IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF Brushes
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles A. Watkins, of the Firm of Hamilton &
Co., Brush Manufacturers, of Greek Street, Soho Square, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF Brushes.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles A. Watkins
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 22nd March 1859.
I, CHARLES A. WATKINS, of the Firm of Hamilton & Co., Brush Manu-
facturers, of Greek Street, Soho Square, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRUSHES,"
to be as follows:-
My improvements in the manufacture of brushes consist, firstly, in the
method of securing the hair of circular or oval brushes by means of metal
bindings, constructed as here-after described, to be used in place of the
bindings of string, web, or rings of metal, which have up to this time been
used.
Secondly, in the application of the above-named metal bindings to the
manufacture of those painting brushes known in the trade as socket brushes.
Thirdly, in the better securing of wire-bound brushes generally as here-
after described :-
1st part. The metal bindings referred to above are thus made:-A chuck
or mould is turned to the size required, and wire, which I prefer to have been
turned, is wound on to the mould until the requisite length of binding is
obtained; the layers of wire are then soldered together, either by a soldering
iron in the usual manner, or by a blow pipe, or by dipping the binding into a

page_text: pot of melted solder; when cold or set the binding is taken from the mould in
the form of a seamless ring of great strength. For all the ordinary painting
brushes this binding will be sufficient, but where soft solder is objectionable
the binding can be fastened by spelter, or hard solder, in which case I place
on the mould before winding the wire, a strip or strips of thin metal to hold
the wire in its place during the process of soldering, which must be done
without the mould. A second kind of binding is made by using a long narrow
strip of metal and winding it on the mould like the wire binding and soldering
in the same way. A third kind of binding is made by taking a long strip of very
thin metal of the width the binding is required, it is wound on the mould several
times over itself, and the layers are soldered together as above. A fourth
binding for brushes where great strength is required is made by winding on
the mould a small square rod of metal in the same way as the wire, and
soldering as before.
With all or any of the bindings above described the brushes are made by
placing in the rings the requisito quantity of hair, and driving in the ordinary"
conical handles in the usual manner.
2nd part relating to socket brushes in which the hair does not extend the
full length of the binding. For these brushes I use any of the rings described
in the first part, the proper quantity of hair is drawn partially through the
ring so as to leave a vacancy at the back, which is filled up with a block of
wood, cork, or other light material, turned to fit the back part of the ring and
having a hole in the centre for the handle, which is driven in the hair and
block in the usual manner. Although this is the casiest way of making the
brushes I prefer to have the binding in two parts, one part being a métal
binding made as described in the first part, but only the length required to
hold the hair firmly on the handle, that is from to of an inch according to
the size of the brush, the hair is put into the shallow ring and tho handle is
driven in, the block of wood or cork is then pushed up the handle as far as the
metal ring, and a pin of wood or metal is driven through the block and the
handle which fastens them together and prevents the handle shifting in the
brush, the block is then bound over with wire to match the ring, or the ring
and block are both covered over with a binding of string to give the brush a
finished appearance. When it is required to make the socket brushes similar
in appearance to those previously manufactured, but to give then the strength
obtained by these metal bindings, I make the sockets in the following manner:-
A mould is made of the size the socket is required, the smaller end of which
is turned to receive the shallow metal binding last described, the exterior
diameter of which is equal to the diameter of the mould, the ring is put on

page_text: the mould and they are both covered with a binding of web or string; this is
glued, and when dry the whole is removed from the mould, the brush is made
in this socket in the same way as before described.
3rd part. To increase the security of brushes which are bound with wire
in the ordinary way, as paste, glue, distemper, stock brushes, &c., I solder
the wire together with soft solder after the brushes are made, and for this
purpose I prefer to bind the brushes with tinned wire.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles A. Watkins, in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 22nd September 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
A. WATKINS, of the Firm of Hamilton & Co., Brush Manufacturers, of
Greek Street, Soho Square, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles A. Watkins, Her special licence that I, the said Charles
A. Watkins, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Charles A. Watkins, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRUSHES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Charles A. Watkins, my 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
perforined, 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 Charles A. Watkins, 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
thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:-

