Improvements in the Preparation or Treatment of Cloth, Rope, and Vegetable Fibrous Materials to be used in the Manufacture of the same, said Cloth being employed in the Manufacture of Waterproof Sheets, Tarpaulins, Oil Skins, and other Articles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 14th Aug., 1894-Accepted, 29th Sept., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Preparation or Treatment of Cloth, Rope, and
Vegetable Fibrous Materials to be used in the Manufacture of
the same, said Cloth being employed in the Manufacture of
Waterproof Sheets, Tarpaulins, Oil Skins, and other Articles.
We, THOMAS POTTER COUBRÓ, of 18 Billiter Street, in the City of London,
Tarpaulin Manufacturer, and RUSSEL AITKEN, of 116 Piccadilly, in the County
of London, Member of the Institute of Civil Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:- -
This invention relates to improvements upon an invention for which Letters
Patent, No. 16593 of the year 1892, were granted to Thomas Potter Coubró, and
according to which a non-drying or non-oxidizing oil was applied to cloth, canvas, &c.,
when dry, as a preliminary treatment in the preparation of waterproof cloth.
When applying a non-drying or non-oxidizing oil to cloth or canvas, whilst
dry, according to such Patent, it is found that the cloth or canvas absorbs too
much of such oil, which it is difficult afterwards to remove, thereby leaving the
cloth or canvas in a moist and oily condition which is found objectionable.
According to our present invention, in order that only the required quantity of
non-drying or non-oxidizing oil may be taken up by the cloth or canvas, or by
the rope or vegetable fibre, and at the same time that it may completely permeate
the same, we mix the non-drying or non-oxidizing oil with naptha or other solvent
which is capable of being evaporated off the said oil after application to the
cloth, canvas, rope or vegetable fibre, and we saturate the said materials in any
convenient manner with said diluted or dissolved oil. By these means we can
regulate the quantity of non-drying or non-oxidizing oil to be taken up by the
cloth, canvas, rope or vegetable fibre, and at the same time we can use a heavier
non-drying or non-oxidizing oil for the purpose than when using such oil in an
undiluted or undissolved condition.
After the cloth, canvas, rope or vegetable fibre has been treated as above
described we hang it up in the air or, by the application of heat, we evaporate off
the solvent, thereby leaving the non-drying or non-oxidizing oil in the body of
the said materials and completely permeating the fibres or yarns of the same.
Cloth, canvas, rope or vegetable fibre, treated as above described, shows,
after the solvent is evaporated off, a comparatively dry surface and becomes a
permanently soft flexible material, and the cloth or canvas can, for some purposes,
be used without further treatment but it can receive the usual coating or dressing
of nature and color suitable for the manufacture of waterproof covers, &c.
Dated this 15th day of November 1893.
THOMAS P. COUBRO,
RUSSEL AITKEN,
THOMAS P. COUBRO,
RUSSEL AITKEN,
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: Improvements in the Preparation or Treatment of Cloth, Rope, and
Vegetable Fibrous Materials to be used in the Manufacture of
the same, said Cloth being employed in the Manufacture of
Waterproof Sheets, Tarpaulins, Oil Skins, and other Articles.
We, THOMAS POTTER COUBRÓ, of 18 Billiter Street, in the City of London,
Tarpaulin Manufacturer, and RUSSEL AITKEN, of 116 Piccadilly, in the County
of London, Member of the Institute of Civil Engineers, do hereby declare
the nature of this 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 relates to improvements upon an invention for which Letters
Patent No. 16593 of the year 1892, were granted to Thomas Potter Coubró, and
according to which a non-drying or non-oxidizing oil was applied to cloth,
canvas, &c., when dry, as a preliminary treatment in the preparation of waterproof
cloth.
When applying a non-drying or non-oxidizing oil to cloth or canvas whilst dry
according to such Patent, it is found that the cloth or canvas absorbs too much of
such oil, which it is difficult afterwards to remove, thereby leaving the cloth or
canvas in a moist and oily condition, which is found objectionable.
According to our present invention, in order that only the required quantity of
non-drying or non-oxidizing oil may be taken up by the cloth or canvas, or by the
rope or vegetable fibre, and at the same time that it may completely permeate the
same, we inix the non-drying or non-oxidizing oil with napiha or other solvent
which is capable of being evaporated off the said oil after application to the cloth,
canvas, rope, or vegetable fibre, and we saturate the said materials in any convenient
manner with said diluted or dissolved oil. We have found one part of heavy
black lubricating mineral oil to 15 parts of naptha to be a convenient proportion in
which to use said materials.
By these means we can regulate the quantity of non-drying or non-oxidizing
oil to be taken up by the cloth, canvas, rope, or vegetable fibre, and at the same
time we can use a heavier non-drying or non-oxidizing oil for the purpose than
when using such oil in an undiluted or undissolved condition. We find a thick
black mineral oil to be very suitable for the purpose.
Alter the cloth, canvas, rope, or vegetable fibre, has been treated as above
described, we hang it up in the air or, by the application of heat, we evaporate off
the solvent (which may be recovered), thereby leaving the non-drying or non-
oxidizing oil in the body of the said materials and completely permeating the fibres
or yarns of the same.
In saturating cloth or canvas according to our invention, we employ a barrel or
vat of depth equal to about double the length of the roll of cloth or canvas to be
treated, that is to say, equal to about double the width of the cloth or canvas, and
we supply such vat or barrel with the dissolved or diluted oil to a depth equal to
rather more than the length of the roll; then, in order to saturate such roll of
cloth or canvas, we immerse it on end in the contents of the vat or barrel until the
canvas or cloth has become completely saturated with the said dissolved or diluted
oil; then we raise such roll above the liquid and allow it to drain into the vat or
barrel until all the drainable liquid has drained out of the same, after which it
may further be exposed to the air or to heat to free it from the solvent.
Rope and vegetable fibre are saturated and drained in a similar manner to that
above described.
Cloth, canvas, rope, or vegetable fibre, treated as above described, shows, after
the solvent is evaporated off, a comparatively dry surface and becomes a permanently
soft flexible material, and the cloth or canvas can, for some purposes, be used

page_text: without further treatment, but it can receive the usual coating or dressing of
nature and color suitable for the manufacture of waterproof covers, &c.
It is found practically that, so long as the canvas or cloth treated as above is kept
in the bolt or roll, it goes on improving, the dressing hardening, whilst the canvas
or cloth retains its softness without danger of heating.
Waterproof goods are more easily made, either by hand or by sewing machine,
from this softened and partially dressed material than from untreated cloth or
canvas, and when made only require the finishing coats to complete them. These
dry rapidly, the undercoat of dressing being thoroughly dry, so that waterproof
goods can be completed from the prepared material in stock in two weeks instead of
requiring six as at present.
This non-oxidizing quality of material treated in this manner makes these goods
perfectly safe to store or ship, as they are not liable to spontaneous combustion, nor
do they heat or harden.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The treatment of cloth, rope, and vegetable fibre, substantially as herein
described and for the purpose stated.
2. The treatment of cloth, rope, and vegetable fibre, by saturating it with a non-
drying or non-oxidizing oil dissolved in a suitable solvent and afterwards draining
the same and evaporating off the solvent, substantially as herein described and for
the purpose stated.
EXU
T. P. COUBRO,
RUSSEL AITKEN,
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.