AN IMPROVED BRUSHING APPARATUS FOR CLEANING, BLACKING, AND POLISHING BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Bradford, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED BRUSHING APPARATUS FOR
CLEANING, BLACKING, AND POLISHING BOOTS AND SHOES."
Sealed the 19th August 1879, and dated the 20th May 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Bradford at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th May 1879.
THOMAS BRADFORD, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster. "AN IMPROVED
BRUSHING APPARATUS FOR CLEANING, BLACKING, AND POLISHING BOOTS AND
SHOES."
This apparatus consists of one, two, three, or more brushes of a circular form and
various suitable diameters, with bristles of the requisite hardness or softness on one
side of the flat circle only, that is, the front or working side, and which side or
front face is turned to a suitable shape before being covered with bristles, and to
which shape the bristles are adjusted, so that the brush can operate upon every
part of a boot or shoe, a quality which has hitherto been wanting in all previous
contrivances for this purpose.
I propose to fix one or more of such circular brushes upon one or more spindles
or shafts working in suitable bearings arranged in a suitable frame work of wood
or iron; and upon the ends of these shafts, which project beyond their bearings the
required distance, I fix the said circular brush or brushes in such a manner that
there shall be no projection on the face of the brush, for reasons which will be
hereafter explained by me.
The bearings of the shafts being horizontal the working position of the brush
is vertical, like the face plate of an ordinary lathe. I then actuate the machine by
any motive power that may be most convenient the smaller machines by hand or
by the foot, and the larger machines by steam, gas, or water power; and from the
main shaft or prime mover on the machine I transmit motion at the required
speed by driving band or chain and wheel to as many other counter shafts as I
require in such a manner that the circular brushes shall all rotate in one direction
or one after the other at suitable distances apart, so that when the brush is rotating
71

page_text: in a vertical position, which I prefer to any other position, whether horizontal or
oblique, one side of the brush will be moving in an upward direction and the
opposite side of the brush in a downward direction; and also when I require to
use two brushes, the right hand side of one brush is going downwards, the left hand
side of the following brush is going upwards, or vice versa, according to the
direction backwards or forwards of the prime mover, and by which means I obtain
a reciprocating action upon the boot or shoe when moved laterally corresponding
to the to and fro motion of the human hand with the ordinary shoe brush. And
although I propose to use two or more of these circular brushes rotating vertically
I claim the application of the principle equally as. applied to one brush only.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Bradford in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
November 1879.
THOMAS BRADFORD, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster. "AN IMPROVED
BRUSHING APPARATUS FOR CLEANING, BLACKING, AND POLISHING BOOTS AND
SHOES."
This apparatus consists of one, two, three, or more brushes of a circular form and
various suitable diameters, with bristles of the requisite bardness or softness on
one side of the flat circle only, that is, the front or working side, and which side
or front face is turned to a suitable shape before being covered with bristles, and
to which shape the bristles are adjusted, so that the brush can operate upon every
part of a boot or shoe, a quality which has hitherto been wanting in all previous
contrivances for this purpose.
I propose to fix one or more of such circular brushes upon one or more spindles
or shafts working in bearings arranged in a suitable frame work of wood or iron,
and upon the ends of these shafts, which project beyond their bearings the required
distance, I fix the said circular brush or brushes in such a manner that there shall be
no projection on the face of the brush, for reasons which will be hereafter explained
by me.
The bearings of the shafts being horizontal, the working position of the brush is
vertical, like the face plate of an ordinary lathe.
I then actuate the machine by any motive power that may be most convenient,
the smaller machines by hand or by the foot, and the larger machines by steam,
gas, or water power; and from the main shaft or prime mover on the machine Í
transmit motion at the required speed by driving band or chain and wheel to as
many other counter shafts as I require in such a manner that the circular brushes
shall all rotate in one direction or one after the other at suitable distances apart, so
that when the brush is rotating in a vertical position, which I prefer to any other
position, whether horizontal or oblique, one side of the brush will be moving in an
upward direction and the opposite side of the brush in a downward direction; and
also when I require to use two brushes, the right hand side of one brush is going.
