IMPROVEMENTS IN SPONGING OR BATH GLOVES, PART OF WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE JOINING INDIA-RUBBER SPONGE
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Forster, of Streatham, and John
Heartfield, of Stanley Road, Thornton Heath, both in the County of
Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPONGING OR BATH
GLOVES, PART OF WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE JOINING
INDIA-RUBBER SPONGE."
Sealed the 23rd March 1869, and dated the 20th October 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Forster and
John Heartfield at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 20th October 1868.
We, THOMAS FORSTER, of Streatham, and JOHN HEARTFIELD, of
Stanley Road, Thornton Heath, both in the County of Surrey, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SPONGING OR BATH GLOVES, PART OF WHICH INVENTION IS ALSO APPLICABLE
TO THE JOINING INDIA-RUBBER SPONGE," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in sponging or bath

page_text: gloves, part of which Invention is also applicable to the joining india-
rubber sponge.
In the manufacture of sponge or bath gloves we employ sheets of
india-rubber sponge, which is a porous vulcanized india-rubber. We cut
the sheets to suitable forms, and then cement the edges of the picces
with india-rubber cement made with benzole. When the cement is dry
the pieces are stuck together, and then to make the joint secure they are
treated with chloride of sulphur diluted with bi-sulphide of carbon, and
thus the india-rubber films forming the joints are also vulcanized.
The same method of securely joining pieces of india-rubber spongo
is also applicable to the manufacture of other articles.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Forster and John Heartfield in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 20th April 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wе, THOMAS
FORSTER, of Streatham, and JOHN HEARTFIELD, of Stanley Road,
Thornton Heath, both in the County of Surrcy, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Thomas Forster and John Heart-
field, Her special licence that we, the said Thomas Forster and John
Heartficld, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said Thomas Forster and John Heartfield, 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 SPONGING
OR BATH GLOVES, PART OF WHICH INVENTION IS APPLICABLE TO THE JOINING
INDIA-RUBBER SPONGE," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said

page_text: Thomas Forster and John Heartfield, our executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and scals, or
under the hand and scal of one of us or them, 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 I, the said Thomas Forster, on behalf of
myself and the said John Heartfield, do hereby declare the nature of.
the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
.
This Invention has for its object improvements in sponging or bath
gloves, part of which Invention is also applicable to the joining india-
rubber sponge.
In the manufacture of sponging or bath gloves we employ sheets
of india-rubber sponge, which is a porous vulcanized india-rubber. We
cut the sheets to suitable forms, and then cement the edges of the
picces with india-rubber cement made with benzole. When the
cement is dry the pieces are stuck together, and then to make the joint.
secure they are treated with chloride of sulphur diluted with bi-sulphide
of carbon, and thus the india-rubber films forming the joints arc also
vulcanized.
The same method of securely jointing pieces of india-rubber sponge.
by uniting them with india-rubber cement and subsequently vulcanizing
such joint is also applicable to the manufacture of other articles...
In carrying out our Invention we prefer to take a block of spongy
rubber made as described in the Specification of the Patent granted to
us, and cut it up by the ordinary cutting machine into sheets of about
thick and from it cut the two sheets. of which the back and front
of the gloves or mits of the desired form and size are to be made, using
a wet knife and giving it a saw like motion with a light hand. The
edges should be slightly bevilled, and when the moisture is dried off
we proceed to coat them with a solution of india-rubber. made: of. 1
part rubber, and 8 parts, benzole. When the first coat is dry a second
:

page_text: is laid on, and when that is dry join and press the edges of the two
sheets well together in the ordinary way of joining up india-rubber
goods, which is well understood. We then proceed to place a band
of vulcanized india-rubber around the wrist of the glove. For this
purpose, having previously prepared and cured endless bands of india-
rubber of a less circumference by about one inch than the exterior size
of the gloves at the wrists, and having coated the inner surface of the
bands and as much of the glove or gloves as each band will cover, we
put the gloves on to mandrils and then strain and enlarge the bands
until they can be put into their places. When the india-rubber cement
is dry we remove the mandrils, and the gloves are compressed at the
wrist by the contraction of the bands which contraction tends materially
to keep them on the hands when in use. Wo then brush over the
joins a solution of chloride of sulphur one part and bi-sulphide of
carbon ten parts, to protect them from the action of soap or greasy
matter.
In place of vulcanizing the cement of the joins by applying to them
chloride of sulphur dissolved in bi-sulphide of carbon the blocks of
vulcanized india-rubber might in the first instance be under cured
say, exposed to heat for about ths of the time necessary for effecting
the desired amount of vulcanization with the proportion of sulphur
used, and when the blocks of sponge had been cut up into sheets and
made up into gloves as above described they might be exposed in a
closed chamber to the vapour of chloride of sulphur alone or in
combination with bi-sulphide of carbon, and thus not only cure the
join but also complete the curing of the sponge.
As before stated the same plan of securely joining pieces of india-
rubber sponge by uniting them with india-rubber cement and
subsequently vulcanizing such joint may be beneficially applied to the
manufacture of other articles of india-rubber sponge.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and the manner
of performing the same, we would have it understood that what we
claim is, the manufacture of sponging or bath gloves from vulcanized
india-rubber sponge, and the securely jointing together pieces of
vulcanized india-rubber sponge by cementing together pieces of sponge
with india-rubber cement, and subsequently vulcanizing the join by

page_text: applying to it chloride of sulphur dissolved in bi-sulphide of carbon
or otherwise vulcanizing the join, as herein described.
In witness whercof, I, the said Thomas Forster, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of April in the year of
Our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.