US1937577A - Scouring implement - Google Patents

Description

Dlec. 5, 1933. R- B, KlNMAN 41,937,577

SCOURING IMPLEMENT Filed 0G17. 31, 1931 INVENTOR Patented Dec. 1933 sey UNITED STATES .PATENT OFFICE SCOURING mPLEMEN'r Russell B. lKingman, Orange, N. J., assignor to Metal Textile Corporation, West Orange, N. J., a corporation of Delaware Application October 31, 1931. Serial No. 572,385

s claims. (o1. 15-zom This invention relates to improvements in v scouring implements comprising abrasive metallic material suitable for scraping pots, pans and other kitchen utensils and for general surface cleaning operations requiring a mild abrasive action. Y

This invention has for its principal object to provide a novel scouring implement in the form of a body'comprising spirally convolute metallic material .looped upon itself and having a consolidated secured or bound central portion from which the free loop ends radiate and by which the latter are retained against displacement or undesirable elongation or fraying out, and a finger piece or hand grip for attachment to said body so devised and combined therewith as to receive and retain the consolidated central portion of said body withdrawn and tended from possible contact with the surface to which the device is applied in use, whereby the yieldable or compressible portions of the body are alone possible to be engaged with the surface undergoing treatment, so that risk voi marring or gouging such surface by the relatively hard central portion of the body is avoided.

This invention has for a further object .to provide a scouring implement of the kind above mentioned including a `finger piece or hand grip means which not only serves as a means for grasping and applying the implement in use, but which also serves asa fender or shield to guard the users iingers against possible injurious scraping contact with a surface 4being treated during rubbing application of the implement thereto.

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

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Fig'. 1 is a side elevation of the scouring implement according to this. invention, and Fig. 2 is another side elevation of the same viewed at right angles to the plane of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a top or plan -view of the novel scouring implement; Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section, taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 1'; Fig. 5 is also a vertical longitudinal section, taken on line 5-5 in Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is a bottom View of the ringer piece or hand grip of thevdevice.

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

iererring to the drawing, the metallic mate rial of which the abrasive body of the implement is made, comprises a wire which is turned or twisted upon itself to provide a roughly spirally convolved strand a, or otherwise deformed to provide a multiplicity of scraping projections or points along its length. Preferably the wire is of iiat ribbon-like form or of angular crosssectional shape;4 although Wire of any crosssectional shape, round or angular, may be employed. The flat ribbon-like wire, however, when spirally convolved, provides a multiplicity oi chisel-like scraping edges or projections calculated to provide a maximum of abrading effect. While it is possible to use the metallic strand a` alone, preferably, however, a flexible carrier core of metallic wire or textile cord b is employed upon and around which is convolved or gimped the metallic strand a. Preferably the metallic mate-- rial employed for the gimping a and for the carrier core b is of relatively non-corrosive char- 7c actor; for.example, copper aords a good material, both by reason oi its relatively non-corrosive character as well as because of its comparatively 'hard nature, whereby its scraping or abrading functions are rendered more eicient.

In making upthe body of the implement from metallic material of the kind described, the strand oi material is wound transversely around a suitable mandrel'or support or as to be looped back and forth upon itself. The looped material is then gathered and hunched together intermediate the free loop ends 10, and suitably bound into a consolidated center portion 11 byvwinding a tiewire 12 around the latter, or by otherwise suitably securing the same. The thus arranged material, after removal from the mandrel iorms a body in which the free loop ends 10 radiate from the consolidated center portion 11. 1n order to reduce the mass of the center portion 11 as much as possible, it is preferable that the gimping, 96 as spirally convolved about a carrier core, be drawn outwardly and oppositely toward the iree loop ends to stretch the same along the central portions of the looped material, so as to cause the convolutions to closely hug such central portions 100 thus thinning or attenuating the same, so that, when binding such center portions together, the same will be closely compacted into comparatively dense central mass, from which the fluilier free loop ends extend to iorm a comparatively easily yieldable or compressible body, much in the manner and form disclosed in prior 'United States Letters Patent No. 1,713,975, to Mayer, dated May 2, 1929. f

Combined with the abrasive metallic body, Dro- Apossible to be engaged with such surface.

viding the working element of the implement, is a novel finger piece or hand grip, preferably made as an integral member molded from a suitable plastic material, such, for example, as a phenolic condensation product. This finger piece or hand grip comprises a base 13 of suitable peripheral shape, preferably circular, and having a concave seat 14 at its under side. Integral with and projecting upwardly from said base is a grip portion 15 diametrically disposed transversely across said base 13. Said grip portion is of a width somewhat less than the width or diameter of the base, and of a thickness substantially less than its width, whereby substantially fiat faces are provided on opposite sides thereof to afford finger engageable surfaces. Preferably said grip portion is of somewhat upwardly tapering conformation. Formed in the central portion 0f the seat cavity 14 of the base 13 is an inwardly countersunk socket 16. Also formed in the base 13 for upward extension into the body of said grip portion 15 adjacent to diametrically opposite sides of said socket 1.6 are a pair of receiving openings 17 in which are engaged and anchored the legs 18 of a fastening staple 19 which serves as a means for connecting the abrasive metallic element of the implement to the finger piece or hand grip.

