IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WATERPROOF FABRICS AND IN ARTICLES FORMED OF THE SAME
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International Patent
Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County.
of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WATERPROOF FABRICS AND IN ARTICLES FORMED OF
THE SAME." A communication from abroad by William Augustus Torrey
of Mont Clare, New Jersey, United States of America, Manufacturer.
Sealed the 5th May 1868, and dated the 6th November 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th November 1867.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8,
Southampton Buildings, Chaucery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Con-
sulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WATERPROOF FABRICS AND IN ARTICLES
FORMED OF THE SAME," a communication, to be as follows:-
Belting, hose, packing, and other like articles have heretofore been manu-
factured by applying to woven fabrics compounds prepared for vulcanization,
in which compounds either india-rubber orgutta percha has been the principal
ingredient. When this compound consists principally of india-rubber the said
belting or other articles are not only injuriously affected by the atmosphere in

page_text: hot weather and by exposure to artificial heat in their various uses, but are
also liable to be injured and destroyed by oils, alkalies, acids, and other
chemical substances. When manufactured of compounds whose principle
ingredient is gutta percha they lack the requisite elasticity and are liable to
crack.
The nature of my Invention consists in applying to a woven fabric both
of these compounds separately, and thereby preserving the elastic quality
required in belting, hose, packing, and like articles and protecting them
against the injurious effects of heat, oils, alkalies, acids, and against injury
from other causes. Both the india-rubber and gutta percha gums are prepared
and compounded for the vulcanizing process in the manner well known to
those skilled in the art of preparing such gums, each gum being separately so
prepared; I then form the belting or hose in the usual manner by spreading
the iudia-rubber compound evenly and thinly on one side of strips of cloth,
and folding or laying one strip of the cloth thus covered over another until the
required strength and body is attained; I then coat or cover the outer
surfaces of the belting thus formed with a thin layer of gutta percha or
compound of the same and vulcanize the whole. Hose are also made in
the usual manner, that is, by spreading the india-rubber compound thinly
and evenly on one side of cloth, one layer over another, being wound upon a
mandrel or core until the required thickness and strength is attained. Before
commencing the operation of winding, however, I spread a thin coating of
the gutta percha compound on the side of the cloth which is placed in
immediate contact with the core or mandrel. The mandrel or core is previously
covered with pulverized soapstone or other like substance to prevent the
adhesion of the compound thereto, and if the hose is to be used where it will
be exposed to more than ordinary heat I coat its outer surface also with the
gutta percha compound and vulcanize the same as before. Wherever hose is
used to carry water or steam it becomes necessary to employ means for
preventing the decomposition of the cloth, and to accomplish this object a
layer of airproof india-rubber is placed between the gutta percha which comes
in contact with the mandrel and the cloth; I then vulcanize the same as
before. Hose thus manufactured is at once pliable, durable, and not effected
by heat or cold or by the action of oils, acids, water, or steam. In manu
facturing the said hose I cover the joint or joints of the several sections
of the mandrel on which the hose is formed with a layer or layers of sheet
paper or other suitable material to prevent the rubber from running into the
said joints, and as the hose is vulcanized forming ridges or ribs around its
interior. I interpose between the inside tube or lining of the hose and the

page_text: outside covering of the same a layer or layers of rubber, metal, or any other
airproof material. By this means the particles of water under pressure are
kept from coming in contact with the rubber which when vulcanized on cloth,
creates a weak solution of sulphuric acid, decomposes the fibres of the cloth
and in a short time renders it weak and worthless. The hose is also prevented
from "sweating" when under pressure, and is thereby rendered perfectly dry
externally. The cotton, duck, orother fibrous material with which the hose is
covered is wound in separate strips in such manner that the warp threads of
theonestrip will run across or intersect the warp threads of the other, whereby
they are made to support and strengthen each other and thus impart a
corresponding degree of strength to the hose. Packing and other articles
manufactured according to my improvements are very elasticand are protected
from the effects of heat and chemical action.
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
5th May 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first 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,
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 WATERPROOF FABRICS AND IN ARTICLES FORMED OF THE
SAME," 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

