IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FLEXIBLE TUBES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Macintosh, of North Bank, Regent's Park,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FLEXIBLE
TUBES."
Sealed the 29th November 1859, and dated the 5th October 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Macintosh at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition. on the 5th
October 1859.
I. JOHN MACINTOSH, of North Bank. Regent's Park, do hereby declare the
nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FLEXIBLE
TUBES," to be as follows:---
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
flexible tubes. These improvements are applicable to those classes of tubes
where coils of wire or of other materials are introduced in order to give
strength thereto, and the invention consists in forming coils of wire, string,
yarn, cord, or other suitable material, and introducing them into tubes, as the
same are made by expressing plastic or semifluid matters. such as gutta
percha, collodion, or other materials (suitable for making tubes), through dies
or moulding orifices, the coil being progressively slid along the mandril as the
tube is formed. For these purposes a mandril of the internal diameter of the

page_text: tube is used, which, by preference, is caused to turn in order to wind the wire,
string, yarn, cord, or other material thereon, though such turning of the
mandril is not essential, as the coils may be formed thereon by the bobbin,
reel, or other holder of the wire or other material being moved round a
stationary mandril. The mandril enters into and in some cases passes through
the vessel in which the plastic. or semifluid substance is contained, and from
which it passes through the moulding orifice or die in the form of a tube,
together with the coils therein, such tube being generally of a cylindrical form,
though other forms may, if desired, be similarly produced. The coils as
they are formed around the mandril are progressively slid along the mandril
and out at the moulding die or orifice coated with the plastic or semifluid
substance, and, if desired, the mandril and apparatus may be arranged that
the interior of the coils may be coated with like or different substances to the
exterior. And part of the Invention consists in combining collodion with coils
such as above described. and also with woven or other suitable fabrics in the
manufacture of flexible tubes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Macintosh in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th April 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1. JOHN
MACINTOSH, of North Bank, Regent's Park, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent. bearing date the Fifth day of October. in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said John Macintosh, Her special licence that I, the said
John Macintosh, my executors, administrators. and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Macintosh, 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, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FLEXIBLE TUBES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said John Macintosh, 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

page_text: 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 John Macintosh, 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;-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
flexible tubes. These improvements are applicable to those classes of tubes
where coils of wire or of other materials are introduced in order to give
strength thereto, and the Invention consists in forming coils of wire, string,
yarn, cord, or other suitable material, and introducing them into tubes, as the
same are made by expressing plastic or semifluid matters, such as gutta
percha, collodion, or other materials suitable for making tubes through dies or
moulding orifices, the coil being progressively slid along the mandril as the
tube is formed. For these purposes a mandril of the internal diameter of the
tube is used, which, by preference, is caused to turn, in order to wind the
wire, string, yarn, cord, or other material thereon, though such turning of the
mandril is not essential, as the coils may be formed thereon by the bobbin,
reel, or other holder of the wire or other material being moved round a
stationary mandril. The mandril enters into, and in some cases passes
through, the vessel in which the plastic or semifluid. substance, is contained,
and from which it passes through the moulding orifice or die in the form of a
tube, together with the coils therein, such tube being generally of a cylindrical
form, although other forms may, if desired, be similarly produced. The coils
as they are formed around the mandril are progressively slid along the mandril
and out at the moulding die or orifice coated with the plastic or semifiuid
substance. And if desired the mandril and apparatus may be so arranged
that the interior of the coils may be coated with like or different substances to
the exterior. And part of the Invention consists in combining collodion with
coils, such as above described, and also with woven or other suitable fabrics
in the tuanufacture of flexible tubes.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
In carrying out this Invention the mandril of the coating machine may
either be caused to rotate or remain stationary, in either case the wire or
string or yarn or cord or other suitable material is wound on such mandrit
external of the parts of the apparatus. where the coating material is applied,

page_text: and the coils are made to slide along the mandril and off at the end of such
mandril, so that in passing through the coating apparatus or die the coils
become externally coated, and they are enclosed in the tube produced by the
coating material. For these purposes I prefer to employ an expressing
apparatus similar to what has heretofore been employed in making tubes of
gutta percha, but in place of the mandril being simply applied and fixed to and
in the die through which the gutta percha or other plastic or partially fluid
matter is caused to pass, the mandril passes out at the back of the apparatus,
leaving between it and the opening through which it passes sufficient space for
the coils of wire or other material to pass, and such coils as they are pro-
gressively formed around the back end of the mandril may be forced or slid
along it, by having a fixed incline at the back end of the mandril, so that as
a fresh coil is being made on the back end of the mandril the coils previously
on the mandril will be pushed forward by the new or last coil pressing down
between the previously formed coil and such incline; or there may be a slide
around the back end of the mandril, which, on being moved against the last
made coil will push it and the others along the mandril, or in place of using
expressing coating machines with dies, a mandril and grooved rollers may be
used, which, in addition to coating the coils on the mandril, will push such
.coils along and off the mandril as the coils become coated. When it is
desired that the internal surfaces of the flexible tubes should be coated, the
best mode, I believe. of doing so is to coat the wire or string or cord or other
material, first, with the same or with a different material to that used, for the
external coating of the coils. In some cases I use longitudinal yarns or cords
or strings or other material to give longitudinal strength to the tubes, but 1
do not claim to do so. When, however, such longitudinal yarns, cords, or
Strands are used they are arranged in parallel lines along the mandril, and the
coils are wound thereon, or such longitudinal yarns or strands may be external
of the coils formed on the mandril. The materials used for manufacturing
flexible tubes according to my Invention may be gutta percha and compounds
containing gutta percha, also india-rubber and compounds of india-rubber,
also collodion, and when using collodion prefer to use the means above
described, but it is new to usc collodion in the manufacture of flexible tubes,
and some times in place of making them by the means above described, coils of
wire are first made, and are covered with fibrous material, and the same are
coated with collodion.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is, the
manufacture of flexible tubes by introducing spiral coils as the tubes are

page_text: In witness whereof, I. the said John Macintosh, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
JOHN MACINTOSH. (L.S.)