IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FUR COATED FABRICS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Bouton Crosby, of New York, United
States of America, at present of 123, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF FUR COATED FABRICS." _A communication from abroad by Henry
Kellogg, of Milford, County of New Haven, State of Connecticut,
United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Bouton Crosby
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 28th January 1875.
IN THE
I, JOSEPH BOUTON CROSBY, of New York, United States of America,
at present of 123, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
MANUFACTURE OF FUR COATED FABRICS," a communication to me from abroad
by Henry Kellogg, of Milford, County of New Haven, State of Con-
necticut, United States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in the process of coating
fabrics with fur, and consists,-
of the fibre of the

page_text: Second. In the fabric thus produced.
Third. In the method herein described for utilizing the waste pieces
of fur skins.
For my improved manufacture I prefer a woven or knit wool fabric or
fabric which is readily felted; it may be first cut or made into the
form desired as for parts of garments, or a whole garment or article, or
may be in pieces to be afterwards cut to shape; such a piece I moisten
in "wine stiffening" and thoroughly dry it; then by steam or other hot
moisture saturate the prepared fabric and place upon one surface a
"bat" of fur fibre, or "shower" the fibre thereon, or pass the fabric
over a perforated surface, at the back of which is a constant vacuum,
and throw the fibre on to the outer surface: by blast or by any known
method cause the requisite quantity of fibre to adhere by one end of
the fibre to the "sticking" surface of the fabric; this done I lay upon
the fur a piece of "alluring cloth," "hair plush" being preferable,
and secure the fabric and "alluring cloth." together by stitching at the
edges or otherwise, so as to prevent one moving or sliding upon the
other to any extent. Thus prepared the fabric is rolled, preferably the
fabric outward, and alternately immersed in hot water and worked by
rolling or beating until the fabric has so far felted as to secure the end
of the fur fibres. This alluring cloth causes one end of the fibres of the
fur to work out into the fibres of the alluring cloth, while the other end
will be by the same fibres of the cloth pressed down into the fabric,, that
is, the fibres of the fur will incline to work into a position parallel to the
fibre of the alluring cloth, and hence cannot "entangle" with, each
other, and thereby felt with the fabric, the alluring cloth performing
constantly and automatically; what is known in hat making, as "boxing,"
an operation which must be done by. hand whenever felting commences,
but which would be impossible: in coating flat surfaces of any con-
siderable area; as soon as the fibre has become securely fixed, the cloth is
removed and the coated fabric dried; the fur fibre, will be, free but: may
require a slight “whipping" to clear the fibre, and the fabric or article
thus coated will have the appearance of real skin, and in the manu-
facture of articles therefrom the usual great waste and many seams is
avoided:
4.3

