IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WATERPROOF, TISSUES, AND IN APPLYING SUCH WATERPROOP
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Rollason, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF WATERPROOF, TISSUES, AND IN APPLYING SUCH WATERPROOP
Sealed the 10th June 1859, and dated the 11th December, 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Rollason at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th December 1858.
1, ALEXANDER ROLLASON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Chemist, do. hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WATERPROOF TISSUES, AND IN APPLYING SUCH
WATERPROOF MATERIAL TO WOVEN FABRICS AND MANUFACTURED FIBROUS GOODS,"
to be as follows:-
I dissolve pyroxyline in any of its known solvents producing collodion, and
to this solution add vegetable oil, by preference, castor oil, of which the
best proportion I find to be one-sixteenth of the weight of collodion., For
some purposes I use in addition to the above proportions varying from one-
fiftieth to.one-hundredth part of Canada balsam, or any other suitable gum,
according to the adhesiveness I may require in the tissue. This solution I
pour upon smooth plates of glass or metal, and allow the spirit to evaporate,
[P

page_text: when a thin film or tissue will be seen upon the surface of the plate, and if I
require to use this tissue alone (it may be employed, for instance, as an
artificial cuticle), I remove the tissue from the plate, gently stripping it off by
hand and store it in books; but if I intend to employ the tissue as a coating
for woven or fibrous manufactures, such, for instance, as silk, I proceed to
attach the silk to the tissue whilst the latter remains upon the plate; in
this operation the, Canada balsam renders good service by its adhesive
qualities. I lay the silk upon the tissue and roll between rollers, or
press or rub with a pad every portion of it, so as to exclude the air, using, if
necessary, ether, spirits of wine, or any of the solvents of the pyroxyline as a
damper upon the pador-roller, and having produced a perfect adhesion of the
silk to the tissue, I allow it to dry, and then remove the silk from the plate, in
doing which the tissue is also brought away attached to the under side of the
silk and rendering it waterproof; I can then, if required, attach a second piece
of silk or of any other woven fabric to the other side of the tissue, proceeding
in the same manner as already described, and 'thus enclose the tissue between
two surfaces of woven fabric. The same operation applies to paper or any
other fabric of fibrous manufacture. Or after removing the tissue alone from
the plate, according to the first described process, I can place it between
two pieces of woven fabric, and inclose it by pressure in any suitable manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Rollason in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th June 1859.
门
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
ROLLASON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and 'successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Alexander Rollason, Her special license that I, the .said
Alexander Rollason, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Alexander Rollason, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafterduring the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain

page_text: and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OP WATERPROOF TISSUES, AND IN APPLYING SUCH
WATERPROOF MATERIAL TO WOVEN FABRICS AND MANUFACTURED FIBROUS GOODS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, tlie said Alexander Rollason, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, '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 Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Rollason, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described, and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:-
My Invention has for its object, firstly, the preparation of a waterproof
tissue, which in itself is capable of application as a remedial agent in surgical
cases, and forms an artificial cuticle as useful as goldbeaters' skin; and
secondly, in the application of this waterproof tissue to the coating of woven
fabrics and fibrous or textile goods.
In carrying out the first part of my Invention, videlicit, the manufacture of
a tissue to be used as an artificial cuticle, I take pyroxyline and dissolve it in
any of its known solvents producing collodion; or, I take collodion produced
in any other manner, and mix with it vegetable oil, preferring for this purpose
castor oil, from its well-known remedial properties, of which the proportion 1
find the best is about one-sixteenth of the weight of collodion, but this.pro-
portion must be governed entirely by the density of the solution; I sometimes
add to this mixture Canada balsam, or any other suitable kind of balsam or
gum, in the proportion of from one to two per cent. of the weight of collodion,
and I vary this gum or balsam according to the nature of cuticle I desire to
produce, and the especial purpose to which it is desired to be applied, whether
as regards the adhesiveness or the remedial qualities of the tissue. Mineral
naphtha or its various products, turpentine and spirituous oils may also be
sometimes employed in the mixture; together with tannin, perchloride of iron,
and chemicals generally of a character calculated to be of a healing nature,
and capable of being held in solution, the proportions of which must be
regulated according to circumstances. This solution I pour upon smooth
plates of glass or metal and allow the spirit to evaporate, when a thin film or
tissue will be seen upon the surface of the plate; I proceed next to remove
this tissue from the plate, gently stripping it off by hand and storing it in

page_text: I
books, when it is ready for use, and may be easily applied in the same manner
as goldbeaters' skin. It will thus have the double advantage of keeping the
air from a wound, and also from the soothing and healing nature of the
ingredients of which it is composed it will possess curative properties, which
may be varied according to the requirements of any particular case by
employing.a.cuticle specially prepared and adapted to such special case. But
when, as in the second head of my Invention, I require to use this tissue as a
coating for silk, cotton, paper, or other woven or fibrous fabrics, I proceed to
attach the silk (for instance) to the tissue while the latter remains upon the
plate or glass, and in this the Canada balsam or gum is of service from
its adhesive nature; but I vary the mixture used in this operation; employing
instead of castor oil any other vegetable oil in preference, castor oil being whatis
termed by chemists "ropy," and entirely deficient in drying qualities. I lay the
silk upon the tissue, and roll between rollers, press or rub with a pad every por-
tion of it, so as to exclude the air, using, if necessary, ether, spirits of wine, or
any of the solvents of the pyroxyline as a damper upon the pad or roller, and
having produced a perfect adhesion of the silk to the tissue, I allow it to dry,
and then remove the silk from the plate, in doing which the tissue is also
brought away attached to the under side of the silk, and rendering it-water-
proof; I can then, if desired, attach a second piece of silk or piece of any
other woven fabric, or of paper or other suitable backing material to the other
side of the tissue, proceeding in the same manner as already described with
reference to the damping and rolling processes, and thus I can enclose the
tissue between two surfaces or outer coverings, which will afford additional
protection to the delicate nature of the tissue. The same operation applies
also to paper, pasteboard, or any other similar fabric, fibrous in its nature.
Another mode of carrying out this part of my Invention consists in taking the
tissue as prepared under the first head of my Invention for surgical purposes
(of course for this application rejecting any ingredient which I may have
already specified as being useful for its curative qualities alone,) and placing
such tissue between two pieces of woven fabric, or of paper or pasteboard, or
of any of these materials combined; I can enclose it between them by pressure
applied in any convenient and suitable manner.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be clearly understood that
that which I claim is,—
Firstly, the manufacture of waterproof tissues to be used as artificial cuticles
for surgical purposes, as herein described.

page_text: Secondly, I claim the application of such tissues prepared as described in
the second part of this Specification, to the coating or waterproofing of woven
fabrics and fibrous or textile goods.
Thirdly, I claim the mode of coating or covering woven fabrics and fibrous
or textile productions, as herein more fully set forth and specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Rollason, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
ALEXANDER ROLLASON.
(L.S.)