IMPROVEMENTS. IN TREATING, ORNAMENTING, AND WATERPROOFING FABRICS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE SAME
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Green, of York street, City Road, London,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS. IN
TREATING, ORNAMENTING, AND WATERPROOFING FABRICS, AND IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE SAME."
Sealed the 16th January 1857, and dated the 21st July 1856.
[I
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Green at the.
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st,
July 1856.
I, WILLIAM GREEN, of York Street, City Road, London, in the County.
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING, ORNAMENTING, AND WATERPROOFING, FABRICS, AND IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE SAME," to be as follows:-
These improvements consist in the preparation of surfaces for the reception
of and in, the application thereto of certain water-repellent matters, and the
production of enamelled water-repellent surfaces on portions only of plain;
figured; or printed fabrics, as also in certain modes of effecting the same.
In carrying out this Invention, I form a thin membraneous or filamentuous
surface of material of the desired colour by pressing together animal' or
vegetable fibres, either alone or mixed in combination with a woven or felted

page_text: fabric; or I use gelatinous and farinacious matters seperately, or combined
together with a little ox gall and a sufficient quantity of resinous gum,treacle,
and ether chemical matters, to impart to the composition a certain degree of
insolubilityand flexibility, after being subjected to the heat of a "stove room"
kept at from eighty to one hundred and eighty degrees Fahrenheit. Having
thus prepared the side of the fabric intended to be ornamented, waterproofed,
or japanned, or portions thereof, I coat or partially coat or saturate the
opposite side, when not previously coated with paste or other matter capable
of preventing any unctuous matters afterwards to be employed from penetrat-
ing through the same, and also of being readily removed by immersion in
water or other simple and inexpensive means. One or more coatings of litho-
graphic or printers' varnish, or resin oil combined with gutta percha, bitumen,
resin; and a farinacious matter is then applied over the whole of the surface of
the fabric, or on portions onlythereof, by means of plain or engraved rollers or
blocks or otherwise. They are then dried, and if necessary other coatings are
applied, and dried or annealed in any convenient manner. A coating or
coatings of colouring matter or of oil or varnish is nextapplied, and annealed
or dried in a suitable stove room, after which the paste is removed from the
back of the fabric, which is then in a fit state to be embossed or otherwise
finished, as desired.
In producingwater-repellent surfaces in various colors or on portions onlyof
fabrics, I in some cases employ" stencil plate" for confining the oil or colours
to the desired parts, and keep the said perforated plates in close contact with
the fabric during the operation by means of pneumatic pressure or by
mechanical means. It is not necessary to finish off the surface of the fabric
before applying the several colours, as is now done when printing oilcloths.
The fabric so prepared are in some cases so embossed as to give to the several
colours or parts of the pattern various degrees of relief. In doing ornamental
fabrics the before-mentioned coating of paste on the wrong side may some-
times be dispensed with.
The machinery or apparatus which I employ for carrying out my Invention
is somewhat similar to the ordinary calico or stuff printing machinery, but.
provided at either end, and intermediate between the pressing surfaces, with
hopper-shaped troughs, for supplying, when so desired, an adhesive or liquid
matter to the materials as they pass through the machine. Rails and
suitable clips or carriages are also attached to the machine, for the purpose
of keeping the fabric distended and drawing it through the same. When
printing with stencil plates, hollow tables provided with wire gauze or
perforated tops are employed, and connected with an air pump or other

