AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Squire Tebbutt, of the Firm of W. J.
Windram and Co., of Leicester, Elastic Web Manufacturers, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS."
Sealed the 17th April 1860, and dated the 25th October 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Squire Tebbutt at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th October 1859.
I, EDWARD SQUIRE TEBBUTT, of the Firm of W. J. Windram and Co., of
Leicester, Elastic Web Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS," to be
as follows:-
My Invention of an improved manufacture of elastic fabrics relates to an
improved mode of producing a plain elastic cloth, such as is used for making
gussets. This object has heretofore been effected by cementing sheets of
vulcanized india-rubber between two sheets of woven fabric, or by cementing
between the woven fabrics strips, strands, or bands of india-rubber. The use
of sheet rubber for this purpose is open to objection, as an impervious fabric is
thereby produced, through which no air or perspiration can pass. The use of
bands or narrow strips of india-rubber is also open to objection inasmuch as
a shurred or corrugated appearance instead of a plain even surface is produced
on the cloth.
My Invention consists in cementing or connecting the woven fabrics
together by means of threads of india-rubber of such fineness as will admit of
a. considerable number of such threads being placed side by side within the

page_text: space of an inch. By this means a cloth or fabric with a plain even surface
is produced possessing the required amount of elasticity, and possessing also the
desirable quality of being equally pervious to the passage of air, as is the case
with the ordinary shurred or corrugated goods above referred to.
In carrying out my Invention the india-rubber threads are placed in a
distended state between two suitable fabrics coated or prepared on the inner
sides with some suitable adhesive cement; then by passing the fabrics with
the india-rubber threads between them between pressing rollers, the fabrics
are caused to adhere to the threads, and a compound fabric of the kind
required will be produced.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Squire Tebbutt in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 24th April 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
SQUIRE TEBBUTT, of the Firm of William James Windram and Company, of
Leicester, Elastic Web Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edward Squire Tebbutt, Her special license that I, the said Edward
Squire Tebbutt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Edward Squire Tebbutt, 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 "AN
IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst"
others) that I, the said Edward Squire Tebbutt, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, 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 Edward Squire Tebbutt, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof (that is to say) :-
My Invention of an improved manufacture of elastic fabrics relates to an
improved mode of producing a plain elastic cloth, such as is used for making
gussets, boot fronts, or other parts of boots or shoes. This object has here-
tofore been effected by cementing sheets of vulcanized india-rubber between
two sheets of ordinary or suitable woven fabric, or by cementing between the
woven fabrics strips, strands, or bands of india-rubber. The use of sheet
rubber for this purpose is open to objection, as an impervious fabric is thereby
produced, through which no air or perspiration can pass. The use of bands
or narrow strips of india-rubber is also open to objection, inasmuch as a
shurred or corrugated appearance instead of a plain even surface is produced-
on the cloth.
My Invention consists in cementing or connecting any ordinary and suitable
woven fabrics together by means of threads of india-rubber of such fineness as
will admit of a considerable number of such threads being placed side by side
within the space of an inch. By this means a cloth or fabric with a plain
even surface is produced possessing the required amount of elasticity, and
possessing also the desirable quality of being equally pervious to the passage
of air, as is the case with the ordinary shurred or corrugated goods above
referred to.
In carrying out my Invention I find that in practice the best result is
obtained when the number of india-rubber threads used per inch corresponds
to, or is about the same as the number or gauge of the thread itself, and I
therefore propose that if, for instance, No. 40 india-rubber thread be used,
about forty threads per inch should be put into the fabric, and so on according
to the number or gauge of the india-rubber thread employed in producing the
compound fabric, and I prefer to insert the fine threads of india-rubber in a
dry and distended state between two pieces- of any other. suitable fabric or
fabrics (woven or otherwise), such pieces of fabric or fabrics being first coated
with india-rubber or other suitable adhesive cement. The cemented surfaces
of such fabric or fabrics are then brought into close contact with the dry and
distended threads of india-rubber by means of pressing rollers or other suitable
plain pressing surface before the cement on such fabric or fabrics becomes set
or dry. The whole of the materials are then kept in close contact and in a
distended state until the adhesive cement has become sufficiently dry to cause
the whole to adhere firmly together. The compound fabric is then allowed to
contract, and the result will be a compound elastic fabric, the surfaces of
which are of an even or cloth like character, free from corrugations or puckers.

page_text: I do not, however, confine myself to this mode of operation. In some cases
I coat the threads of india-rubber in any suitable manner with adhesive cement
immediately before such threads of india-rubber are allowed to come into
contact with the cemented surfaces of the fabric or fabrics that form the outer
portions of the compound fabric, and in this case it is not necessary that the
cement on the inner surfaces of such fabric or fabrics should be in an undried
state at the moment of contact with the cemented threads of india-rubber, but
this is not an absolute condition, as the whole of the materials forming the
compound fabric may be brought into contact while the cement on the whole
or any portion thereof is in an undried state. After the compound fabric has
become firmly united by pressure, and the complete drying of the cement with
which the whole is caused to adhere, the compound fabric may be allowed to
contract, and such contraction may or may not be assisted by moisture or
heat, or by both, at the will or pleasure of the operator.
Having now described my Invention of "An Improved Manufacture of
Elastic Fabrics," and having explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not mean or intend to limit myself
to the insertion in the compound fabric of any specific number of threads of
india-rubber per inch of width of such fabric as the number of threads used
per inch will depend upon the gauge of the thread; but what I consider to be
new in the above-described process, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, is, the manufacture of a compound
elastic fabric, the surfaces of which are made of an even or cloth like character,
and free from corrugations or puckers by the cementation of a sufficient number
of threads of india-rubber between two pieces of any suitable fabric or fabrics,
às herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Squire Tebbutt, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
WILLIAM WARBURTON,
15, New Walk, Leicester.
EDW. S. TEBBUTT. .(L.S.)