CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FLOORCLOTHS, ROOFING, AND WATERPROOF FABRICS GENERALLY, SOME OF THE WATERPROOFING MATERIAL USED IN SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE AS A VARNISH AND CEMENT AND FOR MAKING SOLID MATERIALS AND COATING SHIPS' BOTTOMS, AND OTHER ROUGH PURPOSES." PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1873

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to Alexander Rollason, of Totterdown, in the City
and County of Bristol, Chemist, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FLOORCLOTHS, ROOFING, AND
WATERPROOF FABRICS GENERALLY, SOME OF THE WATERPROOFING MATERIAL
USED IN SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE AS A VARNISH AND
CEMENT AND FOR MAKING SOLID MATERIALS AND COATING SHIPS' BOTTOMS,
AND OTHER ROUGH PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Rollason
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 5th May 1873.
I, ALEXANDER ROLLASON, of Totterdown, in the City and County of
5 Bristol, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FLOORCLOTHS, ROOFING,
AND WATERPROOF FABRICS GENERALLY, SOME OF THE WATERPROOFING MATERIALS

page_text: USED IN SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE AS A VARNISH AND CEMENT
AND FOR MAKING SOLID MATERIALS AND COATING SHIPS' BOTTOMS, AND OTHER ROUGH
PURPOSES,” to be as follows:--
"
The first part of my Invention consists in the use of Limmer and such
like rock asphelts and reducing them to a state of liquification, not by t
the use of bitumen, which has heretofore been used for that purpose,
but by what is commercially known as crude paraphine or petrolieue
oil, or other unpurified oils analogous thereto, and the proportion which
I use is about one part of oil to thirty or forty or more parts of ashphelte,
according as I desire to produce flexibility or rigidity when in its fluid
state, rendered so by steam or other heat). I spread it by suitable
appliances upon various fabrics such as jute, hemp, linen, calico, felt,
paper, and such like, and if I desire to do so and before it is quite set
and cold, and while in a sticky condition, I throw upon it fine sawdust,
cowhair, leather shavings, or .cotton waste, and which I into it
press
with suitable rollers or other means, or I coat it when dry with the
solution forming the second part of my Invention, as stated below, thus
producing a material very similar to kamptulicon or linolium, which is
capable of being painted or otherwise ornamented.
The second part of my Invention consists in dissolving animal products
in water such as gluc, gelatine, albunine, and such like vegetable gums
as will dissolve in water, and gums accacia, sevegal, dextrine, and also
starch, flour, and such like substances when brought to a gummy state
by heated water, and to these gums and other substances when so
dissolved I add bicromate of potash, and to obviate the hardness and
brittleness of such simple mixture I add to them either glycerine,
treacle, and such like non-drying substances, which I spread by suitable
means upon all kinds of fabrics, or I saturate them with it, which after
being exposed to light and air for some time they become waterproof,
and I use these various mixtures as a cement for joining together all
kinds of woven fabrics, and also leather, wood, and other such materials,
or I use them as a varnish simply for metals, woods, stones, and bricks,
but the compound which I prefer to use, and which I have found to
be most effective is as follows:-Gluc, size, containing about one-half of
dry glue two hundred pounds, water two hundred pounds, glycerine
one hundred pounds, and bickromate of potash six pounds; the glue size
being made hot, the glycerine is added, and lastly the bickromate of
potash in fine powder, which must also be thoroughly dissolved by heat;

page_text: when the compound is ready for use as described I spread or brush it
on leather, wood, metal, and such like materials, or I saturate with
the mixture the various fabrics named..
For varnishes and cement a very small proportion of glycerine or
similar substances only should be used, about twenty pounds instead
of two hundred pounds, and the same proportion would apply to stone
work, although I have found that for wood, and stone, and metals,
generally the glycerine and similar materials may be left out altogether,
but I prefer the use of a small quantity in all cases. This mixture as
above described should be spread or brushed on at several different
times, and allowed to dry and be exposed to daylight and air at each
and overy separate spreading, and. I sometimes (and especially for floor-
cloths) use fine powdered cork or sawdust, or an article known as cotton
waste, and which may be more particularly described as the refuse or
waste resulting from the action of dilute acids. upon mixed fabrics of
wool and cotton, or I rub the fabrics over with these last named
articles before the fabrics when so spread are dry.
The third part of my Invention consists in mixing the before named
cotton waste with glue as described, or with animal products, linseed or
other drying oils or varnishes, and applying it on fabrics with a brush
or otherwise like paint or making thick sheets of it without any fabrio
whatever.
Fourthly I use the mixture of animal products and vegetable gums
when mixed with bickromate of potash as described for the manufacture
of solid substances as buttons, knife handles, and other such articles,
which may be moulded or pressed into shape.
1

page_text: our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Alexander Rollason, Her special licence
that I, the said Alexander Rollason, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Rollason, 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,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
* CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FLOORCLOTHS, ROOFING, AND
WATERPROOFING FABRICS GENERALLY, SOME OF THE WATERPROOFING MATERIAL
USED IN SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE AS A VARNISH AND CEMENT
AND FOR MAKING SOLID MATERIALS AND COATING SHIPS' BOTTOMS, AND OTHER ROUGH
PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alex-
ander Rollason, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
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
month next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Rollason, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the samë
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say) :-
My Invention relates to a novel process of producing or coating
floorcloths and other materials, and rendering them waterproof by the
use of such materials as I herein-after describe.
The first part of my Invention consists in the use of Limmer and such-
like rock asphaltes by reducing them to a state of liquifaction with or
without the use of bitumen so long as they are reduced by the addition
of oils to the required state of pliability. When so reduced I spread
them by suitable appliances upon various fabrics, such as jute, hemp,
linen, calico, felt, paper, and such like, and if I desire to do so and
before quite set or cold I place on the surface cork dust, sawdust, cow-
hair, leather shavings, or cotton waste, and which I press into them by
suitable rollers or other means, thus producing a material very similar
to kamptulicon, and which by the use of the compounds named in the

page_text: second part of my Invention as a coating will receive printed impressions
and oil colors.
The second part of my Invention consists in dissolving animal pro-
ducts in water, such as glue, gelatine, albumen, and such vegetable
gums as will dissolve in water, as accacia, senegal, dextrine, starch,
flour, and such like substances when brought to a gummy state by
heated water; to these I add bichromate of potash, alum, or chromate
of alum, ammonia, tannin, and other such well-known substances as will
render them impervious to the action of water or damp. I then mix
with these compounds cork dust, sawdust, ground fibrous matter, cotton
waste, china clay, pipe clay, white flake, resin, powdered glass, and
similar materials such in effect imparting substance or body to fabrics
coated with the said compounds, or I coat them with collodion or
collodion compounds.
The third part of my Invention consists in mixing the before-named
cotton waste, ground fibrous matter with glue or other animal products,
linsced, or other drying oils or varnishes, grease, or tallow, and applying
it on fabrics with a brush or otherwise like paint, or making thick sheets
of it without any fabric whatever.
Fourthly. I use the mixture of animal products and vegetable gums
when mixed with bichromate of potash and similar agents, as before
described, for the manufacture of solid substances, as buttons, knife
handles, and other such articles, which may be moulded or pressed into
shape.
What I claim is the Invention substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Rollason, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this First day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.