IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COVERINGS FOR FLOORS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James William Jeune and Jabez Barnard, both of
Stratford, in the County of Essex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF COVERINGS FOR FLOORS."
Sealed the 11th December 1877, and dated the 28th June 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James William Jeune and
Jabez Barnard at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th June
1877.
JAMES WILLIAM JEUNE and JABEZ BARNARD, both of Stratford, in the County of
Essex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COVERINGS FOR FLOORS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of coverings
for floors. For this purpose we take india-rubber, gutta percha, balata, aud pitch,
by preference a residual pitch obtained in the manufacture of candles, and knead
thein between rollers until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.. We then add red
lead or other lead, and driers, and gum arabic or other gum, and mix the whole
well together by mixing rolls. We then add ground cork, or sawdust, or cotton,
or other fibre, and also pigment, to obtain the color we require. The mixture is
then spread on a woven fabric by means of calenders, and either polished or not.
Afterwards it may be printed with any suitable design.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James William Jeune and Jabez Barnard in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 27th December 1877.
JAMES WILLIAM JEUNE and JABEZ BARNARD, both of Stratford, in the County of
Essex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COVERINGS FOR FLOORS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of coverings
for floors. We take the material known commercially as "candle pitch," which is
a. residuum from the distillation of palm oil, or cotton seed oil, or other material of
a like nature, and where requisite we reduce it to a suitable consistency by mixing
different batches together, for as found in the market they vary considerably in
quality. The product should be of a doughy and somewhat sticky consistency at
ordinary temperature. We further soften the pitch by the application of heat, and
we mix with it by passing between grinding rolls (such as are commonly used in
the manufacture of kamptulican) ground cork, driers, red lead, size, and pigment,
to give the desired shade of color. This compound we then spread upon canvas or
suitable fabric by means of calenders, which are kept free from adhesion by the
application to the calender rollers of a thick woollen pad saturated with oil. The
floorcloth thus obtained may be printed in oil colors by means of blocks, or it may
be left plain It may also be colored on the under side.
The following proportions we find very suitable:-
100 lbs. pitch.
12 lbs. driers (known commercially as "Patent driers ").
3 lbs. red lead.
156 lbs. ground cork.
12 lbs. size.
40 lbs. ochre, or other pigment suitable to give the tint required.
The color may also be given by dyeing the cork.
Where additional toughness is required we mix cotton with the other ingredients :
we first break down the cotton until the fibre is reduced to an average length of,
say, an eighth of an inch, and in this state we work it into the compound by
means of the grinding rolls in the proportion of, say, 14 lbs. to 100 lbs. of pitch.
When flexibility is required we add and mix through the grinding rolls a pro-
portion of india-rubber; 14 lbs. will be a suitable quantity for 100 lbs. of pitch.
For the sake of cheapness sawdust may be substituted for some portion of the
ground cork, but not without injury to the fabric.
For floors exposed to heavy wear, for example, for the floors of stables, we mould
the material into blocks five or six inches thick, and in this form it will be found
very durable even when submitted to the roughest usage.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that we do not confine ourselves
to the exact details described; but we claim the manufacture of coverings for floors
from candle pitch, palm oil pitch, cotton seed oil pitch, or other such like pitch,
substantially in the manner described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James William Jeune, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
J. W. JEUNE. (L.S.)