Improved Asbestos-fabric, and Process for the Production of the same.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 10th July, 1897---Accepted, 21st Aug., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Asbestos-fabric, and Process for the Production of the
same.
I, RICHARDT KLINGER, Engineer of Gumpoldskirchen Austria, do hereby declare
the nature of my said 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 my invention is the production of an improved fabric or material
which, in its structure and properties resemble leather, and which in consequence of
its valuable properties will be suitable for many purposes, as for instance for packing
and insulating, for belting hose, and the like.
The essential components of this improved material are asbestos and india rubber,
to which in some cases coloring or other substances may be added.
I am aware that fabrics have already been produced and employed, the principal
components of which were asbestos and india rubber, but in all these cases the asbestos
as such only formed the inner layer or stiffening, in a similar manner to the canvas
stiffeners in india rubber articles, that is to say, the fabric has been composed of layers
of asbestos fibre or asbestos tissue and india rubber.
According to my invention a homogeneous material is produced which, as before
mentioned, has the resemblance of leather.
In manufacturing this material, which I call "Asbestos Leather," asbestos is first
divided into very fine fibres of as great a length as may be obtainable by any of the
well known processes for this purpose. These asbestos fibres are immersed in an
india rubber solution, and the whole is thoroughly mixed, by preference in a mixing
machine, until each of the asbestos fibres appears coated with a layer of the india
rubber solution. The asbestos fibres having in this manner been treated with india
rubber solution, the solvent of the rubber, for instance benzine, is evaporated so that
a coat of pure india rubber remains upon the asbestos fibres.
The asbestos fibres become very adhesive by virtue of this coating of india rubber,
whereby their capability of slipping upon and against each other is prevented, and the
full tensile strength of the asbestos fibre is rendered capable of being utilised.
The mass produced in the manner above described is then condensed and solidified
by compression or rolling, and brought into any desired shape.
Articles manufactured from this asbestos-leather retain their solidity and are equal
in strength to leather of the best quality.
Having 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 :-
1. As a new industrial product, asbestos-leather, composed of finely divided asbestos
fibres, each of the asbestos fibres being caused to receive a coating of india rubber,
and together formed under pressure into a material having the resemblance of leather,
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
2. The improved process for the production of the hereinbefore described asbestos-
leather, consisting in dividing asbestos into very fine fibres of as great a length as

page_text: possible; treating these fibres with a solution of india rubber by stirring or mixing
until each of the fibres is covered with a layer or coat of the solution; evaporating
the solvent of the india rubber, and condensing, solidifying and shaping the mass
thus produced by pressing or rolling; substantially as
and for the purposes
hereinbefore described.