MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FOOT BALLS
Year: 1885

page_text: I SAMUEL EDMOND STATHAM, Manager for Messieurs Charles Macintosh and
Company of Cambridge Street Manchester in the County of Lancaster India
Rubber Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FOOT BALLS and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The object of this invention is to produce a foot ball which shall be lighter in
weight more easy to manufacture and more economical in cost than those hitherto
made.
Footballs as now generally used are made of an india rubber bladder or hollow
air tight ball enclosed in a leather case. The india rubber bladder is made from
spread or rolled sheet rubber and cut or otherwise formed in four sections or gores
which are afterwards united together at the edges by means of what is known in
the trade as a "tape" joint, thus necessitating two circumferential joints and a
circular cap at top and bottom for each bladder whether spherical or oval according
to the form of football required as shown at Figs. 1. side view, and 2. end view in
the annexed drawing, a, a being the four gores, b, b the two tapes, and c, c the
two caps.
The india rubber bladder thus formed is then vulcanized in the usual way, after
which it is introduced into a leather case or cover in which an aperture is left for
that purpose and the bladder having been inflated by means of a tube or neck d, d
(formed with a bladder) the tube or neck is tied tightly and the aperture of the
cover is laced up securely.
According to my invention I make the india rubber bladder of the best cut sheet
rubber (unvulcanized) which may be used much thinner than the ordinary spread
or rolled and vulcanized sheet rubber; and I make the same of two pieces only,
cut in a circular form as shown at Fig. 3. having a strip e, e at one part of its
circumference for forming the tube or neck.
I then join these two pieces together at the edges f, fall round by what is known
in the trade as an "edge to edge" or "jump" joint and there is only consequently
one circumferential joint f,f to be made as shown at Fig. 4 which represents the
underneath view of the bladder when inflated.
It will be evident that if an oval football (known as the "Rugby" football) is
required the form of the piece Fig. 3 must be proportionately elongated.

page_text: A strengthening india rubber collar g, g is placed round the neck and a cloth
strip is wound round the tube.
The inside of the tube should be vulcanized in order to prevent it from sticking
together when tied up for a long period.
The case or cover will be made of leather as usual and the india rubber bladder
or ball will be inserted, inflated and tied and the aperture laced in the ordinary
manner.
Footballs made according to my invention can be made with considerably less
weight of india rubber than according to the usual plan and thus there will be a
saving of material as well as weight and also of labor in making the joints, and in
the event of their becoming broken they will be found to be much more readily
repaired than those made of the sheet rubber vulcanized as hitherto, practised.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The manufacture of india rubber footballs from un-vulcanized cut sheet rubber
with only one circumferential joint substantially in the manner hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the drawings annexed.
GEORGE DAVIES,
Agent for the Applicant,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.