IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WATERPROOF AND VERMIN-PROOF TEXTILE AND OTHER FABRICS OR MATERIALS, WHICH INVENTION COMPRISES A PROCESS AND SOLUTION OR COMPOUND FOR THE SAME AND SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th January 1881. A com-
munication from abroad by Daniel M. Lamb, of the City and State of New
York, United States of America.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
WATERPROOF AND VERMIN-PROOF TEXTILE AND OTHER FABRICS OR MATERIALS,
WHICH INVENTION COMPRISES A PROCESS AND SOLUTION OR COMPOUND FOR THE
SAME AND SIMILAR PURPOSES." A communication from abroad by Daniel
M. Lamb, of the City and State of New York, United States of America.
This Invention relates to waterproof and vermin-proof materials, and its object
is to prepare a compound for and apply the same to the treatment of various kinds
and qualities of goods for the purpose of rendering them impervious to water or
moisture, and indestructible by or repellant to moths or other similar vermin.
The compound prepared for this purpose is applicable to a large variety of goods,
among which are embraced every variety of textile fabrics, all kinds of feathers,
furs, and the like, all leather, paper, felted, and other like materials, as well as
wood, stone, and metal, and in short every article the preservation of which from
the humidity of the atmosphere or more complete saturation with water is a
desirable object. The preparation or compound hereinafter described may also be
used as a preventive of attacks of moths or other similar insects, and may be
employed where such vermin-proofing is the only object sought, or it may be used
where waterproofing is the only object sought, or where the requirement is a
combination of the two qualities.
The materials used for this purpose are so entirely colorless and odorless that they
may be applied to any article, however delicate it may be either in texture or
color, without in the slightest degree injuring the color or appearance of the object
to which it is applied, even though the color or shade be the most delicate tint
possible, and the effect will be the same no matter what the object to which the
preparation or compound is applied, that is to say, it will become immediately
waterproof or water-repellant, and the color of the article to which the compound
is applied will become and remain more permanent and durable by means of the

page_text: waterproofing, as fermentation and consequent decomposition will thereby be
prevented.
The materials used for this purpose, the manner of compounding them, and the
method of applying the compound to the goods are as follows:-In the first place
I form a solution of paraffin, and a hydro-carbon gum dissolved in some hydro-
carbon solvent. For this purpose I take a hydro-carbon gum, such, for instance,
as india-rubber, gutta-percha, milk-weed, or the like, the quantity of the hydro-
carbon gum so taken being about one quarter of an ounce to one ounce, more or
less, to each gallon of the solvent, and dissolve this article whatever it may be in
any light hydro-carbon oil or solvent, such, for instance, as naphtha, benzine,
benzole, gasoline, or the like, always using such as are of about 72° density, more
or less, and then into the hydro-carbon solvent so provided (and which may be
taken in any desired or convenient quantity) I also put for each gallon of the
oil or solvent about two ounces, more or less, of paraffin.
The hydro-carbon gum and paraffin should be cut up into small pieces before
they are put into the solvent so as to facilitate the solution, and after they shall
have been thoroughly dissolved the solution will be treated with a gas or gases in
the following manner:-
I introduce for each gallon of the solution about half a pound (more or less) of
chloride of sodium or common salt, and also immediately thereafter about half a
pound (more or less) of sulphuric acid in such a manner as to allow the acid to
settle down directly upon the salt, and act thereon so as to set free a gas or gases,
which will rise through the mass of the compound under treatment and act
upon it.
The aforesaid gas or gases will be introduced into the bottom part of the
fabricating vessel, and rise through the mass of the compound under treatment,
and attack all the sedimentary and mucilaginous portions of the compound, and
precipitate them to the bottom of the fabricating vessel, whence they may be drawn off.
This gaseous treatment will be continued from about, say, three to ten days, more
or less, during which time the solution will be thoroughly bleached and rendered
colorless, or nearly so, and a complete chemical change will be effected upon it.
After the sediment shall have been drawn off or removed from the purified solution,
the remainining gas will be eliminated from the compound by any suitable means.
This may be accomplished by allowing the mixture to stand a sufficient length of
time to discharge the gas, or the mixture or compound may be agitated by any
suitable mechanical appliance, or by a powerful current of air driven through the
compound from the bottom to the top.
This agitation will be continued for from five to thirty minutes, or until the gas
is removed from the compound along with all foreign substances or impurities that
may be carried with it.
After the agitation of the compound or elimination of the gas therefrom as above
described shall have been completed, the sediment should be again drawn off; the
solution or compound is then thoroughly freed from any residual acid or gas by
treating it with a small quantity of caustic soda, or ammonia, or both, or with any
suitable alkaline solution, either with or without the use of water, to facilitate the
washing or purifying process. During this process of freeing the compound from
any residual acid or gas, the compound will be agitated by some suitable mechanical
appliance to throw up the alkaline solution into the mass of the compound, so as
to enable the alkaline solution to act upon all parts of the compound, and thereby
completely remove all adhering gas or acid.
As above described, the gas for the purification and bleaching of the solution
under treatment may be generated within the mass of the compound under treat-
ment, but it will be equally within the scope of this Invention to generate the gas
within a contiguous vessel and conduct it into the fabricating vessel by means of
suitable piping so arranged as to deliver the gas at or near the bottom of the
solution, so that it may rise up through and permeate the entire mass under
treatment,

page_text: The gas or gases may also be generated from other chlorides and other acids
than those above mentioned, or an efficient gas or gases may be generated from the
black oxide of manganese mixed with the chloride of sodium, and acted upon by
sulphuric acid, muriatic acid, or any other suitable acid, but I prefer the use of
chloride of sodium and sulphuric acid as first hereinbefore described.
After the purification of the compound shall have been fully completed as above
described, the solution will be retained in a tightly-closed vessel, if it is desired to
retain it in the form of a solution, but if it is desired to restore the solids contained
in the solution to a solidified form, the compound should be placed in shallow
tanks, and the vaporization of the solvent accelerated by raising the température
of the apartment in which it is placed to, say, 150° Fahrenheit.
The application of the compound to the goods or articles to be treated may be
by means of a brush or sponge, but I prefer in ordinary cases, for all articles where
it is practicable, to immerse the goods to be treated in a bath, but in either case
the articles treated (if they be textile or other light and portable goods) will have
all adhering moisture drained off or pressed out, and then the treated articles will
be gently dried in a closed room at a temperature preferably kept at about
60° Fahrenheit. After the goods are so freed from moisture, the coating or
material remaining thereon will be thoroughly fixed and vulcanized or cured
(preferably in the same room in which they have been dried) by raising the
temperature thereof to about 180° Fahrenheit, more or less.