Ceiling Light from Recycled Neuman Chimney Cleaner
Found object lamps often come with a story. The Neuman Chimney Cleaner is a most clever invention intended to simplify chimney cleaning. The compacted cleaner is suspended from two ropes and lowered down the chimney in its closed form. Pulling up on the control rope causes the prongs to spread, while using the other support rope raises and lowers the cleaner to scrape the chimney walls. Age of this one in unknown, but Orin Neuman of Wittenberg, WI received the original patent in 1930. In 1988, the Schaffer Brush Manufacturing Company in Waukesha, WI acquired the patent rights.
The repurposed ceiling light features included twin clear tubular bulbs and a mechanism to set and lock the flair to suit the intended space. Height is approximately 23 inches, with variable flair from 11 x 7.5 to 18 x 15 inches.