Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Sept., 1887
Specification Accepted, 1st Nov., 1887
1, JOHN CHESTER LYMAN of 39 Woburn Place, in the County of Middlesex,
physician do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:—
This invention relates to that class of roofing material prepared in sheets or rolls
on canvas, textile, felted or fibrous fabric, and consists in covering the outer or
exposed surface of such material, when so prepared, with a coating composed of a
non-conductor of heat, which so hardens or indurates the surface as to render it
imporous to the rays of the sun or extreems of heat and cold.
The accompanying drawing represents the apparatus employed for the purpose of
carrying out my invention, figure one (Fig. 1.) being a longitudinal section and
figure two (Fig. 2.) a plain view of the apparatus aforesaid.
The material or fabric which I ordinarily employ for the saturation is that
commonly used, such as burlap, felt, or duck. As shown at a, this is drawn through
the kettle or tank A. containing melted asphaltum or a by-product of petroleum,
suitably tempered; it is then passed over, under and over the rollers b, bx, and b,
the roller being submerged in the liquid used. By this treatinent the fabric
becomes throughly saturated. It is then passed over the rollers
C, C, suitably sustained
upon the frame B. The frame B. also supports a hopper, C, having a meshed bottom
or sieve, d.
The hopper is filled with a non-combustible substance, such as powdered lime,
asbestos, or good ashes suitably sifted. By the motion of the hopper the non-
combustible substance is sifted through the meshes in suitable quantity upon the upper
surface of the saturated burlap, or fabric employed, as it passes over the rollers c, c.—
Thence, being carried along and passing between the compression rollers e, e, the
non-combustible powdered material employed is pressed into the yielding surface of
the saturated fabric, before it has become cool, and forms a hardened or indurated
TDS11

page_text: surface, impervious to the rays of the sun, and not easily affected by fire when laid
as a roofing. The pulverized non-combustible material, penetrating the saturated
fabric to a considerable depth, absorbs that part of the melted asphaltum, or liquid
employed, which would otherwise be affected by heat, and leaves the fabric in a
pliable state upon both the lower or laid surface and the upper face, and not liable to
crack or check. In order to sift the pulverized material in suitable quantity as the
fabric is passing over the rollers, c, c, a spiral spring, D, is connected with the front end of
the hopper and a cam-shaft E, is placed in the rear. This cam-shaft is operated by a
belt F, passing over the pulleys Fx, F*, worked by the crank F2, which latter also
operates the compression rollers. This cam strikes the side of the hopper, moving it
forward and compressing the spiral spring; and when the cam is released from the
hopper the spiral spring reacts and shakes the hopper sifting the contents upon the
saturated fabric beneath. A roll of paper, G. serves as a lining for the lower face of
the roofing as it passes between the compression rollers; and the roofing so prepared
is reeled upon the reel H, as shown.
The application of this material is not limited to roofing, but may be variously
employed in architectural work where a light, thin, waterproof, non-conductible
material is required. The non-conductible powder may be applied to both surfaces of
the saturated fabric, before the compression is applied, by the use of a second hopper
on a higher or lower plane than the, first, and by suitable rollers, by passing around
which the surface of the fabric which was underneath at the first hopper becomes
uppermost at the second hopper.
I am aware that heretofore lime has been employed as an ingredient in roofing
compounds, mixed with other ingredients before saturation or passing the fabric
through it; but when so prepared the roofing when laid is affected by every change
of temperature from hot to cold, causing the roof soon to become full of cracks and
eventually to leak; hence I do not claim a roofing compound of lime or ashes when
these ingredients are intimately mixed with other materials before saturation of the
fiber.
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:
The herein described method of preparing roofing-or other architectural material
which consists in first saturating a textile fabric with melted aspaltum or a by-
product of petroleum, or other suitable waterproof substance; then covering one or
both sides of the saturated fabric with a non-conductible powdered substance such as
lime, ashes or asbestos; and finally subjecting the whole to pressure so as to indurate
the same, substantially as described.
Dated this 22nd day of September 1887