page_text: exhausting apparatus. The perforated pattern plates are hinged on to one
side of the table, so as to fall at all times in the same position, and rails,
together with suitable clips and carriages, for keeping the fabric distended and
moving it forward after being printed, are also attached to the machine, with
suitable mechanical appliances for actuating the same. The colors or varnish
may be applied by hand, or by brushes, or "composition" rollers-connected
with suitable feeding apparatus, and made to traverse over the fabric when on
the table of the machine. In some cases I apply the water-repellent matters
to the indented portions of the embossing plates or rollers, and after cleaning
off the raised portions thereof transfer such matters to fabrics by pressure in
any convenient manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Green in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st January 1857.
TO. ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
GREEN, of Pembroke Cottages, Caledonian Road, London, in the County of
Middlesex, late of York Street, City Road, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reigu
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Green, Her special licence that I, the said William Green, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Green, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all tunes 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 TREATING,
ORNAMENTING, & WATERPROOFING FABRICS, & IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
EFFECTING. THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Green, 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 perforined, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Green, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
that is to say:-
These improvements consist in the preparation of surfaces for the reception
of and in the application thereto of certain water-repellent & other matters,
whereby imitations of leather in one or more colours are produced; also in
the production of enamelled water-repellent surfaces, either plain orin various
degrees of relief, to any desired pattern, or portions only of plain, figured, or
printed fabrics, & in machinery or apparatus for effecting the same. When
imitations of morocco, enamelled leather, calf, or similar kinds of leather are
to be produced, I form a suitable surface by affixing a thin membraneous or
filamentuous material of the desired colour to a woven or to a felted fabric.
The membraneous material is prepared by combining paper pulp or slivers of
fibrous materials with undissolved gelatin reduced to a pusty state, or with
gelatinous & saccharine matters separately or mixed, to which is sometimes
added or afterwards applied a little resinous gum or tannin.
When the
undissolved gelatin of skins is employed the filamentous materials or paper
pulp may in some cases be dispensed with, the tannin being applied in a pit
otherwise after the said gelatin is spread upon the fabric. When the
membraneous or filamentous material is compressed or formed into sheets or
lengths apart from the fabric to which it is to be applied, it is affixed to such
fabric by means of a waterproof composition, such as gutta percha or india-
rubber, alone or mixed, or their equivalents. When the fabrics employed are
sufficiently thick in themselves, or the purpose for which they are to be used
does not require that they should be coated with a membraneous or filamentous
material, I in some cases first coat the same with gelatinous & farinaceous
matters separately or combined, & with them I mix gum, resins, glycerine,
tannin, or other suitable chemical matters, in such proportions as to cause the
fabrics so treated to retain their flexibility after being subjected to the heat of
à drying room kept at from 60 degrees Farenheit or upwards. In some
cases also I coat or partially coat the back of the fabric, previous to being
painted, waterproofed, or ornamented, with a size or paste capable of preventing
any unctuous matters employed upon the face thereof from penetrating through
the same, & also of being easily removed by immersion in water or other
simple means. Having thus prepared the fabric, I apply to the face thereof,
as also to unprepared fabrics, a coating or coatings of thick boiled oil, or
caoutchouc, combined with gutta percha, bitumen, coal tar, earthy matters, &
a little sulphur or sulphuret of lead, the proportions of which vary according

page_text: to the degree of flexibility, strength, or substance required. Upon this
covering I apply a coating of colouring matter mixed with glue & glycerine or
saccharine matter, & with this composition I sometimes mix a resinous gum
& a farinaceous material. In some cases the said materials are dried &
applied to the fabric in a powdered state. A coating or coatings of varnish or
boiled oil, either transparent or coloured, is next applied, & the fabric is then
hung in a warm room till dry, after which it is grained, embossed, or other-
wise ornamented, as desired. When the finishing composition or varnish is
mixed with colour the gelatinous matters aforesaid may be used without a
colour. When producing water-repellent surfaces in various colours, or on
portions only of fabrics, stencil plates or engraved rollers or blocks are employed
for applying the various compositions to the desired parts. When the fabric
is to be water-repellent over its entire surface & yet have various colours
thereon, it is not necessary to finish off the surface of such fabrics before
applying the several colours, as is.now done when ornamented oilcloths are
produced; but the waterproof groundwork having been spread over the
entire surface of the fabric, the various colours are next applied, & then a
transparent finishing varnish is applied in the same manner as though the
fabrics were to be in one colour only. When the water-repellent matters are
applied to portions only of fabrics they may be left smooth, or be embossed to
imitate silk or leather, & in some cases novel effects may be produced by so
embossing the same as to give to the several colours various degrees of
relief.
The arrangement of machinery or apparatus for carrying into effect the
several parts of my said Invention are as follows:-The membraneous or
filamentous material having been prepared by suitable machinery either into
sheets, slivers or pulp of the proper compactness, thinness, or consistency, is in
the case of sheets or slivers placed upon a roller or beam. On another roller
is placed a fabric, which fabric after passing over straining bars is conveyed
through a trough, the bottom of which is planed perfectly straight, or provided
with a suitable "doctor." This trough is provided with a steam jacket, in
order to keep the gutta percha & india-rubber solution, or other composition
placed therein, in a fluid or plastic state. The fabric having passed under this
composition & then beneath the straight edge, receives an even coating of the
composition on one side over its entire surface; it now in its passage through
the machine comes into contact with the membraneous or filamentous material,
&the two together are passed between rollers or other pressing surfaces,which
are by preference kept slightly heated. When the membraneous or fila-
mentous material is of the desired colour, before being united with the fabric

