Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Wicker-work Travelling Trunks or Baskets and like Receptacles.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Wicker-work
Travelling Trunks or Baskets and like Receptacles.
A communication from HEINRICH LUDWIG, of Koburg, Saxony, in the Empire of
Germany, Furniture Manufacturer.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The present invention relates to coffers, trunks, baskets, boxes, hat and other boxes
and similar receptacles made of wicker-work consisting of bamboo and rattan or
Bengal cane. Bamboo alone is too hard and brittle, and rattan or Bengal cane too
soft, the inventor has however discovered that by combining the two a wicker-
work is obtained which is characterized by a sufficient amount of hardness with
corresponding elasticity and by extraordinary durability and exceeding lightness.
The accompanying drawing represents a trunk manufactured according to this
invention. The foundation of the structure consists of a framework made of strips
or rods of wood a b. The wicker-work is made of the bamboo ribs c and the
strips d of rattan or Bengal cane. Entire bamboo canes are not used to form the
ribs c the canes being split longitudinally and the strips thus obtained employed for
this purpose.
Instead of the strips however, entire bamboo-canes may be used.
In the drawing are shown special small strips e of rattan or Bengal cane which
serve to keep the wicker-work and the strips of wood more securely together.
In the wicker-work described the bamboo-rods impart the necessary rigidity
whereas the strips d of rattan or Bengal cane give the required elasticity to the
sides of the trunk. The combination of these two kinds of cane however, forms a
material capable of great resistance and of comparatively little weight, which
latter quality is of great importance in the manufacture of articles for the transport
of goods.
In the manufacture of trunks the wicker-work may be covered over on both sides
with a layer of stuff as clearly shown in the drawing. A stuff specially suitable
for the purpose is sail-cloth, which can be made water-tight by a layer of any
suitable well-known paint, wax-cloth, leather or other woven or fibious stuff with
like properties. In the manufacture of travelling-baskets, clothes-baskets and
similar receptacles the covering of stuff may be omitted.
The bamboo-canes are not proper for use in their natural state and they would
be too hard and too brittle. They are therefore submitted by the inventor to the
following treatment. An alkaline lye is prepared by dissolving lime or soda in
water. This preparation is poured over the bamboo-canes for a time, say about
half or three quarters of an hour; instead of pouring the mixture over the canes
the latter may be boiled in it. The bamboo-cane is thus made so pliant and soft
that it can be easily divided into strips of any desired width. In order to make
the strips straight they are afterwards exposed to the influence of steam for about
a quarter of an hour. If the bamboo-strips are required to be curved, this is
produced by bending the strips over heated metallic moulds.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner the
same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is:
1. The manufacture of trunks, baskets and similar receptacles of wicker-work
consisting of bamboo ribs interwoven with strips of rattan or Bengal-cane
auhetantially as described

page_text: 2. A travelling trunk or similar receptacle the walls of which consist of wicker-
work composed of bamboo interwoven with rattan or Bengal cane covered with
sail-cloth wax or oil-cloth leather or other similar material substantially as described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
3. The process of rendering bamboo-cane serviceable for wicker-work consisting
in pouring a hot alkaline lye over the cane or boiling the cane in an alkaline
solution and then exposing it to the influence of steam for a time and if required
bending the cane over heated metallic moulds after it has been cut into strips
substantially as described.
Dated this 19th day of September 1892.
ALFRED J. BOULT,
Chartered Patent Agent.