Improvements in Devices used for Handling or Manipulating Washing Blue and Dyes for Laundry Purposes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 13th May, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 17th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 24th Sept., 1898
Improvements in Devices used for Handling or Manipulating
Washing Blue and Dyes for Laundry Purposes.
I, RICHARD RIPLEY, of Blandford Works, Kempston Street, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a cheap and simple device packed in a small
compass, whereby a person washing can use blue or dyes without soiling the
fingers. It has formerly been proposed to embed a wooden handle in a block of
blue or dye and cover the block of blue or dye over with a bag. The disadvantage
of this however is that the blue or dye by capillary attraction runs up the handle
and the fingers get blued or dyed all the same. The handle too is about as bulky
as the blue or dye itself, and therefore is an awkward thing to pack.
. Now by my invention the handle occupies practically no space whatever and
is of such a nature that the blue or dye cannot run up it. My invention therefore
consists in forming a handle of copper or other not easily corrodible wire and of
a springy or flexible nature. This wire is preferably bent into a long bow like
a hair-pin, and each of the two legs are bent out near the top so as to form
two loops like the top loop so as to resemble a cross, and again is somewhat bent
out down below. The block of blue or dye is formed with a small hole into which
the straight legs of the handle enter, and preferably also with a little embayment
in which the lower loops or projections of the handle rest.
A bag can be sewn or tied over it in the usual manner and when this is effected
the handle is securely held on the blue or dye and will not come off as is the case
with a wooden handle, the bends or projections at the lower part of the handle
in my present invention abutting against the tied part of the bag inside.
When the blue has to be packed for export or carriage, the copper wire being
flexible is simply bent over the side of the blue, or bent round the blue and thus
occupies no practical space whatever; when it has to be used it is simply bent
back.
In thus describing my invention I do not bind myself to the exact shape. It is
obvious too that a metallic strip could be made to do imperfectly the same work
as the wire. The wire has the advantage however of being springy, and thus hold-
ing in the hole in the blue or dye, while the bag when tied over the lower bends
firmly fastens it on the blue. It is also less liable to carry the blue or dye up-
wards by capillary attraction and can be hung on a nail when finished with. It
is also rounded and therefore not liable to scratch the fingers like for instance
a handle made out of a piece of tin.
1000

page_text: Improvements in Devices used for Handling or Manipulating
Washing Blue and Dyes for Laundry Purposes.
I, RICHARD RIPLEY, of Blandford, Works, Kempston Street, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object a cheap and simple 'device packed in a small
compass, whereby a person washing can use blue or dyes without soiling the
fingers. It has formerly been proposed to embed a wooden handle in a block of
blue or dye and cover the block of blue or dye over with a bag. The disadvantage
of this however is that the blue or dye by capillary attraction runs up the handle
and the fingers get blued or dyed all the same. The handle too is about-as bulky
as the blue or dye itself, and therefore is an awkward thing to pack.
Now by my invention the handle occupies practically no space whatever and is
of such a nature that the blue or dye cannot run up it.
The invention will be understood from the following description, reference being
had to the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a view showing the blue or dye made up ready for sale and use.
Figure 2 a view of the handle separated from the blue or dye.
My invention consists in forming a handle of copper or other not easily corrodible
wire and of a springy or flexible nature. This wire is preferably bent into a long
bow A like a hair-pin, and each of the two legs are bent out near the top so as to
form two loops B like the top loop so as to resemble a cross, and again is some-
what bent out down below at C. The block of blue or dye is formed with a small
hole into which the ends of the straight legs A of the handle enter, and prefer-
able also with a little embayment in which the lower loops or projections C of the
handle rest.
A bag D can be sewn or tied over it in the usual manner and when this is effected
the handle is securely held on the blue or dye and will not come off as is the case
with a wooden handle, the bends or projections at the lower part of the handle
in my present invention abutting against the tied part of the bag inside.
When the blue has to be packed for export or carriage, the copper wire being
flexible is simply bent over the side of the blue, or bent round the blue and thus
occupies practically no space whatever; when it has to be used it is simply bent
back.
In thus describing my invention I do not bind myself to the exact shape. It is
obvious too that a metallic strip could be made to do imperfectly the same work
as the wire. The wire has the advantage however of being springy, and thus
holding in the hole in the blue or dye, while the bag when tied over the lower
bends firmly fastens it on the blue. It is also less liable to carry the blue or dye
upwards by capillary attraction and can be hung on a nail when finished with.
It is also rounded and therefore not liable to scratch the fingers like for instance
a handle made out of a piece of tin.
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. The improvement in devices for handling or manipulating washing blue or
dye that are wrapped or parcelled up in a bag or cloth of fibrous material and pro-
vided with a handle, which consists in forming said handle. of copper or other

page_text: non-easily corrodible wire of a springy or flexible nature, instead of the usual
wooden one, whereby the blue or dye cannot run up it to soil the fingers, and in
packing the wire can be bent over one side of the blue or dye to economise space
substantially as described.
2. In blue or dyes that are parcelled up in a cloth or bag of fibrous material pro-
vided with a handle, forming said handle of copper or other wire bent near the
bottom to form lateral loops which are embedded in the blue.or dye, and parcell-
ing up the blue or dye in a bag or cloth of fibrous material in such manner that
the loops at the lower part of the handle will abut against the tied part of the bag
inside, whereby the handle will not accidentally come off substantially as set
forth.
Dated this 16th day of August 1898.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Patent Agents, of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London.