IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF TOUGHENING PAPERS AND OTHER SUBSTANCES TO RENDER THEM SUITABLE FOR THE APPLICATION OF ABRASIVE SUBSTANCES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES, AND IN APPARATUS USED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard John Edwards, of Bow, in the County of
Middlesex, Emery Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MODE OF TOUGHENING PAPERS AND OTHER SUBSTANCES TO RENDER THEM
SUITABLE FOR THE APPLICATION OF ABRASIVE SUBSTANCES, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES, AND IN APPARATUS USED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE."
Sealed the 30th September 1864, and dated the 2nd April 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard John Edwards at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd April 1864.
I, RICHARD JOHN EDWARDS, of Bow, in the County of Middlesex, Emery
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF TOUGHENING PAPERS AND OTHER SUBSTANCES TO
RENDER THEM SUITABLE FOR THE APPLICATION OF ABRASIVE SUBSTANCES, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES, AND IN APPARATUS USED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in improvements in the mode of toughening papers
and other fabrics to be used for receiving abraceous substances, and for other.
purposes, described in the following manner :-I claim the placing of fibrous.

page_text: substances between two or more layers or thicknesses of paper or other sub-
stance not previously carded or spun. The substances I prefer for this
purpose are manilla, jute, the inner bark of trees, the fibrous portions of
vegetables, leaves of plants, grasses, wood shavings, and others. Most of the
above-named fibrous substances which I use for the toughening of papers may
be purchased in the open market already in a state of preparedness for my
use. One of the materials herein enumerated which I use (the inner bark of
trees) I prepare for my use by splitting into minute shreds. I claim the mode
I adopt of producing these shreds, which is as follows:-I place a number of
exquisitely thin steel knives or very fine round steel blades of wire in a frame-
work fixed upon a work table; I then take a piece or strip of the inner bark
of trees, and place it upon the knives or wire blades, before named, and draw
the material so placed along the knives or wire blades, which operation pro-
duces shreds of a uniform width or thickness according to the distance at
which the knives or blades are set apart. The manilla, jute, or other sub-
stance, herein named, or the shreds of the inner bark of trees I stretch upon
frames constructed for that purpose, to be herein-after described, and whilst
the shreds or strings of the fibrous substances are held in or attached to the
frames, herein-before mentioned, I place one or more sheets of paper on each
side of the fibrous substances held in or on the frame, the sheet or sheets
of paper so used baving been previously charged or smeared over with a
glutinous or adhesive substance. I then cut the fibrous substance away at the
edge of the paper or papers, and so set at liberty from the frame the paper or
papers with the fibrous substance between them. I then take the paper or
papers with the fibrous substance which are held together by the gluten
or adhesive substance before described, and place the paper or other material
so toughened in a screw, hydraulic, or other press, and subject the whole to
considerable pressure whilst in a wet state, placing a piece of wirework or
other substance, such as india-rubber or gutta percha previously indented on
one side, and a plain metal plate on the other side of the papers or other
materials so toughened, for the purpose of giving a flat surface to one side of
the materials so toughened, and for the purpose of giving the material the
appearance of cloth on the other side. I find that putting an imprinted
surface on one side of the material so toughened has the effect of expressing
the air, which would be liable otherwise to leave blisters on the surface if two
flat metal or other surfaces were used whilst the pressure is given. After
being in the press a short time, the sheet or sheets so prepared and toughened
is or are taken out of the press whilst in a wet state and hung up to dry;
when dry it is taken down, the edges being trimmed with a knife or scissors

page_text: when required. When the papers so prepared and toughened are required to
be used for special purposes, I pass them through a calender for the purpose
of rendering the surface uniform, but when intended to be used for ordinary
purposes, such as fastening abraceous substances or packing merchandise, or
for other rough purposes, I do not require to calender it, but when used for
letter envelopes, or for surfaces to write upon, I usually calender the materials
so toughened.
Another mode of carrying out this Invention is as follows:-I weave the
shreds I produce from the inner bark of trees into a cloth, and place one or
more sheets of paper, previously charged or smeared with gluten or other
adhesive substance on each side of the cloth so produced, and pass the whole
between cylinders or rollers to produce compression, and then pass the whole
over steam cylinders to dry.
According to another mode in which I produce the article herein described,
I grind up the afore-named or other fibrous substances, and distribute them on
one or more surfaces of paper which has been previously charged with a
glutinous substance by shaking or blowing the substance on the material or
papers charged with gluten or other adhesive substance; I then pass the
materials so prepared through or between iron cylinders, or a screw or
hydraulic press, as before described, and hang it up or pass it over steam or
otherwise heated surfaces to dry.
The advantages of my Invention, herein described, are, that the material
produced may be used with great economy to fasten abraceous substances,
upon which I claim the sole right to use for this purpose, and it may be also
used with advantage and economy for packing goods and merchandise, and
making envelopes for letters. Cotton or other fibres felted together may be
strengthened in like manner.
The frames, before referred to, on which the various fibrous substances are
stretched vary in size according to the area of surface of the paper or other
material required to be toughened, and are made either of wood or metal, or
of both combined, and so constructed as to admit of a series of small metal
plates being inserted in grooves made in the frames. Some of these plates are
indented or engraved on the surface; others of them are covered with india-
rubber or other elastic substance. These plates vary in thickness according to
the distance at which the toughening material is to be inserted between the
plates, and are held apart until the paper or other material is placed upon
the shreds or strings forming the toughening material. The indented or
engraved plates, and those covered with india-rubber or other elastic sub-
stance, are held in an upright position in the frames by means of screws or

