The Manufacture of a Substitute for Leather and the like, and Apparatus for use therein.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 6th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 18th Sept., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
The Manufacture of a Substitute for Leather and the like, and
Apparatus for use therein.
We, LEON DE BANVILLE, JEAN FELIX ROULLEAU and LOUIS VALENTIN RANCELANT
all of 43 Rue Blanche, Paris France, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to the manufacture of an improved substitute for
leather and the like, and to apparatus for use therein. The improved leather
substitute is composed essentially of an intimate mixture of leather waste and
rubber solution.
In carrying our invention into effect we take for example 1.500 kg. of unvul-
canized india rubber, which has been previously cut by any suitable means into
very small pieces, and introduce it into a closed vessel containing, according to the
degree of fluidity to be attained, 25 to 35 kg. of benzine. It is preferred to employ
benzine on account of its cheapness, but other solvents may be employed, such for
example as toluene, oil of turpentine, sulphide of carbon &c.
In order to economize the solvent and to facilitate solution and prevent the
solution becoming glutinous and viscid, we prefer to add to the benzine about
5 per cent. of its weight of alcohol.
We may employ any kind of india rubber for the solution but it is preferred to
make use only of "strip Para" (Para dechiqueté), or "English sheet" waste.
Solution is complete in about 48 hours if the substances employed are of the
best quality.
We now add to this solution the leather waste in the form of a fine fluffy nap,
such as the shag (peluche) and scrapings (dolage) which result from the treatment
of skins in the glove manufacture. They should be free from foreign substances
and dry. The proportion of glove leather or of leather nap will vary according to
the quality of the product to be obtained; the best quality of material is produced
by mixing about 1 kilo. of the shag with 1 kilo. of caoutchouc; the proportion of
shag may be increased to 6 kilos for the inferior qualities.
The pastes obtained by this method may be employed dyed or not. If it be
desired to color them this may be effected by introducing into the benzine coloring
matters which are soluble therein; under the action of the solvent they become
intimately mixed with the rubber and dye it perfectly. Or the paste may be
colored by placing color earths in the vessel with the leather waste, as is usually
done in the manufacture of paints.
In order to effect the intimate admixture of the rubber solution and the leather
waste, we prefer to employ a mixer comprising a container and a granite roller,
such as that known as the "Hermann" for example. The solution is placed in
the container of the mixer which is then put in operation; after a few turns of the
roller the shag is projected by small quantities at a time into the container and
becomes mixed with the solution. The operation lasts from 10 to 15 minutes and
the paste thus produced is then ready for rolling.

page_text: For this purpose we prefer to employ the apparatus the construction and action
of which we will now describe. The paste taken from the mixer is placed in a
box which is situated at the feed end of the machine, and through which box
works a piston capable of being moved backwards and forwards by means of a
handwheel and screw or otherwise. The piston is then moved forward by turning
the handwheel and at the same time a drum or roller at the other end of the
machine is rotated by means of two other handwheels situated one at either
extremity of this drum. To the drum are connected upper and lower drawing
webs for the paste.
The paste is forced by the piston above described through an aperture in the
side of the feed box, and passes between two superposed rolls, the distance between
which is capable of regulation. These rolls feed the paste between the upper and
lower drawing webs, these webs being drawn off two wind-off rollers situated pre-
ferably respectively above and below the feed rolls, the webs passing around the
feed rollers and being supported during their travel to the other end of the
machine by a movable support composed of a wooden or other frame filled in with
wire guaze.
t
When a complete sheet of paste has thus been formed the slat to which the webs
are connected is removed, and the frame carrying the paste stretched between the
webs is taken to a drying shed where it is placed on any suitable supports and
allowed to dry in the open air.
When the drying is complete the webs are without difficulty separated, and the
sheet of imitation leather thus obtained may then be, passed through the embossing
rolls which are employed for producing impressions in relief upon leather &c. It
may then be treated for any decorative effect such for example as in imitation of
old Cordovan or Venetian leather, art paper and the like.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
The Manufacture of a Substitute for Leather and the like, and
Apparatus for use therein.
We, LEON DE BANVILLE, JEAN FELIX ROULLEAU and LOUIS VALENTIN RANCELANT
all of 43 Rue Blanche, Paris, France, 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 has reference to the manufacture of an improved substitute for
leather and the like, and to apparatus for use therein. The improved leather
'substitute is composed essentially of an intimate mixture of leather waste and
rubber solution.
In carrying our invention into effect we take for example 1.500 kg. of unvul-
canized india rubber, which has been previously cut by any suitable means into
very small pieces, and introduce it into a closed vessel containing, according to the
degree of fluidity to be attained, 25 to 35 kg. of benzine. It is preferred to employ
benzine on account of its cheapness, but other solvents may be employed, such for
example as toluene, oil of turpentine, sulphide of carbon &c.
