New or Improved: Means and Material for Obtaining Grip.. or Adhesion in Cycle Wheels; Machinery Belting, Boots and Shoe Soles, and other, Cases where a Good Grip or Adhesion or Freedom· from Slip.is Required.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application; 2nd Oct; 1894
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Aug,, 1895-Accepted, 2nd Oct., 1895.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION:
New or Improved: Means and Material for Obtaining Grip.. or Adhesion
in Cycle Wheels; Machinery Belting, Boots and Shoe Soles, and
other, Cases where a Good Grip or Adhesion or Freedom· from
Slip.is Required.
I, ANTHONY PULBROOK, of '14 Victoria House, South Lambeth' Road, in the
County of Surrey, Solicitor, do hereby déclare the nature of 'this invention to, be
as follows:
This invention relates to the utilization of the rough skin,,of, fishes, for the
purpose of supplying a suitable rough, surface, in any case where it is desired to
secure argood grip, or adhesion,or, to provent, slip,between, two surfaces, as, for
example in cycle and other vehicle wheels to prevent slipping of the driving
wheels on the ground, in machinery belting to prevent slipping between the driving
belts and their pulleys, in the soles of cricketing, lawn-tennis, running, cycling, and
other descriptions of boots and shoes, in skates, the treadles of cycles, sowing
machines,and so forth.
I prefer to use that kind.cf. fish-skin,where true scales, are, absent, and are
replaced by the ossified papilla of the cntis, such as the skins of sharks, balistidæ,
spotted dog-fish, and suchlike, also of fishes having what has been termed placoid
scales as rays and suchlike. These skins may be employed in their raw.state
or dried, tanned or tawed, or otherwise suitably treated, and they may be used
either alone or in combination with, other fish skin, ordinary leather, indiarubber,
canvas, or any kind of, textile fabric or flexible material, and in one or more
layers, sewn, cemented, solutioned, or otherwise fixed to such materiál.and.to cagh
other..
'
I sometimes coat the rough side of the fish skin with indiarubber solution made
very thin; this I put on in layers, permitting each layer to dry before applying
the next. Each; successive. layor finds its own. level on the top of the preceding
layer, and, combined they surround. and form a support for the papilla, or spines
which project outside the,layers of solution, and the fish skin is thereby strengthened
to resist wear and tear and moisture and, the papilla, are preserved from being
flattened by use.
I preferably dust a little French chalk, flour of sulphur, or other fine material
having similar characteristics, over the top of the last layer of solution when
thoroughly dry. Instead of india rubber solution a solution of gutta percha or of
balata or other similar substance may be used.
When employing balata for coating the rough side of the fish skin I prefer to do
so in the following mauner :-I first soak the skin for twenty-four hours in a
solution composed of one ounce of borax in one quart of water. I then thoroughly
cleanse it in clean distilled water, dry it in the dark and keep it free from moisture.
I then cont it on the rough side in a dry room with a solution of balata, which
may be inade of one part of balata to two parts of chloroform, or of one part of
balata to three parts of bisulphide of carbon, or of one part of balata to seren
parts of mineral naptha. I do not bind myself to this manner of treating the skins
or to the exact proportions above given of balata to chloroform, bisulphide of

page_text: .
I
carbon, or mineral naptha, as the proportions may be varied somewhat, but I
have obtained satisfactory results, with the means of treatment and the proportions
given.
In applying this fish skin material to the tyre of a cycle wheel for example I
cement with indiarubber solution or other suitable adhesive inaterial one or more
strips of it longitudinally round, the outer tread of the tyre so that the sharp points
of the ossified papillæ bite into the road or track as the wheel revolves and prevent
slipping and thereby loss of power, or the material may be cemented, sewn, or
otherwise attached to leather, canvas, webbing, silk, or other suitable substance
which may be fastened by cement, buckles, hooks, laces, or otherwise, to the tyre
or to the outer cover thereof.
When a band of fish skin is fixed to a round pneumatic tyre without being
previously shaped to fit the latter the edges of the band are apt. to pucker up
and not to adhere at the sides of the tyre owing to the circumference of the
said sides being less than the circumference at the tread. To avoid this, in the
first instance I stretch the skin, when wet, on the tyre, or on to a counterpart
thereof, and keep it there until dry. By this means the band acquires the shape
of the tyre, and when solutioned or cemented thereto every part is securely held in
place.
These arrangements prevent the slip of the wheel circumferentially. In order
to prevent slipping or skidding sidewise strips or pieces of the fish skin may he
attached to the tyre so that their ossified papillæ point outwards, that is to say in
the direction in which slipping or skidding might take place. Sometimes I wind
the skin, or the skin and the substance to which it is attached, obliquely or
otherwise round the tyre and rim of the wheel, taking care to place the ossified
papillæ so that they point, as nearly as possible, in the best direction to perform
their function of preventing slipping.
In order to attach the fish skin to the indiarubber or other material by india-
rubber solution or cement I find it advantageous to rub the inside surface of the
skin with glass paper, emery paper, or pumice stone, before putting the solution
on it.
In applying this fish skin material to driving belts for machinery it may be sewn,
rivetted or cemented to any kind of belting or to metallic bands, with the rough
side next the pulley, and in some cases the pulley itself may be covered with such
skin, the rough side being outside towards the belt, or I may make the bolting of
the fish skins themselves."
2
་,
In applying this fish skin material to other objects it may be used in any way
best suited for the particular purpose in view, care being taken to place the
Gesified papille so that their points- face in the direction best suited to produce the
required grip or adhesion. In some cases where grip is required in two directions
I use the fish skins so that part of the spines point in one direction and part in the
opposite direction. In boots and shoes for instance, the part placed on the sole
may have its spines pointing towards the heel, and the part placed on the heel may
bave its spines pointing towards the toe.
1
Dated this 2nd day of October 1894.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Means and Material for Obtaining Grip or Adhesion
in Cycle Wheels, Machinery Belting, Boot and Shoe Soles, and
other Cases where a Good Grip or Adhesion or Freedom from
Slip is Required.
I, ANTHONY PULBROOK, of 14 Victoria House, South Lambeth Road, London,
Solicitor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of
drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon that is to say :-
This invention relates to the utilization of the rough skin of fishes for the
purpose of supplying a suitable rough surface in any case where it is desired to secure.
a good grip or adhesion, or to prevent slip between two surfaces, as for example in
oycle and other vehicle wheels to prevent slipping of the driving wheels on the
ground, in machinery belting to prevent slipping between the driving belts and
their pulleys, in the soles of cricketing, lawn tennis, running, cycling and other
descriptions of boots and shoes, in skates, the treadles of cycles, sewing machines
and so forth.
.
I prefer to use that kind of fish skin where true scales are absent, and are
replaced by the ossified papillæ of the cutis, such as the skins of sharks, balistida,...
spotted dog-fish, and such like, also of fishes having what have been termed placoid
scales, as rays and such like. These skins may be employed in their raw state, or
dried, tanned, tawed, or otherwise suitably treated, and they may be used either.
alone or in combination with other fish skin, ordinary leather, indiarubber, canvas
or any kind of textile fabric or flexible material, and in one or more layers, sewn,
cemeuted, solutioned, or otherwise fixed to such material and to each other.
"
In applying this fish-skin material to the tyre of a cycle wheel for example,.
I cement with india rubber solution, or other suitable adhesive material one or more 1.
strips of it A. A¹ A longitudinally round the outer tread A* of the tyre as shown.
in Figure 1 of the drawings, so that the shape points of the ossified papilla bite
into the road or track 'as the wheel revolves, and prevent slipping and thereby loss.
of power, or the material may be cemented, sewn or otherwise attached to leather,..
canvas, webbing, silk or other suitable substance which may be fastened by cement,
buckles, hooks, laces or otherwise to the tyre or to the outer cover thereof.
--
Sometimes 1 wind the skin, or the skin and the substance to which it is
attaclied, obliquely or otherwise round the tyre A* and rim A** of the wheel us.
second band in the
shown for example at A in Figure 2, and, sometimes I wind
reverse direction over the first. Sometimes I cement the fish skin to the tyre. or
its cover Ax in pieces A as shown in Figure 3, the points of the ossified papillær
being directed in all cases so as to get a firm bite on the road or track to prevent...
slipping or skidding longitudinally or transversely. In some cases 1 cover the
whole of the tyre with the rough fish-skin as shown in Figure 4.
'
When a band of fish-skin is fixed to a round pneumatic tyre, or to the outside..
covering thereof, without being previously shaped to fit, the edges of the band are
apt to pucker up and not to adhere at the sides of the tyre, owing to the circum-.
ference of the said sides being less than the circumference of the tread. To avoid..
this in the first instance, I stretch the skin, when wet, ou the tyre or cover, or on:
to a counterpart thereof, and keep it there until dry. By this means the band
acquires the shape of the tyre or cover, and when solutioned or cemented thereto..
every part is securely held in place. Or, I shape the fish-skins in the following
manner-take a long flexible mandril of the length of the circumference of the
wheel and of the same diameter, or thereabout, as the tyre or its cover is intended.

