US1713975A - Island - Google Patents

Description

May 21, 1929. D. J. MAYER 1,713, 7

SCOURING DEVICE Filed April 10, 1928 ATTORNEY Patented May 21, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL J. MAYER, 0F BELLEVILLE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO METAL TEXTILE CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

SCOURING DEVICE.

Application filed April 10, 1928.

This invention relates to an improved construc'tion of metallic scourlng devlce 1n the form of a hand implement which is especially adapted to provide a mild abradant for scraping, cleaning and polishing the surfaces of utensils and other surfaces desired to be so treated.

The invention has for its principal object to provide a. novel construction ofadevice adapt ed to furnish a spheroidal abrasive mass made of metallic wire or a composite of metallic wire and textile yarn or other material so fabricated as to furnish amultiplicity of close- 1y associated abrasive members or elements united together at and radiating from a common center, to thereby produce the desired roughly spheroidal shape effectively retained against disintegrating, shredding, sloughing off, and against other permanent deformation from its desired more or less compact initial shape; the device so made is readily conformable by pressure, however, to the surface to which it may be applied in use, while at the same time it provides a great multiplicity of scraping edges adapted for operative contact with such surface when pressed against and rubbed over the same.

Other objects of this invention,not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from the following detailed description of the same.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view in part section, illustrating the manner in which the material is looped on itself in the process of making the novel scouring device of the instant invention; Fig.- 2 is another diagrammatic view showing further advanced steps in the production of the novel scouring device; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the complete scouring device; and Fig. 4 is an elevation of said scouring device.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

In order to more clearly illustrate the essential characteristics of the finished article embodying the construction and principles of the instant inventioInI have shown in the drawings, in somewhat diagrammatic fashion, one method by which the article may be produced. The article is essentially made of metallic material. preferably in the form of flat ribbon-like wire or wire of angular cross Serial No. 268,859.

sectional shape which is turned or twisted upon itself to provide a roughly spirally convolved strand or otherwise deformed to provide a multiplicity of lateral scraping edge projections or points such, for example, as shown in Figure 1; or the strai'id or length of material may consist in a flexible carrying core of straight wire or textile yarn upon which is carried a convolved or gimped fiat metallic wire or wires of angular cross-sectional shape adapted to provide a multiplicity of lateral scraping edge projections or points. Preferably the metallic material employed is of a relatively non-corrosive character; for example I, may use copper, both for its relatively non-corrosive character as well as for its comparatively hard nature whereb its scraping or abrading functions are ren ered more efficient.

In making up or assembling any of the forms of metallic material above mentioned to fabricate the same into the novel construction embodying the scouring device according to the principles of this invention, I may utilize a pair of lateral spaced apart parallel supporting bars 1 about which I wind a suit able length of the metallic material to form a multiplicity of looped sections along the length of said bars 1. Extending longitudinally between the bars 1 is a lower guide-plate 2 terminating at its outer end and beyond the free ends of said bars 1 in an upcurled gathering or bunching guide 3, which is provided with a slot 4 therein for purposes to be subsequently explained. Arranged above and vertically spaced from said lower guide-plate 2 is an upper guide-plate 5 which extends to- Ward the gathering or bunching guide 3. Said upper guide-plate 5 is provided with a longitudinal slot 5 entering at its inner end for the reception and slidable guiding of a push-block 6 movable through the space between the guide-plates 2 and 5; said pushblock 6 havingan exterior knob 7 for manipulation of the same.

After the material is wound upon the bars 1 in frent of the guide-plates, it is pushed along the bars so as to enter the space intermediate the guide-plates. When a sufficient length of the thus wound material is mounted on the bars 1 and entered between the guide plates 2 and 5, the pushblock-6 is engaged with the upper guide-plate 5 to move behind the material so asto en gage intermediate portions of the transversely disposed loops thereof. The forward end of the push-bloek 6 is transversely concave so as to aid in gathering together the center portion of the loops of material, and it is also preferable that the for-- ward end of the push-block 6 be provided with an indented slot 8 to match the slot :4: of the gathering or bunching guide 3. The push-block 6 is forced outward to deliver the center portions of the loops of material into the gathering or bunching guide 3, whereby the said center portions are compactly bunched together with the free looped ends of the material removed from the bars 1 so as to radiate from the bunched center portions. WVhen these operations have been completed a tie-w1re 9 is introduced through then removed from the gathering or bunching guide 3, whereupon the outwardly projecting loops of material will radiate from the bunched center portions in every direction, thus producing a roughly spheroidal or balllike mass formed by a multiplicity of radially projecting members, whereupon the novel scouring device is complete.

