IMPROVEMENTS IN MATTINGS, TREADS, CUSHIONS, AND ANALOGOUS ARTICLES MADE OF INDIA-RUBBER
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter MacLellan, of Glasgow, and William Jones, of
Maryhill, both in the County of Lanark, North Britain, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MATTINGS, TREADS, CUSHIONS, AND ANALOGOUS ARTICLES
MADE OF INDIA-RUBBER,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter MacLellan and
William Jones at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st
October 1880.
PETER MACLELLAN, of Glasgow, and WILLIAM JONES, of Maryhill, both in the
County of Lanark, North Britain. " IMPROVEMENTS IN MATTINGS; TREADS,
CUSHIONS, AND ANALOGOUS ARTICLES MADE OF INDIA-RUBBER."
This Invention, which relates to improvements in mattings, treads, and analogous
articles made of vulcanized india-rubber, has for its object to produce a softer or
more clastic and more catching surface than in such articles as hitherto made, with a
saving of india-rubber, both as regards the quality and thickness of the material. The
mattings, treads, and analogous articles constructed in accordance with the Invention,
in lieu of as hitherto, when completed, presenting a flat surface of india-rubber with
square or other shaped pieces cut or punched out at intervals according to the pattern
desired to be produced, present when completed a surface composed of a series of
flutes or interrupted corrugations, the outlines of which project in alternate parallel
rows towards the upper and under sides of the mat or tread. These flutes are pro-
duced by taking a sheet of india-rubber of the requisite size, and before the said
sheet is vulcanized cutting in it a series of slits by means of a hand tool or of a
stamping or cutting tool or die specially prepared for the purpose. These slits are
cut in rows, preferably in the direction of the length or breadth, or diagonally across
the sheet, or they may be arranged so as to produce any desired pattern. Into the
slits round, square, or other shaped mandrils or rods are inserted so as to force the
solid rubber between the slits alternately upwards and downwards from the upper
and under surfaces of the sheet, which is then vulcanized, whereby the flutings
are rendered permanent and the mandrils or rods are thereafter withdrawn.
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page_text: By this means a thin sheet of india-rubber may be made into a comparatively
thick matting or tread, the softness or elasticity of which is regulated by the
thickness of sheet employed, and by the size of the flutes or corrugations. At the
same time a saving of india rubber is effected, as with this construction a much
thinner sheet is used to form as deep a mat, and the loss resulting from punching
out pieces of the sheet to form a pattern, as heretofore, is also obviated. The
flutes or corrugations likewise afford a better surface for cleaning mud from the
feet.
It is preferred to back the improved mattings, treads, and analogous articles with
one or more thicknesses of cotton cloth, canvas, or other textile material.
The improvements herein before described are also applicable to india-rubber
cushions, as it is obvious that by using in the manufacture india rubber of requisite
thickness and mandrils or rods of a proper size any desired degree of elasticity may
be obtained.
1

page_text: · SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Peter MacLellan and William Jones in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 16th April 1881.
PETER MACLELLAN, of Glasgow, and WILLIAM JONES, of Maryhill, both in the
County of Lanark, North Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MATTINGS, TREADS,
CUSHIONS, AND ANALOGOUS ARTICLES MADE OF INDIA-RUBBER.'
"
Our said Invention, which relates to improvements in mattings, treads, and
analogous articles made of vulcanized india rubber, has for its object to effect a
considerable saving in the cost by employing sheets of india rubber of much less
thickness than heretofore, and, if desired, also of an inferior quality, and to produce
a more catching and softer or more elastic surface than hitherto.
And in order that our said Invention may be properly understood, we now proceed
particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is
or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference being had to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon.
On the Sheet of Drawings Figures and 3 are plans, and Figures 2 and 4
sections respectively on the lines x, x, and y, y, Figures 1 and 3, of portions of
vulcanized india rubber mats manufactured in accordance with our said Invention.
As shown by these Figures, the mat instead of, when completed, presenting a flat
surface with square or other shaped pieces cut or punched out at intervals to
produce a design or pattern, and to afford a scraping surface for the feet, presents a
surface composed of a serios of flutes or interrupted corrugations, projecting
alternately towards the upper and under sides of the mat. The flutes or corru-
gations are produced by taking a sheet of unvulcanized india rubber of the requisite
size and thickness and cutting through it a series of slits a by means of a hand
knife or tool, or by a stamping or cutting tool or die specially constructed for the
purpose, and operated either by hand or by screw, hydraulic, toothed, or equivalent
gearing or power. These slits a, which may be at any desired distanco apart, are
cut in parallel rows running preferably in the direction of the length or breadth of
the mat, but the said rows may also run diagonally or be otherwise arranged so as
to produce a pattern.