page_text: springs fixed in the frames which are tightened by turning the screws so as to
hold the shreds or strings of toughening material in tension whilst the paper
or other material is applied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard John Edwards in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st October 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
JOHN EDWARDS, of Bow, in the County of Middlesex, Emery Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Richard John Edwards, Her special licence that I, the said Richard John
Edwards, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Richard John Edwards, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF TOUGHENING PAPERS AND OTHER SUBSTANCES TO
RENDER THEM SUITABLE FOR THE APPLICATION OF ABRASIVE SUBSTANCES AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES, AND IN APPARATUS USED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard John Edwards, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 Richard John Edwards, 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 fol-
lowing statement (that is to say) :-
-
My Invention consists in the mode of toughening paper and other fabrics
to be used for receiving abrasive substances, and for other purposes, described

page_text: in the following manner :-I claim the placing of fibrous substances between
two or more layers or thicknesses of paper or other substances not previously
carded or spun. The substances I prefer for this purpose are manilla, jute,
the inner bark of trees, the fibrous portions of vegetables, leaves of plants,
grasses, wood shavings, and such like. Most of the above-named fibrous sub-
stances which I use for toughening papers may be purchased in the open
market ready in a state of preparedness for my use. One of the materials
herein enumerated which I use (the inner bark of trees) I prepare for my
use by splitting it into minute shreds. I claim the mode I adopt of producing
these shreds, which is as follows:-I place a number of exquisitely thin steel
knives or very fine round steel blades or wire in a framework fixed on a work
table; I then take a piece or strip of the inner bark of trees and place it upon
the knives or wire blades before mentioned, and draw the material so placed
along the knives or wire blades, which operation produces shreds of a uniform
width or thickness, according to the distance at which the knives or blades are
set apart. The manilla, jute, or other substance herein-named, or the shreds
of the inner bark of trees, I stretch upon frames constructed for that purpose,-
and whilst the shreds or strings of the fibrous substances are held in or
attached to the frames herein mentioned I place one or more sheets of paper
on each side of the fibrous substances held in or on the frame, the sheet or
sheets of paper so used having been previously charged or smeared over with
a glutinous or adhesive substance. I then cut the fibrous substance away at
the edge of the paper or papers, and so set at liberty from the frame the paper
or papers with the fibrous substances between. I then take the paper or
papers with the fibrous substances which are held together by the gluten or
adhesive substance, before described, and place the papers or other materials
so toughened in a screw, hydraulic, or other press, and subject the whole to
considerable pressure while in a wet state, placing a piece of wirework or
other substance, india-rubber, or gutta percha previously indented on one side
and a plain metal plate on the other side of the papers or other materials so
toughened for the purpose of giving a flat surface to one side of the materials
so toughened, and for giving the material the appearance of cloth on the
other side; I then cut the sheets to the required size whilst held in the press.
I find that putting an imprinted surface on one side of the material so
toughened has the effect of expressing the air, which would be liable otherwise
to leave blisters on the surface if two metal or other flat surfaces were used
solely whilst the pressure is given. After being in the press a short time, say
fifteen minutes, the sheet or sheets so prepared and toughened is taken out of
the press whilst in a wet state, and hung up to dry; when dry it is taken

page_text: down, the edges being trimmed with a knife or scissors or paper-cutting
machine when required. When the paper so prepared and toughened are
required to be used for special purposes, I pass them through a calender for
the purpose of rendering the surfaces uniform, but when intended to be used
for ordinary purposes, such as for receiving abrasive substances, packing mer-
chandise, or for other rough uses, I do not require to so treat it; but when
used for letter envelopes or writing surfaces, I usually calender the materials
so toughened.
Another mode of carrying out the Invention is as follows:-I weave the
shreds produced, as before described, from the inner bark of trees into a cloth
or fabric, and place one or more sheets of paper previously charged or smeared
with gluten or other adhesive substance on each side of the fabric so produced,
and pass the whole between cylinders and rollers to produce the compression,
and then over steam cylinders to dry.
According to another mode in which I produce the article herein described,
I grind up the afore-named or other fibrous substances, and spread or dis-
tribute them on one or more surfaces of paper previously charged with a
glutinous substance by shaking or blowing the substance on the material or
papers charged with gluten or other adhesive substance. I then pass the
material so prepared through or between iron cylinders, or a screw or hydraulic
press, as before described, and hang it up or pass it over steam or other heated
surfaces to dry.
The advantages of my Invention, herein described, are, that the material
produced may be used with great economy for receiving abrasive substances,
which I claim the sole right to use for this purpose; it may also be used with
advantage and economy for packing goods and merchandize, and for making
envelopes for letters or otherwise.
The frames, before referred to, on which the various fibrous substances are
stretched may vary in size according to the area of surface of the papers or
other material required to be toughened, and are made either of wood or metal,
or of both combined, and so constructed as to admit of a series of small metal
plates being inserted in grooves made in the frame. Some of these plates are
indented or engraved on their surface, others of them being covered with
india-rubber or other elastic substance. These plates vary in thickness
according to the distance at which the toughening material is to be inserted
between the plates, and are held apart until the paper or other material is
placed upon the shreds or strings forming the toughening material. The
indented or engraved plates, and those covered with india-rubber or other
elastic substance, are held in an upright position in the frames by means of

page_text: screws or springs fixed in the frames, which are tightened by turning the
screws so as to hold the shreds or strings of toughening material in tension
whilst the paper or other material is applied. Cotton or other fibres or pulped
substances to be felted together may be strengthened in like manner by im-
mersing the frames with the shreds upon them in liquid pulp, taking up upon
the shreds the desired quantity of pulp to form a sheet of paper or material
upon and intermixed with the shreds.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard John Edwards, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
R. J. EDWARDS. (L.B.)