IMPROVEMENTS IN MATS AND MATTING
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Cooke, of No. 24, Jermyn Street, in the
County of Middlesex, and Walter Francis, of No. 8, Dorset Street,
Clapham, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
"
Sealed the 10th March 1868, and dated the 2nd November 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Cooke and Walter
Francis at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their.
Petition, on the 2nd November 1867.
We, WILLIAM COOKE, of No. 24, Jermyn Street, in the County of Middlesex,
and WALTER FRANCIS, of No. 8, Dorset Street, Clapham, in the County of
Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MATS AND MATTING," to be as follows:-
The said improvements relate to the manufacture of mats and matting for
cleansing the feet, covering floors, packing or wrapping, and other purposes,
and consists chiefly in the adaptation to such manufactures of the interior
portions of common cane, which portions are usually wasted or destroyed
after being separated from the exterior portions of the cane which are

page_text: employed in the manufacture of chairs and for other like purposes. This
refuse portion is divided or separated into fibres of suitable thickness and
flexibility and is then ready for use. In the manufacture of mats for
cleansing the feet and similar articles the cane fibre may be interwoven with
strands or cords of hemp, cocoa nut, or other fibre, and afterwards cut
or divided to form the desired brush-like surface. These mats are more
durable and much cheaper than those made of the ordinary materials, and are
more easily and effectually cleaned. They may be washed without injury
and quickly dried and will not harbour fleas or other vermin.
In manufacturing our improved matting the cane fibres after being properly
divided are woven together in the ordinary manner into strips or portions of
any desired size. If desired several of the said fibres may be united by
twisting or plaiting before weaving them together. Coverings for the floors
of dwelling houses and other buildings formed of our improved matting are
much cheaper and more durable than when made of hemp, cocoa-nut fibre,
and other materials ordinarily employed for this purpose.
Our improved matting is also well adapted for packing, wrapping, and other
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Cooke and Walter Francis in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd May 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
COOKE, of No. 24, Jermyn Street, in the County of Middlesex, and WALTER
FRANCIS, of No. 8, Dorset Street, Clapham, in the County of Surrey, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said William Cooke and Walter Francis, Her special licence that we,
the said William Cooke and Walter Francis, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Cooke and Walter
"Francis, our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MATS AND
MATTING," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William

page_text: Cooke and Walter Francis, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our, 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
m mediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Cooke and Walter Francis,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, forming a part of this Specification :-
The said improvements relate to the manufacture of mats and matting for
cleansing the feet, covering floors, packing or wrapping, and other purposes,
and consist chiefly in the adaptation to such manufactures of the interior
portions of common cane, such portions being usually wasted or destroyed
after their separation from the exterior portions of the cane which are
employed in the manufacture of chairs and for other like purposes.
use.
In carrying our Invention into practice this refuse portion is divided or
separated into fibres of suitable thickness and flexibility and is then ready for
In the manufacture of mats for cleansing the feet and similar articles
the cane fibre may be interwoven with strands or cords of hemp, cocoa nut,
or other fibre, and afterwards cut or divided to form the desired brush-like
surface. These mats are more durable and much cheaper than those made
of the ordinary materials, and are more easily and effectually cleaned; they
may be washed without injury and quickly dried and will not harbour fleas
or other vermin. In manufacturing our improved matting for covering floors
and similar purposes the cane fibres after being properly divided are woven
together in the ordinary manner into strips or portions of any required size. If
desired-several of the said fibres may be united by twisting or plaiting before
weaving them together. Coverings for the floors of dwelling houses and other
buildings formed of this improved matting are much cheaper and more
durable than when made of hemp, cocoa-nut fibre, and other materials ordinarily
employed for this purpose. Our improved matting may be advantageously
employed for packing and wrapping furniture or other articles for transport,
and also for nose bags for horses and for various other purposes.

page_text: matting for covering floors and other like purposes formed of the said cane
fibre. In the mat illustrated by Figure 1 the cane fibre a is interwoven with
cords b, preferably of hemp, jute, cocoa nut, or other fibre, and afterwards cut
or divided at c to form a surface suitable for cleansing the feet and similar
purposes. The matting Figure 2, which is chiefly designed for covering floors,
and which may be advantageously employed in all cases as a substitute for the
ordinary so called "India matting," is also well adapted to be used for wrapping
or packing merchandise for baskets or bags, nose bags for horses, and many
other articles. In this matting the cane fibres a are woven or plaited together
as in ordinary matting for similar purposes, and the matting may be manu-
factured by hand or by means of any suitable apparatus or mechanism.
Figure 3 illustrates another description of our improved mats. In this case
the fibres after being properly divided are twisted or plaited together to form
the ropes or strands d, which are arranged in any desired figure or pattern and
are secured together within the border e by hemp, cocoa nut, or other fibres..
It will be seen by reference to the above description, wherein we have fully
set forth the manner in which our Invention may be conveniently and
advantageously carried into practice, that the said Invention does not relate to
any peculiarities in the manner of uniting the fibres together in manufacturing
our improved mats or matting; we therefore do not claim or limit ourselves
to any particular method of constructing or forming such mats or matting,
nor do we limit ourselves to any particular mode or process of preparing or
treating the cane to adapt it to the purpose of our Invention, as the division
of the cane into fibres or strips of suitable thickness and length, which is the
only preparation required, may either be effected by hand or by any suitable
apparatus or machinery, but we claim,-
First. Mats for cleansing the feet formed of the inner or waste portions of
cane fibre such as we have herein described.
Second. Mats and matting for covering floors and other like purposes
formed of the waste portions of cane fibre such as we have herein described.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Cooke and Walter Francis,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-fifth day of April,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
WM. COOKE. (L.S.)
W. FRANCIS. (L.S.)