Year: 1885

page_text: I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication from
Ferdinand Schönbrunn of Steglitz, Germany) to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a writing slate cleaner to enable the
children to wash, clean, and dry, their slates without touching the sponge and
without having to wet the sponge during school hours, also to enable the children
to wipe a word or a whole line clearly out for correction with the dry wiper. It
consists substantially of a cap containing a sponge which keeps moist for several
days and is easily wetted for washing the slate while the sponge remains in the
cap and a dry wiper made of felt, cloth, leather, or other suitable material, which
also is used to wipe out a single word or a whole line. This dry wiper is fixed on
the end of the cap over the sponge when the latter is not used and closes the cap
and prevents the sponge from drying and from getting dirty or dusty.
The cap is made of metal wood bone, horn, vulcanite or other suitable material
and serves as receptacle of the sponge and as a handle. Its top is preferably made
concave or funnel shaped and provided with small holes for the more convenient
moistening of the sponge, the bottom of the cap is open and a projecting ring inside
the bottom of it keeps the sponge in its place. A bottom made of one of the above
mentioned materials serves to close the bottom of the cap and to enclose the sponge
which is thus kept moist for a long time, and the bottom is fastened to the cap
with a common bayonet joint or otherwise. To this bottom is glued or otherwise
fastened the dry-wiper consisting preferably of a square or rectangular piece of felt,
cloth, leather, or any other suitable material, to wipe the slate dry after washing
it with the sponge, to enable the corners of the slate to be well cleaned and to wipe
out with the corner or the edge a single word or a whole line of the writing on the
slate for correction. A button or an eyelet hole is provided to fasten the cleaner
to the slate with string or otherwise.

page_text: The cleaner can also be constructed of a cap with an inner reversible sponge holder,
revolving on a spindle fixed on both sides inside the cap, and having in the opening
of one side the sponge and to the other side fastened the dry wiper, so that either
the sponge or the dry wiper according to want projects over the edge of the cap.
This inside sponge holder may be held in position through a small spring fastened
to the cap which engages in a hole in the sponge holder in either the sponge side
or the dry wiper side according to which is used.
This writing slate cleaner can be carried in a bag with the books and the slate,
without wetting the books or wiping out any of the writing on the slate.
This cleaner can also be used for washing and cleaning black boards or other
large surfaces and the holder need only be made of a larger size for this purpose.
Dated this 23rd day of November 1885.

page_text: WAS
I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication from
Ferdinand Schönbrunn of Steiglitz, Germany) and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of this invention is to provide a writing slate cleaner to enable the
children to wash, clean and dry their slates without touching the sponge and
without having to wet the sponge during school hours, also to enable the children
to wipe a word or a whole line cleanly out for correction with the dry wiper. It
consists essentially of a cap containing a sponge which keeps moist for several days
and is easily wetted for washing the slate while the sponge remains in the cap and .
a dry wiper made of felt, cloth, leather or other suitable material which also is used
to wipe out a single word or a whole line. This dry wiper is fixed on the end of
the cap over the sponge when the latter is not used and closes the cap and prevents
the sponge from drying and from getting dirty or dusty.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 represents a vertical section of a cleaner with the felt or cloth in
position for use.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figures 3 and 4 shows the cleaner taken to pieces when the sponge is to
be used.
Figure 5 a side elevation of the cleaner.
Figure 6 represents part of a school bench with a slate and a slate cleaner.
Figures 7, 8 and 9 are modifications of the cleaner.
The cap A Figures 1, 2, 3 and 5, is made of metal, wood, bone, horn, vulcanite
or other suitable material and serves as a receptacle of the sponge and as a handle.
Its top a is preferably made concave or funnel shaped and provided with small
holes b for the more convenient moistening of the sponge the bottom of the cap A
is open and a projecting ring a¹ inside the bottom of it keeps the sponge S in its
place; a bottom B made of one of the above mentioned materials serves to close
the bottom of the cap A and to enclose the sponge S which is thus kept moist for
a long time. The bottom B is fastened to the cap with a common bayonet joint
as represented in the drawings d d being studs on the bottom B and e e slits in
the cap A or the bottom may be fastened otherwise.
To the bottom B is glued or otherwise fastened the dry wiper C consisting
preferably of a square or rectangular piece of felt cloth leather or any other
suitable material to wipe the slate dry after using the wet sponge to enable the
corners of the slate to be well cleaned and to wipe out with the edge a single word
or a whole line of the writing for correction. A button for an eye-let hole is
provided to fasten the cleaner to the slate with string or otherwise. If the sponge
becomes dry a small quantity of water may be introduced through the holes b
without opening the case.
The cleaner can also be constructed of a cap A¹ see Figures 7, 8 and 9, with an
nner reversible sponge holder A² revolving on a spindle a³ turning in the outer

page_text: cap A¹ and having in the opening of one side the sponge S and to the other side
fastened the dry wiper C so that either the sponge or the dry wiper according to
want projects over the edge of the cap A¹.
The spindle a³ passes on one side through the cap A¹ and is here bent back so as
to form a spring with a knob K which springs into the countersunk holes k¹ or k²
and so holds the sponge-holder A² in the desired position.
These writing slate cleaners can be carried in a bag with the books and the slate
without wetting either or wiping out any of the writing on the slate.
The cleaner can also be used for washing and cleaning black-boards or other
large surfaces and the holder need only be made of a larger size for this purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a writing-slate or other cleaner a cap such as A containing a wet sponge S
the upper part a being formed like a funnel and provided with small holes 6 to
introduce water into the sponge in combination with a detachable bottom B closing
the cap A to keep the sponge clean and moist and provided with a dry-wiper Č
substantially as specified.
2. In a writing slate or other cleaner a cap such as A' containing a reversible
sponge-holder A³ provided on one side with a sponge and on the other side with a
dry-wiper revolving on a spindle a bent on one side to form a spring with a
knob which latter springs into counter sunk holes in the cap A' and so keeps the
sponge holder in the desired position according to whether the sponge or the
dry-wiper is used substantially as specified.
3. The improved slate or other cleaner consisting essentially of a sponge a
dry-wiper and a cap adapted to contain the sponge and retain the moisture
substantially as specified.