Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Curled or Waved Plush and similar Material.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, Sth May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 8th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 16th Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Curled or
Waved Plush and similar Material.
1, RICHARD LEHMANN, Manager of the firm of Anton & Alfred Lehmann,
of 28, Jerusalem Strasse, Berlin, in the German Empire, Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists, first, of an improved manufacture of plush or similar
material curled or waved to imitate natural fur, and, secondly, of apparatus for use
in producing the same.
Hitherto plush having the pile or nap curled or waved has been produced solely
by goffering the smooth plush; the plush being pressed between rollers or plates
which contain the pattern and are heated by steam. In this way, however, the pile
or nap on parts of the fabric is flattened down. It is impossible to obtain by means
of goffering a curling or friezing of the pile or nap so as to make it resemble
curly fur.
According to the present invention, the smooth plush is pressed against the
surface of a plate containing a pattern designed to produce the desired curly or
wavy appearance, and then exposed for a long period to the direct action of steam
under pressure; the plush, after being so treated, bearing considerable resemblance
to natural fur. The mechanical pressure and the action of the steam force the pile
or nap into the depressions in the surface of the plate; the filaments of the pile
or nap, without being pressed hard down on the backing or caused to cling
thereto, thus receiving a permanent curl or frieze corresponding to the pattern on
the plate.
Apparatus suitable for employment in effecting the above result on small pieces
of plush may be of the following description :-The plate containing the pattern is
covered with a thin cloth or fabric of woven material. The plush is laid on this
cloth with the pile or nap downwards. A thick layer of felt is then placed on the
back of the plush; on the felt, a sheet of fine wire gauze; on the fine wire gauze,
a sheet of coarse wire gauze; and on the last-named, a perforated cover, which is
subjected to mechanical pressure. The whole apparatus containing the plush is
then placed in a steam-chamber, and there exposed to the action of steam for a
period of two hours, more or less.
The plate may contain a pattern on each side, so that two pieces of plush may
be treated at the same time; a perforated cover with corresponding sheets of
gauze, felt and cloth being, under such circumstances, employed on each side of the
plate.
When whole lengths or large pieces of plush are required to be treated, I produce
the pattern in the following manner :-Between two or more layers of thin webbing
or other textile fabric, I arrange flat metal wires or strips of metal bent into
suitable shape to form the pattern. The wire or strips may be secured in position
by placing the layers of webbing containing them between sheets of soft material
and exposing the whole to mechanical pressure and to the action of steam. The
webbing containing the wires or strips then becomes a belt having a pattern on each
side; the metal wires or strips constituting the raised parts and the intervening
portions of the webbing the depressed parts of the pattern. The length of plush to
be treated is then laid on the belt and both are rolled together on a hollow cylinder,
the shell of which contains a large number of small radial perforations. The
steam admitted to the cylinder passes therefrom by way of the perforations and

page_text: permeates the alternate convolutions of belt and plush one after another; thereby
forcing the pile or nap into the depressions in the belt.
Dated this 30th day of April 1891.
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to the Manufacture of Curled or
Waved Plush and similar Material.
I, RICHARD LEHMANN, Manager of the firm of Anton & Alfred Lehmann,
of 28, Jerusalem Strasse, Berlin, in the German Empire, Manufacturers, 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, first, to an improved manufacture of plush or similar
material curled or waved to imitate natural fur, and, secondly, to apparatus
applicable for use in such manufacture.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a plan of the design-plate employed in the apparatus used for treating
small pieces of plush or similar material according to this invention.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the design-plate, the material under
treatment and the perforated cover.
Fig. 3 represents apparatus for treating whole lengths or large pieces of
material;
Fig. 4 being a plan and Fig. 5 a side elevation of a special design-plate applicable
for use therein.
Hitherto plush having the pile or nap curled or waved has been produced solely
by goffering the smooth plush; the plush being pressed between rollers or plates
which contain the pattern and are heated by steam. In this way, however, the
pile or nap on parts of the fabric is flattened down. It is impossible to obtain by
means of goffering a curling or friezing of the pile or nap so as to make it resemble
curly fur.
According to the present invention, the smooth plush is pressed against the
surface of a plate a containing a pattern designed to produce the desired curly or
wavy appearance, and then exposed for a long period to the direct action of steam
under pressure; the plush, after being so treated, bearing considerable resemblance
to natural fur. The mechanical pressure and the action of the steam force the pile
or nap into the depressions in the surface of the plate a; the filaments of the pile
or nap (without being pressed hard down on the backing or caused to cling
thereto) thus receiving a permanent curl or frieze corresponding to the pattern on
the plate.
a
Apparatus suitable for employment in effecting the above result on small pieces
of plush may be of the following description:-The plate (Fig. 2) bearing the
pattern is covered with a thin cloth or fabric b of woven material. The plush. c
is laid on this cloth with the pile or nap downwards. A thick layer of felt d is then
placed on the back of the plush; on the felt, a sheet of fine wire gauze e; on the
fine wire gauze, a sheet of coarse wire gauze f; and on the last-named, a perforated
cover i, which is subjected to mechanical pressure. The whole apparatus ab de fi
containing the plush c is then placed in a steam-chamber, and there exposed to the
action of steam for a period of two hours, more or less.
The plate a may contain a pattern on each side, so that two pieces of plush may
be treated at the same time; a perforated cover with corresponding sheets of
gauze, felt and cloth being, under such circumstances, employed on each side of the
plate.

page_text: When whole lengths or large pieces of plush are required to be treated, I
produce the pattern in the following manner :-Between two or more layers of
thin webbing or other textile fabric, I arrange flat metal wires or strips of
metalo (Fig. 5) bent into suitable shapes to form the pattern. The wires or
strips may be secured in position by placing the layers of webbing containing
them between sheets of soft material and exposing the whole to mechanical
pressure and to the action of steam. The webbing containing the wires or strips
then becomes a belt g having a pattern on each side; the metal wires or strips
constituting the raised parts and the intervening portions of the webbing the
depressed parts of the pattern. The length of plush e to be treated is then laid on
the belt g and both are rolled together on a hollow cylinder h, the shell of which
contains a large number of small radial perforations. The steam admitted to the
cylinder passes therefrom by way of the perforations, and permeates the
alternate convolutions of the belt g and the plush c one after another; thereby
forcing the pile or nap into the depressions in the belt.
C
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim :-
:-
1. The improved manufacture of curled or waved plush or similar material
substantially as herein described.
2. The herein-described method of producing curled or waved plush or similar
material, consisting in pressing the plush or other material against a design-plate
or -belt and then subjecting the same to the action of steam, whereby part of the
pile of the material under treatment is driven into the depressions of the design-
plate or -belt, and a permanently curled or waved surface is produced.
3. In the manufacture of curled or waved plush or similar material, the employ-
ment of apparatus substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of
the accompanying drawings.
4. In the manufacture of curled or waved plush or similar material, the
employment of apparatus substantially as described with reference to Figs. 3 to 5
of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 8th day of March 1892
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Chartered Patent Agent.