IMPROVEMENTS IN DOOR. MATS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO COVERINGS FOR FLOORS OF PASSAGES, OFFICES, AND OTHER PLACES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Tasker, of Sheffield, in the County of York,
Leather Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DOOR.
MATS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO COVERINGS FOR FLOORS
OF PASSAGES, OFFICES, AND OTHER PLACES."
Sealed the 7th May 1867, and dated the 21st November 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Tasker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st November 1866.
I, JOHN TASKER, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Leather Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DOOR MATS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO COVERINGS FOR FLOORS
OF PASSAGES, OFFICES, AND OTHER PLACES," to be as follows:-
My improved door mat is composed as follows:-I take waste or other
pieces of leather, and I punch or otherwise cut out a sufficient number of
pieces in the form of flat links (say, for example, about two inches and a half
long by half an inch wide) with an eye or opening at or near each end; I-
then take a number of wires of a length equal. to the width of the required
mat, and I thread one of these wires through a quantity of the leather links,
placing a short piece or pieces of leather between every two or more links (or
between each one), so as to keep the links slightly apart; having rivetted
the ends of this wire over, small washers I then take a second piece of wire
and thread it alternately through the reverse ends of these links, and through

page_text: the ends of a second set of links, the ends of which are placed between the
ends of the first row of links, and I proceed in this manner until a sufficient
number of rows of leather links have been strung together to form the required
length of the mat, finishing the last row by placing short pieces of leather
between the links, as in the first row. A flexible door mat is thus composed
of an open fabric formed of a number of pieces of leather placed in juxta-
position with their edges uppermost. By forming the links with their upper
edges (or both upper and lower edges) serrated or otherwise indented the
efficiency of the door mat is greatly increased and its appearance considerably
-improved; and by arranging the links in different orders a variety of
ornamental patterns may be produced. The mat may also be further orna-
mented by the application of color in the recesses where the leather is not
subject to wear.
I would here remark that although I have hitherto mentioned leather only
as the material of which I compose my improved door mats, I propose to
make them also of raw hide, india-rubber, kamptulicon, or other suitable
substances, and in some cases (for rough work) of hard wood, or even
metal.
It will also be evident that the use of an open flexible fabric of this
description composed of links of leather or other material set on edge and
woven together by means of wires, as above described is not confined to door
mats, but is also equally applicable as a covering for the floors of passages,
offices, and other places.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Tasker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st 2
May 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN TASKER,
of Sheffield, in the County of York, Leather Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of November, in the year of our s
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her Heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Tasker, Her special licence that I, the said John Tasker, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Tasker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree 3
with, and no others, from time to time, and at all times thereafter during

page_text: 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
DOOR MATS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO COVERINGS FOR FLOORS
OF PASSAGES, OFFICES, AND OTHER PLACES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Tasker, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 John Tasker, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that is.
to say:-
My improved mat is composed as follows:-I take waste or other pieces of
leather, and I punch or otherwise cut out a sufficient number of pieces in the
form of flat links (say, for example, about two and a half inches long by half
an inch wide) with an eye or opening at or near each end; I then take a
number of wires of a length equal to the width of the required mat, and I
thread one of these wires through a quantity of the leather links, placing a
short piece or pieces of leather between every two or more links (or between
each one), so as to keep the links slightly apart; having rivetted the ends of
this wire over small washers I then take a second. piece of wire and thread it
alternately through the reverse ends of these links, and through the ends of a
second set of links; the ends of which are placed between the ends of the
first row of links, and I proceed in this manner until a sufficient number of
rows of leather links has been strung together to form the required length of
the mat, finishing the last row by placing short pieces of leather between
the links, as in the first row. A flexible door mat is thus composed of an
open fabric formed of a number of pieces of leather placed in juxtaposition
with their edges uppermost. By forming the links with their. upper edges
(or both upper and lower edges) serrated or otherwise indented the efficiency
of the door mat is greatly increased and its appearance considerably improved. ;
and by arranging the links in different orders a variety of ornamental
patterns may be produced. The mat may also be further ornamented
by the application of color in the recesses where the leather is not subject
to wear.

page_text: I would here remark that although I have hitherto mentioned leather and-
wire only as the materials of which I compose my improved door mats; I
propose to make them also of raw hide, india-rubber, kamptulicon, or other
suitable substances, and in some cases (for rough work) of hard wood or even
metal, and also (if preferred) to use leather or other laces, twine, whalebone;
cane, or other suitable substance in place of wire to thread the links or pieces
together.
It will also be evident that the use of an open flexible fabric of this
description composed of links of leather or other material set on edge and
woven together by means of wires or otherwise, as above described, is not
confined to door mats, but is also equally applicable as a covering for the floors
of passages, offices, and other places.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "Improvements
in Door Mats, which Improvements are also applicable to Coverings for Floors
of Passages, Offices, and other Places," I will now proceed to describe more
in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried
into practical effect; and in order that the same may be distinely understood
I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have
marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those
in the following explanation thereof, that is to say :-
In the annexed Drawing, Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, show various forms of the
flat leather or other links, but, as before stated, I do not intend to confine
myself to these precise shapes as the form may be varied to an almost endless
extent. Figure 6 shows a plan view of a plain mat made from links of the
form represented at Figure 1; the links are connected together by threading
wires through them, as shown by the dotted lines, and the ends of these
wires are rivetted over small metal washers, as shown at a, a, in the edge
view of the mat Figure 7., small pieces or half links 6, b, being inserted
between the links at the ends to keep them apart. Figure 8 is a plan view,
and Figure 9 an edge view of a mat made from links of the serrated form
shown in Figure 5, the links being so arranged as to form an ornamental
pattern.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention. for
"Improvements in Door Mats, which Improvements are also applicable to
Coverings for Floors of Passages, Offices, and other Places," together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention
the manufacture of door mats or of coverings for floors of flat links of leather
or other material set on edge, and threaded on to wire or other suitable

page_text: substance, so as to form an open flexible fabric, substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated in the Drawing annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Tasker, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.