Improvements relating to the Waterproofing of Canvas and other Materials, and to Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 20th July, 1892-Accepted, 24th Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Waterproofing of Canvas and other
Materials, and to Apparatus therefor.
We, LOUIS SILVERMAN of Bellevue, Knoll Road, Bexley, in the County of
Kent, Engineer, and WILLIAM MCLAREN, of Moorgate Works, Moorfields, in the
City of London, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
:-
Our invention relates to the waterproofing of various materials, and comprises
an improved method of waterproofing, which is very advantageous for the treat-
ment of cellular fibrous materials, such as hemp, flax or cotton, and the said
invention has for its chief object the treatment of canvas and other woven
fabrics to produce waterproof material for the manufacture of tents, tarpaulins,
and the like. Our improved method is, however, also advantageously applicable
to unwoven textile materials, such as yarn, from which, when treated according
to our invention, waterproof fabrics may be made by weaving. Our said inven-
tion is also applicable to other materials.
In carrying our said invention into practice the fibrous or other material to be
treated is placed in a cylinder or other suitable chamber, and a vacuum or
partial vacuum is then created in the said cylinder or chamber by means of an
air-pump or in any other convenient manner, so as to withdraw the air from
the cells of the said fibrous or other material. When the air is sufficiently
exhausted from the said cylinder or chamber, paraffin-wax or other suitable
waterproofing substance is introduced therein under pressure by means of a
suitable pump or in any other convenient manner, and is thus forced into the
cells of the material under treatment. The material thus treated is then
removed from the said cylinder or chamber and is passed between suitable rolls
heated by steam or otherwise and subjected to pressure so as to squeeze out of
the said material any superfluous wax or other waterproofing substance, and at
the same time more effectually ensure the filling of all the cells of the said
material with such substance. The waterproof material thus produced is then,
if desired, subjected to the action of revolving brushes or similar devices for
the purpose of teasing it or roughening its surface to give it the appearance of
new material.
We find it advantageous to use for the purpose of our invention a cylinder
provided with a casing or jacket into which steam or other heating medium may
be introduced for the purpose of maintaining a suitable temperature in the said
cylinder or chamber and thus keeping the wax or other waterproofing substance
in a molten or fluid condition.
Dated this 20th day of Antahan 1001
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Waterproofing of Canvas and other
Materials, and to Apparatus therefor.
We, LOUIS SILVERMAN of Bellevue, Knoll Road, Bexley in the County of
Kent, Engineer and WILLIAM MCLAREN, of Moorgate Works, Moorfields, in the
City of London, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
ID 21

page_text: what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to the waterproofing of various materials, and comprises
an improved method of waterproofing, which is very advantageous for the treat-
ment of cellular fibrous materials, such as hemp, flax or cotton, and the said
invention has for its chief object the treatment of canvas and other woven
fabrics to produce waterproof material for the manufacture of tents, tarpaulins,
and the like. Our improved method is, however, also advantageously applicable
to unwoven textile materials such as yarn, from which, when treated according
to our invention, waterproof fabrics may be made by weaving. Our said inven-
tion is also applicable to other materials."
In carrying our said invention into practice the fibrous or other material to be
treated is confined in a hermetically closed cylinder or other suitable chamber
and a vacuum or partial vacuum is then created in the said cylinder or chamber
by means of an air-pump or in any other convenient manner, so as to withdraw
or exhaust the air from the cells of the said fibrous or other material. When
the air is sufficiently exhausted from the said cylinder or chamber, paraffin-wax
or other suitable waterproofing substance is introduced therein under pressure by
means of a suitable pump or in any other convenient manner, and is thus forced
into the cells of the material under treatment. The material thus treated is
then removed from the said cylinder or chamber and is passed between suitable
rolls heated by steam or otherwise and subjected to pressure so as to squeeze
out of the said material any superfluous wax or other waterproofing substance,
and at the same time more effectually ensure the filling of all the cells of the
said material with such substance. The waterproof material thus produced is
then, if desired, subjected to the action of revolving brushes or similar devices
for the purpose of teasing it or roughening its surface to give it the appearance
of new material, and also for the purpose of removing any superfluous water-
proofing substance that it may still contain. The waterproof material may, if
"desired be afterwards smoothed or finished by passing it between cold rollers.
We find it advantageous to use for the purpose of our invention, a cylinder
provided with a casing or jacket into which steam or other heating medium may be
introduced for the purpose of maintaining a suitable temperature in the said cylinder
or chamber and thus keeping the wax or other waterproofing substance in a molten
or fluid condition.
By the exhaustion of the air from the cells of the textile or other materials and
the subsequent treatment of the said materials with the waterproofing substance in
the manner herein described we are enabled to completely fill the said cells with
such substance. Whereas, by the ordinary methods of treatment, the waterproofing
substance is merely applied to the exterior of the cells, the air within the latter
preventing the entrance of the waterproofing substance into the same. By our
improved method, therefore, we are enabled to manufacture waterproof material
which is more efficient and durable than that produced by the methods hitherto
adopted.
In the accompanying drawing we have shown a convenient and advantageous
form of apparatus for the waterproofing of materials according to our present
invention.
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal central section of the waterproofing chamber.
Figure 2 is a side elevation showing a series of rolls and brushes for the treat-
ment of the waterproof material after its withdrawal from the said chamber.
a is the waterproofing chamber which is tightly closed at one end and is provided
with a door a' at the other end thereof designed to be hermetically closed after the
material to be treated has been inserted in the said chamber. The said chamber a
is surrounded by a steam-jacket 6 having inlet and outlet pipes c, d ; and the said
chamber is to be connected by a pipe e with an air-pump or other suitable apparatus
for exhausting the air therefrom, and by a pipe f with a pump or other convenient

page_text: apparatus for introducing molten paraffin wax or other suitable waterproofing
substance into the said chamber under pressure. A pressure of fifty pounds or more
per square inch may with advantage be employed for this purpose; it is obvious,
however, that such pressure should be varied according to the nature of the fabric
or material to be waterproofed. A perforated plate or partition g or a suitable
grating is arranged horizontally near the bottom of the chamber a for the purpose
of supporting the material to be treated.
In Figure 2, h is a reel upon which the waterproof material is wound on its
withdrawal from the chamber a. The material from this reel is passed between
steam-heated rolls, which squeeze out of it the superfluous waterproofing
substance, the latter being received in a trough k arranged beneath the said rolls.
The material is then passed between rotating brushes 1, whereby its surface is
roughened or teased and any superfluous waterproofing substance which it may still
contain is removed. The said material may then, if desired, be passed between the
cold rolls m, m' for the purpose of smoothing or finishing its surface. It is then
wound upon a reel n.
It is obvious that other arrangements of apparatus may, if desired, be employed
in carrying into effect our improved method of waterproofing hereinbefore
described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is :-
First. In the waterproofing of textile and other materials, the exhaustion of the
air from the cells of such materials previous to their treatment with the water-
proofing substance, for the purpose above specified.
Second. The improved method of waterproofing textile and other materials,
consisting in confining the same within a hermetically closed chamber, exhausting
the air therefrom and then introducing the waterproofing substance into the said
chamber under a suitable pressure, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Third. The improved method of waterproofing textile and other materials, con-
sisting in first exhausting the air from the cells of the material and filling such cells
with the waterproofing substance, and then passing the material thus treated
between rolls and rotating brushes, substantially as hereinbefore described and for
the purposes specified.
Dated this 20th dev
T 1
1000
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.