page_text: the pressing surfaces may be engraved, & thus a grain or other ornament will
be imparted thereto at the same time that it is united. When the mem-
braneous or filamentous material is in the form of a pulp, it is applied to the
fabric from an open-bottomed trough instead of from a roller, pressure being
employed to force it in the form of thin sheets through the opening in the said
trough. The waterproofing material & the gelatinous & saccharine matter,
as before described, are applied to the fabric from one machine, which is
constructed thus: At the front of a strong iron framework are three straining
bars & a delivery roller, from & over which the fabric passes. Above the
straining bars & attached to the framework is a trough, provided with a steam
jacket, & having an open bottom, one edge of which is planed perfectly straight.
The fabric having passed from the straining bars is drawn over the top of the
trough or over a bar or roller, & then downwards through the open bottom &
under the straight edge. The waterproofing composition is now placed in the
trough so as to press upon the surface of the cloth. At a short distance from
this trough are two rollers, provided with suitable gearing & working in
bearings, which are regulated by set screws, similar to the rollers of a printing
machine. The uppermost roller, which is of metal, it kept constantly wet by
water or other fluid, which is applied from an open-bottomed trough placed
above it. This trough is covered at the bottom with felt, a little above which is a
perforated plate,&above that a perforated pipe,provided witha tap&connected
with a suitable reservoir. The object of these rollers is to draw the fabric in
a distended state through the before-mentioned trough & under the doctor,&
the reason for keeping the roller wet is that the waterproofing material upon
the face of the fabric shall not adhere to the said roller & be taken off the
fabric thereby. At a short distance from these rollers another open-bottomed
trough is attached to the framework. This trough is provided with a steam
jacket, & also with a reservoir at top, provided with a tap, from which the
gelatinous & saccharine or other matter runs into a perforated pipe or gutter,
& thence into the bottom of the trough in small quantities, as desired. The
fabric as it leaves the rollers is drawn beneath this trough, & under suitable
brushes or soft rollers, or their equivalents, by means of a winding machine
placed at a considerable distance therefrom. In its passage from one machine
to the other, the fabric thus coated with the first & second compositions passes
through a long drying room,kept heated at from 60 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit,
& is thus sufficiently dried to be rolled up. In its passage from the spreading
machine to the winding machine, the fabric is kept distended by means of clips
or pins running in suitable grooves throughout the entire length of the drying
room; or in lieu of the winding machine, appliances may be fitted to the

page_text: spreading machine for receiving the cloth after it has passed, through &
returned from the sd drying sd room It is now placed in another machine
constructed thus:-In a suitable framework a feeding roller & straining bars
are placed, & above them an open-bottomed trough, planed perfectly straight
at bottom; from which trough the finishing composition is supplied; it now
passes over & under a series of rollers, those under which it passes being made
by preference of the composition employed for printers' inking rollers, but
other soft rollers may be used in lieu thereof if desired. These rollers are
intended to equalize the finishing composition supplied from the trough. The
fabric is now passed between two rollers, provided with suitable gearing &
regulated by set screws, in the manner of a printing machine, the roller which
presses upon the surface of the fabric being by preference covered with
vulcanized india-ubber or other soft material; it is now connected on the
selvage or selvages to hooks or pins, which are free to travel in grooves running
the entire length of the drying room, where it remains until sufficiently dry,
after which it is taken down, trimmed on the edges, & embossed, grained, or
otherwise ornamented, as desired. When fabrics are to be coated or orna
mented over their entire surface with various colours, as before described, the
said colours may beapplied by engraved rollers or blocks previous to receiving
the finishing composition. In some cases the engraved surfaces may be
connected with & worked by the machine before described for applying the.
waterproofing composition, suitablemechanical appliances being employed for
such purpose. When printing with stencil plates, hollow tables provided with
wire gauze or perforated tops are employed, & are connected with an air
pump or other exhausting apparatus. The perforated pattern plates are
hinged on to one side of the table, so as to fall at all times in the same position..
Clips or pins running in grooves are placed in a convenient position near the
printing apparatus for keeping the fabric distended during the operation, &,
when so desired, for drawing it through the drying room. Ropesor pulleys, or
their equivalents, are also placed in convenient positions at the end of the
drying room. These appliances may also be employed in connection with the
before-mentioned spreading or covering operations, as well as in the printing
operation. In some cases I produce patterns having various degrees of relief;
as in the case of embossed felt table covers, by the use of rollers or blocks
having various degrees of relief in the engraved parts. The water-repellent or
other matters are in some cases applied to the fabrics froin the indented parts
of engraved surfaces, which surfaces are cleaned off by suitable doctors, &
the material taken up in such indented parts is caused to adhere to the fabric
by pressure, as in the case of printing upon calico, or by the copper-plate

