IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING DESIGNS UPON WATERPROOF FABRICS
Year: 1884

page_text: We JAMES HEBBLEWAITE Secretary and EDWARD HOLT Director both of the
Ancoats Vale Rubber Company Limited of Manchester in the County of Lancaster
do hereby declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING
DESIGNS UPON WATERPROOF FABRICS to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to produce by embossing ornamental designs upon
the proofed surface of single texture waterproof fabrics.
We are aware that attempts have been made to emboss such fabrics by means of
ordinary embossing rollers but such attempts have hitherto failed in consequence
of the india rubber adhering to the rollers and choking up the pattern.
By our improved process we are enabled to emboss the proofed surface of water-
proof fabrics and to produce thereby an endless variety of patterns or designs such
as could not hitherto be effected.
Our improved process is as follows: We first proof the fabric with rubber
dissolved in naphtha (or other known solvent) in the ordinary manner.
We then cover the proofed surface with farina, powdered soap stone, or other
suitable powder (either white or colored according to the effect desired to be
produced.
We next emboss the pattern on the proofed surface thus prepared, by means of a
pair of ordinary carved embossing rollers, and it will be found that the fabric will
receive the embossed pattern or design perfectly; the farina or other powder
entirely preventing the adhesion of the rubber to the rollers.
The farina or other powder should be fixed (either before or after embossing) by
exposing it to the vapors of chloride of sulphur combined with bi-sulphide of
carbon, petroleum spirit or other volatile spirit or other known ways of fastening
such powders.
The fabric may be acidized or cured in the usual manner or by any other known
curing or acidizing process.

page_text: We JAMES HEBBLEWAITE Secretary and EDWARD HOLT Director both of the
Ancoats Vale Rubber Company Limited Manchester in the County of Lancaster
do hereby declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING
DESIGNS UPON WATERPROOF FABRICS" 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 production of ornamental designs or patterns by
embossing upon woven or other waterproof fabrics such as are known as proofed
'single texture" fabrics.
We are aware that attempts have been made to emboss such fabrics by means of
ordinary embossing rollers but such attempts have hitherto failed in consequence
of the india rubber or other waterproofing compound adhering to the rollers and
choking up the pattern.
By our improved process we are enabled to emboss the proofed surface or surfaces
of such waterproof fabrics and to produce thereby an endless variety of patterns
or designs, and effects such as could not hitherto have been obtained.
In carrying out our invention we take the woven or other fabric and we cont or
cover one surface (or both surfaces) of the same with the india rubber or other
waterproof compound in the usual manner well known to india rubber manu-
facturers, and when the fabric has been thus coated or covered sufficiently we
overspread the surface or surfaces with farina, powdered soapstone or other suitable
powder, either white or colored according to the effect desired.
We then place the coated or covered fabric in a machine so constructed that a
roller upon which a pattern or design has been engraved or carved presses against
a roller having a yielding surface or so constructed that depressions in the first
roller fit into corresponding elevations in the roller against which it presses.
The coated or covered fabric is passed between such rollers, and it will be found
that the farina or other suitable powder has been forced from the outer surface
into and becomes part of the india rubber or other waterproof coating first named
in such parts as the elevations of the said roller press against the depressions or
yielding surfaces of the other roller, leaving the other portions of the covered or
coated fabric untouched or unaffected and of the same shade or colour as the whole
surface or surfaces were before placement between the rollers, and the pattern, or
design will stand in relief to the other portion of the covered or coated fabric and
the pattern or design will also be imparted to both sides of the coated or covered
fabrics.
This part of our process may be called or termed embossing and may be
accomplished by the use of cylinders rollers or blocks (heated or maintained at a
suitable temperature) and fitted with appliances or facilities for giving varied
degrees of pressure, or we may adopt other convenient methods, such for instance,
as those employed in embossing leather, paper, silk, velvet, textile and other fabrics,
and it will be found that the farina or other powders prevent the adhesion of the
india rubber or other waterproof compound to the engraved or carved portions of
the cylinders rollers or blocks thereby clogging or defacing the pattern or design.
We fix the farina or other suitable powder by means of vapours from a mixture
of chloride of sulphur and bisulphide of carbon or other suitable liquor and this
part of our process may be effected either before or after the coated or covered
fabric has been placed in the embossing machine or other appliance; or we may

page_text: prefer that the farina or other suitable powder may be fixed and the coated or
covered fabric partially vulcanized by placing it in contact with a roller revolving
in chlorides of sulphur and bisulphide of carbon or other liquor or medium.
We complete the vulcanization or curing of the whole by the liquor process,
such as is produced by the action of chloride of sulphur and bisulphide of carbon
or other convenient or suitable means of vulcanization or curing.
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
The production of designs upon waterproof fabrics by first overspreading the
waterproofed surface or surfaces with farina, powdered soapstone or other suitable
powder (either white or colored) and then embossing the pattern or design upon
them by means of rollers cylinders or blocks substantially as hereinbefore
particularly described.
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicants.