IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOUNDS FOR BURFACING TEXTILE AND OTHER FABRICS, AND IN FABRICS PRODUCED BY THE COMBINATION OF THE SAME WITH TEXTILE OR OTHER SUBSTANCES, WHICH COMPOUNDS ARE ALSO DESIGNED FOR USE AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR WOOD AND OTHER MATERIALS IN THE PRODUCTION OF MOULDED ARTICLES FOR ORNAMENTAL AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1874

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOUNDS FOR BURFACING
TEXTILE AND OTHER FABRICS, AND IN FABRICS PRODUCED BY THE COMBINATION
OF THE SAME WITH TEXTILE OR OTHER SUBSTANCES, WHICH COMPOUNDS ARE
ALSO DESIGNED FOR USE AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR WOOD AND OTHER MATERIALS
IN THE PRODUCTION OF MOULDED ARTICLES FOR ORNAMENTAL AND OTHER
PURPOSES." A communication from abroad by William Bell, of
the City and State of New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 16th December 1874.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOUNDS FOR SURFACING
TEXTILE AND OTHER FABRICS, AND IN FABRICS PRODUCED BY THE COMBINATION OF
077

page_text: THE SAME WITH TEXTILE 03 OTHER SUBSTANCES, WHICH COMPOUNDS ARE ALSO
DESIGNED FOR USE AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR WOOD AND OTHER MATERIALS IN THE
PRODUCTION OF MOULDED ARTICLES FOR ORNAMENTAL AND OTHER PURPOSES," a
communication, to be as follows :-
This Invention relates chiefly to the forming of a durable surface on
cotton, linen, paper, or other fabrics by the use of new compounds, any
one of which may be spread thereon, and a plain or ornamental pattern
may be pressed on any one of the compounds at the time of spreading it
on such fabric or material. Any of these compounds may be moulded
in any desired form in which other solidifying compounds or natural
articles have been or can be moulded. They are adapted to and intended
to be used for the purposes for which india-rubber, leather, gutta
also to forming
percha, paper, and oiled or painted cloths are used;
ornamental articles, frames, mouldings, trimmings, the imitation of
articles of wood, ivory and bone, bags, boxes, trunks, buttons, buckles,
toys, and other articles known in the useful arts. These compounds
and their use I term "plastique."
I make the said compounds as follows:-I take a suitable vessel and
dissolve therein by means of heat in any convenient manner glue with
vinegar or other suitable liquid, adding glycerine, in the proportion
herein-after stated. I then thoroughly mix them in fine particles of
cork and such pigment as I desire to colour the compound with. And
just before using I mix in (having it previously prepared in another
vessel) chromic acid, or bichromate of potassa, or other chemical
equivalent, first dissolved in water and then mixed with glycerine. This
last manipulation is of great importance to observe in all cases of the
preparation of these compound. I also add either tannic acid or Allepo
gall water. I prefer to add tanic acid or Allepo gall water, though the
use of either may be dispensed with. When Allepo gall is used it is
necessary to combine with it some good oil, linseed preferred, in the
proportion herein-after stated. I may also vary the above compound
.for certain uses by using a very small quantity of or leaving out
altogether the cork.
Having a compound as above described while hot and in a liquid state,
I spread it on the fabric desired to be covered in any convenient manner,
and before it hardens impress it with such pattern, plain, ornamented,
or imitation as I choose to use; to form solid articles I run it in
moulds.

page_text: The proportions in which I propose to use the ingredients of the said
compounds are as follows, that is to say, glue, teu quarts; glycerine,
from two and a half to four quarts; cork, when used, from five to seven
quarts; and about an ounce of chromic acid or an equivalent quantity
of bichromate of potassa, the chromic acid being first dissolved in water
and then mixed with about one quart of glycerine before being added
to the other ingredients. I prefer to add to the compound to be used
either tannic acid or else Allepo gall water, in the proportion of one
quart of the former, or two quarts of the latter, or thereabouts. In case
Allepo gall water is added then one quart of good oil (linseed preferred)
is to be first mixed therewith.
After the article has been so formed or coated, and is sufficiently dry,
I prefer to apply with a brush or by other convenient means to the
surface of the compound that has been employed the following solution,
namely, about one ounce of chromic acid (or its equivalent) is first dis-
solved in a small quantity of water and then added to about a quart of
glycerine; this process I term vulcanizing. The above described coat-
ing may be used with advantage on the surfaces of other materials than
those herein above specified.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 11th June 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her
special licence that I, the said William Robert Lake; my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert
Lake, 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,

