Oil-cloth as an Improved Substitute for Wall-paper, and for Ceiling, Panel, Railway Carriage, and other Decorative Purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 8th July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 5th Feb., 1892-Accepted 19th Mar., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Oil-cloth as an Improved Substitute for Wall-paper, and for Ceiling,
Panel, Railway Carriage, and other Decorative Purposes.
1, FREDERICK PUGH, Elim House Clifton Street Swindon, Wilts. Baptist
Minister do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Material. The cloth used to be of a strong, pliable; and sufficiently fine and
even texture; to be well sized on the backside, and smoothly faced to receive
pattern on front.
Dimensions of cloth. The wall-cloth may be formed in lengths of twelve yards
and one or two yards wide as may best suit the pattern used. For ceilings the
cloth may be prepared in squares-if of moderate size-and for large rooms in four
quarter squares, or other sections. Panel pieces to be made two or three sizes'to
suit dimensions of various rooms.
Patterns and designs. The patterns laid on the cloth to be designed by
competent artists; and of such a nature as would be suitable for wall, ceiling, panol,
and railway carriage decoration. The cloth may be prepared for walls in plain
tints, with borders for panels, or in floral designs, and for hall or passage walls in
blocks representing marble or granite. For fishmonger's, butcher's, or provision
shops, cloth with suitable wall-tile pattern may be prepared. Ceiling patterns-
borders, corners, and centre-pieces to be designed in a manner suitable to their
general application. For the ceilings of mansions, palaces, &c. designs from classic
scenes and figures may be especially prepared.
Preparing and fixing. In cases when the cloth is fixed to walls or ceilings in
lengths, squares, or triangular sections the edges are to be out perfectly straight;
and the cloth to be prepared with a view to prevent ravelling at edges. In fixing,
the lengths or sections should not be overlapped, but the edges carefully butted
together; the joins, while damp, to be pressed with an ivory or enamelled wheel:
The fixing to be done with suitably prepared paste or other strong adhesive
substance. When dry the cracks-if any-in face of wall or ceiling to be carefully
stopped, dusted, and finished off with one or two coats of wbite-paper or other
transparent varnish.
Deted this 7th day of July 1891
FREDERICK PUGH.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Oil-oloth as an Improved Substitute for Wall-paper, and for Ceiling,
Panel, Railway Carriage, and other Decorative Purposes.
I, FREDERICK PUGH of Elim House, Clifton Street Swindon, Wilts., Non*
conformist Minister, 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 :-
The cloth used to be of a strong flexible, and sufficiently fine and even texture
the back to be dressed with a deluted preparation of flexible glue or size and
glycerine, and the front to be properly primed and faced to receive pattern. Cloths,
baizes, and damasks to be selected for, and suitable to, the several purposes,
hereinafter described.
The wall cloth to be made in lengths of twelve yards and one and a half yard
wide, or, of such widths as may best suit particular patterns. For ceilings, the
cloth to be prepared in squares-(if of moderate size)-if large, in four quarter.

page_text: sections. For wall-panelling the patterns of panels with borders of different sizes
to suit dimensions of various rooms to be laid on cloths of convenient length and
width; in cases where cloth is coloured French grey, flesh-colour, or other plain
tints it may be made in twelve yard lengths, and one, or one and a half yard wide.
In preparing cloth for door, furniture, or other panels, the patterns are to be laid
on similar lengths, and the panel pieces cut out as required. Corners, borders, and
centre pieces for ceilings to be made in the same manner.
The various patterns laid on the cloth are to be designed by qualified artists, and
of such a nature as would be suitable for wall and ceiling covering, panel, or other
special decorations. The cloth for ceilings and walls to be made white, in plain
tints, with floral, or with other patterns as required. For hall walls the cloth may
be marked in blocks representing various kinds of marble and granite. For other
purposes, such as covering the walls of butcher's, fishmonger's, or provision dealer's
shops, a suitable tile pattern is to be prepared.
For ceilings of palaces, mansions, public halls and rooms, designs from classic
figures and scenes, or other forms of ancient and modern decorative art are to be
laid on the cloth. Ceiling pieces, centres, corners and borders to be designed in a
manner suitable to their several requirements.
