Improvements in the Manufacture of Mosaic Floor Cloth, and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Nov., 1395
Complete Specification Left, 1st Aug., 1896-Accented, 5th Sept., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Mosaic Floor Cloth, and
Apparatus therefor.
I, FREDERICK WALTON, of No. 114 Holborn, in the City of London,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In my Specification No. 16043 of 1890 I have described machinery for manu-
facturing. mosaic floor cloth, in which there is a revolving drum having on its
periphery a flexible band with a number of outwardly projecting pins, against
which are pressed a backing fabric, and tessere of variously coloured floor cloth
material cut out by cutting cylinders arranged round the drum, from sheets of the
material passing between the cutting cylinders and pressing rollers.
According to my present invention, in some instances, for some kinds and patterns
of mosaic floor cloth, I previously cut out the tesseræ to be deposited upon the
backing fabric, using for this purpose cutting cylinders which operate independently
of the revolving drum.
The tessere may also be cut by knives arranged on the sides of a polygonal
drum from a sheet of floor cloth material passed between it and a pressing cylinder
which is mounted in sliding bearings and pressed against the drum. The pattern
spaces of the drum are provided with plungers by which the tesseræ are extruded.
The tessere also may be punched by suitably shaped punches from sheets or
strips of floor cloth material of different colours.
a
Tessere, obtained by any of these methods, are
then arranged upon
composing cylinder which revolves in close proximity to the drum and at the same
surface speed, so that the tesseræ upon the composing cylinder as they come into
engagement with the pins upon the drum, are transferred by them from the
cylinder to the drum, and from it they, together with the backing fabric, are
conducted to the pressing machine as described in my former specification above
referred to.
I provide the composing cylinder with thin blades projecting radially from it in
the form of the pattern, this serving as a guide for laying the tesseræ by hand in
the spaces between the blades, which spaces may be coloured according to the
pattern.
The blades, instead of enclosing the whole circumference of each pattern space,
may in most cases, be comparatively short, serving to mark out the angles or other
critical points of the pattern.
The guide blades may be fixed in plugs which are inserted in holes bored in the
circumference of the composing cylinder, and, in order to render one cylinder
available for many patterns, I prefer to bore in it many more holes than are
required for any one pattern, so that, by shifting the plugs, guides for different
patterns can be presented on the same cylinder.
Instead of employing a composing cylinder as above described, I may arrange
the tessere on composing plates, using suitable stencils as guides for placing them.
The composing plate bas sharp pins which hold the tesseræ placed upon it until
they are transferred to the drum. For placing the tessere in their proper relative
positions employ several stencil plates each of which is cut out with spaces
corresponding to the tessere for one of the colours of the pattern. This stencil
being placed on the composing plate, has its spaces filled by hand with tessere of
the appropriate colour, and these by means of a pressing plate having punches
1

page_text: projecting from it corresponding with the spaces of the stencil, are fixed on the
pins of the composing plate. By means of other stencils and punches the tessera
of the other colours are successively fixed on the composing plate, which is then
caused to travel in contact with the revolving drum, by the pins of which the
tesseræ are transferred to the backing fabric on the drum. In order to ensure
continuity of the floor cloth sheet, the composing plates are secured together in a
row as they approach the drum, the patterns on them. being such that the
front edge of each is in close contiguity to the rear edge of the pattern which
precedes it.
Instead of employing stencils to determine the positions of the coloured tessera
on a composing plate, I in some cases print the coloured pattern or outlines of the
pattern, with spots of colour or marks indicating different colours, on the backing
fabric and place the tessere each in its proper place while the backing remains for
a time at rest.
The backing with the tesseræ on it is then caused to travel onwards over a
heated table and again to rest while the tessere already on it are carefully adjusted
to position, and while fresh tesseræ are placed on the part behind. The part with
the adjusted tesseræ is then pressed so as to make them adhere to the backing.
Instead of printing the backing, the pattern and colours may be thrown upon it
from above by a magic lantern, which may be provided with transparent coloured
slides for various patterns.
Dated this 1st day of November 1895.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Mosaic Floor Cloth, and
Apparatus therefor.
I FREDERICK WALTON of No. 114 Holborn in the City of London Manu-
facturer 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 :-
In my Specification No. 16043 of 1890 I have described machinery for mauu-
facturing mosaic floor cloth, in which there is a revolving drum having on its
periphery a flexible band with a number of outwardly projecting pins, against
which are pressed a backing fabric, and tesseræ of variously coloured floor cloth
material cut out by cutting cylinders arranged round the drum, from sheets of the
material passing between the cutting cylinders and pressing rollers.
According to my present invention, in some instances, for some kinds and
patterns of mosaic floor cloth, I previously cut out the tessera to be deposited upon
the backing fabric, using for this purpose cutting cylinders which operate
independently of the revolving drum.
The tessera may also be cut by knives arranged on the sides of a polygonal
-drum from a sheet of floor cloth material passed between it and a pressing cylinder
which is mounted in sliding bearings and pressed against the druin. The pattern
spaces of the drum are provided with plungers by which the tesseræ are extruded.
The tessere also may be punched by suitably shaped punches from sheets or strips
of floor cloth material of different colours.
Tesseræ, obtained by any of these methods are then placed in spaces in the
periphery of a composing cylinder arranged as shewn in Figure 1 of the accom-
panying drawings which is a side view. This cylinder C' revolves in close proximity
to a drum D and at the same surface speed; so that the tesseræ which are
placed in the spaces at the upper part of the composing cylinder by operatives

