Improvements in the Manufacture of a Compound or Material applicable for use as a Substitute for Leather and India Rubber and for Floor Coverings and the like and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 19th June, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 19th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 28th May, 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of a Compound or Material
applicable for use as a Substitute for Leather and India Rubber
and for Floor Coverings and the like and in Apparatus therefor.
We, PHILIP REIDEL, of No. 17, Rheindammstrasse, Mannheim, in the German
Empire, Engineer, and EMIL KUHN, of No. 1, Clarence Road, Sparkhill, Birmingham,
Artist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of a compound or, material applicable
for use as a substitute for leather, india rubber and similar practically impermeable
materials and it is when made of a considerable thickness suitable for use as
a covering for floors where linoleum and oilcloth is now used and for application to
various other useful purposes.
A pulpy mixture with water is made of preferably long fibre cellulose freed from
all acids and impurities and linen and cotton wool fibres in for instance equal
proportion's.
It is not however essential that the pulpy mixture should be in these proportions
as they may be varied and one or more of the materials may under certain
circumstances be dispensed with. For example the linen fibres, commonly called
"half stuff" may be used alone if a very good and strong compound, be desired.
The fibres of linen and cotton wool should preferably be as long as possible.
Instead however of using linen and cotton wool fibres, esparto or similar fibres may
be employed and instead of the long fibre cellulose, pulverised or otherwise
mechanically separated wood may be used.
The mixture of, for instance, long fibre cellulose, linen fibres, cotton fibres and
water is made so as to assume the consistency of a thin paste in any convenient
manner. The pasty mixture is then admitted to one end of a revolving drum with
perforations through which passes the mixture. If desired water may also be
employed to assist the flow of the pasty mixture which flows off from a tank by an
opening therein and is spread or poured on to a long and preferably endless wire
web or apron going over rollers very much in the same manner as in making
paper..
A fleece of unpurified cotton wool or cotton wool wadding or the like is then
preferably unwound from a skeleton roller or drum and laid on the before described
pasty mixture.
Instead of using cotton wool, other long fibre materials may be
employed such as hemp, jute, manilla, aloe, flax, sisal or the like. Another layer
of the pasty mixture from another tank similar to the one already described is spread
or poured on the cotton wool and the endless web thereupon goes back again over a
roller and the cotton wool having the layers of pasty mixture one on each side is then
passed through rolls and pressed with a comparatively low pressure, say 10 lbs, to the
square inch, so that the material is made into a kind of felt and loses a great deal
of the water which was contained in the pasty mixture. After this the material is
passed on to another endless belt or apron of preferably a coarser mesh thoroughly
dried by being passed between and over hot air, water, or steam pipes or through
D 079

page_text: other suitable heating apparatus. The endless belt thereupon goes back again
a roller and the material passes under a perforated roll having a hollow axle
communicating with the perforations through which passes some india-rubber
solution. If desired the material may be supplied with solution on both sides by
means of two perforated drums. The drum is preferably provided with a guard to
prevent the splashing and loss of the solution. Or instead of using a hollow
perforated drum the material may be caused to descend into and out of a trough.
The material is thereby saturated with the solution and then passes between another
set or sets of rolls whereby the solution is caused to thoroughly penetrate it and the
surplus solution is squeezed out and these rolls are provided with suitable devices such
as doctors or scrapers to scrape off the extraneous solution which would otherwise stick
to the said rolls and render them inoperative. Next, the material passes between
drying rolls heated for instance by steam and guide rolls. Instead of using only
india rubber solution one may on the score of economy use a binding or adhesive
mixture of
a roller and the material passes under a perforated roll having a hollow axle
communicating with the perforations through which passes some india-rubber
solution. If desired the material may be supplied with solution on both sides by
means of two perforated drums. The drum is preferably provided with a guard to
prevent the splashing and loss of the solution. Or instead of using a hollow
perforated drum the material may be caused to descend into and out of a trough.
The material is thereby saturated with the solution and then passes between another
set or sets of rolls whereby the solution is caused to thoroughly penetrate it and the
surplus solution is squeezed out and these rolls are provided with suitable devices such
as doctors or scrapers to scrape off the extraneous solution which would otherwise stick
to the said rolls and render them inoperative. Next, the material passes between
drying rolls heated for instance by steam and guide rolls. Instead of using only
india rubber solution one may on the score of economy use a binding or adhesive
mixture of
India rubber solution say
Reclaimed india rubber, that is waste or scrap rubber un-
vulcanized after having been first vulcanized
Glue
Rosin
Linseed oil
do.
50 lbs.
25 lb.
- from
-
dó.
5 to 10,
5 to 10,,
do.
5 to 10,
-
In this mixture the water is expelled from the glue by first soaking same, then
pressing and afterwards the glue is put in the linseed oil and allowed to simmer. It
should be noted that if it is not required to manufacture a pliable material a much
larger proportion of glue may be used, and the proportion of india rubber solution is
then correspondingly reduced.
After being completely dried the material so far treated has if necessary (according
to the thickness) a basic (alkali) lye poured over it such as for instance tannic acid or
the waste liquors proceeding from the manufacture of cellulose or alum or it is put
into luke warm baths of these lyes or other suitable substitutes so as to tan the
adhesive mixture as much as possible on to the fibres and to make it and them
insoluble or inseparable in water, and finally, to make the material supple, it is
treated with acetate of alumina.
The material now nearly finished is if desired subjected to a finishing process and
is put in a trough containing say of
or it is treated with any other suitable finishing solution.
The material having been pressed and worked and well stretched is then 4
passed through a calendering machine or otherwise finished and is ready
for use.
According to a modification of the manufacture the cotton wool wadding may be
saturated or indurated with the adhesive mixture and the said wadding is then
wound on a skeleton drum mounted on a lever or so as to be capable of being raised 5

page_text: from and lowered into a trough of the adhesive mixture, which drum consists of a
number of cross pieces or battens mounted at the extremities of the spokes or on
rings mounted thereon. To the periphery of this skeleton drum is attached a long
piece of metal webbing on which is placed the material to be saturated with the
adhesive mixture. The skeleton drum is revolved by gearing and when the material
is thoroughly saturated the drum is raised out of the trough and. the. superflous
adhesive mixture is removed by centrifugal force. The material is then treated as
before described. This method of manufacture is cheap, and simple and further if
desired, the half finished material may under some circumstances be used for
packing for machinery parts, for which purpose substitutes for leather india rubber
and the like are now used.
It is evident that the material may if desired consist of more than two layers of
long fibre cellulose and linen and cotton wool fibres or their equivalents and of more
than one layer of cotton wool or its equivalent.
It should be noted also that the machinery used is preferably made of brass,
bronze, aluminium or the like which will not readily oxidize or it may be made of
iron or steel coated with zinc or the like.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.
Improvements in the Manufacture of a Compound or Material
applicable for use as a Substitute for Leather and India Rubber
and for Floor Coverings and the like and in Apparatus therefor.
-
We, PHILIP REIDEL, of No. 17, Rheindammstrasse, Mannheim, in the German
Empire, Engineer, and EMIL KUHN, of No. 1, Clarence Road, Sparkhill, Birmingham,
Artist, 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 :-
This invention relates to the manufacture of a compound or material applicable for
use as a substitute for leather india rubber and similar practically impermeable
materials and it is when made of a considerable thickness suitable for use as
a covering for floors where linoleum and oil cloth is now used and, for application to
various other useful purposes.
Figure 1 of the accompanying sheet of drawings represents an apparatus con-
structed according to this invention in front elevation, Figures 23 and 4 are.details
thereof in side elevation and Figure 5 is a diagrammatic detail view in sectional
elevation of a modified form of apparatus.
A pulpy mixture with water is made of preferably long fibre cellulose freed from
all acids and impurities and linen and cotton wool fibres in for instance equal
proportions. It is not however essential that the pulpy mixture should be in these
proportions as they may be varied and one or more of the materials may under
certain circumstances be dispensed with. For example, the linen fibres commonly
called "half stuff" may be used alone if a very good and strong compound be
desired.
The fibres of linen and cotton wool should preferably be as long as possible.
Instead however of using linen and cotton wool fibres, esparto or similar fibres may
be employed and instead of the long fibre cellulose pulverized or otherwise
mechanically separated wood may be used. The mixture of, for instance, long fibre

page_text: cellulose, linen fibres, cotton fibres, and water is made so as to assume the consistency
of a thin paste in any convenient manner. The pasty mixture is then admitted to
one end of a revolving druin a with perforations a¹ (see also Figure 2) through
which passes the mixture. If desired water may also be employed to assist the flow
of the pasty mixture which flows off from the tank a² by an opening a³ therein and
is spread or poured on to a long and preferably endless wire web or apron b going
over rollers c¹ c2 much in the same manner as in making paper.
A fleece c of unpurified cotton wool or cotton wool wadding or the like is then pre-
ferably unwound from a skeleton roller or drum d see also Figure 3 and laid on the
before described pasty mixture. Instead, of using cotton wool, other long fibre
materials may be employed such as hemp, jute, manilla, aloe, flax, sisal or the like.
Another layer of the pasty mixture from a tank at, which is in this instance similar
to the one marked a², is spread or poured on the cotton wool and the endless web b
thereupon goes back again over the roller c². The cotton wool having the layers of
pasty mixture one on each side is then passed through rolls gg and pressed with a
comparatively low pressure, say 10 lbs. to the square inch, so that the material is
made into a kind of felt and loses a great deal of the water which was contained in
the pasty mixture. After this the material is passed on to another endless belt or
apron of preferably a coarser mesh, thoroughly dried by being passed between and
over hot air water or steam pipes h or through other suitable heating apparatus. The
endless belt thereupon goes back again over a roller h² to the roller h¹ and the
material passes under a perforated roll k, see also Figure 4, having a hollow axle com-
municating with the perforations through which passes some india rubber solution.
.If desired the material may be supplied with solution on both sides by means of two
perforated rolls or drums.
The drum is preferably provided with a guard j to prevent the splashing and loss
of the solution.
Or instead of using a hollow perforated drum k the material may be caused to
descend into and out of a trough and follow the dotted line under the roller ¹.
The material is thereby saturated with the solution and then passes between another
set or sets of rolls m whereby the solution is caused to thoroughly penetrate it and
the surplus solution is squeezed out and these rolls are provided with suitable devices
such as doctors or scrapers m¹ to scrape off the extraneous solution which would
otherwise stick to the said rolls and render them inoperative. Next the material
passes between drying rolls o heated for instance by steam and guide rolls n.
Instead of using only india rubber solution one may, on the score of economy use
a binding or adhesive mixture of