The method of preparing and ornamenting the several varieties of oil cloth to
be as follows :-
The textile fabrics utilised to be woven of strong, pliable, and as far as possible,
in elastic threads. In weaving fabrics for the several qualities required regard
must be had to the purpose for which each is designed. Thus, in the case of
inexpensive oil cloths intended to be used hereafter as ordinary substitutes for wall
and ceiling paper, the fabric woven may be similar to that which is known in the
oil cloth trade as 4th white damask; while if it be purposed to make an oil cloth
of superior quality, stouter material, and of a closer and finer texture must be
woven. Cloths also which are to be embossed should be made of material and
texture most suitable thereto. The canvas, before being primed is to be saturated
in a warm solution of glue, glycerine, and French chalk or whiting in suitable
proportions, and sufficiently diluted that while it renders the fabric tough and close,
it shall leave it flexible so as not to break or crack in the processes of embossing,
rolling, or handling. After being steeped in this preparation the cloth may be
stretched on drying frames, or dried by means of passing it over smooth metal
steam heated cylinders. The object of this process is to prevent the oil cloth from
rising in ridges or bladders when it is. pasted to walls or ceilings; and, if carried
out as here described it will be found to answer that purpose. The canvas, thus
prepared should be stretched on a smooth bed of timber or other solid material
and the priming coats of oil colour evenly spread upon it in the usual manner.
The ornamenting of these oil cloths may be classed in two distinct operations,
viz., the laying on of the patterns, and embossing and cutting out the same when
required.
The various patterns are to be laid on the oil cloth either by means of revolving
cylinders, as designs in different colours are printed on textile fabrics, or by means
of pattern blocks when found most convenient. Upon cloths of ordinary length
and width, say 12 yards long by 54 inches wide the designs may be laid on by
means of printing rollers or cylinders as in the process of paper-etaining-only oil
colours being used. In cases where a large pattern is to be printed such as a
landscape, or a scene from the classics, it should be made in sections each of which
must have dotted lines upon it to guide the decorator as to where he is to cut and
to join the edges. Classic figures, vases of flowers, and other designs for wall and
door panels may be printed upon cloths of various dimensions as required.
Embossing and cutting. This process must be applied only to the stouter,
tougher, and most suitable oil cloths for the purpose. Cloths 12 yards long by
1 yards wido may be embossed as follows. A solid bed of the required length and
width should be prepared, with an iron toothed rack running all the length at each
edge: also a smooth and polished cylinder of iron, or other hard substance, with

page_text: similar sized cog wheels at either end. Upon this cylinder the pattern to be
embossed must be cut-and it must be made to run under pressure over the cloth
to be embossed the two end cog wheels running in gear with the parallel toothed
racks on each side the bed to keep the embossed pattern-when desired-in
agreement with the coloured pattern already laid upon the cloth. To facilitate this
process the embossing cylinder should first be made to impress its pattern upon a
bed of sufficiently plastic papier-mache-or other suitable material which, when
hardened, would form an embossment corresponding to that cut on the cylinder,
and upon the bed, thus embossed, the cloth should be laid in order to receive the
required impression. In other cases, when most suitable for producing special
designs the oil cloth may be embossed by means of blocks or dies, and stamped by
screw or hydraulic pressure.
Shaping, or cutting out special designs for borders, corners, or centre-pieces may
be done by revolving, or other specially prepared steel cutters. Thus centre,
corner pieces, and borders may be cut out and embossed at the same time-the
embossing die being furnished with a cutting knife of the shape required to suit the
outlines of the pattern under treatment; and in this case the embossing and cutting
die must be made to act with a downward thrust. But cloth for borders and dados
must be cut and embossed by means of a circular die revolving under pressure.
Dados, ornamental centres, corners, or panel pieces, are to be made with flat
patterns, or embossed, stamped-as above described, and machine cut-much in the
same manner us " scraps" are produced.
The cloths thus prepared are to be fixed to walls, ceilings &c., by means of
strong paste mixed with a solution of glue and glycerine, or other suitable adhesive
preparation. In cases where it is fixed to walls or ceilings in lengths, squares,
triangular, or other sections, the edges are to be cut perfectly straight, and not
overlapped, but butted closely one against the other. The cloth to be prepared so
as not to be liable to unravel at edges in the process of cutting. When fixed, the
edges of joins--while yet damp-are to be pressed by means of a suitable enamelled
wheel. All cracks and fissures to be filled with stopping, and, when necessary,
finished off with a coat of white paper, or other transparent varnish.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1.The invention of utilising and preparing oil cloth, baize, damask, or other
oil cloths as an improved substitute for wall and ceiling paper, for door, and
furniture panels, for railway carriage, and other decorative purposes.
2. And I make this claim irrespective of the kinds or qualities of the oil cloths
or baizes that may be so applied.
3. And by virtue hereof I claim the sole right to call and describe the said
varieties of oil cloth by the name of "Walloilum"-by which name, and by no
other, this invention shall henceforth be distinguished.
Dated this 4th day of February 1892.
FREDERICK FUGH.