US1963529A - Scouring device - Google Patents

Description

W. C. PROTZ scoURING DEVICE June 19, 1934.

Filed June 16. 1932 M K n m Patented June 19, 1934 sooURING DEVICE n.

william o. Protz, Manitowoc, Wis., assignerY tu' National Tinsel Manufacturing Company, Manitowoc, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application June 16, 1932, Serial No.` 617,617

This invention relates to scouring implements of that type which embody spongy masses of metallic ribbon for scraping, cleaning and polishing the surfaces of kitchen utensils and other 1- surfaces which require similar treatment.

More particularly, the present invention is directed towards improvements in that type of metallic sponge which is formed substantially entirely of a mass of scouring strand that is adaptm ed to be gripped directly by the hand when used.

In manufacturing a sponge of this type it is preferable to tie it in some manner or other in order to give it a definite shape having substantial permanence, and to this end various prior proposals have been made and several typesof tied sponges have been marketed.

Some of the above mentioned old and marketed devices are tied withrrelatively heavy wires, the ends of which often scratch and prick the lingers. The ends and edges of these tie'wires, moreoven-may mark or damage thesurface being cleaned and they further detract from the appearanceiand fluiness of the sponge. VIt has been proposed to apply a heavy tiewire in such 25- manner as to conceal it within the body of scouring material, but the particular method referred to does not entirely avoid the enumerated objections, and furthermore it results in the compression of a large quantity of the mass of scouring material with resultant `reduction in the quantityand surface area of the material available for cleaning purposes. f

It is one of the major objects of the present invention to devise an improved scouring implement of the class above described, by binding the scouring mass into shape with a tying material which simulates the mass in appearance and other characteristics. Though visible, this tying material is hardly distinguishable as a separate element of the combination, and it possesses the same mild scouring and abrading action as the mass. This latter property enhances the efliciency of the implement by augmenting the total fluffy surface area thereof.

,4.5. Another object of the present invention is to utilize a visible tying strand, which has scouring properties and yet may differ somewhat from the massed strand, and which is so designed that it may be tied relatively loosely without permitting the free loops or ends of Ithe mass from slipping out of proper position. The advantage of a loose tie is that the sponge has a greater spongy uncompacted volume and hence has a correspondingly greater efective scouring surface.

55. A further major object of this invention, resides in the provision of a twin-pad scouring devicei. e., an implement consisting of two adjoined padsA or balls either of which mayA be used for scouring purposes and the other of which may at the same time be used as a grip'or handle. A device of thisvtype has longer and moreeifective life, and it may be used without begriming the fingers and without tearing the linger nails or filling them with dirt on the rough or dirty surface being cleaned. This twin-pad ypreferably is bound to shape with a visible scouring strand.

The above and other objects of the present invention will fully appear upon a study of the following detailed description and its appended claim, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein: l 7

Figure 1 isa face View ofa preferred form of scouring implement constructed according to' the present invention.' Y

Figure 2 is a side View of the device of Figure 1. 75

Figure 3 represents a cross sectional view taken through the tied part of the deviceV on the plane of line 3-3 in Figure 1. l

Figure 4 is a sectional View corresponding'to that of Figure 3, but taken on a modified form of implement wherein thevends of the body are fluifed into ball shape. Y

Figure 5 isa schematic view illustrating the method of looping 'the body strandsl back and forth prior'to the tying operation. 85

Y Figure 6 is a greatly enlarged detail view of a short piece of the tying strand'shown` in Figures 1 to 3. With `continued reference' to the drawing, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts, the bodies of the scouring Sponges of Figures l to 4 are started, as seen in Figure 5, by

looping yone or more long scouring strands 7 back and forth to form two series of interconnected end loops 8a and 8b. These end loops diiTer only as to location. One single elongated strand '7 preferably is utilized, and of course Figure 5 illustrates only a small portion of the total quantity of material that makes up the body.

