US441921A - Foot-cleaner - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

A. G. BIRGE.

FOOT CLEANER.

110.441,921. Patented Dec. 2, 1890.

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UNITED 'STATES' PATENT OFFICE.

ALVIN Q BIRGE, or cLEvELAN/D, onto.

FOOT-CLEAN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 441,921, dated December 2, 1890.

Application iiled May 24, 1890. Serial No. 353,000. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern! Be it known that I, ALVIN C. BIRGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foot-Cleaners; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to boot or shoe cleaners; and the object of the invention is to provide a convenient, cheap, and effective cleaner adapted to be fastened in position on or about the door-step and constructed to clean the foot all around upon the sides of the shoe as well as at the heel and toe, a scraper being provided to clean the sole of the shoe.

To this end the invention consists in a Vcleaner for boots or shoes formed of brushes arranged in respect to one another, substantially as shown and described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of myimproved cleaning device, showing the foot entering between the brushes and the dotted lines showing one brush moved round so as to be in position to clean the toe of the shoe. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cleaner, showing the brushes in reversed position from that shown in Fig. l, as when the foot has been carried through from the position seen in Fig. l, or is started in that position to clean.

A represents a base, which may be of any suitable shape and size, and made out of any suitable material, such as wood or iron. I prefer wood for the reason that it is lighter than iron, and therefore more convenient in handling. This base is provided with screws d, through which it is temporarily fastened to the floor, so as to make the cleaner stationary.

At one end of the board is a scraper B for cleaning the soles or bottoms of the shoes, as usual, and C and D represent two brushes set upon their edges transversely to the base with their faces opposite one. another. These brushes may be made of any suitable material and style adapted to do the work, and are arranged at such distance apart that when the foot is introduced between them the brushes on both sides will be in good cleansing contact with the shoe. OE course the brushes are made out ot' yielding and springy material, so that thereby they are adapted to receive and clean shoes of difterent sizes. The brush C is fixed to the hase by a bolt c through its center, or by other equivalent means, and is free to turn wlthiu the limit of stops c', and the brush D is fastened by the bolt-spindle d to swing horizontally thereon a complete rotation, or nearly, so that the face of the brush may be exposed, as seen in dotted lines, Fig. l, where it is adapted to clean the toe of the shoe, or the heel, or both, as may be required. Thus 1n Fig. l the toe of a shoe is shown as proJected against the face of brush D, and the brush is carried back to the stop CZ. This stop and the pivot-bolt or spindle d form a backing which prevents the brush from turning round when it is thus used to clean the toe or heel. It will be understood that the foot is given a quick swinging movement back and forth between the two brushes, which, being on free pivots, with no springs or other obstruction to their pivoted movement, respond quickly to the movement of the foot. Thus suppose the cleaner to be in the position seen in full lines, Fig. l, and a foot is introduced, as shown, the two brushes will bear the relation there shown till the bulge of the foot passes to and beyond their pivoted center, when `the brushes will first become parallel and then gradually pass to the position seen in Fig. 2, thus closing in on the heel of the foot and effectively cleaning its sides. The short swing of the brushes does not materially diminish their cleansing, while the fact that they swing as shown has many advantages in practical use. The foot being carried through from the position seen in Fig. l to the position in Fig. 2, it is in position to swing in the opposite direction back to the starting-point. (Shown in Fig. l.) Thus the foot may he swung back and forth a few times, and if the heel or toe require further cleaning the brush D is swung around for that purpose, as in dotted lines, Fig. l.

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on its axis to expose the entire face of the 1o brush to separate use, su'bstantially'as described.

Witness my hand to the foregoing specification this 15th day of May, 1890.

ALVIN C. BIRGE.

Witnesses:

H. T. FISHER, NELLIE L. MCLANE.

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