page_text: printing process upon paper. I am aware that rollers having the patterns
indented upon their surface are already employed for printing with water-
repellent matters upon paper, & also that rollers having indented patterns are
employed for printing with mucilaginous & farinaceous matters upon fabrics, I
wish it to be understood therefore that this part of my said Invention relates
only to printing from such rollers with water-repellent matters upon fabrics or
with mucilaginous or farinaceous matters upon & over which water-repellent
matters are asterwards to be applied.
Having now described the several parts of my said Invention, & the means
by which the same is to be carried into effect, I would have it understood that
what I claim in respect thereof is,-"
Firstly, producing artificial leather by combining a thin membraneous
material prepared as before described, or by equivalent means, or slivers
of fibrous materials of the desired colour, to a woven or to a felted fabric.
Secondly, I claim uniting continuous lengths of paper or slivers of fibrous
material to woven or felted fabrics by means of gutta percha or a solution of
india-rubber & gutta percha treated with sulphur or other vulcanizing matters.
Thirdly, I claim coating fabrics with gelatin or gelatinous matters treated
in the manner herein-before mentioned.
Fourthly, I claim coating or partially coating fabrics on the wrong side, or
that side not intended to be seen when in use, with paste or other matters
capable of being easily removed, & of preventing unctuous matters from
penetrating through the fabrics when applied thereon.
Fifthly, I claim producing patterns or designs in various colours upon
leather, cloth, or oilcloth previous to the application of the finishing oil
composition, or varnish.
Sixthly, I claim the coating of fabrics with a flexible waterproofing matter
treated with vulcanizing agents, then with a gelatinous & saccharine matter,
or with a farinaceous & resinous matter, &, lastly, with varnish, boiled oil, or
other finishing composition, substantially as described.
Seventhly, I claim the use of rollers made of the composition usually
employed for printers'inking rollers, or rollers or pads covered with vulcanized
india-rubber, or made of other equivalent matters, fordistributing varnish, oil,
or other adhesive matters over fabrics.
Eighthly, I claim the employment of rollers in some cases covered with
vulcanized india-rubber for drawing fabrics beneath a scraper or trough while
being supplied with varnish or waterproofing matters, also the application of
water or other fluid (when so desired) to one of the said rollers when working
in contact with waterproofing matters.

page_text: Ninthly, I claim the use of open-bottomed troughs, by preference kept
warm, for applying & distributing varnish or other matters when making
or preparing japanned, painted, or leather cloth.
Tenthly, I claim producing surfaces, similar to those known as leather
cloth, or oilcloth, to any desired pattern, upon portions only of plain, figured,
or printed fabrics.
Eleventhly, I claim the use of perforated pattern plates for the purpose
in the manner herein-before described.
&
Twelfthly, I claim the use of-rollers having patterns indented upon their
surfaces for the purposes herein-before described.
Thirteenthly, I claim giving various degrees of relief to enamelled or
painted surfaces as described.
Fourteenthly, I claim the drawing of fabrics into or through a drying room
by means of bands & pulleys connected with a spreading, painting, or printing
machine with an engine or other prime mover, as also the suspending or
holding of painted or varnished fabrics side by side, or one above the other, in
a drying room, by means of clips, hooks, or pins fastened to their selvage or
selvages, & running in or on grooves or guides.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Green, have hereunto set my
hand & seal, this Twenty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
WILLIAM GREEN. (L.B.)