IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FLOOR CLOTH
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Hawksworth, of Doncaster, in the County of
York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FLOOR
CLOTH."
Sealed the 20th January 1865, and dated the 2nd August 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Hawksworth at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd August 1864.
I, SAMUEL HAWKSWORTH, of Doncaster, in the County of York, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF FLOOR CLOTH," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of floor
cloth. For this purpose wool or other fibrous material is taken and passed
through a carding engine, and the loose sheets which come from the carding
engine are laid one on the other until a sufficient thickness is obtained. The
accumulated sheets of fibre are then put through a bath of Irish moss or other
size, and consolidated with a cementing composition, which is applied evenly
all over the uppermost sheet, and this is conveniently done with an india-
rubber roller, to which the composition, which is rendered sufficiently fluid by
heat, is applied in a similar manner to that in which a roller is employed by
printers in spreading their ink.
The cementing composition is conveniently prepared by mixing together
one pound of bees-wax, one pound of glue, two pounds of Venice turpentine,.

page_text: and one gallon of strong boiled linseed oil. The solid materials are melted
by heat, and the whole well stirred together. The fabric prepared in the
manner above described forms the base of the floor cloth, and is to receive a
surfacing material produced and applied in the manner described in the
Specification of a Patent granted to me on the 19th Septr. 1861 (No. 2345).
Linseed oil is for this purpose taken and boiled slowly, or simmered in a
close vessel or boiler for some days, with a small proportion of litharge and
Burgundy pitch until they become of a consistency somewhat similar in fluidity
to tar. This compound is then placed in a masticator or mixing machine
and combined with suitable coloring matters, earths, or pigments, so as to
produce any desired color, and such coloring matters may be so employed
and mixed as to imitate marbles or stones when rolled out into sheets. It is
preferred to employ at the rate of about a quarter of a pound of litharge to
each gallon of oil. This mixture is caused to simmer or boil slowly for about
three days, when about two pounds of Burgundy pitch is added to each
gallon of the oil in the previous mixture, the pitch being in a boiling state.
These materials being well mixed are allowed to simmer for about half an
hour. The mixture is kept for some days, and then used. It is rolled out
into sheets between paper, calico, or other fabric suitably prepared with size
or otherwise to prevent it absorbing the oil of the plastic compound. One
of the two surfaces of paper or other fabric is then to be removed or stripped
off from the sheet of compound, and the sheet is then to be cut into any
desired forms or devices or parts of devices. Pieces of various colors prepared
in this manner are brought together so as to make up a mosaic pattern, and
they are caused to adhere to the base fabric, the cementing composition
therein being still tacky. The surfaces from which the paper has been
stripped are applied to the surface of the base fabric, the whole is passed
between pressing rollers, or otherwise consolidated by pressure, and by this
means the surface pieces are firmly attached to the base fabric. The second
surface of the paper or other fabric used when making a sheet of the surfacing
material is stripped off after the pieces have been made to adhere.
Varied patterns may be produced, according to the forms and devices into
which such sheets are cut and the various colors which are used in composing
a surface.
In a similar manner a plain floor cloth may be made, or the floor cloth
may be embossed by passing it between suitable rollers properly engraved.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Hawksworth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
31st January 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
HAWKSWORTH, of Doncaster, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Samuel Hawksworth, Her special licence that I, the said Samuel Hawks-.
worth, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Samuel Hawksworth, my 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, exer-
cise, 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 FLOOR CLOTH," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Samuel Hawksworth, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, 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 within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Samuel Hawksworth, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and, ascertained in and by the fo!-
lowing statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention bas for its object improvements in the manufacture of floor
cloth. For this purpose wool or other fibrous material is taken and passed
through a carding engine, and the loose sheets which come from the carding
engine are laid one on the other until a sufficient thickness is obtained. The
accumulated sheets of fibre so obtained are then passed along upon a canvas
belt or sheet, and passed through a bath of size made from Irish moss or
other materials from which size is obtained, the bath of size being by preference
of a strength of about one pound of glue to two gallons of water. The canvas
belt then carries the accumulated sheets through close pressing rollers, or the
accumulated sheets may be passed through the rollers before passing through
the bath of size. The consolidated sheet of fibre is then dried, and further

page_text: consolidated with a cementing composition, which is applied evenly all over
the uppermost sheet, and this is conveniently done with an india-rubber roller
to which the composition which is rendered sufficiently fluid by heat is applied
in a similar manner to that in which a roller is employed by printers in
spreading their ink, and whilst the composition is still tacky the plastic com-
pound or mosaic pavement herein-after described is applied to it.
The cementing composition is conveniently prepared by mixing together
one pound of bees-wax, one pound of glue, two pounds of Venice turpentine,
and one gallon of strong boiled linseed oil. The solid materials are melted by
heat, and the whole well stirred together. The fabric prepared in the manner
above described forms the base of the floor cloth, and is to receive a surfacing
material produced and applied in the following manner.
Linseed oil is taken and boiled slowly, or simmered in a close vessel or boiler
for some days, with a small proportion of litharge and Burgundy pitch until they
become of a consistency somewhat similar in fluidity to tar. This compound
is then placed in a masticator or mixing machine, and combined with suitable
coloring matters, earths, or pigments, so as to produce any desired color, and
such coloring matters may be so employed and mixed as to imitate marbles or
stones when rolled out into sheets. It is preferred to employ at the rate of
about a quarter of a pound of litharge to each gallon of oil. This mixture is
caused to simmer or boil slowly for about three days, when about two pounds of
Burgundy pitch is added to each gallon of the oil in the previous mixture, the
pitch being in a boiling state. These materials being well mixed, are allowed
to simmer for about half an hour. The mixture is kept for some days, and
then used. It is rolled out into sheets between or on to paper, calico, or
other fabric suitably prepared with size or otherwise to prevent it absorbing
the oil of the plastic compound. If two surfaces of paper or other fabric aro
employed, one of the surfaces is then to be removed or stripped off from the
sheet of compound, and the sheet is then to be cut into any desired forms or
devices or parts of devices. Pieces of various colors prepared in this manner
are brought together so as to make up a mosaic pattern, and they are caused
to adhere to the surface of the base fabric whilst the cementing composition
thereon is still tacky, the surfaces which are not covered with paper, or from
which the paper has been stripped, being applied to the surface of the base
fabric. The whole is passed between pressing rollers, or otherwise consolidated
by pressure, and by this means the surface pieces are firmly attached to the base
fabric. The second surface of the paper or other fabric used when making a
sheet of the surfacing material is stripped off after the pieces have been made
to adhere.

page_text: Varied patterns may be produced, according to the forms and devices into
which such sheets are cut and the various colors which are used in composing
a surface.
In a similar manner a plain floor cloth may be made, or the floor cloth
may be embossed by passing it between suitable rollers properly engraved.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Hawksworth, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
SAMUEL HAWKSWORTH. (L.S.)