulleys and be provided with handles) or by any other
suitable and well known device.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what mauner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we consider novel and desire to claim is:-
1. A machine for cleaning and renovating textile fabrics in which a fluid
detergent is rubbed into the fabric by means of reciprocating brushes operated by
mechanical means, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The combination, in a machine for cleaning and renovating textile fabrics,
of mechanically reciprocated brushes and means, such as revolving rollers,
for supplying a fluid detergent to the brushes, substantially as herein before
described.
3. The general arrangement and combination of parts of the machine for
cleaning and renovating textile fabrics, substantially as hereinbefore described and
shown on the drawings annexed.
Dated this 5th day of January 1899
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
100, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.