A New Fabric for Tapestry, Upholstery, Hangings, and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 10th Apr., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New Fabric for Tapestry, Upholstery, Hangings, and the like.
I; GEORGE CLEMENT DOWNING, of 8 Quality Court, London, W.C. Patent Agent, a
communication from abroad by Canon Stanislas Rosenberg, of 14 Rue Singer, Paris,
France, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention has for its object the production of a fabric consisting chiefly of
wood, and which while retaining the strength of the latter material, possesses con-
siderable flexibility, and is capable of receiving all the various designs and colors
which appertain to fabrics generally.
This new fabric consists essentially of a flexible linen or other suitable fabric,
whereupon are fixed a number of small juxtaposed thin pieces of wood placed in close.
proximity to each other, as in a mosaic; these can be dyed or ornamented in any
suitable manner.
To render my invention more fully understood, I will describe two different
processes used in the manufacture of the fabric.
According to the first process, I select a thin sheet of wood (preferably) half a
millimetre thick, and I fix this upon any suitable fabric, such as calico, cambric, and
the like of the same dimensions as the sheet of wood.
The glue used to fix the latter on to the fabric should be elastic when dry, for
which purpose I may use caoutchouc or gutta-percha in solution, Jeffery's marine
glue or any other elastic and suitably tenacious glue. When the glue is thoroughly
dry, the wooden sheet is decorated; if required. This decoration may be effected by
hand, by pressure or in any other suitable manner. I may use any kind of wood
of which the natural graining, forms the whole ornamentation, or the wooden sheet
may be dyed throughout.
The wooden sheet with its fabric thus prepared, is then cut into small equal squares,
over the entire length and breadth of the sheet or thereabouts. This division is made
by means of very sharp blades having the same depth of blade as the thickness of
the wood, and hence cutting across the latter without touching the fabric glued under
the wood. One or more blades may be mounted upon a handle or a roller. The
divisions or cuts are made vertically and horizontally along lines crossing the wood
throughout its length and breadth.
According to the second process the new fabric is made with the aid of thin
wooden strips or filaments of suitable length the cross section of which is (preferably)
half a millimetre by half a millimetre. All these filaments or strips are arranged
lengthwise in a box, open at one end, which end has the same dimensions as the
piece of fabric required to be produced, and the filaments or strips can be dyed
throughout, and arranged in the box so as to form, with their juxtaposed ends, designs
resembling an embroidery upon canvas. A suitable fabric is then glued on the end
surface of the filaments or strips, and a first sheet is detached by sawing through the
same; a second piece of fabric is then glued and a second sheet is detached, and
so on.
The object in view, in carrying out the two processes above set forth is thus fully
attained, for the interstices between the cubes of wood give the desired: flexibility
which may be still further increased' by selecting a relatively elastio fabric for the
lining

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be. performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The manufacture and use of a new fabric for tapestry, upholstery, hangings, and
the like, consisting of small juxtaposed pieces of wood attached to linen, calico, felt,
or other suitable flexible material, substantially as herein before described.
Dated 29th day of December 1896.
GEORGE C. DOWNING.