page_text: In order to utilize the waste and scraps accumulating in cutting skins
for manufacture of articles from real fur I take such scraps and paste
them (the flesh side) on to a piece of cloth or other flexible material,.
then pass this cloth with the scraps through the "shear" which cuts
the fur from the scraps, leaving the skin on the cloth. Thus, I save all
the scraps, be they never so small, which it would be impossible to so
completely use by any other process.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Bouton Crosby in the Great Seal Patent.
Office on the 28th July 1875.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
BOUTON CROSBY, of New York, United States of America, at present
of 123, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of January, in the
year our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Bouton Crosby,
Her special licence that I, the said Joseph Bouton Crosby, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Joseph Bouton Crosby, 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 aud
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 MANUFACTURE OF FUR
COATED FABRICS," a communication to me from abroad by Henry Kellogg,
of Milford, County of New Haven, State of Connecticut, United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph
Bouton Crosby, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same tɔ 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 Joseph Bouton Crosby, 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, that is to say :—
in and by the following statement, that is to say :—
This Invention consists,-
First. In the method described for causing one end of the fibre of the
fur to be interlaced with the fibre of the fabric withont felting the
remainder of the fibre.
Second. In the fabric thus produced.
Third. In the method herein described for utilizing the waste pieces
of fur skins.
For my improved manufacture I prefer a woven or knit wool fabric or
a fabric which is readily felted; it may be first cut or made into the
form desired as for parts of garments, or a whole garment or article, or
may be in pieces to be afterwards cut to shape; such a piece I moisten
in "water stiffening" and thoroughly dry it, then by steam or other
hot moisture saturate the prepared fabric and place upon one surface, a
"bat" of fur fibre or "shower" the fibre thereon, or pass the fabric
over a perforated surface, at the back of which is a constant vacuum,
and throw the fibre on to the outer surface by blast, or by any known
method cause the requisite quantity of fibre to adhere by one end of the
fibre to the "sticking surface" of the fabric; this done I lay upon
the fur a piece of "alluring cloth," "hair plush" being preferable,
and secure the fabric and alluring cloth together by stitching at the
edges or otherwise, so as to prevent one moving or sliding upon the
other to any extent. Thus prepared the fabric is rolled, preferably
the fabric outward and alternately immersed in hot water, and worked by
rolling or beating until the fabric has so far felted as to secure the end
of the fur fibres. This alluring cloth causes one end of the fibres of the
fur to work out into the fibres of the alluring cloth, while the other end
will be by the same fibres of the cloth pressed down into the fabric, that
is, the fibres of the fur will incline to work into a position parallel to the
fibre of the alluring cloth, and hence cannot "entangle" with each
other, and thereby felt with the fabric, the alluring cloth performing
constantly and automatically what is known in hat making, as "boxing,"
an operation which must be done by hand whenever felting commences,
but which would be impossible in coating flat surfaces of any con-
"

page_text: 6i
siderable area; as soon as the fibre has become secur-ly fixed the cloth
is removed and the coated fabric dried; the fur fibre will be free but may
require a slight whipping" to clear the fibre, and the fabric or article
thus coated will have the appearanoe of real skin, and in the manu-
facture of articles therefrom the usual great waste and many seams is
avoided.
:
In order to more thoroughly strengthen the fur and prevent its
detachment from the body, I steam the dried coated fabric upon the
under side to soften the glutinous substance in the body, and while hot
and soft from this process subject it to a dry heat applied on the same
side, which firmly sets the fur fibre, care however should be exercised to
see that the fibre is thoroughly whipped up before subjecting it to this
process. After this process the body will be stiffer than before; to
soften the fabric and render it flexible, and to most perfectly resemble
real skin I pass the fabric between a pair of rolls, one of which is smooth
and the other fluted or moduled, the fur surface next to the smooth roll,
or the fabric. may be laid fur down upon a table and the fluted or
moduled roll passed under pressure over the other surface.
In some cases it may be desirable to make the smooth roll of elastic
or yielding material. This process is alike applicable to the manu-
facture of hats and similar formed articles. I do not wish therefore to
be understood as limiting this part of my Invention to fabrics only, but
to include all fur coated articles.
In order to utilize the waste and scraps accumulating in cutting skins
for manufacture of articles from real fur I take such scraps and paste
them (the flesh side) on to a piece of cloth or other flexible material;
then pass this cloth with the scraps through the "shear," which cuts the
fur from the scraps, leaving the skin on the cloth, thus I save the scraps
be they never so small which it would be impossible to so completely
use by any other process.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, I claim,―
First. As an article of manufacture, a knit or woven fabric having the
surface coated with fur so as to present a fur surface, substantially as
described.
Second. A garment or parts of garments first shaped or cut to shape,
and then the surface coated with fur so as to present a fur surface, sub-
stantially as described..

page_text: Third. I claim the process herein described for setting the fur fibres
in fur coated fabrics or articles.
Fourth. The process herein described for softening the fabric after
coating.
Fifth. The method herein described for utilizing the scraps or wastes
of fur skins.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Bouton Crosby, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Second day of July in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
-
JOSEPH BOUTON CROSBY. (L.S.)