US1719467A

US1719467A - Steel-wool holder

Info

Publication number: US1719467A
Application number: US230756A
Authority: US
Inventors: Fitzpatrick Howard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1927-11-03
Filing date: 1927-11-03
Publication date: 1929-07-02
Anticipated expiration: 1946-07-02

Description

July 2, 1929. H. FITZPATRICK STEEL WOOL HOLDER Filed Nov. 5, 1927 Howard 5623311 Patented July 2, 1929.

PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD FITZPATRICK, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

STEEL-"WOOL HOLDER.

Application filed November 3, 1927. Serial No. 230,756.

This invention relates to a holder for steel wool, being intended particularly for house hold uses such as scouring, polishing, cleaning and the like.

Steel wool has come largely into use for household purposes but when held directly in the hand and rubbed on the surface to be cleaned, strands of the wool may break up into small particles or splinters which may enterthe hand of the user and cause pain and often times infection. Various types of holders have therefore been devised for securing a quantity or a pad of steel wool on a handle so that the hand of the user need not come into contact with the wool when the holder is in used.

My invention contemplates the provision of an inexpensive holder for a quantity, ball or pad or steel wool, to which the wool may be quickly and easily secured and from which it may be readily detached for replacement, and in which means are provided for so holding the wool as to allow sharp corners of utensils to be easily reached for cleaning,

' while sufficient pressure may be put on the wool to insure efficient cleansing action.

The various objects of my invention will appear from the description which follows and from the drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a front view of one form of my improved holder.

Fig. 2 is a side View of the same showing the ball or pad of steel wool in place and showing further in dotted lines, the positions assumed by the holding clips when opened in readiness to receive the pad or to release the pad from the holder.

In that practical and.preferred embodiment of my invention, which I have illustrated, I prefer to use a clip-supporting member 9 over the end of which the steel wool may be arranged, and to the faces of which the wool may bepressed by means of the clips, so that pressure may be put on the wool through said member in any desired direction to carry out efficiently the cleaning function of the device. Said member is preferably made of thin flat material, wood being preferable for economy and easy handling. A handle portion 10 suitably shaped to fit the hand: is provided at one end of said supporting'member 9,'the portion 10 being provided with a perforation 11 by means of which the holder may be hung up when not in use. It is intended that a pad, ball or handful of steel wool as 13 be tion 16 of the support 9.

arranged over the end 12 of the support 9, by pressing said end against the middle of the ball or pad and thereby shaping the wool in the form of a U, the sides of which engage the faces of the support. Near the end 12, I prefer to provide means for removably holding the sides of the wool element 13 on to the preferably

flat faces

14 and 15 of the supporting member 9. It will be understood, however, that the support 9 and the handle therefor may bemade of any desired crosssectional shape which may be found convenient and that'I do not intend to limit myself to the specific flat form of the handle and of the holding or supporting portion thereof shown except in accordance with the terms of the appended claim.

The securing means for the steel wool may take various forms, but as illustrated, said means includes a pair of similar members arranged on opposite sides of the portion 16 and suitably held thereto. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the securing means includes a clip 17, pivotally mounted in a bearing member 18 and normally urged into a position close to the face 14L as by means of av spring 19. The bearing 18 and the spring therefor are secured to a suitable plate 20, the free extremity of the spring 19 being in contact with the then uppermost edge crossbar 21 of the clip 17, whereby said clip when opened out, is maintained by the spring in its open position shown at 22, Fig. 2, or when moved out of said position, the clip 17 is normally urged by said spring into its operative position toward the face 14-. A similar clip is mounted on the face 15, both of said clips being secured to the member 16 by suitable rivets as 23 passing through the plates 20 and through the por- The free extremity of the clip is preferably outturned to enable the user to lift the clip easily away from the support and to release the worn pad for replacement.

The steel wool 13, whether in the form of a rectangular or round pad or in the form of a ball detached from a larger quantity is arranged as hereinbefore pointed out with the middle part thereof pressed against the end 12 and with the sides thereof held in place by the clips 17. In use, the end of the pad held near the extremity 12 is pressed into engagement with the surface to be scoured or cleaned and as by pressing the support 9 in the desired direction and the entire device is at the same time moved vigorously over the surface in the usual manner.

It will be seen that I have provided a support for a steel wool element and means for attaching the wool thereto which means is readily openable and spread apart for the reception of the wool and quickly and easily tightened against the W001 for holding it securely and effectively in place.

It will be understood that I do not intend to limit myself to the specific structure shown and described herein as it will be obvious that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

The combination with a pad of steel wool,

of a combined handle and supporting memher for the pad comprising a nonresilient and relatively thin member of substantially rectangular cross-section terminating at one end in a handle shaped to fit the hand of the user, a pad engaging member on each of the faces of the first member, having their respective ends bent away from the adjacent face of the supporting member for shaping and confining the pad at points in spaced relation to the supporting member, a bearing in which the other end of the engaging member is pivoted, a spring in said bearing for normally maintaining the engaging member in position adjacent to the surface on which it is mounted, and means for permanently securing the bearing to the supporting member.

HOWARD FITZPATRICK.