IM- PROVEMENTS RELATING TO THE UTILIZATION OF RATTAN PITH FOR TIME MANU- FACTURE OF VENEERS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARRIAGE BODIES AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseline, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS RELATING TO THE UTILIZATION OF RATTAN PITH FOR TIME MANU-
FACTURE OF VENEERS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF CARRIAGE BODIES AND FOR
OTHER LIKE PURPOSES." A communication from abroad by Sullivan Haynes
Penley, Rialdo Dorman, and Annie Judson Dorman, all of the United States
of America.
Sealed the 19th May 1876, and dated the 8th March 1876,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th March 1876.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Finn of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO THE UTILIZATION
OF RATTAN PITH FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF VENEERS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION
OF CARRIAGE BODIES AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES." A communication.
The object of this Invention is to utilize for manufacturing purposes the product
known as rattan pith, which consists of the part of the rattan reed left when
deprived of its skin.
The first part of the said Invention relates to the production of a vencer made of
this material combined with a suitable backing of textile or fibrous material. In
carrying this part of my Invention into effect I take the rattan pith and lay
lengths or sections of it of a uniform thickness side by side as close as may be in
parallel lines upon a sheet of fibrous or textile material, such as coarse linen or
burlaps, which forms the backing. This backing before the lengths of pith are laid
on it is coated with glue, sizing, or other adhesive substance, so as to cause said
pith to become firmly fastened to it. The upper or exposed surface of the pith is
also treated to a similar coat of adhesive material, thus causing the sections or rods
to adhere to one another, giving at the same time a finished-or-polished surface to
the article. The veneer-thus-made may be advantageously used for the various
purposes for which ordinary wood veneer is employed.
The second part of the said Invention relates to the utilization of rattan pith in
the manufacture of various articles, such as carriage and phaeton bodies. In
carrying this part of said Invention into effect I take rods or lengths of rattan pith
Paine I

page_text: which I place around a form or block of the shape required for the article to be
produced. Said rods are mostly short pieces of varying lengths and thicknesses.
In some cases these pieces will lie parallel for the whole or a portion of their
length, in some they will flare or spread when intermediate pieces will be intro-
duced to fill up gaps. After the pieces or rods of pith have been. thus placed
around the form or block, they are coated with glue, sizing, or other equivalent
adhesive material to cause them to stick together and retain their shape and relative
position when removed from said form.
In forming carriage or phaeton bodies to which this part of my Invention mainly
applies after the rods are coated with glue or sized as above described and removed
froin the form transverse rods of the same material (pith), or preferably of un-
skinned rattan, are applied so as to form a frame or operate as braces, said transverse
rods being secured to the others by small nails or tacks. The body thus shaped is
fastened to a wooden or other stiff and strong bottom which forms a floor for the
carriage or phaeton, and is then treated on its inside to a cont of adhesive material,
glue, or sizing, upon which is laid textile or fibrous material, such as coarse linen or
burlap, forming a lining.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
June 1876.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO THE UTILIZATION
OF RATTAN PITH FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF VENEERS. FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF
CARRIAGE BODIES AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES." A. communication from abroad
by Sullivan Haynes Penley, Rialdo Dorman, and Annie Judson Dorman, all of the
United States of America.
The object of my Invention is to utilize for manufacturing purposes the product
known as rattan pith, which consists of the part of the rattan reed left when
deprived of its skin.
The first part of this Invention relates to the production of a veneer made of this
material combined with a suitable backing of textile or fibrous material. In
carrying this part of my Invention into effect I take the rattan pith and lay lengths
or sections of it of a uniform thickness side by side as close as may be in parallel
lines upon a sheet of fibrous or textile material, such as coarse linen or burlap,
which forms the backing. This backing before the lengths of pith are laid on it is
coated with glue, sizing, or other adhesive substance, so as to cause said pith to
become firmly fastened to it. The upper or exposed surface of the pith is also
treated to a similar coat of adhesive material, thus causing the sections or rods to
adhere to one another, giving at the same time a finished or polished surface to the
article.
In Figure 1, in the accompanying Drawing, A represents the rods or sections of
rattan pith laid side by side and as closely as possible together upon a sheet B of
fibrous or textile material which forms the backing. A coat of gluo, sizing, or
other adhesive substance being applied to said backing in order to cause the rods
to adhere to it, and a similar coat being applied to the upper or exposed surface of
the rods or sections of pith to cause them to adhere together, and to give them a
smooth and finished appearance. The veneer thus made may be advantageously
used for the various purposes for which ordinary wood veneer is employed.
The second part of the said Invention relates to the utilization of rattan pith in
the manufacture of various articles, such as carriage bodies and the like. In
carrying this part of my Invention into effect I take rods or lengths of rattan pith,
which I place around a form or block of the shape required for the article to be
produced. Said rods are mostly short pieces of varying lengths and thicknesses.

page_text: In some cases these pieces will lie parallel for the whole or a portion of their
length, in some they will flare or spread apart when intermediate pieces will be
introduced to fill up gaps. After the pieces or rods of pith have been thus placed
around the form or block, they are coated with glue, sizing, or other equivalent
adhesive material to cause them to stick together and retain their shape and relative
position when removed from said form.
In forming carriage or phaeton bodies to which this part of my Invention mainly
applies, after the rods are coated with glue or sized as above described and removed
from the form, transverse rods of pith or preferably of unskinned rattan are applied
to form a frame or to operate as braces, said transverse rods being secured to the
others by small nails or tacks. The body thus shaped is fastened to a wooden or
other stiff and strong bottom which forms a floor for the carriage or phaeton, and is
then treated on its inside to a coat of adhesive material, glue, or sizing, upon
which is laid textile or fibrous material, such as coarse linen or burlap forming a
lining.
In Figure 2, of the accompanying Drawing, H represents a base or bottom of a
carriage or phaeton body, said base being formed preferably of wood; I is a frame
piece of rattan pith or unskinned rattan forming a base for the body L; K is
another frame piece serving as a brace to the body, and also as means for supporting
the seat; J shows a frame piece of rattan pith or reed passing around the lower
edge, and on the inner side of the body L. Said body is composed of sections 7, 1,
of rattan pith shaped over a form and held together by coating them with glue,
sizing, or equivalent adhesive material before being removed from said form, the
rods,, are secured to the frame pieces J, K, by tacks or nails.
The rods it will be observed rest in some instances side by side as closely as
possible throughout their entire length; in others they run together for some
distance and then diverge or spread. To fill.up the gaps left by this spreading the
picces are introduced before the body L. is removed from the form, at which time
said body is coated on the inside with glue, sizing, or other adhesive material.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,―
First. The veneer herein described consisting of rattan pith secured by adhesive
material to a backing of fibrous or textile material.
Second. A carriage body or other similar article composed of a series of strips or
pieces of rattan pith laid side by side and held together by a coating of glue or other
adhesive material as above described.
Third. The combination of the stiff base braces and body composed of sections or
lengths of rattan pith as above described.
Fourth. A carriage body or similar article composed of strips or sections of rattan
pith shaped on a form and held together by adhesive substance, and provided with
a lining of fibrous or textile material as above specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventyr aiv
Witness.
HY. JAS. NOONE.
W¼. ROBT LAKE. (L.B.)