IMPROVEMENTS IN INDIA-RUBBER FABRICS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bristow Hunt, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's
Inn, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
" IMPROVEMENTS IN INDIA-RUBBER FABRICS." -A communication from
abroad by John Haskins, of Boston, Massachusetts, in the United
States of America.
Sealed the 19th January 1869, and dated the 7th August 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bristow Hunt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th August 1868.
I, BRISTOW HUNT, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN INDIA-RUBBER FABRICS," (a communication.
to me from abroad by John Haskins, of Boston, Massachusetts, in the
United States of America,) to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to produce india-rubber fabrics which
will resist the passage of water (excepting under pressure) so as to be
sufficiently waterproof for all practical purposes, at the same time that
they are
y are sufficiently pervious to allow of ventilation, and of the passage
of the natural perspiration from the body.

page_text: This new manufacture or fabric is produced by taking sheets of india-
rubber (of various thicknesses according to the uses to which they are
to be applied), and piercing or perforating them all over with minute
holes or perforations, the size, number, and distance apart being also
varied according to circumstances, but they must be of sufficient size to
allow of air and gases passing freely through, and to be plainly visible
on holding the fabric up to the light, at the same time that they must
be sufficiently minute to prevent the passage of water, excepting when
pressure is applied. This waterproof (but not airproof) fabric may be
either used alone and independently of any cloth base, or as an outer
covering for silk, cotton, woollen, or other cloth, or any material which
will answer the purpose for any article of apparel for men's or women's
wear. Boots and shoes can be made of this compound material, and the
natural perspiration from the body will readily be carried off through the
perforations or pores of the rubber sheet. These perforated rubber
sheets can also be used without any cloth lining for the gorings of boots
and shoes, and for an almost infinite variety of other purposes where it is
desirable to use a material which shall be pervious to air and
gases, at
the same time that it is sufficiently waterproof for all practical purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Bristow Hunt in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 6th February 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BRISTOW
HUNT, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said, Bristow Hunt, Her special licence that
the said Bristow Hunt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Bristow Hunt, 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

page_text: 331
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN INDIA-RUBBER FABRICS,"
(a communication to me from abroad by John Haskins, of Boston,.
Massachusetts, in the United States of America), upon.
the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Bristow Hunt, my executors.
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly 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 Patcut.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Bristow Hunt, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement in writing, and on reference being had to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that is to say :-
The object of this Invention is to produce india-rubber fabrics which
will resist the passage of water (excepting under pressure) so as to be
sufficiently waterproof for all practical purposes, at the same time that
they are sufficiently pervious to allow of ventilation, and of the passage
of the natural perspiration from the body.
This new manufacture or fabric is produced by taking sheets of india-
rubber (of various thicknesses, according to the uses to which they are
to be applied), and piercing or perforating them all over with minute
holes or perforations, the size, number, and distance apart being also
varied according to circumstances, but they must be of sufficient size to
allow of air and gases passing through, and to be plainly visible on
holding the fabric up to the light, at the same time that they must be
sufficiently minute to prevent the passage of water, excepting when
pressure is applied. This waterproof (but not airproof) fabric may be
either used alone and independent of any cloth base, or as an outer
covering for silk, cotton, woollen or other cloth, or any material which
will answer the purpose for any article of apparel for men's or women's
wear. Boots and shoes can be made of this compound material, and
the natural perspiration from the body will readily be carried off through
the perforations or pores of the rubber sheet. These perforated rubber
sheets can also be used without any cloth lining for the gorings of boots
and shoes, and for an almost infinite variety of other purposes where
it is desirable to use a material which shall be pervious to air and gases,

page_text: at the same time that it is sufficiently waterproof for all practical
purposes.
Such being the nature and object of the said Invention for "Im-
provements in India-rubber Fabrics," I will now proceed to describe
more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be
performed or carried into practical effect, and in order that the same
may be distinctly understood I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of
Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures
and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof, that is to say:
Figure 1 represents a piece of india-rubber sheet which is provided
with a number of small perforations at regular distances; Figure 2 is
a sectional view showing the perforated rubber sheet attached to a piece
of cloth a; Figure 3 shows one of the purposes to which this Invention
can be applied and the manner in which it is applied.
The perforations shown in all the Figures are made more or less
minute according to the nature of the use to which the sheet rubber is
to be put and the rubber sheets are varied in thickness according to the
use for which they may be designed. It is proposed to use india-rubber
sheets of any desired thickness to be provided with perforations as
described as an outer cover or coating for silk, cotton, woollen, or other
cloth. or any material which will answer the purpose for any article of
wearing apparel as well as independent of any cloth base. A great
variety of fabrics may be covered with these perforated goods, and such
fabrics can be used for almost every article of women or men's wear.
Boots and shoes can be made of this material, and the natural per-
spiration from the body will readily be carried off through the
perforations or pores of the rubber sheet. These rubber sheets can also
be used without any cloth lining as for gorings to boots and shoes as
shown in Figure 3; while these gorings are sufficiently water-tight to
all practical purposes they still allow perspiration to pass off, thereby
overcoming the objections to the common woven gorings. When the
perforated rubber is used for gorings the gorings are made without being
woven, sewed, or corrugated. The sides are also protected with stays, as
shown at 6 in Figure 3, to allow of their being more readily sewn into
boots and shoes, and to prevent the stitches from tearing out, and the
upper edge c is protected with binding of rubber to prevent tearing
when the boot or shoe is being put upon the foot. The stays 6 with

page_text: the edges of the perforated rubber goring are protected from the rotting
influence of oil used in dressing some kinds of leather by saturating
the stays and edges in an elastic varnish that will resist oil. It will
be evident to the practical manufacturer that this use for goring is
only one of the many uses to which this Invention can be applied.
These perforated sheets of rubber have the appearance of finely per-
forated paper, and are sufficiently water-tight, although in holding the
rubber up to the light the perforations can be distinctly seen, and yet
perspiration and gases will. pass through. This makes the Invention
most valuable when using rubber goods for any article of clothing, and
for boots and shoes water can be forced through the perforated rubber,
but it will not pass through unless subjected to pressure. Another
valuable advantage regarding the use of the perforated rubber goods is
that boots and shoes made of cloth covered with it can be made to fit the
foot in a much neater manner, while the boots or shoes will be more
durable, and feel easier upon the foot.
It will be seen from the above that the Inventor wishes it to be under-
stood that he does not confine himself to any particular class of articles
to which this Invention may be applied.
Having now described the nature and object of the said Invention for
"Improvements in India-rubber Fabrics," together with the manner in
which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as the Invention
communicated to me by the said John Haskins, the production and manu-
facture of india-rubber fabrics in the manner herein-before described so
as to resist the passage of water (excepting under pressure), and be
sufficiently waterproof, at the same time being pervious for ventilation
and the passage of perspiration from the body, such fabrics being
intended to be used substantially as and for the purposes herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bristow Hunt, have hercunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of February, in the year of our
BRISTOW HUNT. (L.S.)