AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF PARQUET FLOORING
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Howard, of Berners Street, Oxford Street,
in the County of Middlesex, Cabinet Manufacturer, for the Inven-
tion of "AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF PARQUET FLOORING."
Sealed the 1st December 1868, and dated the 9th June 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Howard at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 9th June 1868.
I, GEORGE HOWARD, of Berners Street, Oxford Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Cabinet Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF PARQUET FLOORING," to be
as follows:-
This Invention is designed to provide a cheap and efficient substitute
for the ordinary parquet flooring suitable for use under circumstances
where oilcloth, kamptulicon, and other like floor coverings are now
used, the object being to render unnecessary the removal of the ordinary
flooring in order to obtain the appearance of an inlaid or parquet
flooring.

page_text: In carrying out this Invention I cut out the pieces composing the
pattern (in thin woods) in the usual manner, and having properly
arranged the parts to form the pattern I secure them within a temporary
frame; I then coat the pattern with glue or other suitable adhesive
substance and strain over it scrim canvas and effect the adhesion of the
pattern to this fabric, which forms a strong backing. I may also use
paper as a backing for the pattern. When the cement or adhesive
substance is dry the ornamental surface thus produced is ready for use,
and by reason of its comparative thinness it may be applied to any
ordinary flooring without unduly and inconveniently raising the height
of the floor.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Howard in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 9th December 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HOWARD, of Berners Street, Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Cabinet Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her.
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said George Howard, Her special licence that
I, the said George Howard, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said George Howard, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the time 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 "AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE
OF PARQUET FLOORING," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said George Howard, 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

page_text: Ho atone baru
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Howard, 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) :-
:-
This Invention is designed to provide a cheap and efficient substitute
for the ordinary parquet flooring suitable for use under circumstances
where oilcloth, kamptulicon, and other loose floor coverings are now
used. To this end I make a sheet of inlaid or parquetry work, and I
secure this in any convenient manner on any ordinary flooring so as to
obtain the appearance of an inlaid or parquet flooring without the
necessity of removing such ordinary flooring.
In carrying out this Invention I cut out the pieces of thin colored or
ornamental wood of which the parquetry pattern is to be composed,
and having properly arranged the various pieces of thin colored or
ornamental wood in suitable order, so as to form the desired pattern, I
place them on a flat table or within a temporary frame, taking care that
all the joints abut closely against each other; I then coat the thin
pieces of wood over with weak glue, paste, or other suitable adhesive
substance, and I place on this adhesive surface a sheet of paper which
will hold the pieces of wood temporarily together so that the pattern
may be removed from the frame or table and handled without risk of
deranging the pieces of wood and damaging the pattern. The parquetry
pattern thus produced may then be turned over and the under surface
coated with glue or other suitable adhesive substance; I then strain
over it canvas or other suitable fabric, and by slight pressure or
otherwise I cause the canvas or other fabric to adhere firmly to the
pieces of wood and thus form a strong backing. When the cement or
adhesive substance is dry the wooden pattern may be turned over again,
and the paper which has been temporarily applied to the face of the
pattern may be removed, and when the face has been cleaned the
ornamental surface thus produced will be ready for use, and by reason
of its comparative thinness it may be applied to any ordinary flooring
without unduly and inconveniently raising the height of the floor,
taking care however that the ordinary flooring boards be planed quite
flat and even, and then the ornamental pattern may be secured thereon
either by gluing or by means of pins or short nails.

page_text: The ornamental woods used for the purposes of my Invention are
sufficiently hard to resist a very considerable amount of wear, more
especially as the thin ornamental parquetry covering will be effectually
supported by the ordinary flooring boards, to which it is essential that
the parquetry covering should be firmly secured at every part.
It will be understood that the ornamental parquet surface may be
applied as well to old floors as to new ones, but in all cases care must
be taken that before laying the thin ornamental parquet surface the
ordinary flooring boards be perfectly flat and even.
Having now described my Invention of "An Improved Manufacture
of Parquet Flooring," and having explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters
Patent as aforesaid, forming a parquet flooring by securing permanently
by gluing, pinning, nailing, or otherwise on a floor constructed of
ordinary flooring boards a thin parquet pattern composed of thin pieces
of colored or ornamental woods held together temporarily by means of
paper, canvas, or other suitable fabric, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Howard; have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Eighth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.