In connecting the abrasive metallic member to the finger piece or ha'nd grip. the former is applied to the underside of the latter so that its middle rportion underlies the base 13 within the' 19 not only firmly joins the abrasive metallic member and finger piece together, but also firmly presses and holds the relatively hard center portion 11 of the former in the socket 16 of the latter, so that such hard center portion 11 and the surrounding staple end are drawn into the confines of the concave seat 14 and within or above the plane of the periphery of the base 13 (indicated by the dot and dash line C-C in Fig. 5), whereby these relatively hard elements are fended from possible contact with the surface over which the implement is 'rubbed in use, leaving only the relatively soft, yieldable and vcompressible parts of the metallic abrasive member BY this arrangement, no matter how strongly the implement may be pressed upon and rubbed over the surface undergoing treatment, all risk of gouging or like injury to such surface by a hard unyielding element is avoided.

i Preferably the staple legs 18 are provided `with downwardly directed spurs or other roughening means, as shownin Fig. 5, whereby a strong frictional engagement thereof with the walls of the openings 17 is assured, to the end that the staple will strongly resist displacement from its connected relation to the finger piece.

The form of the finger piece, comprising the spreading base 13 and diametrically disposed substantially fiat sided grip portion 15, is such that not only does the grip portion 15 provide a means by which the implement may be easily and conveniently grasped by the fingers (as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4) so as to be easily impelled with desired rubbing action upon and over the surface desired to be cleaned, but also lthe spread of the base 13, interposed between the grip portion 15 and the metallic abrasive element of the implement serves as a protecting guard for the user's fingers, whereby the latter 'are fended or shielded against possible injurious scraping contact with the surface being treated during rubbing application of the implement thereto.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof` it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall' be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:-`

1. In combination, an abrasive member com prising spirally convolute metallic material looped upon itself and having the intermediate portions thereof between its free loop ends bunched together, a tie-wire wound around said intermediate bunched portions to provide a comparatively hard compacted center portion from which the free loop ends radiate to form a relatively soft yieldable mass, a finger/piece having a base to overlie the middle of said abrasive member and a diametrically disposed grip portion upstanding therefrom, said base having an up wardly extending socket in its underside to receive said compacted center portionof said abrasive member together with said encircling tiewire to dispose the same above the plane of the periphery of said base and above the working portions of the soft yieldable mass of said abrasive member, and means for securing said abrasive member in such assembled relation to -said finger piece.

2. The combination with an abrasive member comprising spirally convolute metallic material looped upon itself and the portions thereof be'- tween free loop ends being bunched together and bound to provide a comparatively hard compacted center portion from which the free loop ends .radiate to form a relatively soft yieldable mass,

of a finger piece having a base provided with a concave seat at its underside to receive the central part of said abrasive member whereby the free loop ends of the latter project freely beyond the base periphery, a grip portion diametrically disposed in upstanding relation to and from said base, said base having a socket extending upwardly from the lcenter of said concave seat toward said grip portion to receive said compacted center portion of said abrasive member to dispose the same in a plane above the plane of the periphery of said base and above the working portions of the soft yieldable mass of said abrasive member, said finger piece having openings on diametrically opposite sides of said socket extending through said base and upwardly into said grip portion, anda staple engaging around the compacted vcenter portion of said abrasive member, the legs of said staple being entered andanchored in said openings.

3. The combination with an abrasive member comprising spirally convolute metallic material looped upon itself, a tie-wire wound around the intermediate portions of said looped material for binding said intermediate portions together t0 provide a comparatively hard compacted center portion from which the free loop ends radiate to disposing the same in a plane above the plane oi' the periphery of said base and above the workingA portions of the soft yieldable mass of said abrasive member, said nger piece having openings on diametrically opposite sides o! said socket extending upwardly through said base and into said gripped portions, and a staple engaging around said tie-wire and the compacted center portion of said abrasive member, the legsof said vstaple being entered and anchored in said openings.

RUSSELL B. KINGMAN.

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