An Improved Process for the Manufacture of Waterproof Material Capable of being Used as a Substitute for Binders' Leather or Cloth, and for Decorative and other Purposes.
Year: 1885

page_text: An Improved Process for the Manufacture of Waterproof Material
Capable of being Used as a Substitute for Binders' Leather or
Cloth, and for Decorative and other Purposes.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of N° 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention (a communication to me from abroad by Dr Julius Hofmeier, of
the City of Vienna, Austrian Empire, Manufacturer,) to be as follows:-
This invention refers to a new method of manufacturing water-proof material,
which may form a substitute for book binders' cloth or leather or leather for fancy
goods or decorative purposes, and which may also be used instead of leather for
covering walls or furniture and for many similar purposes.
According to this invention cellular matter in the wide meaning of the word,
such for example as fibres of linen, cotton, jute, wool, silk etc, wood cellulose, as
well as the waste from the treatment of such fibres or cellulose is treated with a
solution of albumen, which solution may be applied superficial or throughout the.
mass. To this solution there is added glycerine, in order to make or render the
coagulum formed ductile and there is furthermore added a solution of metal salt,
such as chloride of magnesium or chloride of calcium, or preferably nitrate or
sulphate of magnesia, for the two-fold purpose, first of increasing the capability of
coagulation and second for preserving a certain proportion of water. And in order
to render the material durable, that is to say, to impart to it the strength of
leather or stiff paper of strong quality there is furthermore added basic borate of
soda. The solution of albumen thus prepared is brought into coagulation and the
whole is pressed in an appropriate manner between heated rollers or cylinders,
which may have smooth or engraved surfaces as desired. The albumen solution
above mentioned is prepared in the following manner:
of
There is formed a concentrated solution of equal parts of albumen and glycerine,
to which the necessary bulk of water is added; with this there is mixed 10%
nitrate, or sulphate of magnesia and 5º of basic borate of soda, the percentage
named referring to the quantity of albumen employed. This mixture, which may

page_text: be preserved for many weeks without decay or putrefaction, may be combined
with any desirable coloring material.
If wood cellulose be employed as the main body, it is advantageous to use the
sulphite-cellulose, converted or brought into the shape of paper, which paper is
then covered by means of brushes with the solution, prepared as above specified.
Or if the manufacture be conducted on a larger scale the solution is spread over
the cellulose by means of a grounding or priming machine, such as used in the
manufacture of stained or coloured paper. The solution may be caused to enter
into or to penetrate the cellulose by applying more pressure, or by diluting the
solution employed or by moistening the cellulose. If it is desired, to fully
impregnate the cellulose mass with the albumen solution, it is advantageous to
moisten the sheets of cellulose to a certain degree and then to dip it into the
solution until the mass is completely penetrated.
The cellulose, either covered or impregnated as stated above, is afterwards
coagulated on a drying cylinder heated by steam or it may previously undergo a
drying process in heated air. Then the coagulum formed is moistened on its back
either by haud or by suitable apparatus, and is then pressed between heated
rollers, which may have smooth or engraved surfaces, or between the plates of a
book binders press, such as is used for gilding book covers. It is an advantage if
the press plates are heated. As a rule, the manufacture of the material is
completed when the water, with which the coagulated mass has been moistened, is
evaporated by the heat employed.
If colored patterns or designs are desired, such as are produced in printing paper
hangings or wall decorations, the colors are mixed with the albumen preparation
before forming the pattern, then the colored albumen preparation is spread upon
the surface of the mass or material and afterwards the process is conducted as
above stated.
If cellulose fibres or other fibres are mixed with the albumen preparation, so as
to form a stiff, but yet plastic substance, which is capable of being pressed into
heated forms, a coagulum will be obtained, which has the elasticity of leather. In
this case the albumen preparation may contain less glycerine.
Instead of using fibres, woven material (not woven too loosely) may be
employed, and may be roughened or prepared at its surface by any suitable
carding or other process, in order to cause a very intimate adherence of the
albumen preparation with the fibres and to keep the coagulum fixed to the surface.
The further manufacturing process for such woven material is the same as indicated
for cellulose or other fibres. The materials thus prepared (whether made by
cellulose, fibres or woven materials) are distinguished for uniformity, tightness
and flexibility and they are especially adapted to be used instead of leather or
linen for bookbinding purposes.

