AN IMPROVEMENT IN WATERPROOF COMPOUNDS AND IN FARRICS PREPARED THEREWITH
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Lindsey Simpson, of Bridgeport, in the
County of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, United States of America,
for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN WATERPROOF COMPOUNDS AND IN
FARRICS PREPARED THEREWITH."
Scaled the 16th October 1863, and dated the 21st April 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Lindsey Simpson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 21st April 1863.
I, EDWIN LINDSEY SIMPSON, of Bridgeport, in the County of Fairfield, and
State of Connecticut, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN WATERPROOF COMPOUNDS AND IN
FABRICS PREPARED THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
I first melt together in a covered vessel two parts of gutta percha in three
parts of camphene or naphtha over a slow fire, and, if wanted for delicate tints,
I thin the fluid still further by adding more camphene or naphtha. I next
prepare a drying oil by concentrating or boiling linseed oil or other suitable
vegetable oil until it attains the consistency of a jelly, and when it is cool
enough to do so without danger of ignition I add to this four gallons of this
concentrated oil one ounce of purified benzine, three gallons of camphene or
naphtha, and three gallons of the composition first prepared. I then add such
colours as I desire to impart to the fabric, if any, and I apply the composition

page_text: to such fabrics as I desire to render waterproof er impervious to air by
spreading one or more coats, as may be, with a brush or otherwise, and I
afterwards apply a finishing coat or mixture composed as follows:-I take
one gallon of linseed oil or other drying oil, and four ounces of red lead,
one ounce of acetate of lead, or their equivalents; I boil them together
until the mixture will "string" two or three inches, and add one quart of
camphene and one quart of the gutta percha liquid before described. This
finishing mixture is applied in the same manner as the other. Flocks may
be applied upon the last coat after it has been dried, by softening it with
camphene or spirits of turpentine, or before the varnish is dry.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters l'atent, filed
by the said Edwin Lindsey Simpson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 17th October 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWIN
LINDSEY SIMPSON, of Bridgeport, in the County of Fairfield, and State of
Connecticut, United States of America, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Edwin Lindsey Simpson, Her special licence that I, the said Edwin
Lindsey Simpson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Edwin Lindsey Simpson, 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
"AN IMPROVEMENT IN WATERPROOF COMPOUNDS AND IN FABRICS PREPARED
THEREWITH," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edwin
Lindsey Simpson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edwin Lindsey Simpson, 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 (that is to say) :-
The nature of my Invention consists in producing a compound free from
sulphur or sulphurous ingredients which when applied will render the articles
or fabrics to which it is applied impervious to air or water, and free from
the offensive odor arising from sulphured or vulcanized goods. I melt toge-
ther in a covered vessel two parts of gutta percha with three parts of camphine
or naptha over a slow fire, agitating occasionally until completely combined,
then set it aside to settle and cool. If it be wanted for delicate tints, when
partially cooled I thin the fluid still further by adding more camphine or
naptha, as the thinner the fluid the more perfectly will the impurities separate
when set aside to settle, which by experiment I find is best done in the sun in
glass vessels, by standing from seven to ten days, but when less purity of the
liquid is required,artificial heat not exceeding 120° may be used to advantage.
I also prepare a drying oil by concentrating or boilinglinseed or othersuitable
vegetable oil over a slow fire until it attains the consistency of jelly,and when
it is cool enough to do so without danger of ignition I add to four gallons of
this concentrated oil one ounce of purified benzine, three gallons of camphine
or naptha, and three gallons of the liquid or composition as first described, or
the same quantity of the liquid as of the camphine or naptha. I find by expe-
riment that it requires more or less of the camphine or naptha according to
the purpose for which the compound is to be used, whether for black or light
delicate tints,more in proportion as the tints are tobe lighter or more delicate.
When black is the color desired, I mix lampblack in the oil in such propor-
tion as will make the black required, and when other colors are required to
requisite coloring matter must be used instead of the lampblack. I also find
by experience that less camphine is required when I mix my compound by
grinding between iron rollers than is needed whenImix bystirringoragitation,
as the grinding process softens the consistency very much more than anyother
process I am acquainted with. When my composition is prepared and
thoroughly cool,or not above 70°, I apply it to such fabrics or materials as I
desire to render impervious to air or water in one or more coats as the case
may require. I apply it to cloths by the apparatus known as the "Mackintosh
spreader" or by any other suitable means. For ordinary cloths (cottous) I
find three coats are sufficient, and two coats for silk or thin goods. After
these coats have become thoroughly dried by being hung in a room heated to

page_text: a temperature of 160° Fah., I apply another or finishing coat, composed as
follows: I take one gallon of linseed or other drying oil, four ounces of red
lead, or their equivalents, 1 boil them together in a vessel until it will "string"
two or three inches.and when it has cooled sufficiently to allow it, I add one
quart of camphine or naptha and one quart of the gutta percha liquid before
prepared. Any designed color may be obtained by adding to this varnish the
proper coloring pigments. I apply this varnish in the same or similar manner
as the first coats of the gutta percha liquid, and dry it in the same manner as
the first coats. I produce my compound without sulphur or any vulcanizing
process or compound, which is one of its chief advantages,as my compound
has none of the offensive odor always attending vulcanized compounds and
vulcanized goods. By applying also my waterproof compound to fabrics and a
coating of flocks, I can produce a fabric having the appearance of other known
waterproof flocked fabrics,and equally impervious to air or water,but without
the offensive odor always attending the latter occasioned by the use of sulphur
or the process known as vulcanizing. I first spread upon the fabric to be flocked
one or more coats (as the nature of the material may require, the thinner the
material, such as silk, two coats are sufficient, for thicker goods, such as heavy
cottons, Canton flannel, &c., three or more coats are better) of mywaterproof
compound first described. Af.er these coats have become sufficiently dry, I
add another coat of the oil, compound, or varnish above described, and im-
mediately after the varnish is spread and while it is an adhesive state I apply
the flocks or similar material by sifting them in excess upon the varoished
surface, and applying pressure by rolling or otherwise, and afterwards re-
moving the excess or so much as do not adhere to the surface. I do this by
means of a revolving brush, or in any other convenient manner. The fabric
is then hung in a room heated to about 160° Fah. for twenty hours, or longer if
necessary, and afterwards exposed to the air until the odor arising from the
camphine is entirely removed. It is not necessary that the flocks be applied
immediately after varnishing, as the fabric may be allowed to dry, then by
applying camphine or naptha to the varnished surface it will quickly
become soft and adhesive when the flocks are to be applied as before.
Fabrics to which my improved waterproof composition has been applied are
peculiarly adapted for the manufacture of clothing, boots and shoes, and for
all articles where a waterproof quality is desirable in the fabric or material
used in such manufacture. This waterproof compound may be applied also
to hat bodies, bonnets, and for coating wire for crinoline, and many similar
purposes with or without the additional coating of flocks.

page_text: Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention,
I desire it to be understood that I claim the compounds or compositions
for rendering fabrics waterproof and airproof, either with or without the
application of flocks as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Lindsey Simpson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
EDWIN LINDSEY SIMPSON. (L.s.)
EDWIN LINDSEY SIMPSON. (L.S.)