Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Coated Fabrics for Floor Coverings.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1893-Accepted, 30th Sept., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Coated Fabrics
for Floor Coverings.
I, JAMES CRAWFORD LYON, of No. 6 South Street, in the City of Baltimore,
in the State of Maryland, United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare
the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO THE
MANUFACTURE OF COATED FABRICS FOR FLOOR COVERINGS, and in what
mauner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to an improvement in linoleum and oil-floor-cloths, and has
for its object to provide a floor covering of the linoleum-oil-cloth type which shall
be double surfaced, that is, shall have a finished wearing surface on both sides so as
to permit reversal, and use first one side uppermost and then the other. The
surfaces may be either alike or dissimilar in the printed design. To this end the
invention consists of a method of manufacture and the construction of the article
which I shall presently point out.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1, is a view in cross section of a linoleum-oil-cloth-surfaced fabric, con-
structed according to my invention.
Figure 2, shows a sheet of my improved floor covering one corner being turned
over so that both surfaces may be seen.
Figure 3, is a view illustrating diagrammatically, means for producing my double-
surfaced floor covering.
In the drawing the letter, A, indicates the floor-covering of which, b, is the
foundation fabric of jute, or other suitable material. a, and, c, are coatings applied
thereto on opposite sides and as shown in the drawings, the side a, is linoleum and
the side, c, is of oil-cloth composition so that the finished article presents on one
side an oil-cloth surface while on the reverse side it is a linoleum surface.
Both sides have an ornamental printed surface of any desired pattern.
In manufacturing linoleum or oil-cloth, the jute-fabric, ordinarily employed as a
base upon which to deposit the composition surfaces, is stretched and the coatings
are applied until a desired thickness is obtained.
Any desired or preferred machinery may be employed in the manufacture of this
floor-covering; my invention is not limited in this respect. Figure 3, is employed
only to suggest one way of manufacture. The letter, B, indicates the supply roll
from which the base-fabric of jute is unwound and whence it passes over the
rollers, d, e, f, and, g, to drying frames (not shown).
The coatings of composition may be applied to the two sides at the points, a,
and, y, between the rollers, d, and, h, and,, and, g, respectively, so that when the
fabric has passed the last roller, g, it is coated on both sides and is ready for drying.
Of course this procedure may be varied.
After each coating the fabric is dried or is submitted to the action of heat before
the next application.
I coat the base-fabric on both sides and subject both of said coats or layers to an
equal drying action.
By this method the coatings are so tempered in their various drying stages that
the opposite sides alike have the desired property of toughness and elasticity and
the fibre of the base-fabric is wholly protected.
When the composition layers have been applied and dried, an outer ornamental
surface of paint or pigment is applied to each of the said composition layers on
either side of the base-fabric. The double surfaced floor-covering is now a finished
article.

page_text: When the double surfaced floor-covering is rolled up for shipment or for storage,
a lining of suitable material is rolled up with it and lies between the successive
convolutions thus separating the surfaces from contact with each other and preventing
their sticking together. When the said floor-covering is laid on the floor, the same
lining may be placed under it and cushions the tread of the foot and also prevents
the surface on the underside from sticking to the floor.
In use either side of my improved cloth may be first placed uppermost, the under
side serving to cushion the upper side and make it soft and easy to the tread of the
foot.
When a change is desired the sides may be reversed and the worn side placed
underneath will in turn serve to cushion the fresh or unworn side as well as serve to
keep the base-fabric from contact with dampness.
With the ordinary floor-covering of the class described, when the pigment used
to give an outer ornamental surface, is worn through, the article is no longer
presentable and it is necessary to replace the worn floor covering with a new one,
but with the improved double surfaced floor-covering herein described, when the
outer ornamental surface on one side is worn through, the fabric may be reversed
cr turned over as above described and a new and unused surface exposed upper-
most.
It is the purpose of my invention to have the opposite sides of the base-fabric
both coated with a composition. to subject the composition on the two sides to a
-drying operation to an equal extent, and to, apply to the composition on each side
an ornamental wearing surface, therefore the composition on both sides may be
linoleum, or oil cloth, or one may be linoleum and the other oil cloth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1st. The herein described method of manufacturing floor-coverings of the
linoleum-oil-cloth type the same consisting first in applying to both sides of a base-
fabric of fibre, layers of linoleum or oil-cloth composition; second, in subjecting
both of said layers to an equal extent to exposure or to heat to dry them; and
third, in applying to each of the said composition layers, an outer ornamental
wearing surface of paint or pigment.
2nd. In a floor covering of the linoleum-oil-cloth type, the combination of the
base-fabric and two composition wearing surfaces applied thereto, one on each
side thereof, substantially as described.
3rd. In a floor covering of the linoleum-oil-cloth type, the combination of the
base-fabric a linoleum composition layer applied to one side thereof; an oil-
cloth composition layer applied to the other side thereof; and an ornamental
wearing surface applied to each of the said composition layers.
4th. The combination of a roll of floor-covering of the linoleum or oil-cloth type
having a wearing surface on each side of the base-fabric, and a lining of suitable
material interposed between the successive convolutions thereof and separating the
adjoining surfaces, substantially as described.
Dated this 16th day of June 1893.
JAMES CRAWFORD LYON.