IMPROVEMENTS IM PREPARING, TREATING, AND CURING SPONGE TO RENDER IT ELASTIC AND SUITABLE FOR USE AS A STUFFING FOR BEDS, CUSHIONS, SEATS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Theodore Griffin, of 77, Upper Thames
Strect, in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IM PREPARING, TREATING, AND CURING SPONGE TO RENDER IT ELASTIC AND
SUITABLE FOR USE AS A STUFFING FOR BEDS, CUSHIONS, SEATS, AND OTHER
SIMILAR ARTICLES."-A communication from abroad by William Henry
Spencer, of New York, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 31st May 1870, and dated the 1st December 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Theodore Griffin
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 1st December 1869.
I, JAMES THEODORE GRIFFIN, of 77, Upper Thames Street, in the
City of London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING, TREATING, AND CURING SPONGE TO RENDER IT
ELASTIC AND SUITABLE FOR USE AS A STUFFING FOR BEDS, CUSHIONS, SEATS, AND
OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," communicated to me from abroad by William
Henry Spencer, of New York, in the United States of America, to be as
follows:-
The object of this Invention is to prepare, treat, and cure sponge in
such a manner that it shall when used as a stuffing for beds, mattresses,

page_text: cushions, seats, or other similar articles be of a soft elastic character, and
possess all the qualities of the best horsehair or other known substance
or material, and without the risk of becoming matted or "set," as is the
case with most materials in use at the present time for that purpose.
It also admits of being re-dressed or re-prepared should it become
dirty, stained, or injured in any manner without losing its elastic
properties.
The Invention consists in taking sponge in its raw and natural state,
and after reducing it by cutting in a "stuff" or other suitable engine or
machine, and removing all the sand or calcareous impurities which it
may contain, it is immersed in a solution of glycerine and water of
suitable proportions as determined upon by experiment. It has been found
that a solution containing about 33 per cent. of glycerine is the best for
the purpose, but no limited proportion is specially to be retained in the
treatment, as that would vary to suit different qualities or growth of
sponge. After the particles or pieces of sponge have become thoroughly
impregnated with the solution they are passed between rollers (preferably
covered with india-rubber, pure or prepared) to press out all excess of
moisture or as much of it as possible, so that to the touch the sponge
would be, so to speak, dry. The sponge is then to be placed in properly
prepared open cylinders, which are caused to revolve at a determined speed
to agitate the particles and bring them into contact, with a blast or
current of air which is forced into the chamber or vessel in which the
cylinders are placed to remove or extract whatever moisture there may
be in them or to completely dry them; or other means may be employed
to dry the sponge, such as pipes, in which hot water or steam, super-
heated or otherwise, is caused to pass, but agitation is preferable if not
essential to perfect curing. This drying or curing process is of the
utmost importance, as it removes the watery particles or moisture from
the sponge and leaves the glycerine in it, for, as is well known, glycerine
cannot be changed or acted upon by a blast or heat in the same way as
water. The glycerine which is, as before mentioned, left in the sponge
prevents it becoming hard or rough so that is elasticity is retained. The
particles of sponge thus prepared and cured are of different qualities,
and in order to assort them according to their specific gravities and sizes
to render them available for different uses to which they are intended to
be applied they are removed from the curing cylinders and placed in an
open chamber or box, and subjected to a strong blast of air so that they

page_text: are forced through a spout or outlet and into one or other of a series of
receptacles placed to receive them at the mouth of the spout.
From the foregoing description it will be understood that the Invention
consists really in treating and curing sponge for certain purposes, and
what I shall desire to secure to myself by Letters Patent will be, the
special mode of treating and curing particles of sponge to render them
elastic, as before described.
The original colour or tint of the sponge is not injured in this process,
but if desirable it may be stained or dyed to any colour to suit various
tastes; or it may be bleached and made white if found requisite.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Theodore Griffin in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 1st June 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
THEODORE GRIFFIN, of 77, Upper Thames Street, in the City of London,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said James Theodore Griffin, Her special licence
that I, the said James Theodore Griffin, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Theodore Griffin, my
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
PREPARING, TREATING, AND CURING SPONGE TO RENDER IT ELASTIC AND SUITABLE
FOR USE AS A STUFFING FOR BEDS, CUSHIONS, SEATS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES,"
(communicated to me from abroad by William Henry Spencer, of New
York, in the United States of America,) upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said James Theodore Griffin, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of

page_text: 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 I, the said James Theodore Griffin, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
The object of this Invention is to prepare, treat, and cure sponge in
such a manner that it shall when used as a stuffing for beds, mattresses,
cushions, seats, or other similar articles be of a soft elastic character,
and possess all the qualities of the best horsehair or other known sub-
stance or material, and without the risk of becoming matted or "set," as
is the case with most materials in use at the present time for that
purpose. It also admits of being re-dressed or re-prepared should it
become dirty, stained, or injured in any manner without losing its clastic
properties.
The Invention consists in taking sponge in its raw and natural state,
and after reducing it by cutting in a "stuff" or other suitable engine or
machine and removing all the sand or calcareous impurities which it
may contain it i simmersed in a solution of glycerine and water of
suitable proportions as determined upon by experiment. It has been
found that a solution containing about 33 per cent. of glycerine is the
best for the purpose, but no limited proportion is specially to be retained
in the treatment, as that would vary to suit different qualities or growths
of sponge.
After the particles or pieces of sponge have become
thoroughly impregnated with the solution they are passed between
rollers (preferably covered with india-rubber, pure or prepared) to press
out all excess of moisture or as much of it as possible, so that to the
touch the sponge would be, so as to speak, dry. The sponge is then to
be placed in properly prepared open cylinders, which are caused to
revolve at a determined speed to agitate the particles and bring them
into contact with a blast or current of air which is forced into the
chamber or vessel in which the cylinders are placed to remove or extract
whatever moisture there may be in them or to completely dry them;
or other means may be employed to dry the sponge, such as pipes, in
which hot water or stean, superheated or otherwise, is caused to pass,
but agitation is preferable, if not essential, to perfect curing. This

page_text: drying or curing process is of the utmost importance, as it removes the
watery particles or moisture from the sponge and leaves the glycerine in
it, for, as is well known, glycerine cannot be changed or acted upon by
a blast or heat in the same way as water. The glycerine which is, as
before mentioned, left in the sponge prevents it becoming hard or
rough so that its elasticity is retained. The particles of sponge thus
prepared and cured are of different qualitics, and in order to assort them
according to their specific gravities and sizes to render them available
for different uses to which they are intended to be applied they are
removed from the curing cylinders and placed in an open chamber or box
and subjected to a strong blast of air, so that they are forced through a
spout or outlet and into one or other of a series of receptacles placed to
receive them at the mouth of the spout.
From the foregoing description it will be understood that the Invention
consists really in treating and curing sponge for certain purposes, and
what I desire to secure to myself by Letters Patent is, the special mode
of treating and curing particles of sponge to render them clastic, as
before described.
The original color or tint of the sponge is not injured in this process,
but if desirable it may be stained or dyed to any color to suit various
tastes, or it may be bleached and made white if found requisite.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Theodore Griffin, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this First day of June, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy.