A NEW OR IMPROVED WATERPROOF FABRIC OR MATERIAL
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Martin Billing, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Stationer, and Walter George Whitehead, of Birmingham,
aforesaid, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED
WATERPROOF FABRIC OR MATERIAL."
Sealed the 10th June 1856, and dated the 12th December 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Martin Billing and,
Walter George Whitehead at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,.
with their Petition, on the 12th December 1855.
We, MARTIN BILLING, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Stationer,
and WALTER GEORGE WHITEHEAD, of Birmingham, aforesaid, Manufacturer,'
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED
WATERPROOF FABRIC OR MATERIAL" to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists of a new or improved fabric or material suitable for
lining or covering packages in which goods liable to be injured by moisture
are packed. In carrying our Invention into effect, we take a compound fabric
or material, composed of a layer of paper and a layer of linen, or other woven
or felted fabric. We spread upon the said compound fabric or material the
composition called in commerce "marine glue;" the said composition makes
the said fabric or material impervious to water and damp. The compound
fabric or material made according to our Invention is much stronger and less'
liable to be accidentally torn than waterproof paper, having no woven or felted
fabric in its composition.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Martin Billing and Walter George Whitehead in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th June 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, MARTIN
BILLING, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Stationer, and WALTER
GEORGE WHITEHEAD, of Birmingham, aforesaid, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Martin Billing and Walter George Whitehead, Her special licence
that we, the said Martin Billing and Walter George Whitehead, our execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Martin
Billing and Walter George Whitehead, our 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 In-
vention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED WATERPROOF FABRIC OR MATERIAL," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Martin Billing and Walter
George Whitehead, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of
one of us or them, 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 we, the said Martin Billing and Walter George
Whitehead, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
Our Invention consists of a new or improved waterproof fabric or material,
manufactured by the process herein-after explained,. which said fabric or
material is especially suited for lining or covering packages in which goods
liable to be injured by moisture are packed. In carrying our Invention into
effect, we take a compound fabric composed of a layer of paper and a layer of
linen, or other woven or felted fabric. We spread upon the said compound
fabric or material the composition called in commerce "marine glue." The
said composition or marine glue makes the said compound fabric impervious

page_text: to water and damp. Or, instead of taking a compound fabric composed of
paper and linen, or other fabric, we take paper and linen or other fabric
uncombined, and by spreading fused marine glue upon the surface of one or
both we bring them into contact, and thus cause them to adhere together by
means of the marine glue spread upon the surface of one or both of them.
The said marine glue in this case acts both as a cement to join together the
paper and linen or fabric, and also as the waterproofing material, which renders
the compound fabric impervious to water and damp. We do not limit ourselves
to any particular method of spreading the marine glue upon or between the
parts of the compound fabric, as the same may be effected by any of the well-
known processes of spreading matters fusible by a moderate heat upon fabrics.
The machinery described and represented in the Specification of a Patent
granted to us, bearing date the Twentieth day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-four, may be used for carrying our Invention into
effect, but other methods of spreading the marine glue upon or between the
parts of the compound fabric may be used with equal or nearly equal advantage.
The compound fabric or material made according to our Invention is much
stronger and less liable to be torn than waterproof paper, having no woven or
felted fabric in its composition.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that we do not limit
ourselves to the precise details herein described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of our said Invention; but we claim as our
Invention, making a waterproof fabric or material by impregnating with
marine glue a compound material or fabric, made of paper combined with
linen or other woven or felted fabric.
In witness whereof, we, the said Martin Billing and Walter George
Whitehead, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Tenth day
of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-six
MARTIN BILLING.
(L.S.)
WALTER GEORGE WHITEHEAD. (L.S.)
Witness to the signature of Walter
George Whitehead,
GEORGE SHAW.