IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LEATHER CLOTH, OILED TABLE COVERS, AND OTHER OILED FABRICS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Williamson, of Lancaster, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
LEATHER CLOTH, OILED TABLE COVERS, AND OTHER OILED FABRICS."
Sealed the 23rd September 1864, and dated the 80th March 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Williamson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th
Märch 1864.
I, JAMES WILLIAMSON, of Lancaster, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby.
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFAC
TURE OF LEATHER CLOTH, OILED TABLE COVERS, AND OTHER OILED FABRICS," to be
as follows:-
The first part of this Invention consists in the use of pulp made from
potatoes, or other esculent root, either as a substitute for whiting, china clay,
or other pigment used for giving substance to these fabrics, or for mixing
with the pigment, the object being to render the fabrics more elastic and
durable.
The second part of the Invention consists in drying the pieces upon a reel
after they are coated, instead of hänging them in the usual manner, whereby
a great saving in space is effected, and the pieces are kept straighter and
cleaner. To the reel is attached a flexible framework, which is wound upon
it along with the coated piece; the framework extends the whole length of

page_text: the piece, and is formed by securing wood or metal cross bars or rails to
leather belts, or other flexible webs or bands, something after the manner of
Venetian blinds. On the upper surface of each of these rails or cross bars I
fix two blocks, one at each end, so that as the flexible frame is wound on to
the roller the next coil may rest on the top of the blocks of the first coil, and
so on, by which the liability of the face of the piece to stick to the back is
avoided while drying the cloth; these blocks also cause spaces to be left for
the free passage of the air.
The third part of the Invention consists in raising the cloth on the back
of the piece after it has received one or more coats of composition, instead of
raising it previously as is the usual practice, thus securing a better back, with
less injury to the cloth.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Williamson in the Great Seal Patent Office, on the
30th September 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
WILLIAMSON, of Lancaster, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Williamson, Her special licence that I, the said James Williamson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said James
Williamson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at 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 THE MANU-
FACTURE OF LEATHER CLOTH, OILED TABLE COVERS, AND OTHER OILED FABRICS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Williamson,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Williamson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
In the manufacture of leather cloth, oiled table covers, and other oiled
fabrics, as heretofore practised whiting and oil have been combined with
pigments, and used to coat the woven fabrics after the backs of such fabrics
have been raised into piled or napped surfaces.
Now, according to my Invention, the pulp of potatoes or of other esculent
plants is used in order more or less to dispense with the use of the other
matters heretofore employed for producing the requisite coatings to the woven
fabrics. By thus employing the pulp of potatoes, and other esculent plants,
the coatings are rendered more elastic, and are otherwise improved, the pro-
portions in which such pulp may be applied, may be greatly varied, but it is
preferred to apply a first coating of the pulp, next a coating composed of
about half pulp and half of the composition before employed, and then to
reduce the proportion of the pulp in each succeeding coating, but this as
before stated may be varied. The coatings are to be spread on to the fabrics
as heretofore. In preparing the pulp, the potatoes or other esculent plants
are first steamed or boiled, and then reduced to a pulp by edge runners, or
otherwise, and such pulp may be used alone, for the first coating, and the
same is to be spread on to the fabrics in a thin layer. For the other coatings:
the desired proportions of the pulp are intimately to be mixed with the
whiting or pigments and oil, by edge runners or otherwise. Although these
fabrics may be dried in the ordinary manner, I prefer to dry them on reels,
on which they are wound, the succeeding layers being kept separate by the
use of an open flexible framework, which is wound on to the reels with the
coated cloth. The flexible framework consists of parallel leather or other
flexible straps, combined together transversely by means of parallel transverse
narrow rails or bars, on the ends of which are blocks so that the fabric as it is
being coated is received on to the flexible frame, one end of which is fixed to
the reel on to which the cloth is to be wound, whilst the other parts of the
flexible frame are wound on another reel at some distance from the one on
to which the fabric is to be wound. The first end of the coated fabric is
attached to the reel, on to which it is about to be wound, whilst the inter-
vening parts of the fabric between such reel and the spreading apparatu,
rest on and are supported by the flexible frame and move with it as such.
frame and the fabric are wound on to the-reel.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shews a longitudinal section of the apparatus employed. Figures 2
shew a plan and transverse section of part of the flexible frame on a larger
scale. a, is the reel on to which the fabric and frame are to be wound; b,
is the reel on which the flexible frame e, e, is first wound; d, is a roller on
which the fabric is supported as it comes from the spreading process. By
this arrangement it will be seen that the ends of the transverse bars are
supported on the blocks e' at the ends of each of such transverse bars, and
the back of the fabric will be supported on the bars e, e, whilst the face or
coated surface of the fabric will be protected from pressure of the bars e by
the blocks e. In place of raising a napped or piled surface on the back
of such fabric, before commencing to coat the front surface, I cause one,
or more, and by preference, the first two or three coatings, to be first applied,
and then to cause the back surface to be raised, by which a better back will
be secured.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Williamson have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixy-four.