US1370271A - Pipe-cleaner - Google Patents

Description

W. K. BENEDICT.

PlPE CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20. 1917 Patented Mar. 1, 1921..

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'WILLIAM K. BENEDICT, OF NEW-CITY, YORK.

; PIPE-CLEANER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM K. BENE- DICT, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New City, Rockland county, in the State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Pipe- Cleaners, of which the following is a specl fication. 7

My invention relates to a novel pipe cleaner which is made according to a special new process, and which is inexpensive, eflicient, and durable.

For this purpose, I take the feather of a chicken or similar fowl, and treat it in the particular manner described hereinafter, thereby producing a pipe cleaner having the desirable qualities mentioned above.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 represents an ordinary chicken feather in its natural state;

Fig. 2 shows the same after it has been cut in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a pipe bowl and its stem with the improved cleaner in position therein,

Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views, showing the method of inserting the cleaner in the bowl and the stem, illustrating more particularly the guiding of the cleaner by means of the pointed end; and

Figs. 6 and 7 are side and top views respectively of a slightly modified form of construction.

In carrying out my invention, I take one of the long, fairly stiff feathers of a chicken or like fowl, although I prefer not to use duck feathers on account of their containing too much fat or oil. A feather of suitable character is shown in Fig. 1, where A designates the central longitudinal spline or shaft of the chicken feather, and B the soft, very flexible transverse barbs extending from said spline. From a certain point, say A to the free end or tip A the spline A is almost as flexible as the barbs B, but the remaining portion of the spline is much stifl'er. According to my invention, I cut off the flexible tip of the feather, from the point A at which the shaft A shows a marked loss of stiffness, and this operation is performed by means of two straight oblique cuts C, C converging toward the tip and intersecting on the spline at an acute angle, say of about 70 degrees. The downlike barbs D at the base of the feather are removed in any. suitable manner. This Specification of Letterslatent. Patented :Mj 1 .1921, Application filed July 20, 1917. Serial No. 181,682. I

leaves a feather'portion which has much greater stiffness than the natural feather, and the pointed end of which is much better suited for'the eflicient cleaning of a pipe than the soft and somewhat rounded tip of a feather in its natural shape. 7

Hav ng been cut as set forth, the feather is Sub ected to the following treatment: It is first sterilized 'by'boiling in hot water, to which'is preferably added a small amount of soda to more readily take out the grease and dirt, and assist in cleaning the feather. After this treatment the feather is open, limp, and out of shape. It is then partially dried in an oven or on a heated table, and to some extent regains its original shape. Before the feather is quite dry, and before it has resumed its original shape fully, it is dip ed into a weak solution of hydrogen peroxld to bleach it. After being allowed to soak in this solution for a while, the feather is taken out and dried in the air (without heating) at the end of this final drying, the feather has been restored to the shape it had immediately before the sterilizin treatment, and is ready for use.

The sharply pointed tip of the improved pipe cleaner is, by its shape and relative stiffness, much better adapted than ordinary feather tips, to be inserted and worked to and fro, as well as rotated in the stem and bowl of a pipe, so as to thoroughly clean the same with a minimum of trouble and effort. As clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the sharply pointed and relatively stiff end serves as a reliable guide in entering the feathers into the bowl or mouth piece. The uncut tip of an ordinary feather in which the end of the spline is not well defined, and which is very flexible, would make the insertion quite difficult. The improved cleaner will curl up in the bowl of the pipe where it connects with the stem, in the manner illustrated as at E (Fig. 3), and thus clean the bowl efficiently at this point. This property of curling up under the conditions set forth is not possessed by any other pipe cleaner, so far as I know. The relatively great stiffness of the new pipe cleaner, and the par ticular form given to its tip, as well as the treatment employed, contribute to greatly increase the durability of the pipe cleaner.

I prefer to use white feathers, for the reason that their appearance is more attractive and that they show moreplainly the amount of dirt removed from the pipe, and

reinforced entering tip, in the form of a'-' spiral brush. 7 A part of the barbs at the tip are cutaway at each side of the spline F as at G and H, and a thin wire I is wound about the spline atthis point, form'-' ing the barbs into a spiral brush, at the same time reinforcing the relatively thin end of the spline. This forms a stiif entering brush which cuts away and loosens the accumulation in the, pipe-stem, which is then cleaned by the following-wider barbs J of the feather. Thus a very effectual cleaning action takes place.

I have illustrated anddescribedh preferred and satisfactory embodiment of my invention, but it is obvious that changes may be made therein within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claim. V

I claim:

A pipe cleaner comprising a feather treated to remove oil and dirt therefrom and rendered tough and sterilized, and having substantially one fourth at the tip thereof removed on cuts, the lines of which extend substantially at right angles to each other and meet at their intersection with the quill of the feather whereby said treated and cut feather is provided with a tapering outer end for easy insertion in the smoke passage of a pipe.

V In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have si ned my name.

WILLIAM BENEDICT.

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