AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDS FOR CARDING VARIOUS FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY BE USED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEATHER
Year: 1839

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
POTTER, of Ancoats, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Spinner, and
WILLIAM HORSFALL, of Manchester aforesaid, Card Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twentieth day of April, in the second year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
John Potter and William Horsfall, Her especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that we, the said John Potter and William Horsfall,
our exors, admors, and assigns, and such others as we, the said John Potter
and William Horsfall, our exors, adiñors, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no other, from time to time and at all times during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England and Wales and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, our Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN CARDS
FOR CARDING VARIOUS FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY BE
USED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEATHER;" in which said Letters Patent is contained

page_text: a proviso that we, the said John Potter and William Horsfall, shall cause a
particular description of the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
John Potter and William Horsfall, do declare the nature of our Invention
of "An Improvement or Improvements in Cards for Carding various Fibrous
Substances, Part of which Improvements may be used as a Substitute for
Leather, to consist in the manufacture of a new material or substance for
receiving the wire teeth, which have hitherto for the most part been set in
leather; and we shall now proceed to describe the manner in which the same
is to be performed and carried into effect.
In the first place we provide a woven fabric, of a peculiar construction,
which we manufacture as follows:-We make the warp or chain of a material
possessed of the greatest possible strength and the least elasticity, such as yarn
or thread, made of flax, hemp, or cotton, which yarn or thread we prefer to be
made of two or three folds or stands, doubled and twisted together. The
warp being in the loom, it is to be made into cloth by being shot or wefted
with woollen weft, that is, with yarn or thread composed of sheep's wool. The
cloth being woven, it is next to be cleansed or scoured, so as to free it from
any oil or other impurities, and milled; by which latter process the fabric is
brought to the requisite thickness or substance, by being milled up in width,
or in the direction of the thread or yarn of wool. By this means we obtain a
cloth capable of resisting a very considerable strain or tension in the direction
of the warp, whilst the body of the cloth itself remains exceedingly soft and
porous. We find that for most kinds of cards, cloth, milled up to such a
thickness as that one yard in length by twenty-seven inches in width shall
weigh from fourteen to sixteen ounces avoirdupois is the most suitable, though
it will be evident that these proportions may be varied as circumstances may
require. The middle qualities of sheeps' wool we consider most suitable for
making this description of cloth, being preferable to either the finest or
coarsest sorts. To persons engaged in the woollen manufacture, these instruc-
tions will be sufficient to enable them to make the cloth. If the cards to be
manufactured are intended for fillett cards, the cloth is next to be torn up
lengthwise of the piece into strips of a suitable width; but if sheet cards are
intended, the cloth is to be cut crosswise, or in the direction of the weft,
making the usual allowance as when using leather for the space on each side

page_text: for the purpose of affixing the wire to the cylinder of the carding engine; a
sufficient number of these short pieces of cloth are to be sewn together at the
ends, so as to form a fillet or belt, by which the subsequent operations will be
facilitated. The cloth, thus prepared, is passed through a solution of india
rubber, known to the trade as india-rubber varnish or cement, and in the
passage of the fabric a quantity of the varnish will adhere to the surfaces, and
the fabric in this state is wound tightly up, and allowed to stand a few minutes,
then is unrolled, and passed a second time through the varnish, by which
means a still further portion of the india-rubber varnish will adhere to the
cloth, and being again tightly wound up, it is to remain a sufficient length of
time to allow the varnish to penetrate or become absorbed by the cloth. It is
usually necessary to pass the cloth a third time through the varnish, after
which we generally find that the cloth is saturated; and being again left as
before in the coil, the whole mass becomes equally and completely penetrated
by the varnish; its being in this state may be known by the cloth assuming a
semi-transparent appearance. The coil of cloth is then unwound and exposed
to the atmosphere, so as to allow the varnish to dry; after which it is to be
drawn once or twice through the varnish, by which the cloth will imbibe a
further portion of it, so as to fill up the pores or interstices which the operation
of drying has left open. If this process has been properly conducted the
fabric will now consist of nearly one third caoutchouc or india rubber and two
thirds cloth by weight, but these quantities may be varied. The india-rubber
or caoutchouc varnish or cement being an article that may be freely purchased,
and the modes of preparation being well known, it is unnecessary further to
particularize it. The preparation of our improved material being thus far
completed, we next cover it on each side with a mixture of ochre and weak
size, which, by destroying the adhesiveness of the india rubber, facilitates the
subsequent operation of inserting the wire teeth, and also gives to the fabric
more of the appearance of leather. When this coating is dry, the compound
fabric produced by the operation above specified is to be passed between a pair
of weighted rollers, or otherwise submitted to considerable pressure, by which
means the fabric becomes firmer and more compact, and, in short, becomes
possessed of the qualities which persons acquainted with the card-making
business know to be so highly desirable, namely, that of being extremely
elastic in the direction of the thickness of the fabric, so as to impart as it were
its elasticity to the wire teeth when set, while in the direction of its length or
warp it is nearly non-elastic. In this state it is ready to receive the wire
which is to form the cards, for which purpose we prefer using the cardmaking
machinery; and the process being exactly the same as that now in use for

