An Improved Hygienic Pocket Handkerchief.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, 1895-Accepted, 22nd June, 1895
An Improved Hygienic Pocket Handkerchief.
A. communication by HERMANN KRUM, of Göppingen, Wurtemberg, in the
Empire of Germany, Paper Maker.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, 118 New Street, Birmingham in
the County of Warwick and 31 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object to guard against the danger of the conveyance
of germs of disease (bacteria) by means of pocket handkerchiefs, in all contagious
diseases in which the contagion is conveyed by breathing or inhaling contagious
or infectious matter. This is done by using so-called hygienic pocket handkerchiefs
which may be destroyed immediately after use (by burning or otherwise rendering
them innocuous) instead of pocket handkerchiefs made of any textile fabric,
which on account of their relatively high price are repeatedly used for a long
period.
These hygienic pocket handkerchiefs are further so closely made that the matter
removed from the nose or mouth cannot penetrate them as is the case with fabric
handkerchiefs where it passes through the small interstices of the fabric and
thereby frequently comes onto the hands and is conveyed by the latter to other
substances or parts of the body. It is further necessary that these improved
handkerchiefs should be cheap, soft, supple and yet strong enough not to be torn
or otherwise destroyed whilst being used, as otherwise their utility would of
course be seriously affected. In order to attain all these advantages, by this
invention such handkerchiefs are formed of thin paper saturated with glycerine
for the sake of softness and impermeability and provided with a foundation of
fabric preferably of light bandaging material. The material may be made directly
on the paper making machine by passing paper and fabric together in one common
course through a vessel filled with glycerine and water, or the paper, treated in
the usual manner with glycerine, may be fixed onto the fabric, or the fabric onto
the paper by an adhesive and then pressed thereon. The paper is then cut into
rectangular pieces of from 15 to 18 centimetres in size and where possible kept in
a damp place in order to retain its suppleness and softness.
The cost of using small hygienic pocket handkerchiefs made in this way, of
course assuming that they are destroyed each time after use, is not much greater
than the washing of the fabric handkerchiefs hitherto employed, and the extra
cost is well compensated for by the protection which they afford against further
spread of the germs of disease when used by persons suffering from contagious or
infectious diseases, immaterially whether such persons are in family circles Οι
hospitals.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is-
An improved hygienic pocket handkerchief intended to be used once and then

page_text: burnt or destroyed, consisting of thin paper saturated with glycerine and provided
with a thin backing of fabric, preferably consisting of thin bandaging material,
such covering being applied by means of pressure or an adhesive either in the
paper machine or in other suitable manner, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 18th day of May 1895.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.