IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ASBESTOS FABRICS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Haddan, of Kensington, Middlesex, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ASBESTOS FABRICS."
A communication from abroad by Telesphore Trivier, of Quevaucamps,
Belgium
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Herbert John Haddan at tho
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th February 1882.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN of Kensington, Middlesex, "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF ASBESTOS FABRICS." A communication from abroad by
Telesphoro Trivier, of Quevaucamps, Belgium.
Hitherto the manufacture of woven fabrics from asbestos has been but little
developed, and the industrial application of these fabrics has been very limited.
The reason for the restricted use of this material (in spite of its being incom-
bustible, applicable for insulating and filtering purposes and a bad conductor) lies
in its high price and in the difficulty of making therefrom a strong and durable
tissue. The fabrics woven from asbestos without admixture of other materials
are soon worn out and their manufacture is very difficult owing to the want of
resistance of the fibres.
In order to avoid these disadvantages without altering the valuable qualities of
the fabric I produce an asbestos yarn composed of a metal wire which is
completely surrounded by asbestos fibres, so as to enclose it on all sides, and
from this covered thread I make various kinds of fabrics by weaving, knitting or
plaiting.
The yarn composed in this manner possesses great strength owing to its metallic
core, and the fabric made therefrom possesses the principal qualities of fubrics
made from pure asbestos together with remarkable solidity.
The application of a metallic thread-core is especially recommended for the
manufacture of an incombustible tissue. For other applications I replace the
metallic thread by a textile material such as linen, hemp, silk, wool, cotton or any
analogous substance which may or may not be twisted, and which I cover with

page_text: asbestos as described. The yarn may also be produced by twisting together
several metallic or textile threads with asbestos threads. By these different
methods I obtain yarn of extraordinary smoothness, which possesses also great
strength and may be easily woven, knitted or otherwise made into fabrics.
This mode of manufacture allows me also to chose for the core a material
specially suitable for the purpose for which the fabric is intended. For instance
in order to obtain incombustible fabrics I use preferably a metallic core, such as
iron or steel wire, which may or may not be galvanized; copper, brass, zinc or
platinum.
If the fabric is to be used for filtering, I employ a substance, which the liquid to
be filtered does not attack, and if the fabric is to prevent the transmission of
heat I choose for the core a material which is a bad conductor of heat.
I obtain thus fabrics of different kinds, and applicable for a variety of purposes,
for instance for making incombustible curtains to be used in theatres, incombustible
wearing apparel, cloth for lining the ladder and sacks of fire escapes, bags for
holding ammunition, and covers for powderchests; various sorts of filters may also
be made from such yarn, for instance filter bags applicable in filter-presses of sugar
factories, or for other purposes.
Steam packings may also be made from such yarns, and insulated conductors of
electricity from yarn consisting of a metallic core covered with asbestos fibres.
These examples will show to what different purposes my yarns or the fabrics inade
therefrom may be applied.
In certain cases I produce an analogous fabric in a different manner, for instance
by embroidering with my asbestos yarn on woven tissue formed of metallic or
textile threads; the embroidering yarn may or may not have a metallic or other
core, and it may be applied to the fabric in any suitable manner by producing a
pattern either on one or on both sides.
I may also produce a tissue in which the warp is formed of my asbestos yarn
with or without metallic or other core, while the weft is formed of strips or rods,
which may be solid or hollow, perforated or not. These strips or rods may be of
metal, whalebone, cane, various kinds of wood, or any similar material corresponding
to the purpose for which the tissue is intended, and these rods may be made as thin
as a wire.
In the case of strips and rods the inverse order may be observed in replacing
the asbestos threads by yarn from textile materials, such as hemp, flax, cotton,
wool.
I may also twist together several of my threads having a core of metal or
textile material and make an incombustible rope which, besides the ordinary
purposes may also be used for steam packings.
Several kinds of my yarns may also be combined to form one tissue without
departing from the nature of this Invention, for instance by using asbestos threads
with or without metallic or textile cores side by side with yarn made from pure
asbestos, textile materials or metal wires, and all these yarns, ropes, or tissues may
be covered or coated with any suitable known substance, besides asbestos, by any
known process suitable for the purpose.
1. The manufacture and use of yarn, formed by a core of any suitable metal or
textile material covered by asbestos fibres spun or twisted around the core, so as
to constitute a protective coating for the inner thread.
2. The application of yarn formed as described, for the manufacture of various
fabrics, such as woven, knitted or plaited goods, of whatever material the inner
thread or core of my asbestos yarn may be made.
3. The manufacture of tissues by embroidering with simple or compound
asbestos threads on woven tissues composed of metal or other threads, whether the
embroidery forms a pattern on one or on both sides of the tissue.

page_text: 4. The manufacture of a web in which the warp is formed by my yarn having
any suitable core or of any other yarn, while the weft is formed of strips or rods
of any suitable thickness and any suitable material, such as metal, cane, wood
perforated or not, hollow or solid.
5. The manufacture and use of an asbestos rope formed by any desired number
of my asbestos threads, having cores of metal or textile material, or by pure
asbestos yarn.
6. The application of my yarn, ropes and tissues to any purposes, and particularly
those which are indicated in the foregoing description.
The whole substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said Herbert John Haddan have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Twenty fourth day of February A.D. 1882.
H. J. HADDAN
(LS)