page_text: My improvements in the manufacture of brushes consist, firstly, in the
method of securing the hair of circular or oval brushes by means of metal
bindings, constructed as hereafter described to be used in the place of bindings
of string, web, or rings of metal, which have up to this time been used.
Secondly, in the application of the above-named metal bindings to the
manufacture of those painting brushes known in the trade as "socket brushes."
Thirdly, in the better securing of wire-bound brushes generally, as hereafter
described.
The metal bindings referred to above are thus made:-A chuck or mould is
turned to the size required, and wire, which I prefer to have been tinned, is
wound on to the mould until the requisite length of binding is obtained, the
layers of wire are then soldered together either by a soldering iron in the usual
manner, or by a blow pipe, or by dipping the binding into a pot of melted
solder; when cold or set, the binding is taken from the mould in the form of
à seamless ring of great strength. For all the ordinary painting brushes, this
binding will be sufficient, but where soft solder is objectionable, the binding
can be fastened by spelter or hard solder, in which case I place on the mould,
before winding the wire, a strip or strips of thin metal to hold the wire in its
place during the process of soldering, which must be done without the mould;
the strips of metal also hold the wire to the wooden cap.
A second kind of binding is made by using a long narrow strip of metal and
winding it on the mould, like the wire binding, and soldering in the same way.
A third kind of binding is made by taking a long strip of very thin metal
of the width the binding is required; it is wound on the mould several
times over itself, and the layers are soldered together as above.
A fourth binding for brushes where great strength is required, is made by
winding on the mould a small square rod of metal, in the same way as the
wire, and soldering as before.
With all or any of the bindings before described, the brushes are made by
placing in the rings the requisite quantity of hair, and driving in the ordinary
conical handles in the usual manner.
For socket brushes, in which the hair does not extend the full length of the
binding, I use any of the rings herein-before described; the proper quantity of
hair is drawn partially through the ring, so as to leave a vacancy at the back,
which is filled up with a block of wood, cork, or other light material, turned
to fit the back part of the ring, and having a hole in the centre for the handle,
which is driven in the hair and block in the usual manner. Although this is
the easiest way of making the brushes, I prefer to have the binding in two
parts, one part being a metal binding made as herein-before described, but

page_text: only the length required to hold the hair firmly on the handle, that is from
to of an inch, according to the size of the brush; the hair is put into the
shallow ring, and the handle is driven in, the block of wood or cork is then
pushed up the handle as far as the metal ring, and a pin of wood or metal iş
driven through the block and the handle which fastens them together, and
prevents the handle shifting in the brush, the block is then bound over with
wire to match the ring, or the ring and block are both covered over with a
binding of string, to give the brush a finished appearance.
When it is required to make the socket brushes similar in appearance to
those previously manufactured, but to give them the strength obtained by
these metal bindings, I make the sockets in the following. manner :-A mould
is made of the size the socket is required, the smaller end of which is turned
to receive the shallow metal binding last described, the exterior diameter of
which is equal to the diameter of the mould; the ring is put on the mould,
and they are both covered with a binding of web or string; this is glued, and
when dry, the whole is removed from the mould. The brush is made in the
socket in the same way as before.
To increase the security of brushes which are bound with wire in the
ordinary way, as paste, glue, distemper, stock brushes, &c., I solder the wire
together with soft solder after the brushes are made, and for this purpose I
prefer to bind the brushes with tinned wire.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a side elevation of so much of a
brush as is necessary to explain my Invention. a is the seamless metal ring
or binding, exterior and sectional views of which are given at Figures 2 and
3 respectively. The binding is held together while being soldered by strips of
metal c, c, one only of which is shewn in the Drawing. The strips also serve
to connect the binding to the cap b by being nailed to it. The hair is placed
in the seamless ring a, and the ordinary conical handle d is driven in through
the hair and through the cap b. e is a pin of wood or metal shown in the
sectional elevation, Figure 4, for preventing the handle being driven down-
wards through the cap and binding. The metal binding and block are
surrounded with a band of leather or other material, to give the brush a
finished appearance.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―
First, the method of securing hair in circular and oval brushes by means of
metal bindings formed in manner herein-before described.
Second, the manufacture of socket brushes and sockets for brushes, with a
binding formed of wire rods or strips of metal, such binding being employed

page_text: as the socket itself, or to form only part of the socket, as herein-before
"described.
Third, the holding of the binding for brushes together while being formed,
and the binding, after being formed, to the block or cap by strips of metal, as
herein-before described.
Fourth, the employment of a pin for securing the block of socket brushes
to the handle, as herein-before described.
And, fifth, the securing of wire-bound brushes generally by soldering the
wires together after the brushes are made, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles A. Watkins, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-nine.
CHA. A. WATKINS. (L.S.)