page_text: to be, and having moistened the skins with water, (and sometimes rubbed them
with sunlight or other suitable soap) or other liquid (for example I have found
benzine answers the purpose well) I stretch the skins while wet over one side of the
mandril, and while in that' position l'wind tapes of strong textile fabric, preferably
cut on the orass, or of other, more, or loss, flexible and stretchable material.round-
both mandril and skin.to keep the latter in place.. On the whole length of the
mandril being thus covered with the skin I'bend'it' into the circular form, when the
skins, being still moist, easily stretch to the required curved shape; and I keep
them so stretched until they are dry when they retain the shape of the intended
tyre or cover in such manner that every part of the skin will closely adhere to and
fit the tyre or cover: In some cases beforo fastening the skin to.the tyre rub the
inside of the skin with glass paper or other suitable abraiding, material, and paint
it, with a very thin soltition of indiarubber or other like gum, which I thoroughly
dry in a dry atmosphere. If this coating of indiarubber is absorbed by the skin
I may paint it with anotlier similar coat. I also sometimes coat the surface of the
tyre or cover, intended; to receive, the skin in like manner witbia,solution.of india-
rubber or lialata, or a mixture of indiarubber. and. balata, or other like gum.or
cement About two or three hours before fixing. the skins. to the tyre.or cover
1 paint beth, the skin and the tyro, ar cover with a solution: of. indiarubber or
balata or like gum. as aforesaid.. Or in the case of,balata less time than two.or
three hours may be allowed to elapse before putting the skin on the tyre or cover.
I then inflate the tyre;,and carefully cement or solution. the skius on to it, or on
to the cover, as the case may be. When the skins are fixed round the tyre. or
cover I take tape, or a band of strong textile material, preferably cut on the cross,
and: wind it round both rim.and tyre or cover, outside the skin.covering every part
thereof and making. fast, the ends.. I then inflate the tyre as hard as the, tapes or
bands will permit without bursting, and allow it. to remain. so inflated, until the
cement or solution is dry...
When the skins are not long enough for a single skin to form, one continuous
hand around the wheel.I.take the ends of two skins having the. spines of each.
pointing in the same direction, and, cut them so.as.to fit into one another as shown
in Figure 5. of. the drawings,, so, that the pointed projection of one and will
accurately fit into the correspondingly shaped notch, or recess of the other, the
point being in the centre or thereabout, of. the width of the, skin. I have found.
this mode of joining, answers well, and prevents the ends being frayed up. L.theu
put the wheel on to the machine.in such manner that the.points or spiues bite into.
the track, and I thoreby obtain. the grip required..
In Figure 1 of the drawings A is a strip of the rough fish skin with the spines
so placed as to prevent the slip of the wheel circumferentially. In order to
prevent slipping or skidding sidewise,,strips or pieces A' A² of the fish-skin, may
be attached at the sides of the tread of the tyre. so that their. ossified papillæ., or.
spines point in the direction in which slipping or skidding might take, place.
In applying: this fish skin material to driving belts for machinery it may be
sewn, rivetted or cemented to any kind. of belting, or to. metallic or other bauds, as
shown in Figure 6 in which, B. represents the belt or hand, and the, fish-skin.
attached thereto, the rough side or exoskeleton. being, placed. next the pulley, so as
to bite into the same, especially whent such, pulley is made of wood, papier maché,
or other comparatively soft material; and in some cases, the pulley itself may be
covered with the fish-skin, the rough side thereof being, outside towards the belt,
as shown in Figure 7, in which D represents the pulley and E the covering of
fish skin. In some cases the belt may be made of the fish-skin, aloue. without the
addition of other material...
In applying this fish-skin material to other objects it may be used in any way
best suited for the particular purpose in view, care. being taken to place. the exo-
skeleton, ossified papille or spines so that their points face in the direction best
suited to produce the required grip or adhesion. In some cases where grip is
required in two directions I use the fish-skin so that part of the spines point in one

page_text: direction and part in the opposite direction.
In boots and shoes for instance the
part placed on the sole may have its spines pointing towards the heel, and the part
placed on the heel, may have its spines pointing towards the toe.
Figure 8 shows the treadle of a cycle provided with rough fish-skin, one part I
of which has its spines pointing in one direction, and the other part F of which
has its spines pointing in the opposite direction, so that the grip is obtained by one
part when the trendle is being pushed forward, and by the other part when the
treadle is being drawn backwards.
Or, the treadle may be made hollow and be filled with compressed air, and tho
hollow material containing the compressed air may be covered with rough fish-
skin. The lower part of such hollow material may consist of a no::-flexible rigidl
material which does not yield to the foot, but the reaction of the upper hollow
part under the pressure of the compressed air forces the spines of the fish-skin
against the foot thereby assisting the grip. The treadle may be covered with
several pieces of the fish-skin side by side the spines of one piece pointing in the
opposite direction to the piece immediately adjoining it.
