IMPROVEMENTS. IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FABRICS FROM PRODUCTS OF THE HUSKS OR Cocos .NUTS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund Hyde, of Kingston-upon-Thames, in the
County of Surrey, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS. IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF FABRICS FROM PRODUCTS OF THE HUSKS OR Cocos .NUTS"
Sealed the 3rd July 1857, and dated the 21st March 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmund Hyde at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with liis Petition, on the
21st March 1857.
I, EDMUND. HYDE, of Kingston-upon-Thames, in the County of Surrey,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FABRICS FROM PRODUCTS OF THE HUSKS OF COCOA NUTS,'
to be as follows:--
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of fabrics
from products of the husks of cocoa nuts. It is.well known that in obtaining
the more valuable fibres from the husks of cocoa nuts much short fibre of
comparatively small value is produced, together with considerable quantities of
dust or pulp, which has at present no market value.
Now, according to my Invention sheets of cocoa nut fibres are produced-by
cementing cocoa nut fibres together by bituminous cements, such as Stockholm
pitch and tar, also by resinous and oil and soap cements; and in order to give

page_text: body and surfaces to such sheets of fibres, the pulp or dust of the cocoa nut
husk is employed and made to adhere by cement, by which combinations very
strong and lasting fabrics are produced, applicable to a great variety of
purposes, such as sheathing for ships, for covering roofs and floors, and other
surfaces, and such fabrics admitting of being painted or printed when desired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edmund Hyde in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th September 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDMUND
HYDE, of Kingston-upon-Thames, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Ier reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Edmund Hyde, Her special licence that I, the said Edmund IIyde, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edmund
Hyde, 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 THE MANU-
FACTURE OF FABRICS FROM PRODUCTS OF THE HUSKS OF COCOA NUTS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Edmund Hyde, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
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 I, the said Edmund Hyde, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, 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 the manufacture of fabrics
from products of the husks of cocoa nuts. It is well known that in obtaining
the more valuable fibres from the husks of cocoa nuts much short fibre of

page_text: comparatively small value is produced, together with considerable quantities of
dust or pulp, which has at present no market value..
Now, according to my Invention sheets of cocoa nut fibres are produced by
cementing cocoa nut fibres together by bituminous cements, such as Stockholm
pitch and tar, also by resinous and oil and soap cements; and in order to give
body and surfaces to such sheets of fibres, the pulp.or, dust of the cocoa nut
busk is employed and made to adhere by cement, by which combinations very
strong and lasting fabrics are produced, applicable to a great variety of
purposes, such as sheeting for ships, for covering roofs and floors, and other
surfaces, and such fabrics admit of being painted or printed when desired.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
The manner in which I proceed to make the said fabric is by first passing
the waste or short cocoa nut fibre through a carding machine to produce a
thin layer or sliver, which is then beaten with sticks to make it more regular
and even; or I obtain a sheet of cocoa nut fibres by other convenient means.
The sliver or sheet in this state is sprinkled with a brush dipped into one of
the cements hereinafter mentioned, or otherwise impregnated with a cement,
and afterwards conducted by means of an endless wire cloth through between
a pair of hollow rollers heated to about 110° Fahrenheit, and immediately it
has passed the rollers, the dust or pulp from the cocoa nut husk is sifted on
the face of the sheet of fibre (cemented together as before described) which
sheet is then again passed through between the same or another pair of hollow
rollers heated to about the same temperature. The reverse side of the sheet
is next treated in the same manner by slightly sprinkling it with the cement,
as before mentioned, sifting the dust or pulp over it, and by again passing the
sheet through between hot rollers. The sheet in this state is allowed to cool,
and afterwards it is passed through between a pair of heavy smooth-surfaced
cold rollers several times, until the sheet is as close and firm as may be
required. During the process of rolling both with the hot and cold rollers the
The
pressure is to be regulated by the usual method of adjusting screws.
fabric thus produced may be painted or printed if desired. For the purpose of
cementing the cocoa nut fibre and pulp, I use, by preference, one of the
following compositions in a melted state:-Equal parts of Stockholm tar and
pitch or black resin, 1 lb.; Venice turpentine, 6 ozs.; boiled linseed oil pint;
and common soap, 3 ozs.; or other bituminous and resinous substances may be
used as a cement for the above purpose, such as Seyssel asphalt, mineral lava,
and the tar and pitch produced from coal.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner

page_text: the same may be performed, I wish it to be understood that I make no claim
to the composition's used as cements; but what I claim is, the manufacture of
fabrics by cementing the waste or short fibres and the pulp from the husk of
the cocoa nut, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edmund Hyde, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
1.
JNO. ALCOCK.
EDM. HYDE. (L.S.)