IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PRINTED FLOORCLOTHS, OIL- CLOTHS. TABLE COVERS, AND OTHER SIMILAR FABRICS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Hersee and George Smyth, both of Mitcham,
in the County of Surrey, Floorcloth Manufacturers, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PRINTED FLOORCLOTHS, OIL-
CLOTHS. TABLE COVERS, AND OTHER SIMILAR FABRICS."
Sealed the 27th July 1866, and dated the 29th January 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Hersee and
George Smyth at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 29th January 1866.
We, WILLIAM HERSEE and GEORGE SMYTH, both of Mitcham, in the County
of Surrey, Floorcloth Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PRINTED FLOORCLOTHS,
OILCLOTHS, TABLE COVERS, AND OTHER SIMILAR FABRICS," to be as follows:-.
..Our improvements relate to an improved mode of manufacturing ornamented
printed floorcloths, oilcloths, table covers, and fabrics of similar character,
which have usually ornamented surfaces intended to imitate various kinds of
wood or marble or other substances.
Hitherto it has been the practice to produce imitations of woods, marbles,
or other substances upon the surface of printed floorcloths, oilcloths, table
covers, or other similar fabrics by placing upon the surface of the cloth in the
required patterns the colours intended to represent the graining or lines of

page_text: woods or marbles or other substances, and such lines appearing upon the
surface of the cloths in relief prevent good imitations from being obtained, as
the surface cannot be made smooth like that of the substance intended to be
imitated, and the graining or lines intended as imitations appear unnaturally stiff
and projecting. By our Invention these defects are obviated, a smooth natural
surface is given to our manufactured cloth, and the graining and lines intended
to imitate woods, marbles, or other substances are made to appear imbedded in
the substance in a natural manner, so as to produce a new description of
ornamented cloth, whose surface presents a far more accurate representation
of woods, marbles, or other substances than has been heretofore produced.
In explanation of the new method of manufacturing cloth invented by us
we will describe our mode of producing our new oilcloth having a surface
which imitates oak. The cloth to be operated upon is prepared in the usual
way, by applying a ground of oil colour of a colour suitable to represent lines or
graining of oak, and when this is dry we apply by hand a coat of suitable
oak colour mixed with gold size or. turpentine, or with both, with or without
oil, oil being used when it is desirable that the cloth should not be dried too
quickly. This coat while wet is combed by a combing instrument in a
manner similar to that employed by grainers in preparing oak grounds upon
panels, a part of the upper coat being thereby removed, and causing the under
ground to be exposed in lines. We then apply to the surface so prepared a
suitable solvent, using by preference naphtha, turpentine, or other spirit, or
any alkali, and mixing with the solvent oil or other material to give it con-
sistency and prevent it from ruuning over the prepared surface. In applying.
the solvent we use ordinary printing blocks, on which are lines or marks
corresponding to the lines and graining intended to imitate oak; the blocks
are pressed upon pads saturated with the solvent, which is then printed upon
the prepared oak ground, and dissolves it in the required parts according to
the pattern printed by the block. The dissolved parts are then removed by a
cloth or flannel, and corresponding to those parts the underground is exposed
and represents lines or graining in imitation of oak. The cloth is then over-
grained or coated with a suitable oak colour, and is afterwards varnished. A
very good imitation of oak is thus produced, the result being an oilcloth of a
new description in regard to its ornamented surface, and of a far better quality
than has hitherto been manufactured. Imitations of other woods and of
marble surfaces and those of other substances may le produced in a similar
manuer.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Hersee and George Smyth in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th July 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
HERSEE and GEORGE SMYTH, of Mitcham, in the County of Surrey, Floor-
cloth Manufacturers, send greeting.
Her Letters
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria,
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said William Hersee and George Smyth, Her special licence that we, the said
William Hersee and George Smyth, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said William Hersee and George Smyth, our
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 MANU-
PACTURE OF PRINTED FLOORCLOTHS, OILCLOTHS, TABLE COVERS, AND OTHER SIMILAR
FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William
Hersee and George Smyth, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, 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 on or before the Fourth day of
August, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Hersee and George Smyth,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
Our improvements relate to an improved mode of manufacturing ornamented
floorcloths, oilcloths, table covers, and fabrics of a similar character, which
have usually ornamented surfaces intended to imitate various kinds of wood
or marbles or other substances.
:
Hitherto it has been the practice to produce imitations of wood, marbles,
or other substances upon the surface of floorcloths, oilcloths, table covers,
or other similar fabrics. by placing upon the surface of the cloth in the
equired patterns the colours intended to represent the graining or lines

page_text: of woods or marbles or other substances, and such lines. appearing upon the
surface of the cloths in relief prevent good imitations. from. being. obtained,
as the surface cannot be made smooth like that of the substance intended
to be imitated, and the graining or lines intended as imitations appear
'unnaturally stiff and projecting. By our Invention these defects are obviated,
a smooth natural surface is given to our manufactured cloth, and the graining
and lines intended to imitate woods, marbles, or other substances are made
to appear imbedded in the substance in a natural manner, so as to produce
a new description of ornamented cloth, whose surface presents a far more
accurate representation of woods, marbles, or other substances than has been
'heretofore produced.
In explanation of the new method of manufacturing cloth invented by
us we will describe our mode of producing one description of our new oil-
cloths, that is to say, one having a surface which imitates oak, other surfaces
'being produced in an analogous manner. The cloth to be operated upon is
prepared in the usual way, by applying to the cloth a coat of oil colour
suitable to represent lines or graining of oak. When other woods or sub-
stances are to be imitated suitable colours in each case will be used. When
the colour so applied is dry we apply to it by hand a coat of suitable oak
colour mixed with gold size, turpentine size, or gum, employing these
materials separately or combined, and with or without oil, oil being used
when it is desirable that the cloth should not be dried too quickly. This coat
while wet is combed with a combing instrument or otherwise prepared in a
manner similar to that employed by grainers in preparing oak grounds upon
panels, a part of the upper coat being thereby removed, and causing the
ground to be exposed in lines or other patterns. We then apply to the
surface so prepared a suitable solvent, using by preference naphtha, turpentine,
or other spirit, or using size or gum or any alkali, such as soda in solution,
and mixing oil or other material with the solvent employed to give it con
sistency and prevent it from running over the prepared surface. In applying
the solvent we use ordinary printing blocks, on which are lines or marks
corresponding to the lines and graining intended to imitate oak or other
wood or substance; the blocks are prepared for use by being pressed upon
pads saturated with the solvent, which is then printed by means of the blocks
upon the prepared surface of the cloth, and dissolves it in the required parts
according to the pattern or design formied upon the block. The dissolved
parts are then removed by a cloth or flannel, and corresponding to those
parts the ground is exposed and represents lines or graining or design in
imitation of oak or other wood or substance intended to be imitated. The

page_text: cloth is then overgrained or coated with a suitable oak colour or other
colour according to the substance intended to be imitated, and is afterwards
varnished. The cloth either before or after the varnishing operation, as may
A very
be required, is submitted to the action of heat in a drying room.
good imitation of oak is produced by the process above described, the result
being an oilcloth of a new description in regard to its ornamental surface,
and of a far better quality than has hitherto been manufactured. Imitations
of other woods and of the surfaces of various marbles and those of other
substances may be produced in a similar manner.
Having now described our Invention, we would have it understood that
we do not claim the exclusive use of the various materials above mentioned,
or of the instruments employed; but what we do claim is the production of
the new description of cloth by employing the process of manufacture as
above described.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Hersee and George Smyth,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-sixth day of July,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
GEORGE SMYTH. (L.S.)
(L.S.)