page_text: standing on platforms PP, as they come into engagement with the pins upon the
drum D, are transferred by them from the cylinder C to the backing fabric F,
which comes from a roll R and passes partly round the drum D, the pins of which
project through it and hold the tesseræ as they pass away from the composing
cylinder. The backing with the tesseræ on it then passes to the pressing
apparatus B such as is described in my former specification above referred to.
The tessere being then made to cohere and adhere to the backing the completed
mosaic floor cloth passes from the upper drum of the pressing apparatus to be
seasoned.
I provide the composing cylinder with thin blades projecting radially from it in.
the form of the pattern, these serving as guides for laying a tessere by hand in
the spaces between the blade, which spaces may be coloured according to the
pattern. The blades, instead of covering the whole circumference of each.
pattern space, may, in most cases, be comparatively short, serving to mark out.
the angles or other critical points of the pattern. The guide blades may be fixed
in plugs which are inserted in holes bored in the circumference of the composing
cylinder; and, in order to render one cylinder available for many patterns, I prefer
to bore in it many more holes than are required for any one pattern, so that by
shifting the plugs, guides for different patterns can be presented on the same-
cylinder.
Figure 2 of the drawings show a portion of the composing cylinder developed,.
part having a pattern on it, and part having the guide blades, and plugs with
various slots for holding the guide blades are shewn by Figure 3.
Instead of employing a composing cylinder as above described I may arrange
the tesseræ on composing plates one of which is shewn in Figure 4 using suitable
stencils as guides for placing them. For placing the tessere in their proper
relative positions I employ several stencil plates one of which is shewn in plan in
Figure 5 and partly in section in Figure 6. It consists of a wooden frame w
faced with a metal plate p. cut out with spaces corresponding to the tesseræ for
one of the colors of the pattern. This stencil being placed on the composing
plate has its spaces filled by hand with tessera of the appropriate colour, aud
these by means of a pressing plate A Figure 6 having punches a projecting from
it corresponding with the spaces of the stencil, are pushed down upon pins.
projecting up from the composing plate. By means of other stencils and punches
the tessera of the other colours are successively fixed on the pins of the composing
plate. A number of composing plates having been thus charged with tessere they
are carried to a machine shewn in side view in Figure 7. Here they are placed
one after the other in close contact on a pair of continuously travelling bands E
which have register pins projecting upwards to enter holes provided in the flanges
of the composing plate. As the plates pass under the drum D which as above
described in my former specification has pins projecting through the fabric F, the
tessera are transferred from the composing plates to the fabric on the drum, from
the drum they are carried to the pressing apparatus B by which the tesseræ are
made to cohere and to adhere to the backing and thence the completed floor cloth
is led to a reel K.
Instead of employing stencils to determine the positions of the coloured tessera
on a composing plate, I in some cases print the coloured pattern or outlines of the
pattern with spots of colour or marks indicating different colours on the backing
fabric, and place the tesseræ each in its proper place while the backing remains
for a time at rest. The backing with the tessera on it is then caused to travel
outwards over a heated table, and again to rest while the tesseræ already on it
are carefully adjusted to position and while fresh tessera are placed on the part
behind. The part with the adjusted tesseræ is then pressed so as to make them
adhere to the backing. Instead of printing the backing, the pattern and colours
may be thrown upon it from above by a magic lantern which may be provided
with transparent coloured slides for various patterns as shewn diagrammatically in
Figure 8.

page_text: The lantern L has a double reflector T directing the light down through a
slide S and suitable lenses W. The slide shews the pattern in its proper form
and colour so that its image is presented below on a composing plate or it might
be on part of the backing fabric, and operators can then lay the tesseræ on their
proper places as directed by the image.
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
1. The manufacture of mosaic floor cloth by cutting tesseræ from sheets of
variously coloured floor cloth material laying these in marked out spaces in the
periphery of a composing cylinder transferring them to backing fabric on a
pinned drum and then by pressing apparatus causing the tesseræ to cohere and to
adhere to this backing substantially as described.
2. The construction of the composing cylinder with numerous holes to receive
plugs variously slotted to hold the blades that separate or mark out the spaces of
the pattern substantially as described.
3. The modified method of manufacture of mosaic floor cloth by arranging the
tesseræ in composing plates which being passed tangentially in contact with the
backing fabric on the pinned drum have the tesseræ transferred to the backing on
which they are fixed by pressing apparatus substantially as described.
4. For operating as set forth in the preceding claim, the use of stencil and
pressing plates to determine the positions of the tesseræ on the composing plate
substantially as described.
5. The modified method of manufacture by placing the tesseræ directly on the
backing fabric on which their positions are indicated as by being marked in colours
or by the image of a magic lantern slide substantially as described.
Dated this 1st day of August 1896.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for.the Applicant..