page_text: An Improved Process for the Manufacture of Waterproof Material
Capable of being Used as a Substitute for Binders' Leather or
Cloth, and for Decorative and other Purposes.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of No 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention (a communication to me from abroad by Dr Julius Hofmeier of
the City of Vienna, Austrian Empire, Manufacturer,) and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :—
This invention refers to a new method of manufacturing water-proof material,
which may form a substitute for book binders' cloth or leather or leather for fancy
goods or decorative purposes, and which may also be used instead of leather for
covering walls or furniture and for many similar purposes.
According to this invention cellular matter in the wide meaning of the word
such for example as fibres of linen, cotton, jute, wool, silk etc, wood cellulose, as
well as the waste from the treatment of such fibres or cellulose is treated with a
solution of albumen, which solution may be applied superficially or throughout the
mass. To this solution there is added glycerine, in order to make or render the
coagulum formed, ductile and there is furthermore added a solution of metallic
salts such as chloride of magnesium or chloride of calcium or preferably nitrate or
sulphate of magnesia for the two-fold purpose, first of increasing the capability of
coagulation and secondly of preserving a certain proportion of water.
order to render the material durable that is to say to impart to it the strength of
leather or stiff paper of strong quality there is furthermore added basic borate of
soda. The solution of albumen thus prepared is brought into coagulation and the
whole is pressed in an appropriate manner between heated rollers or cylinders
which may bave smooth or engraved surfaces as desired. The albumen solution
above mentioned is prepared in the following manner:
And in
°
There is formed a concentrated solution of equal parts of albumen and glycerine
to which the necessary bulk of water is added, with this there is mixed 10% of
nitrate or sulphate of magnesia and 5% of basic borate of soda the percentage
named referring to the quantity of albumen employed. This mixture which may
be preserved for many weeks without decay or putrifaction, may be combined with
any desirable coloring material.
If wood cellulose be employed as the main body, it is advantageous to use the
sulphite-cellulose converted or brought into the shape of paper, which paper is
then covered by means of brushes with the solution prepared as above specified.
Or if the manufacture be conducted on a larger scale the solution is spread over
the cellulose by means of a grounding or priming machine, such as used in the
manufacture of stained or coloured paper. The solution may be caused to enter
into or to penetrate the cellulose by applying more pressure, or by diluting the
solution employed or by moistening the cellulose. If it is desired to fully
impregnate the cellulose mass with the albumen solution, it is advantageous to

page_text: moisten the sheets of cellulose to a certain degree and then to dip them into the
solution until the mass is completely penetrated.
The cellulose, either covered or impregnated as stated above, is afterwards
coagulated on a drying cylinder heated by steam or it may previously undergo a
drying process in heated air. Then the coagulum formed is moistened on its back
either by hand or by suitable apparatus and is then pressed between heated rollers
which may have smooth or engraved surfaces or between the plates of a book
binders' press such as is used for gilding book covers. It is an advantage if the
press plates are heated. This may be effected by gas or by superheated steam.
As a rule the manufacture of the material is completed when the water, with
which the coagulated mass has been moistened is evaporated by the heat employed.
If colored patterns or designs are desired, such as are produced in printing paper
hangings or wall decorations the colors are mixed with the albumen preparation
before forming the pattern, then the colored albumen preparation is spread upon
the surface of the mass or material, and afterwards the process is conducted as
above stated.
If cellulose fibres or other fibres are mixed with the albumen preparation, so as
to form a stiff, but yet plastic substance which is capable of being pressed into
heated moulds, a coagulum will be obtained which has the elasticity of leather.
In this case the albumen preparation may contain less glycerine.
Instead of using fibres, woven material (not woven too loosely) may be employed,
and may be roughened or prepared at its surface by any suitable carding or other
process, in order to cause a very intimate adherence of the albumen preparation to
the fibres and to keep the coagulum fixed to the surface. The further manu-
facturing process for such woven material is the same as indicated for cellulose or
other fibres. The materials thus prepared (whether made from cellulose, fibres or
woven materials) are distinguished for uniformity, tightness and flexibility and
they are especially adapted to be used instead of leather or linen for bookbinding
purposes.
t
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
In the manufacture of waterproof material capable of being used as a substitute
for binders' leather or cloth and for decorative and other purposes,
1. Mixing equal or about equal parts of Albumen and Glycerine and adding
nitrate or sulphate of magnesia, or chloride of calcium, or chloride of magnesium or
another suitable metallic salt and basic borate of soda in or about in the respective
proportions above stated.
2. Impregnating, or covering cellular matter including fibres, wood cellulose,
woven or other materials with the solution referred to in the preceding claim, and
transforming or converting the resulting mass into a coagulum by drying by
heated cylinder or by hot air.
3. Moistening the coagulum referred to in claim 2 on one side and afterwards
pressing it between rollers or plates having either smooth or engraved surfaces.
4. I claim the manufacture as hereinabove described of waterproof material such
as referred to.