IMPROVEMENTS IN WATERPROOFING PAPER, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Humfrey, of Suffolk Grove, Southwark,
in the County of Surrey, Oil Manufacturer, and William Shakespear
Webster, of 9, Brunswick Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATERPROOFING
PAPER, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 11th December 1868, and dated the 15th June 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Humfrey and
William Shakespear Webster at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 15th June 1868.
We, CHARLES HUMFREY, of Suffolk Grove, Southwark, in the County
of Surrey, Oil Manufacturer, and WILLIAM SHAKESPEAR WEBSTER, of
9, Brunswick Square, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WATER-
PROOFING PAPER, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to
be as follows:-
Our Invention has for its object the rendering paper waterproof.
Hitherto this has been effected by varnishing or painting the surface of

page_text: the paper or by interposing a film of waterproof material, such as india-
rubber or gutta percha, between two sheets of paper.
Now by our Invention we make the paper waterproof by saturating
the paper itself with a waterproofing solution. To effect this we employ
a peculiar machine by which the paper to be waterproofed first passes
over a guide roller and then dips into a vat filled with the waterproofing
composition. It then passes under a roller fixed at the bottom of the
vat, and is drawn up between two blocks of wood or metal, the wiping
faces of which are covered with leather or such like material. One
of these blocks is fixed the other moveable, and pressed against the fixed
one by a spring or other contrivance, the object being to wipe quite
clean the two surfaces of the paper, but to squeeze it as little as possible.
The paper then passes over another guide roller and again between two
blocks of wood or metal, as before described. The waterproofing of the
paper is then complete.
The solution for waterproofing paper may be a solution of india-rubber
or gutta percha, or for black paper a solution of any pitchy suitable
material, but we prefer using a solution described in the Provisional
Specification filed by Joseph Rogers in the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, on the 23rd of April 1868, No. 1336; or a solution made
according to the Provisional Specification, filed by me, the said Charles
Humfrey, on the 13th day of June 1868, No. 1932. The paper thus
prepared is next passed through a calender, whereby the fibre being
compressed its waterproof quality and strength are much increased, and
both surfaces are glazed and polished.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Humfrey and William Shakespear Webster
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th December 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
HUMFREY, of Suffolk Grove, Southwark, in the County of Surrey, Oil 3
Manufacturer, and WILLIAM SHAKESPEAR WEBSTER, of 9, Brunswick
Square, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of June, in the year

page_text: 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 us, the said Charles Humfrey and William Shakespear
Webster, Her special license that we, the said Charles Humfrey and
William Shakespear Webster, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said Charles Humfrey and William Shakespear
Webster, our executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time
agrce with, and no others, from time to time and all times 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 WATERPROOFING PAPER, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPA-
RATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said Charles Humfrey and William Shakespear Webster, our exe-
cutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our hands
and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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 to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Charles Humfrey and William
Shakespear Webster,do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon, that is to say:-
Our said Invention has for its object the rendering paper waterproof.
Hitherto this has been effected by varnishing or painting the surface of
the paper, or by interposing a film of waterproof material, such as india-
rubber or gutta percha, between two sheets of paper.
Now by our Invention we make the paper waterproof by first
saturating the paper itself with any suitable waterproofing solution, and
then removing the superfluous solution from the surfaces of the paper
by passing it between a pair of wiping surfaces, constructed and arranged
substantially as herein-after described.
In carrying out our Invention we employ a peculiar machine by
which the paper to be waterproofed is first caused to pass over a guide

