AN IMPROVEMENT IN CEMENTING FABRICS WHEN INDIA-RUBBER IS EMPLOYED
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Fry, of Watling Street, in the City of
London, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN CEMENTING FABRICS
WHEN INDIA-RUBBER IS EMPLOYED."
Sealed the 8th January 1858, and dated the 31st October 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Fry at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 31st
October 1857.
"I, JOSEPH FRY, of Watling Street, in the City of London, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN CEMENTING
FABRICS WHEN INDIA-RUBBER IS EMPLOYED," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object an improvement in cementing fabrics when
india-rubber is employed, and consists of means of combining vulcanized india-
rubber with fabrics containing or composed of wool, silk, or animal fibre,
which, if subjected to the ordinary process of heat for vulcanizing india-rubber
would be injured or destroyed. In order to combine a fabric of wool, silk, or
animal fibre with cotton or other fibre which will admit of being subjected to
the necessary heat for producing the change on india-rubber called vulcanization,
india-rubber solution or preparation, together with the requisite sulphur or
matters containing sulphur, is spread or applied as heretofore on the fabric of
cotton or other like fibre; a coating of ordinary solution of india-rubber or of
gutta percha is then applied over the sulphurized coating, and a second fabric
of cotton or other like fabric, impregnated with gum. or other matter which
can be readily dissolved, is placed on and combined with the india-rubber
coated fabric, and the two together are subjected to the process of heat
necessary to produce the change, after which the fabric charged with gum is
to be removed, which will leave the vulcanized surface of india-rubber in

page_text: a condition to receive a fabric of wool, silk, or animal fibre (not capable of
bearing the heat of the vulcanizing. process), such fabric of silk, wool, or
animal fibre being first slightly coated with the ordinary india-rubber solution.
In those cases where it is desired to have a coating of vulcanized india-rubber
to a fabric of silk, wool, or animal fibre, then both the cotton or other fabrics
used are to be impregnated with gum or matter, which can be readily
dissolved, so that when one of the surfaces of vulcanized india-rubber has
been caused to adhere to the fabric of silk, wool, or animal fibre, the second
fabric of cotton or other fibre may be removed. In like manner any number
of plies or thicknesses of fabrics may be combined.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
"by the said Joseph Fry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
April 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
FRY, of Watling Street, in the City of London, send greeting.
1
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first, day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Joseph Fry, Her special licénce that I, the said Joseph Fry,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Joseph Fry, 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT IN
CEMENTING FABRICS WHEN INDIA-RUBBER IS EMPLOYED," "upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Joseph Fry, 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 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.
i
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Fry, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-.

page_text: This Invention has for its object, an improvement in cementing, fabrics
when india-rubber is employed; and consists of means of combining vulcanized
india-rubber with fabrics containing or composed of wool, silk, or animal fibre,.
which, if subjected to the ordinary process of heat for vulcanizing india-rubber,.
would be injured or destroyed. In order to combine a fabric of wool, silk, or
animal fibre.with cotton or other fibre,, which will admit of being subjected. to
the necessary heat for producing the change on india-rubber called vulcanization,!
india-rubber solution or preparation, together with the requisite. sulphur or
matters containing sulphur, is spread or applied as heretofore on the fabric of
cotton or other like fibre. Coating of ordinary solution of india-rubber or
gutta percha is then applied over the sulphurized coating, and a second fabric
of cotton or other like fabric, impregnated with gum or other matter which
can be readily dissolved, is placed on and combined with the india-rubber
coated fabric, and the two together are subjected to. the process of heat
necessary to produce the, change, after, which the fabric charged with gum is
to be removed, which will leave the vulcanized surface of india-rubber in a
condition to receive a fabric of wool, silk, or animal fibre (not capable of,
bearing the heat of the vulcanizing process), .such, fabric. of silk, wool,1.or
animal fibre being first slightly coated with the ordinary india-rubber solution.
In those cases where, it is desired to have a coating, of vulcanized.india-rubber.
to.a fabric of silk, wool, or animal fibre, then both the cotton or other fabrics
used are to be impregnated with gum or matter which can be readily dissolved,,
so.that when one of the surfaces of the vulcanized india-rubber has been caused:
to adhere to, the fabric of silk, wool, or animal fibre, the second fabric of
cotton or other fibre may be removed.. In like, manner, any number of plies
or thicknesses of fabrics may be combined.
Having thus stated the nature, of my said. Invention, I. will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same. When it is desired to
produce a waterproof fabric lined with calico or other fabric, which will bear the
heat necessary to produce the change in the india-rubber and sulphur known as
wulcanization, then the solution or preparation of india-rubber and sulphur is as
heretofore to be spread over one of the surfaces of such calico or other fabric.
The coating of the sulphur preparation of india-rubber is then to have a coating
of simple preparation or solution of india-rubber or gutta percha without
sulphur, and on such surface another piece of calico or like fabric, previously
impregnated with a solution of gum, or rice flour, or other suitable paste or:
material, is to be pressed thereon and caused to adhere thereto; and in this
state the process of vulcanization is to be performed; after which the calico
or fabric which was previously impregnated with gum or other soluble matter

page_text: is to be removed by being damped with water; then the fabric of wool or other
material, first coated with a solution of india-rubber or gutta percha, is to be
fixed to the surface of india-rubber, from which the fabric has been removed,
and the same is to be caused to adhere by pressure. When it is desired to
remove both fabrics from the vulcanized india-rubber, and to apply others,
then in applying the compound of india rubber and sulphur to both fabrics,"
between which it is to be vulcanized, there is to be a coating of india-rubber or
gutta percha next such of the pieces of calico or such like fabrics which will
bear the heat necessary for the process of vulcanizing the india-rubber and
sulphur compound. It is not essential that the second or upper fabric should
be saturated with gum or soluble matter; but when the fabric on which the
india-rubber is spread is desired after vulcanizing also to be removed, it should
be so saturated. The object of thus applying a surface or surfaces of india-
rubber or of gutta percha, or a compound thereof, without sulphur, on those
sides or surfaces of the sulphur compound of india-rubber from which the
fabric is to be stripped after vulcanization, is that there shall be a surface or
surfaces of india-rubber or gutta percha which will readily adhere to the india-
rubber or gutta percha solution, or preparation applied to the woollen or other
fabric or material which is to be fixed thereto, and which would not adhere so
well to a vulcanized india-rubber surface where no such application had been
made previous to the process of vulcanization. The thickness of the vulcanized
india-rubber may be varied according to the object for which the product is
intended, but the coating of solution or preparation of india-rubber or gutta
percha without sulphur applied thereto, before subjecting the same to beat,
will only require to be comparatively thin.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Fry, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.