IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF DRIVING STRAPS OR, BANDS, THE BACKS OF WIRE CARDS, AND COP TUBES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Bland Wood, of Vernon House, Camp Street,
Broughton, near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, M.D., for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF DRIVING STRAPS
OR, BANDS, THE BACKS OF WIRE CARDS, AND COP TUBES."
Sealed the 5th September 1862, and dated the 19th June 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Bland Wood at the
Office of the Cominissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
June 1862.
I, JOHN BLAND WOOD, of Vernon House, Camp Street, Broughton, near
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, M.D., do hereby declare the nature
of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF DRIVING STRAPS
OR BANDS, THE BACKS OF WIRE CARDS, AND COP TUBES," to be as follows:-
I take buffalo or other untanned hides or parts of hides previously macerated
in water, the temperature of which should not exceed eighty degrees of
Fahrenheit, until the texture of the hides is sufficiently softened. The hides
are then removed from the bath in which they were immersed, and allowed to
drain, exposed to the atmosphere for at least twenty-four hours, and after-
wards by means of a suitable machine cut into strips or shreds, which are
passed through fluted or other rollers; until thoroughly converted into a
uniform pulp or mass, which is subsequently placed in a room the temperature

page_text: whereof does not exceed ninety to a hundred degrees of Fahrenheit for at least
two days, during which period the mass must be turned over several times,.
until the whole becomes softened and slightly adhesive. The mass, either
alone or with the admixture of a certain proportion of cotton, flax, or other
fibrous matter is then passed through wooden or iron rollers, some of which
are covered with felt, the width and thickness of the material so produced
being regulated according to the purpose for which it is desired. The sheets
thus made are passed over slightly warm cylinders until it acquires the neces-
sary degree of dryness. In order to render the sheets impermeable to the
action of damp or moisture they may be coated with a solution of india-rubber
or gutta percha, or both, or for this purpose to give the substances thus
manufactured greater flexibility animal oil or fat may be rubbed in until the
desired result is obtained. These sheets are then cut into the proper widths
for straps or bands for driving machinery, or for the backs of wire cards, or
the substance may be rolled or formed between grooved or suitable rollers to.
the width and thickness desired. In the manufacture of cop tubes the sub-
stance or pulp is rolled out into thin bands, the width of which is in accordance
with the length of the tube required, and when partially dry is cut into lengths
of the shape and form required; each length being subsequently wound upon
a steel mandril, then placed in a die adapted for the purpose, the pressure of
which converts the folds of the tube into one uniform solid.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Bland Wood in. the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th December 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BLAND WOOD, of Vernon House, Camp Street, Broughton, near Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, M.D., send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Bland Wood, Her special licence, that I, the said John Bland
Wood, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Bland Wood, 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

page_text: 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF DRIVING STRAPS OR BANDS, THE BACKS
OF WIRE CARDS, AND COP TUBES," upon the condition. (amongst others) that I,
the said John Bland Wood, 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 months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent
. NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Bland Wood, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
I take buffalo or other untanned hides or parts of hides, and by means of.
any suitable machine cut them into thin strips or shreds, to which cutting I
make no claim. These cuttings are then to be macerated in water, which it.
is preferred should be slightly acidulated with hydrochloric acid, using for this
purpose about one part of the commercial acid to a thousand parts of, water.
In this bath the shreds or strips are allowed to remain for the space of from
two to four days, according to the thickness of the strips or the temperature of
the water, which I usually employ at its natural temperature in the open air,
but if in a warm building the heat should not be allowed to rise above 80° of
Fahrenheit; this soaking is to continue until the cuttings are sufficiently
saturated and softened to undergo the process of disintegration. When in
this state the strips or. shreds of hide are removed from the bath in which
they have been immersed, and they are to be thoroughly washed with pure
water, so as effectually to remove the acid or lime with which they have pro-
viously been combined. They are then placed on wicker or wooden grids and.
allowed to drain, exposed to the atmosphere for at least 24 hours. When
this is done they are passed, firstly, through fluted, and subsequently through
plain iron rollers revolving at a rapid speed, until the whole is converted into
one uniform homogeneous pulp or mass, which is then allowed to remain in a
room, the temperature whereof should be kept from 60 to 70 degrees of
Fahrenheit for about two days. During this period the mass should be turned
over several times, so as to expose it uniformly to the action of the atmosphere
until the whole becomes thoroughly softened, plastic, and slightly adhesive.
The mass of pulp in this state (with or without the admixture of a proportion
of cotton, flax, hair, or other fibrous material, together with vegetable mucilago

page_text: fecula or starch) is then passed between wooden or iron rollers, which are
adjusted so as to produce any width and thickness of sheet that may be re-
quired. When combined with any of the substances herein-before named
the proportions that I prefer are from 5 to 10 parts of the fibrous and muci--
lagenous or feculent materials to 90 or 95 parts of the pulp. The bands or
straps thus formed, while still moist are then to-be thickly coated over with a
mixture made from vegetable mucilages and fixed animal or vegetable oils. The
vegetable mucilages may be obtained from a number of marine and other
plants, but those that I prefer are the following, viz. :-Cetraria Islandica
(Hooker), Chondrus crispus (Greville), and Gracilaria tenax (Greville). The
animal and vegetable oils used are common cod oil, palm oil, and cocoa-nut oil.
The form or combination of which, with the vegetable substances above de-
scribed which I prefer to use is the following, viz. :-Two parts of cod oil, one
part each of palm and cacoa-nut oil, and one quarter part by weight of any of
the above-mentioned plants (when dry) boiled in twenty times its weight of
water, and slowly evaporated until reduced to a thick and strong mucilage,
which is then to be carefully and thoroughly mixed with the oils, previously
melted by means of a gentle heat. The mixture thus prepared is then ready
to be applied, as described above. The straps or bands after being thus coated
should be allowed to remain exposed to the atmosphere in a temperature of
about 60° of Fahrenheit for a period of two or three weeks, or until the whole
or greater portion of the oily and mucilagenous matter is thoroughly absorbed,
the superfluous fatty or oily matter is then to be carefully cleaned from off the
surface of the straps or bands by the application of a weak solution of caustic
soda or potash, which may be applied by means of a brush or otherwise.
When nearly dry the straps are passed between iron or other rollers for the
purpose of embossing or equalizing the surfaces. If the straps or bands thus
formed are required to be rendered impervious to water they may for that
purpose be covered over with a solution of gutta percha or india-rubber, or a
mixture of the two, in benzole, naptha, or other suitable solvent. In the
adaptation of the material for the backs of wire cards the pulp produced as
already described is rolled out into thin fillets or bands, the thickness and width
of which may be varied according to the special purpose for which they are
required. The fillets or bands or sheets thus produced are then placed between
two similar fillets made of cotton or flax, which are then firmly cemented
together by means of a solution of india-rubber, by passing them between
heavy rollers. In the manufacture of cop tubes the substance or pulp is
rolled out into thin bands, the width of which is in accordance with the length
of the tubes required, and when partially dry is cut into lengths of the shape

page_text: and form that may be desired, each length being subsequently wound upon a
steel mandril, then placed in a die adapted for the purpose, the pressure of
which renders the sides of each tube solid by the folded parts being made to
adhere.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the details herein described, but what I claim is the manu-
facture of driving straps or bands, the backs of wire cards and cop tubes from
the pulp of buffolo or other untanned hides or parts of hides, as herein de-
scribed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Bland Wood, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JOHN BLAND WOOD. (L.S.)