\Vhile the above described method of fabricating the article provides a convenient way of bringing the material together in the novel structural form essential to the article of this invention, it will be understood that the same is illustrative only, and that any other convenient method of producing the structure may be resorted to, or any other mechanical aids employed to further its production.

Essentially, in simplest form, the novel scouring device of this invention comprises metallic material so formed as to provide throughout its length a multiplicity of lateral scraping edge projections a; said material being looped upon itself to provide looped ends or arms I), and'then having its center portions gathered or bunched together and securely bound by the encircling binding wire (I, so that the'finished article will provide a consolidated central portion or heart a from which projects radially in every direction the looped ends or arms I). The radiating ends or arms I) being of substantially equal length, the resultant article will possess a ball-like or spheroidal contour, and yet, since the arms or ends Y) are free, i. e. unconnected except at the center or heart 6, a very pliable and conformable mass is provided which retains its shape in use without tendency to shredding, sloughing, and without tendency to become attenuated or lose its generally ball-like body conformation. At the same time, the body so formed and constructed will readily flatten itself against a surface to which it is pressed and over which it is rubbed; since the ends or arms will readily displace and dispose themselves under the applied pressure when pressed and rubbed over a surface to be cleaned, scoured or the like, a multiplicity of the scraping edge projections a, will etliciently attack the surface so as to quickly remove dirt, encrustations, grease or the lilte therefrom by the cleansing or scouring abrasion thus ailorded.

I find that a very advantageous form of the novel scouring device structure is produced when made of material such as shown in Figure 4, wherein a carrying strand or core f of flexible wire or of textile yarn or other materialis provided with a gimping of preferably flat metallic wire to form the multiplicity of lateral scraping edge projections a. The thus gimped carrying strand or heart is laid in transverse loops to provide the oppositely extending looped ends or arms b, and before gathering the center portions of the loops together, the gimped metallic wire at such center portions is drawn outwardly and opposite ly to stretch the same and closely dispose the same around such center portions in comparatively close hugging relation thereto, whereby attenuated center portions 0 of greatly reduced cross-sectional area are provided, so that when gathered or bunched together a much more solidly compacted and smaller consolidated central portion or heart e is obtained whereby the radiating fully gimped free loop ends or arms I) may be more compactly grouped together, and consequently a greater total density of the finished body is obtained. Another advantage of the metallic gimped carrying strand or core type of material is that the strand or core f retains the radiating arms or ends 6 of the resultant de vice against undue stretching or elongation.

From the above description it will be obvious that I have provided a unique and yet very etiicient scouring device, which will be comfortable to the hand of the user, and yet so functions as to readily conform itself to a surface upon which it is pressed and rubbed. The novel scouring device will not splinter or slough off metal particles with attendant risk of injury to the hands of the user, and other undesirable consequences.

Having thus described my invention, I claim I 1. A metallic gimped carrying strand looped upon itself and the center portions of said strand intermediate the free loop ends thereof being bunched together and secured 'to provide a consolidated central heart from which said free loop ends radiate in all directions to form a spheroidal body in which said central heart is substantially concealed by the radiating loop ends.

2. A scouring device, comprising a flexible carrying strand, a gimping of metallic material carried on said strand to provide a multiplicity of lateral scraping projections, said metallic gimped strand. being looped upon itself, the metallic gimping on the center portions of said strand intermediate the free giinped strand radiate in all directions, and loop endsthereof being stretched more or a binding tie encircling and retaining said less tightly about said center portions to atcentral heart against disruption. 10 tenuate the latter, said attenuated center por- In testimony, that I claim the invention 5 tions being bunched together to provide a set forth above I have hereunto set my hand compactly consolidated central heart from this 7th dayof April, 1928. which the free loop ends of said metallic DANIEL J. MAYER.

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