IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FABRICS USABLE AS FLOORCLOTHS OR FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Rowan, Manufacturing Chemist, and
John Robertson Reid, Manufacturer, both of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, for. the Invention of “IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FABRICS USABLE AS FLOORCLOTHS OR FOR
OTHER PURPOSES.”
Sealed the 5th January 1875, and dated the 10th July 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Rowan and
John Robertson Reid at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 10th July 1874.
We, THOMAS ROWAN, Manufacturing Chemist, and JOHN ROBERTSON
REID, Manufacturer, both of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FABRICS USABLE AS FLOORCLOTHS OR FOR
OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows, that is to say :—
-
This Invention relates to certain simplified and improved modifications
of the fabrics described in a Provisional Specification lodged by the

page_text: present applicants on the 30th April last (No. 1507); and consists in
combining a surface cloth of jute or other suitable woven fabric with a
composition of any of the kinds described or referred to in the said
earlier Provisional Specification, and without the backing or bottom ply
of woven fabric. The said surface cloth may be ornamented by printing
or by parti-colored weaving; and the composition which is to form the
backing according to the present Invention may be applied in one or
more coats, whilst in some cases the same substances may be used to
form it as are employed to form the grounding on the upper side of.
ordinary floorcloths.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Rowan and John Robertson Reid in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th January 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
ROWAN, Manufacturing Chemist, and JOHN ROBERTSON REID, Manu-
facturer, both of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said Thomas Rowan and John
Robertson Reid, Her special licence that we, the said Thomas Rowan
and John Robertson Reid, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said Thomas Rowan and John Robertson Reid,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FABRICS USABLE AS FLOORCLOTHS OR FOR
OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Thomas Rowan and John Robertson Reid, our executors or admini-
strators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their

page_text: hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,.
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters.
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Thomas Rowan and John
Robertson Reid, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing,
that is to say:-
Our said Invention relates to certain simplified and improved modifi-
cations of the fabrics described in the Specification of Letters. Patent
granted to us the said Thomas Rowan and John Robertson Reid, and
dated the 30th April 1874 (No. 1507); and consists in combining a
surface cloth of jute or other suitable woven fabric with a composition of
any of the kinds described or referred to in the said earlier Specification,
but without the backing or bottom ply of woven fabric referred to in the
said earlier Specification. In practically carrying out our-present
Invention we ornament the said surface cloth by printing it or by
weaving it of yarns of various colors; and we apply the composition
which is to form the backing in one or more coats. In some cases we
use for the backing the same substances as are employed to form the
grounding on the upper side of ordinary floorcloths. The backing
compositions may be applied in any suitable way known to manufacturers
who combine compositions with woven fabrics. When a floorcloth or
other cloth of large size is required the necessary number of widths
of narrow woven fabric may be sewn together before applying the
composition.
Compound fabrics made according to our present Invention may be
applied to the various uses mentioned in our earlier Specification, herein-
before referred to; and the surface cloth may be ornamented by
embossing instead of or in addition to being otherwise ornamented; and
the ornamentation of the surface cloth may be effected either before or
after the combination thereof with the backing composition.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, we have to state that what we believe
to be novel and original and claim as secured to us by the herein-before

page_text: in part recited Letters Patent is, the making of improved compound
fabrics, usable as floorcloths or otherwise, by uniting or combining a
suitable woven fabric superficially ornamented, by printing or otherwise,
as a surface cloth, with a backing consisting of a flexible or elastic and
waterproof composition or compound, substantially as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Rowan, on behalf of myself
and the said John Robertson Reid, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
THOMAS ROWAN. (L.S.)