page_text: roller and then dips into a vat filled with the waterproofing composition.
It then passes under a roller situate at or near the bottom of the vat,
and is drawn up between two wipers, consisting of blocks of wood or
metal, the wiping faces of which are covered or partially covered with
leather or such like material; one of these blocks is fixed and the other
is moveable, being pressed against the fixed one by a spring or other
contrivance, the object being to wipe quite clean the two surfaces of the
paper, but to squeeze it as little as possible. If desired both the wiping
surfaces may be moveable. The paper then passes over another guide
roller and between two other wiping surfaces, consisting also of blocks
of wood or metal, as before described. The waterproofing of the paper
is then complete.
Any suitable or well-known solution for waterproofing the paper may
be used, such, for example, as a solution of india-rubber or gutta percha,
made sufficiently thin to be absorbed by the paper as it passes through
the bath, or for black paper a similar thin solution of any suitable pitchy
material may be used; but we prefer using the solutions described in
the Specification of the Patent of Joseph Rogers, bearing date Twenty-
third of April, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, No. 1336,
or a solution made according to the Provisional Specification filed by
me, the said Charles Humfrey, on the Thirteenth day of June, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, No. 1932. The paper. thus
prepared and passed through the wiping machine is next passed through
a calendar, whereby the fibre being compressed its waterproof quality
and strength are much increased, and both surfaces are glazed and
polished.
And in order that our said Invention may be fully understood we shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the accompanying Drawing, which represents a side
elevation of the peculiar machinery we propose to employ in the water-
proofing of paper.
A is the main framing of the machine, which may be of wood or
metal, and of a width to suit the greatest breadth of paper to be placed
therein. At one end of this framing there is fitted in bearings a beam
or roller B, upon which is wound the web of paper to be waterproofed;
C is a guide roller, over which the paper passes before its descends into
the bath or vat D containing the waterproofing composition or solution.
This vat is by preference jacketted so as to enable it to be heated by

page_text: steam heat, as is well understood. It is so attached to the framing A
as to be easily detached therefrom and lowered for the purpose of placing
the web of paper to be waterproofed, or when requiring to be cleaned.
A guide roller F is fixed to the bars E (shown dotted) secured to the
framing A, so that when the vat is lifted to its proper position this
roller is situate near the bottom thereof inside, as shown in the Drawing.
The paper after leaving the first guide roller C passes underneath the
guide roller F, and then rises out of the vat and passes between the two
flat surfaces G, G', of wood or metal covered with soft smooth leather
or other material capable of wiping off or removing the superfluous
waterproofing material from the paper. One or both these wipers may
be made moveable. In the Drawing the one G is moveable and the
other G is fixed), a helical or other spring a serving to impart only
just sufficient pressure to the paper to remove the superfluous water-
proofing material therefrom without actually squeezing or compressing
the
paper. Adjusting screws or other well-known contrivances may be
used in conjunction with the springs for the purpose of regulating the
pressure to the proper degree. After passing between the wiping
surfaces the web of paper (which is shown colored blue in the
Drawing) is directed over the guide roller H, from which it passes
horizontally or otherwise between a second pair of wiping surfaces I, I',
similar to the wipers G, G¹, the proper degree of pressure being applied
cither by the aid of a weight K, as shown, or by weighted levers, or by a
spring or springs, as is well understood by the practical engineer. After
having undergone the second wiping the web of saturated paper passes
over the fourth guide roller L, and thence to the roller or beam M, upon
which it is coiled by the winch handle N. The paper by this time
having been sufficiently dried to prevent mutual adhesion of the different
thicknesses, a ratchet wheel and detent 6 serve to prevent any backward
rotation of the roller M and consequent unwinding of the web of paper.
The roll of waterproofed paper M is then removed to a calendering
machine, and the web of paper is passed between the calendering rollers,
whereby its waterproof qualities and strength are greatly increased.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we
consider to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―

page_text: First. The waterproofing of paper by first saturating it in a water-
proofing solution or composition, and then passing it between one or
more pairs of wiping surfaces, which apply only just sufficient pressure
to the paper to wipe off or remove the superfluous waterproofing material
therefrom, substantially as herein-before described.
Second. The construction and use for waterproofing paper of wiping
surfaces covered with soft smooth leather or other suitable material, and
having their pressure so adjusted or regulated as to compress or squeeze
the paper to a sufficient degree only to wipe off or remove the superfluous
waterproofing material therefrom.
Third. The combination with the aforesaid wiping surfaces of a vat
for containing the waterproofing material and guide rollers for directing
the web of paper into and out of such vat, substantially as herein-before
described.
Fourth. The passing of paper which has been rendered waterproof in
the manner herein-before described, between calendering rollers, for
the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Shakespear Webster, on
behalf of myself and the said Charles Humfrey, have to this
our Specification, set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of
December, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
WILLIAM S. WEBSTER. (L.S.)