downwards, the left hand side of the following brush is going upwards, or vice
versá, according to the direction backwards or forwards of the prime mover, and
by which means I obtain a reciprocating action upon the boot or shoe when moved
laterally corresponding to the to and fro motion of the human hand with the
ordinary shoe brush. And although I propose to use two or more of these circular
brushes rotating vertically I claim the application of the principle equally as applied
to one brush only.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention I will now proceed to
describe more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed
or carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may be clearly under-
stood I have annexed hereunto two Sheets of Drawings illustrative thereof, and
have marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with
those in the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 in the annexed Drawings represents a front elevation; Fig. 2, a vertical
section; and Fig. 3, a sectional plan view of the apparatus as arranged to be worked
by manual labour; and Fig. 4 is a plan view of an arrangement of the same
adapted to be worked by steam or other motive power.
In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, a, a¹, a², are the brushes composed of bristles set in the
wood backing b, b, either all over the surface, as shown at the left hand of Fig. 1,
or in segments, as shown at right hand on the same Fig. Metal bushes c, c, are
screwed to the backs of the wooden discs b, b, and are fixed on to and flush with
the ends of the shafts d, d, which are carried in suitable bearings upon a wooden
or metal frame work e, e.
The working surfaces of the brushes are rounded off, and they are so arranged

page_text: and mounted that every part of the working faces of the said brushes is accessible
to the operator and available for cleaning or otherwise operating upon any and
every part of the boot or shoe.
Rotary motion is imparted to the brushes a, a, a², by means of a winch handle
on the end of the main shaft d, on the other end of which is fixed the brush a¹ for
blacking the boots or shoes. At or near the centre of this shaft is keyed a large
pulley or fly wheel f, f, which by means of a strap g, g, and small pulley h, h,
imparts a relatively high speed to the counter shaft d', which carries the brush a
for cleaning the boots and shoes and the brush a² for polishing the same.
I may here remark that this arrangement of the brushes is by no means
arbitrary, as they may be all on one side of the machine or otherwise so disposed
as may be considered most convenient for use. I would also observe that instead
of actuating the machine by a winch handle it may be so arranged as to be driven
by the foot.
In the larger machine (wherein more brushes are used), as represented in plan
view at Fig. 4, the motion is imparted by means of a strap from the prime mover
passing round the fast pulley i, i, on the main driving shaft d, upon which are
mounted three pulleys f, f¹, f2, which by means of straps g, g¹, g², drive the counter
shafts d¹, d, d³, at an increased speed.
I prefer to drive the counter shafts by means of straps or bands as being com-
paratively noiseless, but I wish it to be understood that they may be driven by
toothed gearing or otherwise if thought desirable. In this machine the brush a
which runs at the lowest speed is for laying on the blacking, the brush a¹ for
brushing the dirt off the boots or shoes, and the brushes a², a³, a¹, a³, for polishing
the same.
In this machine the polishing brushes a², a³, a, as, are represented as placed in
pairs close together, and as they are driven in the same direction their contiguous
edges will be moving in opposite directions, and hence as a boot or shoe is held
against them and moved to and fro from one to the other a brilliant polish will be
speedily produced, the movement being very similar to that of hand brushes but
much more rapid. In the smaller machines, represented by Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the
boot or shoe is passed to and fro across the face, and as the movement of the
bristles on each side of the axis is reversed the same to and fro brushing effect is
⚫obtained.
The apparatus may be provided with a shelf K, K, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, having boxes
or compartments for the reception of the blacking or other compositions or ingre-
dients used for blacking boots or shoes, and which are applied as required to the
surface of the revolving brushes by means of a small hand brush.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention, the improved
brushing apparatus for cleaning, blacking, and polishing boots and shoes, consisting
mainly of one, two, or more rotating brushes of a circular disc like form, the
working faces thereof being rounded off towards their edges; the same being
mounted preferably in a vertical position in a convenient frame, and being caused
to revolve at suitable relative speeds either by hand or foot, or by steam or other
motive power, the whole being constructed, arranged, and operating substantially
as herein before set forth and described and illustrated by the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Bradford, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.