IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE AND PROCESS OF TREATING THE WASTE AND REFUSE OF LEATHER, AND IN THE MODE OF TREATING AND OPERATING UPON THESE IN ORDER TO FORM A NEW ARTICLE OR FABRIC
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Abraham Ripley, of -42, Bridge Street, Blackfriars,
City of London, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MODE AND PROCESS OF TREATING THE WASTE AND REFUSE OF LEATHER, AND
IN THE MODE OF TREATING AND OPERATING UPON THESE IN ORDER TO FORM
A NEW ARTICLE OR FABRIC."
Sealed the 29th January 1861, and dated the 2nd August 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Abraham Ripley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd
August 1860.
I, ABRAHAM RIPLEY, of 42, Bridge Street, Blackfriars, City of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MODE AND PROCESS OF TREATING THE WASTE AND REFUSE OF
LEATHER, AND IN THE MODE OF TREATING AND OPERATING UPON THESE 'IN 'ORDER TO
FORM A NEW ARTICLE OR FABRIC," to be as follows, that is to say :-
I propose to take the cuttings, shavings, and parings of leather of any kind,
and reduce the whole to powder, or into light small particles. In this state
I treat the mass with an alkaline mixture in order to remove the oil or greasy
particles when such are present. The whole is then dried, and in this state is
incorporated with-india-rubber, gutta percha, or-compounds of these, or with
tar, pitch, or asphalt, or compounds of these, or any of these substances.com-
Price I

page_text: bined with the fleshings of hides. The incorporation of the whole mass I find
can only be effected by means of mixing rollers, that is to say, by passing it
between rollers,and subjecting it in its passage to great pressure, after this, it
is rolled out into sheets, and smoothed by means of smoothing or calendering
rollers, or it may be formed into other articles by means of moulds and
presses. By adding coke dust, iron filings, wood sawdust, and such like
substances, the resulting fabric may be made harder or softer, and by increasing
or diminishing the india-rubber or other materials forming the matrix, the
substance may be made more or less elastic, and by introducing colouring
matters either within or upon the surface, it may be rendered more ornamental.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Abraham Ripley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st February 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM-THESE-PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ABRAHAM.
RIPLEY, of 42, Bridge Street, Blackfriars, City of London, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Abraham Ripley, Her special licence that I, the said Abraham Ripley, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Abraham
Ripley, 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 Ire-
land, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MODE AND PROCESS OF TREATING THE WASTE AND REFUSE OF LEATHER, AND
IN THE MODE OF TREATING AND OPERATING UPON THESE IN ORDER TO FORM A NEW
ARTICLE OR FABRIC," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Abraham Ripley, 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 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Abraham Ripley, 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 follow-
ing statement, that is to say :-
I propose to take the cuttings, shavings, or parings of new or old leather,
and reduce the same to a comminuted state, but so as to preserve the fibre.
This operation I effect by means of a grinding, chopping, or cutting, or other
suitable means. I now proceed to incorporate it with india-rubber, or with
tar, pitch, ground bark, cuttings of raw skins, coke dust, wood dust, hair,
cotton, or other fibrous substances, or compounds of these combined with one
or more of them, or with other glutinous or gummy substances according as
I wish it to be more or less tough or elastic. The mode in which I incor.
porate the leather with the other substances is as follows:-I pass a portion
of the india-rubber or resinous substance, or the cohesive matrix between
rollers capable of acting with great pressure, and at the same time I introduce
and commingle with it the comminuted leather, gradually adding more and
more of the latter as the mass passes between the rollers, until sufficient has
been incorporated with it. I also mould it into other shapes or forms by
means of moulds or matrixes. The properties of the resulting articles may
be varied, for instance by the introduction of emery, putty powder, or other
polishing substances. It may be made more or less hard, and by increasing
or diminishing the elastic matters used it may be rendered more or less elastic,
or ductile, or flexible. Furthermore, by incorporating with the mass alum, or
other non-flammable matters the resulting article may be rendered more or less
non-flammable. I also propose.to incorporate colouring matters with the
substance or upon its surface, to produce a variety of colours or designs upon
the article according to the use to which it is intended to be applied.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and how the same
is constituted, combined, and formed, I wish it understood that what I
claim, and desire to be secured by the before in part recited Letters
Patent is,-
First, the manufacture of a new article or fabric composed of comminuted
leather, with india-rubber or with other adhesive resinous or gummy substance,
or with combinations of these incorporated together, and combined by the
means and after the manner described in this Specification.
Second, the manufacture of a new article or fabric composed of comminuted
leather, combined with tar, or other resinous or adhesive substances, or com
binations of these or any of these with india-rubber or gutta percha, or other

page_text: similar guminy or adhesive substances, or combinations of these after the
inanner aud by the means substantially as described in this Specification.
Third, the use and application to various purposes of such a fabric when
manufactured as described in claims one and two.
In witness whereof, I, the said Abraham Ripley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this
day of February, One thousand eight