Improvements in Apparatus for Beating and Cleaning Carpets.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 4th June., 1889
Complete Specification Lelt, 4th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 3rd May, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Beating and Cleaning Carpets.
ALBERT MIDGLEY Severn Villa Caversham Road Kingston on Thames do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object improvements in Apparatus for Beating and
Cleaning Carpets. For this purpose the frame or case of machine is of the ordinary
type made of wood. A spindle or shaft running through the machine on which is
mounted three way or triangular brackets, at each angle of the bracket a rod is con-
nected running parallel with the shaft, on these rods the beater arms (having sockets
in which the beaters are inserted) are arranged at intervals along the rods.
These beater arms alltho' running loose on the rods are only allowed to rotate a
certain distance, by having pins screwed into the rods and passing through a slot in
the beater arms.
The beaters are in the form of an ordinary walking stick. They may be made
of ash, fir or any kind of cane or stick, leather or any other substance made into
the form or shape of a stick may be used.
The open bed or guide rods for carpet to rest on whilst being beaten in
machine is composed of rods of iron, or steel wire (with or without spiral springs)
stretched in a slanting position from mouth or front of machine to the bottom, and
are so placed that when the machine is in motion, and no carpets in machine, the
beaters pass between the guide rods or open bed without touching it.
The shaft with triangular brackets and transverse rods, on which the beater arms
with beaters inserted, is driven at a high velocity, causing the beaters to exten! them-
selves by centrifugal force. The carpet is passed into the machine at the mouth or
front and is at once acted upon by the beaters. The beaters rotating independently
of each other, only those beaters immediately over the carpet act on it. The
others rotating between the guide rods or open bed without touching or injuring the
open bed or guide rods in any manner.
The novelty of my improvements are 1st. The beater action which is almost
identical with the action of the human armi, in hand beating with a stick and by
this action there is a full blow of nearly the entire length of beater laid on the
carpet, and no bending of the heater in withdrawing it from the carpet, therefore
a great saving of power and more effectual beating. 2nd. The guide rods or open
bed. In my Invention the guide rods or open bed are so arranged that when no
carpets are in and the machine in motion, the beaters revolve and pass between
each rod without touching, therefore it is impossible for them to damage either
the bed or themselves, and with the beaters rotating independently of each other
when a narrow piece of carpet is put into the machine, only those beaters in its
immediate vicinity are brought into action.
To carry off the dust an air propeller is fixed in a convenient position in the
ordinary way.
Dated this Fourth day of June 1889.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Beating and Cleaning Carpets.
I, ALBERT MIDGley, of 90, Sunbridge Road, Bradford in the County of York,
Agent, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for beating and cleaning
carpets, and such improvement consists in the method hereinafter described of
mounting the rotary beaters so that they strike the carpet approximately with their
whole length parallel to it in a similar manner to a beater operated by hand. The
said improvements further consist in the peculiar construction of the bed upon which
the carpet is heaten adapted to allow the whole of the beaters to rotate without
striking the bed when no carpet is upon it, and also when narrower carpets than
the machine are being beaten only such of the beaters immediately over the carpet
are brought into operation and the remainder pass the bed without striking it or its
supports.
Reference is made to the accompanying sheet of drawings forming a part of
this specification in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in
each of the figures.
Figure 1 is a plan view with the top cover removed of one of my improved
machines certain of the parts being broken away from the right hand to disclose
the parts beneath.
Figure 2, is a transverse section of the same.
Figures 3, and 4 are views of detail hereinafter referred to.
The main shaft A as usual in this class of mechanism extends the whole length of
the machine and is preferably hollow, it is driven in any convenient manner and is
supported at each end in journals a fixed to the ends B of the framework or casing.
Two, three or more rods C, three are represented in the drawings, are arranged
parallel with the shaft A so as to revolve therewith upon which the beaters or sticks D
are hinged or pivoted. Said rods are rigidly connected to the shaft at each end by
the stout arms E radiating from the boss F koyed to each end of the shaft and are
supported at intermediate points by the lighter arms E¹ radiating from F¹ also keyed
to the shaft A.
The beaters D are formed of ash or other suitable material and are secured in
metal sockets G having eyes e by which they are loosely mounted upon the rods C
and the stops i rigidly mounted upon said rods between the eyes e limit the motion
of the sockets upon said rods, as clearly illustrated in figure 3 which represents these
parts in section on a larger scale with the limited movement of the socket defined by
the dotted representation thereof. The stop i is rigidly fixed to the rod C by the
set screw ¹ and the shoulder e on the socket engages 22 on the stop and thus limits
the motion of such socket upon the rod, shoulders e² and 3 are preferably provided
to prevent the sticks turning too far in the opposite direction.
When the apparatus is put into operation the shaft A revolves carrying round
with it the rods C and beaters D which latter owing to the 'centrifugal force thus
brought to bear upon them turn on the rods C so as to extend outwards approxi-
mately at a tangent or as far as the stops i will permit in the manner represented
at j,j, figure 2, and thus strike the carpet (represented by the broken line J figure 2,
supported by the bed L) approximately parallel with their length. But in order
to clear the carpet as they continue to revolve past, the beaters turn on the rods C,
partly by the rebound from striking the carpet, so that their free end moves towards
the centre and allows them to pass the carpet as represented at k.
The bed is formed preferably of thin metal strips L secured at their inner ends
to the beam M extending the whole length of the machine and pass over struts N
up to the opening P in the framework where they are secured to short. tension
bolts R passing through the longitudinal rod S fixed to the side frame T.

page_text: The metal strips L are fixed the same pitch or distance apart as the beaters and
have spaces t between them arranged to allow the whole of the beaters to pass
between them when not covered by the carpet so as to prevent such beaters being
injured by striking the bed.
The carpet is passed into the machine in the usual manner over the roller O
through the opening P and across the plate I covering the bolts R and on to the
bed. The framework is of the usual form and a revolving fan is employed to remove
as much of the dust as possible from the apparatus.
Spiral springs W may be introduced between the nuts V of the tension bolts R
and the rod S in the manner shown in figure 4; no claim is however made for this
construction.
From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that the beaters in action
deliver a full blow with approximately the entire length of the beater laid on the
carpet and that in rebounding from each blow such beaters turn slightly on the
rotary frame to which they are pivoted as they are withdrawn from the carpet and
so pass off without being bent or scraping the carpet. It will also be clearly seen
that the whole of the beaters are free to pass through, and consequently rotate clear
of, the bed without striking any part uncovered by the carpet operated upon, for
openings t are provided in the plane of rotation of each of the beaters.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare what I claim is :
1. In a carpet beating machine, the combination with a rotary frame or apparatus,
of beaters hinged thereto by stop hinges adapted to hold the beaters when revolving
approximately at a tangent to said frame and parallel to the bed preparatory to each
blow and allow the beaters to rebound inwards after each blow to clear the carpet,
substantially as herein shown and described.
2. The peculiar construction of bed to hold the carpet, provided with openings
the same distance apart as the beaters and in the plane of their rotation so that the
beaters are free to pass throngh and revolve clear of the bed without striking it or
any part of its framework or supports substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 3rd day of March 1890.
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.