page_text: making leather cards, simply substituting the fabric or cloth above described
in place of leather, it need not be described here. Though the process above
described is the one which we generally prefer for carrying out our Invention,
we sometimes vary the process in the following manner, which may in some
cases be considered preferable:-Instead of the fabric above described, com-
posed of a warp of flax, hemp, or cotton, and of woollen weft, we use in this
case a fabric entirely of sheep's wool, and milled to such an extent that one
yard in length by twenty-seven inches in width shall weigh ten or twelve
ounces averdupois, or thereabouts. This cloth is to be saturated with the
caoutchouc in the manner already described, and afterwards cemented with the
india-rubber varnish or cement to a back of strong cloth, composed like the
warp in the former case of flax, hemp, or cotton, for which it is intended as a
substitute, in order to prevent longitudinal stretching. The exposed surface of
the cloth being covered with a coating of ochre and glue size, and afterwards,
the whole fabric being submitted to considerable pressure from the action of
rollers or otherwise, the process is complete, and the fabric is now ready to
receive the wire. Though we find the process above described perfectly
adequate to the purpose of impregnating the woven fabric with caoutchouc,
yet, as the same is somewhat slow, we generally employ certain machinery or
apparatus for producing the same result in a more economical manner, which
we will now describe.
The nature of this machinery will be understood from the annexed Drawing
and the following description, in which the same letters and figures of reference
indicate similar parts of the apparatus.
Figures 1 and 2 represent different views of the apparatus, and Figures 3 and
4 views of separate parts. A, A, are two standards connected together by three
stud rods B, B, B, so as to form a frame, in which frame the leaves C and D,
which are of similar form, are at liberty to move or turn on their pivots E, E.
The form of these leaves is shewn more at large in Figure 3. F is a set screw,
of which there is one in each standard, by which the leaf D may be set fast in
the position in which it will have to sustain the pressure of the opposite leaf C.
G, G, are two levers set fast on the pivots E, E, of the leaf C, and are each
furnished with a weight H, by which the leaves C and D are pressed together
with any required force. I, I, are two triangular plates shewn by dotted
lines in Figure 2; one of these is shewn more at large in Figure 4.
back of each of these plates is riveted a thin strip of metal J, which proceeds
downwards between the two leaves C and D, in each of which there are two
slots K, K, through which proceed two slips of metal L, L, which are con-
nected together at their extremities by means of two worm springs. These two
In the