' The strand '7 may be of any conventional type. 100 For example, as shown, it comprises a central cord or wire core 9 which pierces the coils of a coiled metallic ribbon 10. It may also consist of a strand like that seen in Figure 6 and fully y disclosed in my copending application Serial No. m5 585,338, led January 7th, 1932. The chief requisites are that the mass of looped material must be somewhat spongy and must present abundant metallic scouring edges or projections to produce a mild, but effective, abrading surface. 110

The initial looping step in the formation of the sponge is not new. The novelty of the present invention resides in the method of binding the looped strands and in the special shape and functions of the final product.

Having looped a suicient quantity of material into a roughly cylindrical mass, the latter then is bound at its center, between the sets of loop ends, by an elongated tying strand 12. This tying strand is wrapped around and around the mass with sufficient tightness to divide the mass into two distinct lobes in the form of twin scouring pads 13a and 13b. An implement thus formed will have a much greater life than Sponges heretofore proposed, because it presents a greater total scouring surface area and because it comprises, in effect, two separate pads either of which may be used individually until it is worn out.

In making individual use of one of the pads,

the other serves as a grip or handle which permits the finger `tips to be desirably spaced away from the dirty surface that is being cleaned. This type of grip has several marked advantages over conventional Wooden handles and the like. In the rst place, itis added without extra cost and itself forms a useful part of the scouring mass; secondly, it has no tendency to slip between the fingers; and again, it is sufficiently pliable to permit easy manipulation of the opposite end pad into rm engagement with crevices and corners of the surface being scoured.

The strand 12 of course is visible due to the manner in which it is applied. For this reason, as well as for the purposes of protecting the iingers, lending pliablity to the restricted portion of the body and augmenting the quantity and area of uffy scouring material, the tying strand l2 is made of Vsubstantially the same type of scouring material as the strand '7. Preferably a strand like that in Figure 6 is employed, which strand comprises a pair of Wires 1,5 twisted together to form a core, and one or more metallic ribbons 14 bound securely in place in loop formation upon said core by a binding wire 16. This general type of strand and the method of making it are more fully disclosed in my aforementioned copending application. It is especially useful in carrying out the present invention, because its scouring projections, in the form of definitely spaced ribbon loops, will not pull out or slide axially of the core as in prior conventional strands. Due to this desirable characteristic, the ring of binding material forms a durable finger grip, and its multiplicity of fixed projecting loops become entangled with the strands of the body mass and thus assist in holding the latter in its perfect twin-pad shape. The last mentioned feature further permits the tying material to be relatively loosely wound, with the result that the tied portion has pliability and increased effective scouring surface.

The device of Figure 4 differs from that of Figures 1 to 3 chieily in that the former has ballshaped pads 13e instead of the slightly flattened pads of the latter. The complete device has the general appearance of a dumb-bell. This shape can :be obtained either by ufng the loops 8a and 8b into spheroidal form after the tying operation, or by symmetrically looping the material during the operation of Figure 5 so that the end pads Will naturally assume the ball formation when tied.

The tying strand, 12a., seen in Figure 4, is of the same type as the strand '7 in Figure 5. This showing is made only for purposes of illustration, as it will readily be understood that the strand of Figure 6 and other tying materials may be used if desired.

The invention may be embodied in other specic forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claim are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent isz- A metallic sponge comprising at least one scouring Ystrand wound back and forth upon itself to form a mass of material having looped ends, said strand comprising an elongated metallic ribbon designed to provide a multiplicity of scraping edges; a forming and tying strand wound relatively loosely around the mass of material to divide the latter into two spongy portions made up of the said looped ends, said forming and tying strand comprising an elongated core having metallic ribbon securely bound thereon in the ,form of definitely spaced scouring loops, whereby said tying strand serves the further functions of preventing said looped ends of the mass from being pulled out and of providing a soft and durable grip for the finger tips,

WILLIAM C. PROTZ.

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