IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TARPAULING
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Briggs, of Richmond Hill Works, Salford,
in the County of Lancaster, Tarpauling and Oilcloth Manufacturer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TARPAULING."
Sealed the 31st January 1860, and dated the 24th August 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Briggs at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th
August 1859.
I, THOMAS BRIGGS, of Richmond Hill Works, Salford, in the County of
Lancaster, Tarpauling and Oilcloth Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said. Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TAR-
PAULING," to be as follows:--
My Invention consists in. combining. tarpauling with paper, felt, or other
suitable substance, thereby producing a waterproof and clean substitute for the
usual tarpauling, which in. many cases is objectionable, owing to the tar pene-
trating to the fabrics or other materials to be protected.
In performing my Invention, I cause the canvas or other fabric of which
the tarpauling is to be made to pass through the liquid tar in the usual manner,
and then I apply the paper, felt, or other suitable substance to one or both sides
of the fabric; pressure. is then applied to consolidate the whole together.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent; filed
by the said Thomas Briggs in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd February 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
BRIGGS, of Richmond Hill Works, Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Tar-
pauling and Oilcloth Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Briggs, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Briggs,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas Briggs, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 OF TARPAULING," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Thomas Briggs, my executors, or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particu-
larly 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Briggs, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
My Invention consists in combining tarpauling with paper, felt, or other
suitable substances thereby producing a waterproof and clean substitute for
the usual tarpauling, which in many cases is objectionable, owing to the tar
penetrating to the fabrics or other materials to be protected.
In performing my Invention, I cause the canvas or other fabric of which
the tarpauling is to be made, to pass through the liquid tar in the usual
manner, and then I apply the paper, or felt, or other suitable substance to one
or both sides of the fabric; pressure is then applied to consolidate the whole
together.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily

page_text: carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Drawing
which represents a section through an apparatus suitable for performing my
Invention.
a is a cistern containing tar, or a mixture of tar with other water-repellant
substance, which is kept in a liquid state by a fire placed underneath in the
usual manner; b, b, are the rods for removing the superabundant tar from
the canvas or other fabric of which the tarpauling is made; this canvas is
supplied at c, and is guided under the roller d, in the cistern a, and passes
round the rods & to the roller d', as in manufacturing tarpauling of the usual
description; e is the roller or batch of paper, felt, or other suitable substance
to be applied to the canvas, this paper or other substance is taken under the
roller d', and the canvas and the paper or other substance unite in passing
round this roller, they are then carried upwards and are guided over and
under the three rollers g, h, and i, by which the requisite pressure for
consolidating them together is applied; the canvas with the paper or other
substance adhering to it then passes around guide rollers fand f¹, to the
three lath rollers j, k, and 1, from whence it descends to the table m, on to
which it is plaited down or folded by manual labor or by suitable machinery.
The requisite motion is imparted to the rollers g, h, and i, by an attendant
turning the handle o, which turns the pinions shown by dotted circles, and by
another attendant working the band p, passing over a pulley attached to one
of the rollers j, k, and l, which are also connected by pinions, or the motion
may be communicated by steam or other power in any other convenient
manner. When both sides of the canvas are to be covered with paper, felt,
or other suitable substance, I place another roller at q, as shown by dotted
lines.
The tarpauling manufactured according to these improvements is both
waterproof and clean and free from the defects of tarpauling made in the
usual manner, which is objectionable, owing to the tar penetrating to the
fabrics or other merchandize or material to be protected; another great
objection to the ordinary tarpauling is owing to the asphalte or resin which is
sometimes mixed with the tar to prevent the folds of tarpauling adhering
together, and which, when the tarpauling is used for packing, is liable to
become pulverised and to injure the merchandise to be protected; the bene-
ficial effects of my improved tarpauling are particularly apparent when it is
used for packing goods going to a warm climate, as it is capable of resisting
a considerably greater degree of heat than the ordinary tarpauling.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described an appa-
ratus suitable for carrying the same into operation, I wish it to be understood

page_text: that I do not limit myself to the apparatus shewn, as it may be considerably
varied or modified, but what I do claim as my improvements in the manu-
facture of tarpauling is, the combining canvas or other fabric saturated in tar,
or tar mixed with other water repellent material with paper, felt, or other
substance for the purposes described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Briggs, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.