page_text: springs, acting on the slips of metal J, J, by the intervention of the two slips
L, L, bring the two triangular plates of metal I, I, towards each other with
any required force. M represents a strip of cloth rolled in a coil on a short
cylinder of wood, through which a wire passes, which wire being supported
between two uprights, the whole of the strip of cloth may be drawn off at
pleasure. From hence the strip proceeds over the rollers N and O, then,
passing between the two leaves C and D and the triangular plates I, I, it
there receives a charge of the india-rubber varnish above described, with
which the space formed by the leaves and plates is to be kept supplied. It
now passes under the roller P, and on to a short cylinder of wood at Q, which
is placed on an axis between two discs of metal, which are required to keep
the strip in its place whilst it is wound into a coil; one of these discs is made
fast on the axis, and has a short pin projecting from the face of it, by which
the cylinder of wood is carried round. The other disc is moveable, and is set
fast upon the axis by means of a screw, so that when the coil is complete, by
removing this disc the coil may be taken off, and, if required, replaced in its
first position at M, and again drawn through the india-rubber varnish H;
this axis at Q turns between two uprights and with its two discs, is
put in motion by means of a wince formed at one end of the axis. The
strip having passed twice or three times through the india-rubber varnish
or cement, will be found to be thoroughly penetrated with it, and is to be
wound on a reel or similar contrivance for the purpose of allowing the
solvent to evaporate. The action of the weights H, H, being to force the
elastic cement into the body of the cloth, they must be of such a size as to
give the requisite pressure, which will depend on the width or thickness of the
strip of cloth under process. The cloth is now to undergo the finishing pro-
cess, which is performed by passing it again through the machine in a rather
different manner. Instead of passing it over the roller O, it comes direct
from the roller N to the leaf C, along the surface of which it passes, and then
between the two leaves C and D, and from thence is wound directly on to a
reel or cylinder. The space formed by the leaves and triangular pieces being
supplied with the india-rubber varnish or cement, the cloth will now receive it
on one surface only, which surface must be outwards when wound on the reel
or cylinder. During this part of the process the weights H, H, will be required
to be much smaller than in the previous part, and must be so regulated as to
leave a sufficient quantity of the india-rubber varnish on the cloth as will be
sufficient to fill the pores or interstices which the process of drying has left
When the solvent is evaporated the other surface of the cloth is to be
open.

page_text: finished in the same way; afterwards, both surfaces being covered with the
coating of ochre and glue size, and the compound fabric thus produced being
submitted to pressure as before, it will be ready for the card-making machine.
Though we have described this machine as applied only to the purpose of
saturating narrow strips of cloth, it may obviously be adapted to such wider
widths as may be required by simply making the machine of sufficiently large
dimensions. A piece of cloth which is of a proper width for sheet cards, for
instance, may be saturated with the caoutchouc almost with the same facility
as a narrow strip, and, when finished, may be cut across into sheets of the
proper width ready for the machine.
Having described the nature of our Invention, and shewn how it is to be
carried into effect, we would have it understood that we do not claim any of
the machinery, apparatus, or means therein described, which are incident
to the carrying out our Invention. But we declare that our Invention
consists,―
First, of the mode of producing a cloth or fabric by combining sheep's wool
and caoutchouc together with a third material, which third material may be
either flax, hemp, or cotton, or a mixture of the same, the fabric being fulled
or milled to a proper thickness before applying the india rubber, such fabric
being peculiarly adapted to the making of wire cards, and also as a substitute
for leather for other purposes.
Secondly, we claim as our Invention the application and combination
of the woollen cloth, milled or fulled to a proper thickness, and after-
wards saturated with caoutchouc and cemented on a back of strong cloth
composed of flax, hemp, or cotton, as a substitute for leather in the making
of wire cards.
And lastly, we would have it understood; that we are aware that various
descriptions of fabrics have been coated with india rubber, and have
or may have been used as a substitute for leather, and have or may have
been employed in making wire cards; we do not therefore claim the coating
fabrics in general with india rubber, but only the peculiar fabric above
described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Potter and William Horsfall, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixteenth day of October in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.
JOHN (L.S.) POTTER.
WILLIAM (L.S.) HORSFALL.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixteenth day of October, in
the year of our Lord 1889, the aforesaid John Potter and William Horsfall
came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged
the Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and
specified, in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was
stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Nineteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.