TUTACHING PAD SWEEDING CARPETED AND OTHER FLOORS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Matthew Ker, of No. 8, Cumberland Market, in the
Parish of Saint Pancras, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention
LA TUTACHING PAD SWEEDING CARPETED AND OTHER FLOORS."
Sealed the 29th July 1856, and dated the 1st February 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Matthew Ker at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st February
1856.
I, MATTHEW KER, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
A MACHINE FOR SWEEPING CARPETED AMD OTHER FLOORS, to be as follows:-
A cylindrical broom is formed by inserting into a roller of the required size
hair or other suitable material, so as either to radiate directly from the centre
or fixed obliquely. On the middle of the roller a pulley is fixed, by which the
broom is turned; the broom is then hung on centres in a wood or metal case,
which is either open or closed in front, and partly open at the bottom.
Behind the broom a flap is hung on centres fixed into the sides of the case;
this flap rests with its lower edge on the floor, and may be made either in one
piece or in several, to suit the inequalities of the ground; behind and
Two
partly under the flap is a drawer for the reception of the dust.
small wheels are fixed in the case in order that it may roll freely. A
long handle is attached to the case in such a position that a winch may

page_text: be fixed near the upper end in a line with the pulley on the broom; a cord
or band is then passed over them & through two holes made in the case, so
that by turning the winch, the broom is made to revolve & brush the dust up
the flap into the drawer. The whole machine may be kept stationary, pulled
backward, or pushed forward, quite independent of the revolving of.the broom.
For the better prevention of dust, arising in rooms containing valuable fur-
niture and ornaments, the case is made to cover the broom within about an
inch of the floor, and in the top of it a funnel-shaped hole is made, over which
the end of a long flexible tube is fixed, connected with a fan bellows, the
expelling tube of which is put out of the window or other convenient place,
so that while one person works the broom another turns the bellows, and the
fine dust which might arise after the machine has passed is drawn up the
tube, and expelled from the room. The bellows may be fixed on the broom
handle, and worked by the winch when the broom is made of a convenient
size for one person to manage entirely, the flexible tube being connected
with the expelling tube of the bellows, and fixed so as to discharge the dust
out of the room.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Matthew Ker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st August 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MATTHEW
KER, of No. 8, Cumberland Market, in the Parish of Saint Pancras, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Matthew Ker, Her special licence that I, the said Matthew Ker, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Matthew
Ker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for A MACHINE FOR SWEEPING CARPETED
AND OTHER FLOORS; upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said

page_text: Matthew Ker,
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within.six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Matthew Ker, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed;
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement.
My Invention has for its object the construction of an apparatus for sweep-
ing, which shall be so much under the control of the operator, that while the
machine is made to go forward, is pulled backward, or is kept stationary, the
brush may still be made to revolve and clean the carpet or floor by brushing
up the dust into a drawer, and that the finer particles of dust may be prevented
from rising and settling on surrounding objects. To effect this, I fix a cyli
drical brush in a suitably constructed case, which brush has a pulley on the
middle of it. To the case is attatched a long handle, near the end of which
a winch handle is fixed. A cord is made to pass over the winch, through the
case, and over the pulley on the brush, so that while the operator moves the
machine about or keeps it stationary, by taking taking hold of the handle with
the one hand, he can turn the winch with the other hand, and so cause the
brush to revolve.
In order the better to explain the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I will proceed to explain the Drawings which are
hereto annexed.
Fig. 1 is a section. a, a, is the case, which is open in front, but has a cover
hinged on it at b, which entirely encloses the brush c, c. As the bottom of
the cover is a little distance from the floor, a strip of india-rubber or other
flexible material a is fixed to it, so as to be always on the floor, although the
elevation of the handle may be altered a little. c is the stock of the brush;
it is centred in the plate f, which has three slots in it, so that as the brush
wears, it can be centred in one of the lower slots; g is a drawer, the bottom
of which is of tin or zinc; this piece of metal is bent up, so as to form the
front of the drawer also, and is made hollow, so as to fit the circle of the brush;
the drawer is kept in its place by one or two hooks and eyes h, which act also
as a hinge to permit the front edge i of the drawer to be always on the floor
when the machine is in action. j is a small plate, screwed to the side of the
case to prevent the drawer from falling too much; k is a small wheel, screwed
to the back of the drawer, usefull to move the machine about when not in

page_text: action; is a comb, formed by pieces of small wire driven into a strip of wood,
and screwed to the case; it is usefull to clean the brush of threads or any
other thing which might be liable to adhere to the brush. m is the section of
a metal fence, which prevents the hairs of the brush from being carried into
the grove of the pulley by the cord; it is screwed to the case. n, n, is the
cord, made of gutta percha or other suitable material; it passes through the
holes o, o, in the case, and over the pulley on the brush. p, p, is the handle,
which is tapped into the case; near the upper end of it the winch or pulley
handle q is centred. r, r, is a series of holes into which the centre pin of the
pulley handle may be put, in case the cord should stretch; s is a small handle
tapped into the long handle.
Fig. 3 is the fence or
the hairs of the brush may be
Fig. 4 is a side view of the
Fig. 2 shows the stock of the brush with the pulley;
guard, shown at m, Fig. 1; by the use of it
brought over to meet, as shown at t, Fig. 2.
pulley handle. is a thumb screw, by means of which the pulley may be
removed into any of the holes r, r, Fig. 1.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I would have it under-
stood that I do not claim anything in the construction of the case, niethier do
I limit myself to the peculiar form described; but what I claim is, the peculiar
arrangement of parts, by means of which the brush is made to operate.
In witness whereof, I, the said Matthew Ker, have hereunto set my hand
and scal, this First day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-six.
MATTHEW KEK. (L.S.)