Figure 9 shows the application of rough fish-skin to boots or shoes, the part G
being placed on the sole with its spines facing in one direction, and the part G on
the heel with its spines facing in the opposite direction. For running, lawn tennis,.
or cricketing shoes I preferably place the fish-skin on the sole with the spines
pointing towards the heel, and that on the heel with the spines pointing towards
the sole, to the end that a firm grip may be given to the sole of the foot
in starting off and while running, and an equally firm grip to the heel when
stopping. In cycling or wading shoes I cement or otherwise faston the skin to one
part of the trend of the foot with the points of the spines facing the heel, and to
another part of the tread with the points of the spines facing the reverse way, so
that in pressing the treadle forward the foot may not slip forward, and in pressing
the treadle backwards the foot may not slip backwards. I sometimes place
transverse bands of rough fish-skin side by side from toe to heel, as shown in
Figure 10 or in parts only of the trend of the boot or shoe between the toe and.
heel, each band having its spines pointing in the reverse direction to those of the:
adjacent band or bands.
"
The rough fish-skin may be prepared for use in a variety of ways, for-
example, I sometimes make it waterproof by any known process, and strengthen
and support exoskeleton and protect the skins from decomposition in the following-
manner:-
I first tan, taw or otherwise dress the skin in any known manner, without
removing the exoskeleton. I preferably make the skin what is technically termed
as open as possible, I remove every particle of grease by treating the skin with
benzine, I then take a thin solution of indiarubber, gutta percha, or balata or other
like gum dissolved in any known solvent. I prefer to use balata because it is not
so susceptible to change from difference of temperature and retains its original
state in extremes of temperature better than either indiarubber or gutta percha.
I have found that balata dissolved in bisulphide of carbon or chloroform answers
the purpose.but I prefer to use a warm solution of mineral naphtha as being less
destruction to the tissues of the material; sometimes I use a mixed solution of
indiarubber and balata, first dissolving each gum in separate portions of the same
solvent, and then mixing the two solutions together, preferably in a warm state..
I have found a solution made in the following manner accomplishes the object I
have in view in a satisfactory manuer. I first make a warm solution of balata in
mineral naphtha (preferably rectified naphtha) to this I add petroleum ether in
about the same quantity as the naphtha. I do not coufine myself to these or any
other proportions of naphtha and petroleum ether, but I have found the proportions.
given effect the purpose satisfactorily. By agitating the mixture in a warin tem-
perature it becomes homogeneous. I steep the skin in the above mixture,
preferably in a closed vessel at a warm temperature, until the mixture has
thoroughly permeated every part of the skiu. then dry the skin in a dry warm.

page_text: atmosphere, and then steep the skin again in the mixture preferably made a little
stronger of the gum than the mixture first used. The steeping operation may be
repeated several times, the skin being dried after each saturation until the india-
rubber gutta percha, balata, or mixture of indiarubber and balata is completely
incorporated with the skin. I may after this paint the outside of the skin having
the exoskeleton, with one or more coats of indiarubber or balata, or mixed balata
and indiarubber solution made very thin; this. I put on in layers, permitting each
layer to dry before applying the next. Each successive layer finds its own level
on the top of the preceding layer, and, combined, they surround and form n.
support for the papilla or spines which project outside the layers of solution, and
the fish-skin is thereby streugthened to resist wear and tear and moisture; and the
papille or spines are preserved from being flattened by use.
I preferably dust a little French chalk, flour of sulphur, or other fine material
having similar characteristics, over the top of the last layer of solution when
thoroughly dry. Instead of indiarubber or balata solution a solution of gutta
percha or other similar substance may be used.
When employing balata for coating the rough side of the fish-skin I prefer to do
so in the following manner :-I first soak the skin for twenty-four hours in a
solution composed of one ounce of borax in one quart of water. I then thoroughly
cleanse it in clean distilled water, dry it in the dark and keep it free from
moisture. I then coat it on the rough side in a dry room with a solution of balata,
which may be made of one part of balata to two parts of chloroform, or of one
part of balata to three parts of bisulphide of carbon, or of one part of balata to
seven parts of mineral naphtha.
'
I do not confine myself to the exact proportions above given of balata to
chloroforin, bisulphide of carbon, or mineral naphtha, as the proportions may be
varied somewhat, but I have obtained satisfactory results with the treatment and
proportions given.
In order to attach the fish-skin to the indiarubber or other material by india-
rubber solution or cement I find it advantageous to rub the inside surface of the
skin with sand-paper, glass-paper, emery-paper, or pumice-stone before putting the
Bolution on to it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that, what I
claim is :-
First. The use of the skins of fishes having a thorny, spiked or rough surface
for the purpose of obtaining grip or adhesion and preventing slip between two
surfaces, substantially as described.
Second. Treating the skins of fishes having a thorny, spiked or rough surface,
intended to be used for the purpose of obtaining grip or adhesion and preventing
slip between two surfaces, with indiarubber or balata or other like gums or mixtures
thereof, substantially as described.
Dated this 1st day of August 1895:
Dated this 1st day of August 1895:
A. PULBROOK,
Per W. H. Beck,
115 Cannon Street, London,, E.C., Agent.