IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRATTICE CLOTHS' USED IN COAL AND OTHER MINES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Illius Augustus Timmis, of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF BRATTICE CLOTHS' USED IN COAL AND OTHER MINES." a
Sealed the 29th November 1870, and dated the 15th September 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Illius Augustus Timmis
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 15th September 1870.
I, ILLIUS AUGUSTUS TIMMIS, of Manchester, in the County of
5 Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
" IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRATTICE CLOTHS' USED IN COAL AND
OTHER MINES," to be as follows:-
'
The object of this Invention is to render the woven material of which
such brattice cloths are composed, uninflammable, so as to prevent its
readily taking fire, and at the same time to fill the interstices of the
woven material with a sizing or filling body so as to render the cloth
impermeable to air.
The cloths or fabrics most suitable for the above purpose are more
particularly those made from cotton, flax, jute, hemp, or other vegetable

page_text: fibrous material, but cloth made from wool, silk, or other animal fibres
or from a mixture of vegetable and animal fibres might also be
employed.
The Invention consists principally in using for such purposes solutions
of glue, bone size, Iceland moss, gelatine, isinglass, flour, or other
glutinous substances in combination with sulphate of alumina, sulphate
of magnesia, sulphate of zinc, or other soluble sulphate. These sulphates
are used in conjunction with ammonia either in a liquid or gaseous
state, or the above mentioned glutinous solutions may be used in con-
junction with sulphate of ammonia.
The proportions and combinations of the above ingredients may vary
considerably according to the nature of the material under treatment,
and the particular circumstances of the mine where the brattice cloth
is to be employed, but for ordinary purposes I find a solution of from
ten to thirty per centum will answer.
In carrying out this Invention the woven fabric under operation is to
be immersed in a mixture of any of the glutinous solutions (or a com-
bination of any two or more) and a solution of any of the sulphates
before named or a mixture of any two or more of the said sulphates, or
the mixtures may be applied to the fabric by means of rollers, brushes,
or in any other convenient manner; after which the fabric is exposed
to the action of the ammonia in either a liquid or gaseous state.
In order to render the fabric more opaque any of the following
ingredients may also be used either separately or in combination with
the above-mentioned solutions, namely, insoluble sulphate of lime, baryta
or China clay, and various other substances of a similar nature might
also be added without departing from the characteristic feature of my
Invention which consists in using a glutinous solution in combination
with a soluble sulphate and ammonia.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 3
filed by the said Illius Augustus Timmis in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 14th March 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ILLIUS
AUGUSTUS TIMMIS, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, send
greeting.
3

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Illius Augustus Timmis, Her special
license, that I, the said Illius Augustus Timmis, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Illius Augustus Timmis,
my 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF BRATTICE CLOTHS' USED IN COAL AND OTHER MINES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Illius Augustus
Timmis, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Illius Augustus Timmis, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say) :-
The object of this Invention is to render the woven material of which
such brattice cloths are composed uninflamable so as to prevent its
readily taking fire, and at the same time to fill the interstices of the
woven material with a sizing or filling body or composition so as to render
the cloth impermeable to air or gas.
The cloths or woven fabrics most suitable for the above purpose are.
more particularly those made from cotton, flax, jute, hemp, or other
vegetable fibrous material (either twilled or plain cloths) but cloth
made from wool, mohair, silk, or other animal fibres, or from a mixture
of vegetable and animal fibres might also be employed if preferred.
The Invention consists principally in using for such purposes solutions
of glue, bone size, Iceland moss, gelatine, isinglass, flour or other
glutinous or gelatinous substances, in combination with sulphate of

page_text: t
alumina, sulphate of magnesia, sulphate of zinc, or other soluble
sulphate. These sulphates are used in conjunction with amonia
either in a liquid or gaseous state, or the above-mentioned glutinous
or gelatinous solutions may be used in combination with sulphate of
amonia. I also prefer to add about one per cent. of carbolic acid to
resist damp.
The proportions and combinations of the above ingredients may vary
considerably, according to the nature of the material under treatment
and the particular circumstances of the mine where the brattice cloth
is to be employed, but for ordinary purposes I find a solution of from
ten to thirty per centum will answer the purpose.
In carrying out this Invention the woyen fabric under operation may
be immersed in a vessel containing a mixture of any of the glutinous
solutions above named (or a combination of any two or more) with a
solution of any of the soluble sulphates before named (or a combination
-of-any-two or more of the said sulphates) or the said mixture may be
applied to the fabric by means of rollers or brushes, or rollers and brushes
or any other convenient manner, and I may here remark that a machine
somewhat like an ordinary bleacher's filling mangle answers well for
this purpose, being composed chiefly of a pair of rollers (the lower one
of which revolves in a trough containing the mixture) in combination
with rotary brushes and scrapers for spreading and smoothing the
material. The ammonia may be applied to the material in a liquid or
gaseous state after this operation, but I prefer as the simplest method
(and in most cases quite as efficient) to add the amonia in a liquid
form to the mixture in the trough or vessel.
In order to render the fabric still more opaque, any of the following
ingredients may also be used either separately or in combination with
the above-mentioned solutions; namely, insoluble sulphate of lime,
baryta, or China clay, and various other substances of a similar nature
might also be added if thought desirable without departing from the
peculiar characteristic feature of my Invention.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried
into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my
Invention the use of a glutinous or gelatinous solution in combination
with a soluble sulphate and amonia, whether the same be used either
:

page_text: with or without the addition of insoluble sulphates of lime, baryta,
China clay, or other similar substances.
In witness whereof I, the said Illius Augustus Timmis, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
Witnessed by
GEORGE DAVIES, C.E.,
Office for Patents,
Manchester.
ILLIUS A. TIMMIS. (L.S.)