page_text: insoluble or inseparable in water and finally to make the material supple, it is treated
with acetate of aluminia.
The material now nearly finished is if desired subjected to a finishing process and
is put in a trough containing say of
Linseed oil
16 11
or it is treated with any other suitable finishing solution.
The material having been pressed' and worked and well stretched is then passed.
5,through a calendering machine or otherwise finished and is ready for use.
According to a modification of the manufacture, the cotton wool wadding may be
saturated or indurated with the adhesive mixture and the said wadding is then wound
on a skeleton drum such as d¹, Figure 5, mounted on a lever d² or so as to be capable
of being raised from and lowered into a trough 2 of the adhesive mixture, which
druin d consists of a number of cross pieces or battens mounted at the extremities
of the spokes or on rings mounted thereon. To the periphery of this skeleton drum
is attached a long piece of metal webbing b¹ on which is placed the material c to be
saturated with the adhesive mixture and when the webbing with the material thereon
is wound up round the skeleton drum as shown, the latter is revolved by belt gearing
or otherwise and when the material is thoroughly saturated the drum is raised out
of the trough by the lever d² which is pivotted at ds and the superfluous adhesive
mixture is removed by centrifugal force. The cover j¹ serves to prevent the splashing
of the mixture. The material is then treated as before described.
This method of manufacture is cheap and simple and further, if desired, the half-
finished material may under some circumstances be used for packing for machinery
parts for which purpose substitutes for leather india rubber and the like are now
used.
It is evident, that the material may if desired consist of more than two layers of
long fibre cellulose and linen and cotton wool fibres or their equivalents and of more
than one layer of cotton wool or its equivalent.
It should be noted also that the machinery used is preferably made of brass, bronze,
aluminium or the like which will not readily oxidize or it may be made of iron or
steel coated with zinc or the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. A substitute for leather india rubber and the like consisting of a layer of a
material such as cellulose, linen and cotton wool fibres or the like, a layer of cotton
wool or the like and another layer of material such as cellulose, linen and cotton
fibres such layers being caused to adhere together by an adhesive mixture the whole
being manufactured substantially in the manner described.
2. A substitute for leather india rubber and the like consisting of three or more
layers of long fibre material such as cellulose, linen and cotton wool fibres or the like
and two or more layers of cotton wool or the like between said layers of long fibre
and linen and cotton wool fibres such layers being caused to adhere together by an
adhesive mixture the whole being manufactured substantially as described.
3. The process for the manufacture of a substitute for leather india-rubber and the
like consisting in reducing a mixture of long fibre cellulose and linen and cotton

page_text: fibres or the like to a pasty mass with water, pouring or spreading this mixture on
to a web, superimposing a layer of cotton wool on such mixture and pouring or
spreading some more mixture on to the cotton wool, subjecting the material thus
made to pressure and heat to expel all moisture, saturating the material with a
solution of india rubber or the like, removing the surplus solution and drying the
material substantially as described.
4. In the process for the manufacture of a substitute for leather india rubber and
the like the employment of an adhesive mixture or solution consisting of india
rubber solution, reclaimed india rubber glue rosin and linseed oil in or about the
proportions stated.
5. In the process for the manufacture of a substitute for leather india rubber and
the like the employment of a finishing mixture or solution consisting of linseed oil,
rosin and beeswax in or about in the proportions stated.
6. In the process for the manufacture of a substitute for leather india rubber and
the like the employment of a finishing mixture consisting of glycerine and oxide of
lead in or about the proportions stated.
7. The apparatus for the manufacture of a substitute for leather india rubber and
the like substantially as described and shewn on Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4.
8. The apparatus for the manufacture of a substitute for leather india rubber and
the like substantially as described and shewn on Fig 5.
Cano
pril
Lono
JENSEN & SON,.
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.