IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LINOLEUM AND SIMILAR MATERIAL
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th September 1880. A communica-
tion from abroad by Edouard Auguste Désiré Guichard, of Paris, France.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
LINOLEUM AND SIMILAR MATERIAL." A communication from abroad by Edouard
Auguste Désiré Guichard, of Paris, France.
This Invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of linoleum, floor-
cloth, fabrics for wall-hangings, and the like, that is to say, such fabrics as are
made by fixing upon some textile or similar material, which serves as a base, a
paste or adherent substance of any suitable kind. These fabrics are known under
various names, but are all employed for similar uses.
My improvements have for their object to impart to the fabrics herein before
referred to qualities which will provide a new and improved product.
One part of this Invention consists in employing sand or dust of silicious,
metallic, or other substances, which I may colour or leave in their natural state, for
ornamenting linoleum, floor-cloth, wall hangings, or the like; and I also thereby
in addition to the ornamental appearance impart a certain roughness, which in the
case of floor cloth will prevent the slipping of the feet of persons walking thereon.
For the purpose of producing raised ornamental designs I proceed as follows,
that is to say :-
If I desire to produce the raised image of a flower, a leaf, or other ornamentation
upon linoleum or wall hangings of this kind I first apply or impress by means of
an engraved block or cylinder some suitable mordant, which is to retain the first
layer of sand or dust. For example, I print a ground representing the whole
surface of a flower, and cover this first surface with very fine sand, such as will
leave a layer of slight thickness, and which is of a light pink colour, for instance.
When this first layer is dry and adheres firmly to the base I imprint by means of
another block or cylinder upon this first layer of sand a second mordant, which in
turn receives a layer of sand somewhat coarser than the sand used first, and dyed
or coloured or a darker pink than that first employed, and so on as may be necessary
for completing the desired object or design,
If in thus ornamenting I wish to impart to the designs an appearance similar to
that of metal, such as gold or copper, I proceed in the same manner as above

page_text: described, but I use mica powder or some similar substance which will produce at a
small cost the metallic appearance of the object it is sought to imitate. If however
I desire to imitate iron or old silver I place upon the sand as the last layer sifted
tin-powder, which is sufficiently coarse to give the appearance of old silver or of
iron.
It is to be understood that in some cases I may incrust the sand into the paste
or mixture itself, either by means of a pressing roller or by any other suitable
means; that is to say, I can cause the pattern to be on a level with its ground.
It is obvious that the dust or sand with which I ornament the fabric will give
the latter a greater weight than such fabrics possess when made in the manner
heretofore employed.
Another part of the said Invention has for its object to increase the adherence
between the paste and the textile or other material which forms the base of the
complete fabric, and which adherence is very slight in those manufactured in the
ordinary manner,
This improvement consists in employing as a base for the linoleum a cotton
fabric with a napped or rough surface, or any other fabric which is so woven as to
have an uneven or knotty face to receive the paste or composition, so that there
will be a kind-of-felting-and-an-indissoluble-connection between. the paste_and
fabric.
Instead of using napped or roughened cotton fabric any other kind of fabric
which has an uneven or knotty surface may be used such as spongy-fabrics,-also-
"known as oriental fabrics; pile-fabrics,-and-the-like
The said rough or adherent base may be used either for linoleum. or the. like,
ornamented, in the manner above described, or for ordinary linoleum, or for any
similar fabric.