Into the slits so cut round, square, or other shaped metal mandrils or rods are
inserted, as seen at b, Figure 1, so as to force the solid strips of india rubber
between the slits alternately upwards and downwards, that is to say, the parts c in
each row are over the mandril or rod and the parts d under it, whereby the
sheet of india rubber is caused to assume in section the forms shown by Figures
2 and 4.
With the mandrils or rods in position the sheet of india rubber is then vulcanized
in the usual manner of vulcanizing such articles, whereby the flutes or corrugations
c, d, are rendered permanent, and the mat being then removed from the vulcanizer
the mandrils or rods are withdrawn.
By this mode of manufacturing mats the whole sheet of india rubber is utilized,
and the loss of time and material consequent upon the old method of cutting or
punching out parts from a solid sheet so as to form a pattern and to afford a scraping
surface for the feet is entirely obviated.
At the same time a direct and important saving of india rubber is effected in
another way, for under this mode of manufacture a mat can be made from a sheet
of rubber of, for example, say one eighth of an inch in thickness, which, when com-
pleted, by reason of its fluted or corrugated surface, will present a thickness or
depth equal to that of a mat made under the old mode from a sheet of rubber having
a thickness of half an inch or more, and, if desired, rubber of an inferior quality may
be used,
The flutes or corrugations further afford a better surface for cleaning mud or
dirt from the feet, and the mat is also softer and more elastic, its softness and

page_text: elasticity being regulated by the thickness of sheet and the diameter of the mandrils
or rods employed in its manufacture.
It is preferred to construct the improved mats from sheets composed of two
layers or thicknesses of india rubber with a layer of thickness of cotton cloth,
canvas, or other woven fabric between them, the rubber being cemented to the
fabric in the usual manner, or one layer of rubber only with a backing of fabric
may be used.
The mats are surrounded with a border, which may have any desired pattern or
design produced thereon, as indicated at e, Figures 1 and 3, and an extra thickness f
of rubber may be cemented either to the upper or under side of the border to give
weight thereto and to ensure that the bordering shall be flat, or the border may be.
made plain, as seen at g, Figures 2 and 4, and without such thickening piece.
In producing the flutes or corrugations in the body of the mat by means of the
mandrils or rods, as hereinbefore described, it is found that at the ends of the
mat over which the mandrils or rods project creases or waves are formed
thus
at intervals. To remove these the creased or waved
parts are cut out of the border up to the commencement of the flutes or corrugations,
and the upper and under layers of rubber are then stripped off the layer of cotton
cloth, canvas, or other fabric, and the severed parts of the fabric through which the
cuts were made are brought close together, after which new layers of rubber are
cemented both to the upper and under sides of the fabric with or without the
additional layer f, Figure 3. A flat iron or other metal plate is then temporarily
forced in between the upper layer of rubber and the mandrils or rods to keep the
ends of the border or margin flat during the process of vulcanizing the mat, or other
equivalent means may be used for that purpose.
The improvements hereinbefore described, besides being adapted to mattings, are
also applicable to india rubber treads for stair steps or other situations and to other
analogous articles made of india rubber, and the said improvements are further
applicable to india rubber cushions, as it is obvious that by using in the manu-
facture sheets of india rubber of a suitable thickness, and mandrils or rods of the
requisite diameter, any desired degree of elasticity may be obtained.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the system, inode, or manner in or under which the same is or may
be used or carried out in practice, we would observe in conclusion that what we
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
us by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,―
The improved mettings, trends, cushions, and analogous articles composed of a
sheet of india rubber, on which an undulated, fluted, or corrugated surface is
produced by cutting a series of slits a through the sheet and alternately raising and
depressing the parts between the slits by the insertion of mandrils or rods previous
to vulcanizing the articles, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown on the
appended Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter MacLellan, on behalf of myself and
the said William Jones, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twelfth
day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
Witness,
GEO. M. CRUIKSHANK,
Patent Agent,
135, Buchanan St., Glasgow.
PETER MACLELLAN. (L.S.)