IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF COVERINGS FOR FLOORS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE MANUFACTURE OF TABLE MATS, AND OTHER ARTICLES OR COVERINGS." PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George John Newbery, of Straitsmouth, Greenwich,
in the County of Kent, Artist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF COVERINGS FOR FLOORS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO
THE MANUFACTURE OF TABLE MATS, AND OTHER ARTICLES OR COVERINGS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George John Newbery
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th July 1858.
I, GEORGE JOHN NEWBERY, of Straitsinouth, Greenwich, in the County of
Kent, Artist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF COVERINGS FOR FLOORS, APPLICABLE
ALSO TO THE MANUFACTURE OF TABLE MATS, AND OTHER ARTICLES OR COVERINGS,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the manufacture or production of a new fabric,
applicable to most purposes where a durable fabric having a permanent or
ingrained pattern may be required. According to one modification, this fabric
is composed of threads, tapes, yarns, "bobbins," twines, flexible gums, or
compositions, such as threads of india-rubber, gutta percha, jiuta-wam,
kamptulicon, and other suitable materials, colored or not, and woven together,
either in the ordinary manner, or plaited or interlaced together. These
threads, when of fibrous material, are to be saturated and covered with any
elastic gum, or with oil paint, siccative oils, varnishes, or albumen, before
being made into a fabric, after which such fabric may be pressed, if desired, so

page_text: as to incorporate the threads and produce an even flat surface. The pressing
process may, however, in some cases be dispensed with, and, if found desirable,
the interstices between the threads may be filled up with a body or ground of
paint, elastic gum, or other similar compositions. When compositions only
are used, the fabric may be passed through embossing rollers, so as to produce
an indented set pattern, such indentations being subsequently filled up by
having any color or colors printed, scraped, or rolled therein by any convenient
apparatus whereby an ingrained pattern is produced, which will be more or
less permanent according to the depth of the original indentations. When
the rolling or scraping process is used, the patterns may be cut out of the
fabric, and the perforations filled in with similar fabric of a different color, so
as to produce inlaid or mosaic patterns. It is proposed also to produce an
ornamental fabric by building up, in pattern or otherwise, various colored or
uniform threads of fibrous material, coated as above described, or threads
composed of colored gums mixed or not with cork or other suitable material
cemented and compressed together. When dry, this substance may be cut
transversely into slices of a thickness corresponding to the thickness of material
or fabric required, and each slice will contain the pattern for which the threads
have been arranged.
It is obvious that the above fabrics may be applied to various purposes
where oilcloths, floorcloths, carpets, or other similar coarse fabrics are at
present employed. The first-mentioned fabric, when of fibrous material, may
be made of a fine texture, in which case it may be applied to almost all
purposes where ordinary textile fabrics are now used, and it will have the
advantage of cleanliness, inasmuch as it will not absorb or imbibe dirt, and
may be readily cleaned by sponging or rubbing the surface.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George John Newbery in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th January 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE S
JOHN NEWBERY, of Straitsmouth, Greenwich, in the County of Kent, Artist,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her s
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the

page_text: said George John Newbery, Her special license that I, the said George
John Newbery, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said George John Newbery, my executors, administrators, or
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 MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF COVERINGS FOR FLOORS,...
APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE MANUFACTURE OF TABLE MATS AND OTHER ARTICLES OR
COVERINGS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George.
John Newbery, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven--
tion, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George John Newbery, 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 following
statement, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to the manufacture or production of a new fabric
applicable to most purposes where a durable and impermeable waterproof
fabric having a permanent or ingrained pattern may be required. According
to one mode of construction, this fabric is composed of threads, tapes, yarns,
"bobbins," twines, flexible gums or compositions, such as threads of india-
rubber, gutta percha, kamptulicon, and other suitable materials, colored or
not, and woven together, either in the ordinary manner, or plaited or interlaced
together. These threads, when of fibrous material, whether dyed or undyed,
or colored in the skein, or printed in pattern in the yarn, are to be saturated
and covered with any elastic gum, siccative oils, varnishes, or albumen, as a
vehicle, combined with pigment colors before being made into a fabric, after
which process such fabric may be pressed by passing through rollers, slightly
heated if desired, by steam or otherwise, so as to incorporate the threads and
produce an even and flat surface on the fabric. The pressing process may,
however, in some cases be dispensed with. Threads or yarns of any fibrous
material, colored or printed in the manner above described, may also be woven
into looped or pile fabrics, and afterwards pressed even and flat, so as to
incorporate the several threads, and blend their various colors by passing them
through slightly heated rollers, or the pressing process may be dispensed with,.
the interstices between the threads or pile being filled in with oil paint, or

