An Improvement in the Manufacture of India Rubber.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 20th June, 1891-Accepted, 5th Sept., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in the Manufacture of India Rubber.
I ADOLPHUS ISIDOR RATH of Spring Bank Mills Hyde in the County of
Chester India Rubber Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-—
The object of this invention is to impart to india rubber during the process of
its manufacture greater toughness strength, and durability, whereby its value is
increased, its qualities improved and it is rendered especially applicable to a
variety of useful purposes to which india rubber prepared or manufactured in the
ordinary manner and possessing these qualities only in a modified degree is not so
advantageously applicable.
My invention consists mainly in imparting these desirable qualities to the india
rubber by the admixture therewith during the process of its manufacture, and
whilst in the state known as "dough" of a small proportion of fibres of waste silk
as hereinafter described which will be found to impart a strength resiliency
toughness and durability to the india rubber which it would not otherwise possess.
India rubber manufactured according to my invention is especially suitable for
the protecting covering of the india rubber tubular tyres known as "pneumatic
tyres and applied to the wheels of bicycles and other velocipedes as described in
the Specification annexed to my application for Letters Patent No. 6427 dated
April 15th 1891.
د,
It is also applicable to the manufacture of what are known as
"cushion" tyres
and solid tyres used for cycles, owing to its increased strength and durability as
well as on account of its peculiar non-slipping quality whereby the side-slipping of
the wheel is prevented. It is also particularly applicable to what are known as
"noiseless tyres" for cabs and other vehicles and for an almost endless variety of
other uses where the peculiar elastic qualities of india rubber are required to be
combined with increased resiliency toughness, strength and durability.
For the purposes of my invention I take waste silk and I grind it by means of
grinding rollers or otherwise into a state of dust or fluff consisting of extremely
short fibres, or I reduce the silk waste to a like condition by cutting or other
available or known means which will produce the same effect, and I add a
proportion of this silk waste, so ground reduced or cut to the "dough" of india
rubber and work it well into the " dough with the sulphur and other usual
ingredients in the ordinary mixing machine until it is thoroughly incorporated
with the rubber and evenly distributed throughout the whole mass.
"
The quantity of silk waste required to give the requisite qualities to the rubber
will vary according to the purpose for which the material is to be used, and to the
treatment which it is to undergo, but for example I may say that for making
tubular or solid tyres for cycles about six ounces of silk to twentyeight pounds of
rubber will be found to be a suitable proportion, whilst for covering pneumatic
tyres or for making the "treads" of "noiseless tyres" for cabs or other carriages
which are subject to an increased amount of wear and tear, a proportionately
increased amount of the silk might be employed with advantage to the same
quantity of rubber.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The improvement in the process of manufacturing india rubber consisting

page_text: otherwise divided or reduced to very short fibres or dust, during the process of
manufacture substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and set
forth, and
Secondly. I claim as a new manufacture the combined material consisting of
india rubber and silk fibres mixed- together substantially as and for the purposes
above set forth.
Dated this 10th day of June 1891
GEO, DAVIES & SON,
-4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.