An Improved Substitute for Whalebone.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Loft, 10th Oct, 1802 Accepted, 12th Nov, 1802
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Substitute for Whalebone.
THOMAS JOSEPH HASLAM 105 Middle Abbey Street Dublin Merchant do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A material resembling in appearance and possessing the qualities of whalebone is
made by coating a suitable flexible fibrous material or materials with a suitable
cohesive pliable cement which on being rolled and dried can be split into lengths
and sizes as required and used for all the purposes to which whalebone is
adapted.
In carrying out this invention preference is given to hair or fibre or a mixture of
both, which having been properly prepared is coated with a suitable cohesive pliable
cement of a horny nature and is then submitted to pressure and dried. Care must
be taken to have all the bair-like filaments placed lengthwise in layers and each
layer placed one above the other.
Dated this 9th day of December 1891.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Substitute for Whalebone.
I, THOMAS JOSEPH HASLAM, of 105 Middle Abbey Street, Dublin, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to he
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
A material resembling in appearance and possessing the qualities of whalebone is
made by coating a suitable flexible fibrous material or materials with a suitable
cohesive pliable cement which on being dried can be split into lengths and sizes as
required and used for all the purposes to which whalebone is adapted.
In carrying out this invention preference is given to hair or fibre or a mixture
of both, which having been properly prepared is coated with a suitable cohesive
pliable cement and is then submitted to pressure and dried. Care must be taken to
have all the hair like filaments placed lengthwise in layers and each layer placed
one above the other.
I can obtain a good useful substitute for whalebone suitable to be used in whips,
dresses, corsets &c. in the following manner :-
I select preferably straight bair or fibres, or a mixture of both; horse hair and
vegetable fibres similar to horse hair is suitable. I carefully free the hair or
fibres from dirt or grease by immersion in a dilute soda or other alkaline bath and
then thoroughly dry them. Also I prepare a metal mould of trough like form
rectangular in section or of any desired shape in the bottom of which I deposit a
layer of celluloid or other suitable cement in a plastic condition; on this layer I
place a further layer of the hair which must be placed lengthwise; on the top of
this I place another thin layer of the celluloid or cement and then another of hair
and so on until the required thickness is gained when I finish off with a final layer of
the celluloid. Each layer of hair is preferably only one hair deep and there may
be any number of such layers and each layer must be covered with a thin coating
of the cement so that all will bind into a solid mass. The mould when full receives
a plunger within it and its contents are submitted to pressure which is sufficient to
consolidate the mass. The mould is then dried under pressure until its contents
have set when the material can be removed and further exposed to air until it has

page_text: seasoned when it can be split into lengths and polished as required. The hair gives
great strength and even if the pliable cement breaks, the hair forms a grain which
is very tough and elastic in itself.
In place of celluloid I can use other cementing materials which may be selected
to suit the various purposes to which this invention is to be applied.
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 :
A substitute for whalebone being a combination of hair or fibre or a mixture of
both arranged and cemented together substantially as described.
Dated this 7th day of October 1892.
THOMAS J. HASLAM.