in covering material
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Dec., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 15th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 11th Dec., 1897
I, OTTO ROBERT HEINRICH SCHMIDT of Welton House, 8 Park Road, Forest Hill in the
County of Kent, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The invention relates to improvements in floor covering material.
As is now well known the body of floor covering material such as linoleum is
composed principally of finely divided cork but the supply of this material is rapidly
becoming more or less exhausted with the result that its market value is increasing
and it is consequently an expensive body material to employ.
Another objection to the use of cork powder for this purpose is that it gives to the
body of the floor covering material a more or less dark colour and it is consequently
difficult or impossible to give to the wearing surface thereof a sufficiently bright
appearance and even if this can be accomplished in the first instance, after it has
been a short time in use it assumes a dull and discoloured appearance.
Now the object of the present invention is to substitute wholly or in part for the
powdered cork a material less expensive and of such a character that the above
mentioned objections will be overcome whilst at the same time the quality of the
covering material will be improved.
For this purpose the cork heretofore employed to form the body of the floor
covering material is partially or entirely dispensed with and mica in a finely divided
state is combined therewith or substituted therefor.
This material in a broken condition exists in vast quantities and is regarded as
refuse so that it may be obtained at a nominal cost and is therefore especially
suitable for the purpose in view.
°
The mica is reduced to a fine state of division by the aid of any suitable grinding
or disintegrating machine after which it has mixed therewith in lieu of or in addition
to a suitable proportion of cork or the like the usual ingredients employed in the
production of floor covering material of the linoleum class and the mass is submitted
to the usual and well known treatment to complete the article for the market.
Floor covering material of this character will possess many advantages as compared
with existing products for example it will have a more or less brilliant appearance in
itself and in the absence of decoration it will for this reason admit of the production
of bright decorative designs thereon without the former liability to fade whilst it may
be employed to form panels, tiles or mosaic effects; it will be springy and elastic to
the tread and comparatively incombustible and water-proof; it will possess great
durability whilst at the same time the cost of production as compared with similar
materials will be considerably less.
han 1000

page_text: I, OTTO ROBERT HEINRICH SCHMIDT of Welton House, 8 Park Road, Forest Hill, in
the County of Kent, Merchant, 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 invention relates to improvements in floor covering material.
As is now well known the body of floor covering material such as linoleum is
composed principally of finely divided cork but the supply of this material is rapidly
becoming more or less exhausted with the result that its market value is increasing
and it is consequently an expensive body material to employ.
Another objection to the use of cork powder for this purpose is that it gives to the
body of the floor covering material a more or less dark colour, and it is consequently
difficult or impossible to give to the wearing surface thereof a sufficiently bright
appearance, and even if this can be accomplished in the first instance after it has
been a short time in use it assumes a dull and discoloured appearance.
Wood flour is sometimes employed in lieu of or in combination with cork dust but
this material also possesses some of the objections above pointed out.
Now the object of the present invention is to substitute wholly or in part for the
powdered cork or wood flour a material less expensive and of such a character that
the above mentioned objections will be overcome, whilst at the same time the quality
of the covering material will be improved.
For this purpose the cork, wood flour, or the like heretofore employed to form the
body of the floor covering material is partially or entirely dispensed with and mica in
a finely divided state is combined therewith or snbstituted therefor, but the best
results are obtained from such combination.
This material in a broken condition exists in vast quantities and is regarded as
refuse so that it may be obtained at a nominal cost and is therefore especially
suitable for the purpose in view.
The mica is reduced to a fine state of division by the aid of any suitable grinding
or disintegrating inachine after which it has mixed therewith in lieu of or in addition
to a suitable proportion of cork or the like the usual ingredients employed in the
production of floor covering material of the linoleum class and the mass is submitted
to the usual and well known treatment to complete the article for the market.
Floor covering material of this character will possess many advantages as compared
with existing products for example it will have a more or less brilliant appearance in
itself and in the absence of decoration it will for this reason admit of the production
of bright decorative designs thereon without the former liability to fade whilst it
pay be employed to form panels, tiles or mosaic effects; it will be springy and
elastic to the tread; comparatively incombustible and water-proof; it will possess
great durability, whilst at the same time the cost of production as compared with
similar materials will not be seriously affected.
Furthermore, the danger of explosion in the factory common to cork dust or the
like will be avoided.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention aud in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The utilisation of powdered mica in the production of floor covering material
substantially as herein described.

page_text: 2. A floor covering material composed partly of powdered mica substantially as herein
described.
Dated this 15th day of September 1897.
WHITE AND WOODINGTON,
27 Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.