IMPROVEMENT IN ORNAMENTING FABRICS FOR COVERING WALLS
Year: 1886

page_text: the same to Wall Coverings.
I, ALEXANDER HENRY REED, of Suffolk House, Laurence Pountney Hill, Cannon
Street, in the county of Middlesex, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of said
invention for IMPROVEMENT IN ORNAMENTING FABRICS FOR COVERING WALLS and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The invention relates to flocking silk and satin fabrics, and consists both in the
process or method by which the invention is carried out and in the article
produced.
In carrying out the invention, silk or satin is taken and any desired pattern or
design is printed on the surface thereof with suitable dies, with a suitable adhesive
substance or size, such for example as dissolved gum arabic, so making an adhesive
film or foundation on the goods of the desired design or figure for the subsequent
ornamentation with flock.
Varnish is then applied to said pattern or design on the goods, flocking varnish
so called, being used by preference. The varnish may be applied in any convenient
manner, as for instance, it may be printed on the goods with dies of the same
patterns as those used for the size. While the varnish is still wet, flock is applied
upon the surface of the goods in the usual manner.
When, however, printing rollers are employed, the size is omitted and the varnish
is applied directly to the face of the goods by means of the rollers, the varnish being
first distributed to the design or pattern on the roller and then printed on the silk
or satin by the roller, the goods being then submitted to the flocking process while
the varnish is still wet.
When it is desired to use the flocked silk or satin goods for wall decorations or
other similar purposes, the silk or satin is first mounted upon paper as follows:
paper of suitable quality is taken and sized on one side with ordinary size, glue,
starch, or similar material, and then after the size is dry a coat of varnish is put
over the size, and when the varnish is dry the silk or satin to be flocked is taken
D
...

page_text: and its back surface or wrong side is brought in contact with the varnished surface
of the paper, and the silk or satin is caused to adhere to the paper by means of the
varnished coating on the paper. This object is accomplished by means of heat and
pressure using heated rollers or heated irons for example, between which the fabric
and the paper are passed so as to melt the varnish and cause the fabric to adhere
to the paper. The pressure is so applied by means of the rollers or other appliances
which are used to unite the fabric and paper together, as to smoothen out the silk
or satin fabric in every direction to its full extent while it is being united to the
paper. The paper must be of such dimensions as to cover the back of the silk or
satin and may be in sheets or in a continuous roll as may be convenient.
When the silk or satin has been provided with a backing of paper, it is then
ready to be flocked, and flock is therefore applied to it in the manner before
described, first printing the design on the surface to be decorated in size and
varnish or varnish alone as herein before described, applying the flock to the still
wet process as before explained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is.
1. The method of making flocked silk or satin substantially as above described,
consisting in providing it with a backing of paper by means of a coating of varnish
and the use of heat and pressure, and then printing on the silk or satin the desired
design in size and varnish, or varnish alone, and then passing the fabric through a
flock chamber and applying flock to the surface while the varnish of the pattern or
design is wet or sticky substantially as described.
2. The method substantially as above described of producing flocked silk or satin
by printing thereon the. desired design in size and varnish or varnish alone and
then applying flock to the varnished design while still wet substantially as
described.
3. As a new article of manufacture silk or satin for wall decorations or other
purposes provided with designs on its surface in flock, substantially as described.
4. As a new article of manufacture silk or satin for wall decorations or other
purposes having a backing of paper as set forth and provided on its face with
designs in flock, substantially by the method above described.
Dated this fifth day of January 1886