page_text: exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPOUNDS FOR SURFACING TEXTILE AND OTHER FABRICS, AND
IN FABRICS PRODUCED BY THE COMBINATION OF THE SAME WITH TEXTILE OR OTHER
SUBSTANCES, WHICH COMPOUNDS ARE ALSO DESIGNED FOR USE AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR
WOOD AND OTHER MATERIALS IN THE PRODUCTION OF MOULDED ARTICLES FOR
ORNAMENTAL AND OTHER PURPOSES," a communication to me from abroad by
William Bell, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Robert Lake, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 William Robert Lake, 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:-
This Invention relates chiefly to the forming of a durable surface on
cotton, linen, paper, or other fabrics by the use of new compounds, any
one of which may be spread thereon, and a plain or ornamental pattern
may be pressed on any one of the compounds at the time of spreading it
on such fabric or material. Any of these compounds may be moulded
in any desired form in which other solidifying compounds or natural
articles have been or can be moulded. They are adapted to and intended
to be used in place of and for the purposes for which india-rubber,
leather, gutta percha, paper, and oiled or painted cloths are used. Also
in forming ornamental articles, frames, mouldings, trimmings, the
imitation of articles of wood, ivory and bone, bags, boxes, trunks,
buttons, buckles, toys, and other articles known in the useful arts.
These compounds and their use I term "plastique."
I make the said compound as follows:-I take a suitable vessel and
dissolve therein by means of heat in any convenient manner glue with
vinegar or other suitable liquid, adding glycerine, each in the propor-
tion herein-after stated. I then thoroughly mix them in fine particles
of cork and such pigment as I desire to colour the compound with. And

page_text: Just before using I mix in (having it previously prepared in another
vessel) chromic acid, or bichromate of potassa, or other chemical
equivalent, first dissolved in water and then mixed with glycerine.
This last manipulation is of great importance to observe in all cases of.
the preparation of the compound. I also add either tannic acid or
Aleppo gall water. I prefer to add tannic acid or Allepo gall water,
though the use of either may be dispensed with. When Allepo gall is
used it is necessary to combine with it some good oil (linseed preferred)
in the proportion herein-after stated. I may also vary the above com-
pound for certain purposes by using a very small quantity of or leaving
out altogether the cork.
Having a compound as above described while hot and in a liquid state
I spread it on the fabric desired to be covered in any convenient manner,
and before it hardens impress it with such pattern, plain, ornamental,
or imitation, as I choose to use. To form solid articles I run it in
moulds.
The proportions in which I propose to use the ingredients of the said
compounds are as follows, that is to say, glue 10 quarts; glycerine from
22 to 4 quarts; cork, when used, from 5 to 7 quarts; and about an
ounce of chromic acid or an equivalent quantity of bichromate of potassa,
the chromic acid being first dissolved in water and then mixed with
about 1 quart of glycerine before being added to the other ingredients.
I prefer to add to the compound to be used either tannic acid or Aleppo
gall water, in the proportion of one quart of the former, or two quarts
of the latter, or thereabouts. In case Aleppo gall water is added then
one quart of good oil (linseed preferred) is to be first mixed therewith.
After the article has been so formed or coated and is sufficiently dry I
prefer to apply with a brush or other convenient means to the surface
of the compound that has been employed the following solution, namely,
about one ounce of chromic acid (or its equivalent) is first dissolved in a
small quantity of water and then added to about a quart of glycerine.
This process I term vulcanizing. The above described coating may be
used with advantage on the surfaces of other materials than those herein-
above specified.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same,
I wish it understood that I claim.-

page_text: First. A compound of glue, glycerine, chromic acid, or bichromate of
potash, and either tannic acid or Aleppo gall, prepared in the manner
and with the proportions substantially as set forth and for the purposes
specified.
Second. A compound of glue, glycerine, and chromic acid, or bi-
chromate of potash, prepared in the manner and with the proportions
substantially as set forth and for the purposes specified.
Third. A compound of glue, cork, glycerine, and chromic acid, or
bichromate of potash, either with or without the addition of tannic acid
or Aleppo gall, prepared in the manner and with the proportions as set
forth and for the purposes specified.
Fourth. A coating solution composed of chromic acid and glycerine,
prepared in the manner and with the proportions as set forth and for the
purposes specified.
Fifth. A fabric whose surface is covered with any one of the said
compounds, prepared substantially as described.
Sixth. A moulded article composed of any of the said compounds pre-
pared substantially as described.
Seventh. A fabric or moulded article composed of any one of the afore-
said compounds, and whose surface is coated with the solution composed
of chromic acid and glycerine, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five
Witness,
JAB. EDWARDS,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
W*. ROB³. LAKE. (L.S.)