page_text: 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, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings forming
a part of this Specification :-
Belting, hose, packing, and other like articles have heretofore been manu-
factured by applying to woven fabrics compounds prepared for vulcanization, in
which compounds either india-rubber or gutta percha has been the principal
ingredient. When the compound used consists principally ofindia-rubber the
belts or other articles are not only injuriously affected by the atmosphere in
hot weather and exposure to all artificial heats in their various uses, but are
also liable to be injured and destroyed by oils, alkalies, acids, and other
chemical substances. When manufactured of a compound whose principal
ingredient is gutta percha they lack the requisite elasticity and are liable to
crack.
The nature of my Invention consists in applying to a woven fabric both of
these compounds separately, and thereby preserving the elastic quality required
in belting, hose, packing, and like articles, and protecting them against the
injurious operations of heat, oils, alkalies, and acids, and against injury from
other causes.
To enable others skilled in the art to use and make my Invention I will
now proceed to describe the manner in which I carry the same into practise.
Both the india-rubber and gutta percha gums are prepared and compounded
for the vulcanizing process in the manner well known to those skilled in the
art of preparing such gums, each gum being separately so prepared; I then
form the belting or hose in the usual manner. For belting I spread the
india-rubber compound evenly and thinly on one side of strips of cloth, folding
or laying one strip of the cloth thus covered over the other until the required
strength and body are attained; I then coat or cover the outer surfaces of the
belting thus formed with a thin layer of gutta percha or compound of the
same, and vulcanize the whole by applying heat as in the manufacture of
ordinary vulcanized india-rubber belting. Hose are also made in the usual
manner, that is, by spreading the india-rubber compound thinly and evenly on
one side of the cloth, one layer over another being wound upon a mandrel a
core until the required thickness and strength is attained. Before commencing
the operation of winding however I spread a thin coating of the gutta percha

page_text: compound on the side of the cloth which is placed in immediate contact with
the core or mandrel for a distance sufficient to go at least once around the
same, the mandrel or core being previously covered with pulverized soapstone
or other like material to prevent the adhesion of the compound thereto, and if
the hose is to be used where it will be exposed to more than ordinary heat I
coat its outer surface also with the gutta percha compound and vulcanize the
same as before described. Wherever hose is used to carry water or steam it
becomes necessary to employ means for preventing the decomposition of the
cloth, and to accomplish this object a layer of airproof india-rubber is placed
between the gutta percha which comes in contact with the mandrel and the
cloth and then vulcanize the same. Hose thus manufactured is at once pliable,
durable, and not affected by variations of temperature, or by the action of oils,
acids, water, or steam.
The manufacture of my improved hose may be more clearly understood by
reference to the accompanying Drawing in which Figure 1 is a transverse
section of such hose; Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the mode of preparing the
strips of cloth for the manufacture of the said hose; Figure 4 illustrates the
method of arranging the cloth forming the hose with the warp threads
crossing each other. Like letters indicate the same parts in all of the Figures.
I cover the joint or joints of the several sections of the mandrel on which
the hose is formed with a layer or layers of paper or other suitable material
to keep the rubber from running into the said joints, and thereby forming as
the hose is vulcanized ridges or ribs around its interior. I interpose between
the inside tube or lining a of the hose and the outside covering 6 of the same
a layer or layers c of airproof stock or material either of rubber, metal, or
any other airproof material. By this means the particles of water under
pressure are kept from coming in contact with the rubber, which when
vulcanized on cloth creates a weak solution of sulphuric acid, decomposes the
fibres of the cloth, and in a short time renders it weak and worthless. The
"sweating" of the hose is also prevented when the same is under pressure, and
is thereby rendered perfectly dry externally.
In Figure 2I have shown a strip of cloth which is cut into bias sections or
pieces d which are secured together with the warp threads in the direction
shown in Figure 3. This strip which is to form the outer covering of the
hose is cut through the lines a, a, into two parts or sections, each of such
parts being wound upon the mandrel in opposite directions, bringing the warp
threads across or intersecting each other, as shown in Figure 4. The strips
are thus made to supportand strengthen each other and impart a corresponding
degree of strength to the hose. Packing and other articles manufactured

page_text: according to my improvements are very elastic, and are protected from the
effects of heat and of chemical action.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, and shown how the same may be conveniently and
advantageously carried into practise, I claim,―
First. Applying to and combining with a woven fabric the india-rubber and
gutta percha compounds, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set
forth.
Second. Interposing between the inner tube or lining a and the outer
covering of the hose a layer or layers c of any suitable air and waterproof
material, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Third. Winding the cloth. or fabric upon the mandrel in such a manner
that the warp threads of such fabric will cross or intersect each other, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)
Witness,
THOS. N PALMER,
Clerk to Messrs. Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
8, Southampton Buildings, W.C.