page_text: other suitable composition. The fabric may be strengthened by having a back
piece or extra fabric cemented thereto by suitable adhesive material. When
compositions only are used, such as kamptulicon, the fabric to lie ornamented
may be passed through embossing rollers, arranged so as to produce an
indented set pattern of any design, such indentations being subsequently filled-
up by having a colored or uncolored composition printed, scraped, or rolled.
therein by any convenient apparatus, such composition being of a nature to
combine or hold readily with the body fabric when set. By this process an
ingrained pattern is produced, which will be more or less permanent or durable
according to the greater or less depth of the original indentations. Or the
ornamentation of kamptulicon and similar fabrics may be effected by cutting
designs entirely out of the fabric and filling in the perforations or openings so
produced with corresponding pieces of similar or other fabrics, or materials of
a different color; or by scraping, or rolling, or pressing into such perforations
colored or uncolored compositions, by which means inlaid and ingrained
patterns will be obtained. This inlaid work may also be carried out with
materials of different natures to the body fabric, as, for example, I propose to
employ ornamental tiles, slabs of wood, pieces of leather, felt, or colored cords
or threads, or woven fabrics, and inlay or insert them in the manner above
described, or in the case of threads by means of a needle into the body fabric,
which, if tiles or slabs of ornamental wood be inlaid therein, will require in
some cases to be made of extra thickness, so as to be even or of equal
thickness with the pieces inserted. The openings made to receive the inserted
parts may in some cases be bevilled or inclined at the edges, the better to
hold or lock the parts inserted, which should be shaped at their edges to
correspond, or the edges of the inserted parts may be cemented to the body
fabric. The backs of the inlaid fabrics are strengthened by the cementing
thereon of an extra fabric. The above fabrics may be applied to all the
various purposes for which oilcloths, floorcloths, carpets, or other similar
fabrics are at present employed. The first-mentioned fabric, composed of
fibrous materials treated in the manner herein-before described, may be made
of a sufficiently fine texture to enable it to be applied to many of the purposes.
where ordinary textilé fabrics are now used, whilst it will have the advantage
of cleanliness, inasmuch as it will not absorb or imbibe dirt, and may. be
readily cleaned by sponging or rubbing the surface.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said In-
vention, and in the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself to
the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe or

page_text: refer to, as variations may be made therefrom without deviating from the prin-
ciples or main features of my said Invention; and also that I am aware that
it has been previously proposed to manufacture ornamental kamptulicon by
laying or building blocks or bars of kamptulicon of various forms and colors
side by side and compressing them together, and cutting the compound block
transversely into sheets or veneers of the required thickness, which will contain
the ingrained pattern for which the blocks or bars were arranged, and there-
fore I lay no claim to such method; but what I consider to be novel
and original, and. therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the several processes for manufacturing coverings for floors and other
surfaces, as herein-before described.
Second, the manufacture of fabrics from fibrous materials by weaving,
plaiting, or interlacing those materials together after they have been previously
saturated and coloured with pigments in combination with any elastic gum,
oil paint, siccative oil, varnish, albumen, or other material suitable as a vehicle,
as herein-before described.
Third, the production of ornamental ingrained designs or patterns in com-
position fabrics, such, for example, as kamptulicon," by indenting or
embossing the required design or pattern by any convenient means into the
surface of the fabric to be ornamented, and filling in such indentations with
oil paint or compositions of other colors, whilst in a soft fluid or plastic state,
as herein-before described.
Fourth, the manufacture or production of ornamented "kamptulicon" or
other composition fabric of a similar nature, by perforating or removing the
parts to be ornamented, and inserting or inlaying into the apertures so formed,
or scraping, rolling, or pressing into such apertures, ornamenting substances
of either the same or of some other material, but of a different color to the
body fabric, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George John Newbery, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of January, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-nine.
GEORGE JOHN NEWBERY.
(L.S.)