US788042A - Sweeping compound. - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES Patented April 25, 1905.

AUGUST GETZ, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SWEEPING COMPOUND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 788,042, dated April 25, 1905.

Application filed January 17,1905. Serial No. 241,439.

To (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST GETZ, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sweeping Compounds; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The present invention relates to an improved compound designed more particularly to take the place of the sawdust ordinarily spread over the surface of halls, business houses, saloons, and similar places prior to the sweeping thereof. To keep down the dust during the sweeping of such places, it is required that the sawdust be moistened, else the same will not collect the dirt and absorb the particles of dust.

The object of this invention is not only to dispense with the employment of the wet sawdust at present generally used as a dust-absorbent, but to provide a sweeping compound which will render the work of sweeping clustless, which shall be antiseptic in its nature, sanitary, and equally as well adapted for the sweeping of carpet as for the sweeping of bare floors or surfaces, while at the same time possessing perfect cleaning characteristics.

Inasmuch as the hereinafter-doseribed compound readily absorbs all particles of dust the spreading of disease germs is prevented during the sweeping of the floor or pavement over which the compound has been scattered. For such reason the presently-described dustless-sweeping compound will readily recommend itself for the sweeping of public halls, theaters, churches, sidewalks, cars, and all other places wherein a number of persons generally assemble or for the cleaning of sickrooms, as the absorption of the dust particles is essential during the sweeping of all such places.

The improved dust-absorbent or dustlesssweeping compound is composed of sawdust, silicious material, such as fine gravel or sand, any suitable non-drying vegetable oil or animal fat, such as olive-oil or lard, rosin, and pine-tar, which ingredients are thoroughly intermixed so as to form a heavy powdered compound.

In carryingout the invention equal portions of sawdust and silicious material, such as line gravel or sand, is used, to which a non-drying oil is added, the proportion of oil being about one-sixth the combined weight of the sawdust and sand, the quantity of rosin added being about one-tenth the weight of the said combined sawdust and sand, a similar quantity of pine-tar being used as of the rosin. For a mixture of the compound weighing approximately one hundred and fifty pounds the proportions of the ingredients used would be about as follows: sawdust, fifty pounds; silicious material, fifty pounds; non-drying oil, fifteen pounds; rosin, ten pounds: pine-tar, ten pounds. After these ingredients have been thoroughly intermixed there will be produced a somewhat moist powdered compound which is free to be easily scattered over the surface to be swept or cleaned. The nondrying oil acts as a binder for the parts and serves to maintain the compound in a moist condition, while the rosin gives the requisite adhesiveness, the pine-tar serving as a disinfectant.

The compound as thus prepared will readily absorb all particles of dust during the operation of sweeping the floor or carpet over which the powder has been previously strewn, thus permitting of an absolutely dry and dustless sweepin Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be protected by Letters Patent, is

A dustless-sweeping compound comprising a mixture of sawdust, silicious material, a nondrying oil, rosin and pine-tar, the whole being intermixed in about the proportions set forth.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in the presence of witnesses.

AUGUST UETZ.

In presence of- N. A. Acxnn, l). B. RICHARDS.