In order to economize the solvent and to facilitate solution and prevent the
solution becoming glutinous and viscid, we prefer to add to the benzine about
5 per cent. of its weight of alcohol.

page_text: We may employ any kind of india rubber for the solution but it is preferred to
make use only of Strip Para" (Fr. Para dechiqueté), or "English sheet" waste.
Solution is complete in about 48 hours if the materials employed are of the
best quality.
We now add to this solution the leather waste in the form of fine fluffy nap,
such as the shag (Fr. peluche) and scrapings (Fr. dôlage) which result from the
treatment of skins in the glove manufacture. They should be free from foreign
substances and thoroughly dry. The proportion of glove leather or of leather nap
will vary according to the quality of the product to be obtained; the best quality
of material is produced by mixing about 1 kilo. of the shag with 1 kilo. of
caoutchouc; the proportion of shag may be increased to 6 kilos for the inferior
qualities.
If it be
The pastes obtained by this method may be employed dyed or not.
desired to color them this may be effected by introducing into the benzine coloring
matters which are soluble therein; under the action of the solvent they become
intimately mixed with the rubber and dye it perfectly. Or the paste may be
colored by placing color earths in the vessel with the leather waste as is usually
done in the manufacture of paints.
In order to effect the intimate admixture of the rubber solution and the leather
waste we prefer to employ a mixer comprising a container and a granite roller,
such as that known as the "Hermann" for example. The solution is placed in
the container of the mixer which is then put in on ration; after a few turns of the
roller the shag is projected by small quantities at a time into the container and
becomes mixed with the solution. The operation lasts from 10 to 15 minutes and
the paste thus produced is then ready for rolling into sheets.
For this purpose we prefer to employ the apparatus illustrated by way of
example in the accompanying drawings in side elevation in Figure 1, and in plan
in Figure 2, and the construction and action of which we will now describe. The
paste taken from the mixer above referred to is placed in a box A which is
situated at the feed end of the machine, and through which box works a piston B
capable of being moved backwards and forwards by means of a crank handle and
screw C. The piston B which had been previously moved back to allow of
charging the box A. is then moved forward by turning the crank handle and at the
same time a drum or roller D at the other end of the machine is rotated by means
of two handwheels a a¹ in such a manner as to wind on said drum D cords E E¹
which are connected respectively to upper and lower drawing webs FF for the
paste.
The paste is forced by the piston B through an aperture in the side of the feed
box A and passes between two superposed rolls G G₁, the distance between which
is capable of regulation. These rolls feed the paste between the upper and lower
drawing webs F F which are drawn off two rollers I I¹ situated preferably res-
pectively above and below the feed rollers G G₁, the webs passing around the feed
rollers GG and being supported during their travel to the other end of the
machine by a movable support J composed of a wooden or other frame filled in
with wire gauze.
When a complete sheet of paste has thus been formed, the draw bar or slat to
which the webs F F are connected is removed, and the frame J carrying the paste
stretched between the webs F F is taken to a drying shed where it is placed on
any suitable supports and allowed to dry in the open air.
When the drying is complete the webs F F are without difficulty separated and
removed and the sheet of imitation leather thus obtained may then be passed
through the embossing rolls which are employed for producing impressions in
relief upon leather &c. It may then be treated for any decorative effect such for
example as in imitation of old Cordovan or Venetian leather, art paper and the
like.
This imitation leather is adapted for use in paper or tapestry hanging, case-
making, furniture-upholstering, and other applications.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1. As a novel product the substitute for leather consisting of an intimate mix-
ture of leather waste and rubber solution, substantially as described.
2. The manufacture of a leather substitute by forming a solution of india
rubber in benzene or other solvent with or without a small quantity of alcohol
adding thereto leather or skin in the form of a fine fluffy nap or shag (preferably
glove leather waste) so as to make a paste and subsequently spreading said paste
into sheets and drying the same, substantially as described.
3. In the manufacture of substitute for leather, the method of spreading the said
paste between two parallel webs substantially as and for the purpose described.
4. In and for the manufacture of substitute for leather the apparatus consisting
of a box fitted with a plunger or piston and provided with an outlet aperture
arranged so as to discharge between two rolls from which two webs are wound off
parallel with a supporting frame substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
5. In the mnufacture of substitute for leather spreading the paste between two
webs and drying the same whilst enclosed between. the webs, said webs resting on
an iron gauze frame along which the webs have been drawn substantially as
described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 6th day of August 1897.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.