IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING METAL COMBINED WITH OTHER MATTERS FOR THE COVERING OF FLOORS AND OTHER SURFACES
Year: 1843

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
PURSER VAILE, of Blackfriars Road, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Thirteenth day of December, in the seventh year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Henry Purser Vaile, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and autho-
rity, that I, the said Henry Purser Vaile, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Henry Purser Vaile, my exors, admors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, 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, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING
METAL COMBINED WITH OTHER MATTERS FOR THE COVERING OF FLOORS AND OTHER
SURFACES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the
said Henry Purser Vaile, shall cause a particular description of the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be inrolled in Her said 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Henry Purser Vaile, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawing hereunto annexed, that is to say:-
My Invention relates to a mode of manufacturing metal in combination with
other matters for the covering of floors and other surfaces, whereby sheets of
metal perforated all over with small holes have those holes stopped with other
matters of different colors, or otherwise, whereby very varied and elegant and
useful coverings for floors and other surfaces will be obtained. And in order
that my Invention may be most fully understood, and readily carried into effect,
I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
I take sheet lead or other suitable sheet metal perforated all over with
holes, leaving the neighbouring holes divided with a narrow thickness of
the metal; and these holes may be in straight rows, and the holes may
be round, square, or other figure, or the holes may be perforated accord-
ing to patterns or designs according to the taste of the workman; but I
usually employ sheet metal with holes perforated in straight lines, the orna-
mental design of the covering for a floor or other surface being obtained
by the order in which the matters of different colors are filled into the
holes, whereby I produce effects similar to the patterns for Berlin work, where
the squares or pattern papers are filled in or colored with different colors, the
thicknesses of metal which bound the holes (formed in the sheet metal) repre-
senting the lines of pattern papers above mentioned; and the workman, in
making coverings for floors or other surfaces according to my Invention, will,
in fact, produce his patterns in the perforated sheet metal by filling up the
holes with plastic colored matter, so as to produce similar appearances to the
pattern papers above spoken of, and which are well known; the perforated
sheet metal representing the ruled pattern paper, and the plastic colored matter
the color painted on to spaces on the paper.
The Drawing shows a portion of sheet metal having the holes filled up
according to a pattern, as will readily be understood on examining the same.
The plastic matters used should be such that, having been placed in the
holes, they will become dry and hard, and when dry, will allow of being walked
on or otherwise treated according to the purpose to which the covering, when
made, is to be applied. Various materials may be used for this purpose; and
I do not confine myself to any particular matters for filling in and stopping the
holes of the perforated sheet metal used. I will, however, give the best infor-
mation in my power that a workman may be enabled to perform my Invention

page_text: as well as I myself am able to do so, and although I have heretofore used sheet
lead, and believe it most suitable for the purpose, yet I do not confine myself
thereto.
The plastic materials which I have used consist of pulverized glass in fine
powder mixed with dry color in powder, in the proportion of about two-thirds
of powdered glass and one-third coloring matter by measure, mixed to the
substance or character of putty by means of copal varnish; and the workman,
having placed the sheet of perforated metal with its face downwards on a
smooth table or surface, will proceed with a spatula or other instrument to fill
in the holes according to the desired pattern or design, and then allow the
same to dry. The back is then to be covered with strong canvass or other
material with an adhesive cement; that which I have used for this purpose
consists of a matter sold by the name of mastic; I have usually purchased
that which I have used of Mr. Langdon, of No. 24, Westminster Bridge Road,
Lambeth, to which I add about one-fourteenth by weight of bees-wax, and melt
the two together; and I render these matters to about the fluidity of oil colours
by means of spirits of turpentine, and by means of a brush I well coat over one
surface of the canvass, and also the back of the metal and plastic matter, and
press the coated surface of the canvass on to the metal and plastic matter, so
that they will adhere well and closely together, and when dry the new covering
may be placed on a floor or other surface with the canvass surface downwards,
any unevenness being rubbed off with pummice stone.
Another material which may be used with advantage for covering the
under surface, and also for filling the holes of the perforated sheet metal, is
india-rubber; and this matter may be used without other matters, in which
case I prefer that the sheet metal should be perforated in pattern, be-
cause when the india-rubber has been exposed to the air for some time it
turns to a black, which will show the pattern of the perforated sheet metal
with advantage; and in applying india-rubber, I place a sheet thereof slightly
thicker than the sheet metal on the back surface thereof, and then by passing
the two between a pair of smooth rollers, or otherwise, I press the india-rubber
(caoutchouc) through the holes perforated in the sheet metal, so as to produce
an even surface of india-rubber and metal on one side and a thin covering of
india-rubber on the other side. Or, the india-rubber may be mixed with ground
cork or other matters in powder, as has heretofore been practised, by which the
india-rubber will not only be changed more or less in color according to the mat-
ters used (which will allow of india rubber being used to obtain diversity of colors
in pattern when filling up the holes in sheet metal), but such mixing will, as is
well known, remove the stickiness of the india-rubber, and render it when com-

page_text: bined with perforated plates of metal more suitable for covering floors or other
surfaces according to my Invention. When using such mixed and colored
india-rubber, I obtain it in sheets, and cut out the parts of the pattern and
place them together over the back of the perforated metal, and then by pres-
sure between two flat surfaces, force the preparations of india-rubber through
the holes. If I use rollers for pressing the compound of india-rubber into the
holes, I employ two boards, plates, or surfaces, and place the perforated metal
plate and india-rubber preparation between them, and in this condition I sub-
ject the whole to the pressure of rollers. The object of using the boards or
plates, or such like unyielding surfaces, is to prevent the pattern produced by
the different portions of the india-rubber preparation being disturbed or dis-
torted when the matters are being pressed into the holes in the sheet metal
when passing between the rollers.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I would have it understood, that I do not claim
the perforating of metal, neither do I claim the materials or compositions
herein mentioned when separately considered, nor do I confine myself to the
details herein described; but what I claim is, the mode of making coverings
for floors and other surfaces by manufacturing perforated sheet metal in com-
bination with other matters for such purposes, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Purser Vaile, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-four.