A COMBINATION OF KNOWN MA- TERIALS FORMING A SUBSTITUTE FOR CORKS AND BUNGS
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BROCKEDON, of Devonshire Street, Queen Square,. in the County of Middlesex,
Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Seventeenth day of October, in the second year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Brockedon, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said William Brockedon, my exors, admors, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said William Brockedon, my exors, admors, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A COMBINATION OF KNOWN MA-
TERIALS FORMING A SUBSTITUTE FOR CORKS AND BUNGS;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso that 1, the said William Brockedon, shall cause
a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Brockedon, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say) :-

page_text: My Invention relates to combining fibrous materials with india-rubber
(caoutchouc) in such manner as to form stoppers to be used as substitutes
for corks and bungs.
And in order to give the best information in my power, I will proceed to
describe the means and process pursued by me, and which I have found fully
to answer. And I would remark that the fibrous materials I prefer are those
which are capable of felting, but I do not confine myself thereto. I prefer to
prepare the stoppers of wool, which being bowed out in the usual way for
felting, and as is well understood; it is then felted in a roll of the diameter
and length required, and to the degree of hardness which will leave the
stoppers sufficiently soft and elastic. I either make the roll of a cylindrical or
slightly conical figure, so that when formed or cut to the proper lengths they
form the fibrous preparation for my stopper.
The roll may be made of any length convenient for the felter to work it, and
it may be made by hand, as hatter's felt their work or otherwise, as is well
understood; or they may be made of rope or wool forming a series of strands,
or yarns fulled or felted round, such as the wool ropes made by Messieurs
Whitehead and Company, near Saddlework, Yorkshire, of whom I have
bought such rope suitable for the purpose. When the roll of fibrous materials
is thus prepared and cut into lengths for stoppers, the next operation is to rub
each stopper over with india-rubber (caoutchouc) in solutions, as it is usually
sold dissolved. The solution should be of sufficient consistency to lie as much
on the surface of the stopper as possible, yet fluid enough to work freely. Or
the stopper may be immersed in the solution, but in this way a larger quantity
is absorbed than is really necessary to coat the surface. When this coat of
india-rubber has hardened by the evaporation of the solvent, I take a piece of
very thin sheet india-rubber, either cut from blocks or otherwise obtained,
which being slightly rubbed over on one side with solution of india-rubber,
such side is applied to the stopper which has been previously prepared as
above explained, and is brought round it and the edges joined. The stopper
is then rolled to make the contact of surfaces complete. If the fiber or sheet
of india-rubber be very thin it may overlap, when the solution will produce
perfect contact. Or, in place of cutting the roll of fibrous materials into the
lengths fit for stoppers before covering the same with india-rubber, I some-
times coat or cover a considerable length of such material with india-rubber,
and subsequently cut the roll into lengths of stoppers desired, and the roll may
be either cylindrical or conical, according to the stoppers desired. And
I. have found that a convenient mode of covering such roll is to spread the
solution of india-rubber evenly on a sheet of glass or other suitable substance,

page_text: such as metal or marble, to which it will not strongly adhere, and when the
solvent bas evaporated, by a wet knife I divide the sheet of india-rubber into
the sizes required, but do not remove the sheets from the glass or other
surface, but bring the prepared roll of fibrous material coated with solution, as
explained, and roll it on to the sheet of the size to cover it, which I prefer to
overlap where the two edges meet together, or, if very thin, to roll it more
than once around; the sheet by this means will adhere to the roll, and be
detached from the glass. A stopper thus far prepared is then put aside until
the solvent is sufficiently evaporated. If the stoppers have to be covered
separately, the excess of india-rubber, if any, at their ends is to be cut away
with scissors or any convenient cutting instrument; other portions of sheet
india-rubber of a convenient size are to be applied in like manner to the ends of
the stopper, the ends of the stopper being first prepared by a thin coating of
the solution of india-rubber, and by pressure such end pieces are caused to
come into perfect contact with the ends of the india-rubber covering previously
rolled around the stopper. When the end pieces last put on are firmly set or
hard enough, those portions which project are to be removed by cutting true
to the sides, and the stoppers will be completed. I have also used the native
juice of the plants which yield india-rubber in place of artificial solutions of
caoutchouc, but such juices have not hitherto been obtainable in this country
fit for use in sufficient quantity.
In applying these stoppers to the bottles, it is desirable to place within the
neck of the bottle a small wire, with a longitudinal groove in it to allow the
air to escape, otherwise these stoppers are so elastic, and fit so air tight, that
it would be difficult to keep them inserted. When the stopper is in its place
the wire is withdrawn, and the stopper is then, in some measure, kept in place
by the pressure of the atmosphere. Though the above are the best means I
am acquainted with for carrying out my Invention, I do not confine myself
thereto, as it must be obvious that other means and other fibrous materials or
mixtures thereof may be used for making suitably elastic fibrous stoppers, and
other means may be employed for coating the same with india-rubber
(caoutchouc); the object of the Invention, on the one hand, being to obtain
elastic stoppers by the employment of fibrous materials in any form suitable
for the purpose, however brought about; and on the other hand, to make such
stoppers impermiable to liquids and to air by the use of india-rubber
(caoutchouc), however that may be accomplished. It will therefore be seen
that the Invention does not consist of fibrous materials alone nor of india-
rubber (caoutchouc) alone, but such a combination of these materials as will
produce the object desired. And it should be remarked, that there will be

page_text: considerable advantage in the use of such stoppers over the employment of
corks, as the stoppers made according to my Invention may be used over and
over again, although the same may have been drawn by a corkscrew; for it
will be evident that the punctured parts may be repaired by a fresh covering
of india-rubber, when the stoppers will be again as good as before.
When it is desired to make flat stoppers according to my Invention, to
cover the mouths of bottles in place of entering into the same, I cut out por-
tions of felt or woven fabric of the size desired, and coat it with india-rubber on
that face which is to come over the mouth of the bottle, such coating being
effected by applying sheets of india-rubber, or by solution, or natural juice, as
herein explained; such flat stoppers being applicable in such case as inkstands
and other bottles which are closed and kept closed by suitable covers with
pressure, as is well understood. The object of this mode of applying my
Invention being to obtain the elasticity of the fibrous materials and the im-
permiability of the india-rubber; at the same time I would remark, that I am
aware that india-rubber alone has been used for similar purposes, but is, when
in substance, liable to become hard, whereas when thin, and combined with
the use of fibrous materials to retain the desired elasticity, will be found more
useful.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Brockedon, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of April, in the year of our
Land One thousand night hundred and thirty nine
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Seventeenth day of April, in the
year of our Lord 1839, the aforesaid William Brockedon came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Seventeenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thou-
sand eight hundred and thirty-nine.