A NEW OR IMPROVED FABRIC SUITABLE FOR USE AS FLOORCLOTH AND FOR VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES, AND THE METHOD AND MACHINERY FOR MANU- FACTURING THE SAME.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Harrison Benjamin Mecch, of the City, County,
and State of New York, United States of America, at present of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention
of "A NEW OR IMPROVED FABRIC SUITABLE FOR USE AS FLOORCLOTH AND FOR
VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES, AND THE METHOD AND MACHINERY FOR MANU-
FACTURING THE SAME.
"
ealed the 5th December 1874, and dated the 10th October 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Harrison Benjamin
Meech at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 10th October 1874.
I, HARRISON BENJAMIN MEECH, of the City, County, and State of
New York, United States of America, at present of 53, Chancery Lanc,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED FABRIC SUITABLE FOR USE AS FLOORCLOTH
AND FOR VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES, AND THE METHOD AND MACHINERY FOR MANU-
FACTURING THE SAME," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to a process of and machinery for manufacturing
a new or improved fabric (which I term artificial leather, from its

page_text: resemblance to animal leather) suitable for use as floorcloth, for machine
belting and other purposes, as a substitute for leather, and for various
other uses. The said fabric is composed of fibres of jute, Manilla, cotton,
linen, and other vegetable fibres, and old scraps of animal leather,
according to the quality of fabric to be made, the same being worked
together into sheets of any desired thickness and length by the process
and machinery which I will now describe.
The raw fibres are first separated or reduced to a pulp by any means
that will produce a long staple, but I prefer to use the pulping machine
described in the application for Letters Patent No. 2956, dated August
29th, 1874, which simultaneously boils and grinds the fibre under a high
temperature.
The pulp is formed into sheets in the same way that paper is made in
a Fourdrinier or cylinder machine. The sheet after being formed by the
cylinder mould is taken by a coucher and endless belt, by which it is
conveyed between a pair of press rolls, whence it passes alone between
another pair of press rolls, which I term doubling press rolls, as it is
here that the thickness of the sheet is increased to any extent desired
by doubling it one or more times upon itself, as hereafter described.
From the doubling press rolls the sheet is carried on small rollers to
any required distance, according to the length required, where it passes
between another pair of press rolls termed return press rolls, and is then
returned over another series of small rollers to the doubling press rolls,
through which being still wot it is again passed, thus being doubled on
itself, and consequently making two layers pass through the rolls together,
and so forming an endless sheet of any required length, which passing
round and round the system of doubling press rolls receives at each
revolution an increment of thickness by an additional layer of the con-
tinuously formed sheet until the desired substance is attained. Before
being repassed between the first pair of doubling rolls the sheet may pass a
through a trough containing an adhesive matter to unite the layers
together. The doubling press rolls are formed with fine corrugations
around their circumference, which form longitudinal corrugations in the
sheet, which are pressed flat again in passing between the return press
rolls, which are smooth, whereby the fibres of the different layers become
more completely interwoven or knit together into a homogeneous sheet.
When the desired thickness is obtained the endless sheet is transferred to
another machine, comprising pairs of calendering rolls to solidify and

page_text: compress the sheet, drying cylinders, pairs of longitudinally corrugated
rolls, and oil trough, through and around which the endless sheet is
passed. These longitudinally corrugated rolls mesh together like cog
wheels for the purpose of working the sheet while drying, so as to make
it soft, pliable, and tough, either with or without the use of oil, a pair of
such corrugated rolls being located between each two drying cylinders.
Suitable guide rollers are provided to carry the sheet round the drying
cylinders, which are enclosed by casings, between which and the circum-
ference of the cylinders the sheet passes.
The endless sheet is carried round and round in the machine until it is
thoroughly dried and finished. It may then be used in that state for
floorcloth, or it may be printed with oil colors in the ordinary way of
printing floorcloths.
The adhesive solutions used for uniting the layers of pulp together
may be of different compounds, according to the kind and quality of the
fabric to be made, and they may also be such as to render the fabrio
water or fire proof if required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Harrison Benjamin Meech in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 10th April 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HARRISON
BENJAMIN MEECH, of the City, County, and State of New York, United
States of America, at present of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Harrison Benjamin Meech, Her special
licence, that I, the said Harrison Benjamin Meech, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Harrison
Benjamin Meech, 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

page_text: 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED FABRIC SUITABLE FOR USE AS FLOORCLOTH
AND FOR VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES, AND THE METHOD AND MACHINERY FOR MANU-
FACTURING THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Harrison Benjamin Meech, 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 Harrison Benjamin Meech, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say):—
My Invention relates to a process and machinery for manufacturing a
new or improved fabric (which I term artificial leather, from its a
resemblance to animal leather) suitable for use as floorcloth, for machine
belting, and for other purposes, as a substitute for leather, and for various
other uses. The said fabric is composed of fibres of jute, Manilla, cotton,
linen, and other vegetable fibres and old scraps of animal leather, ground
or otherwise reduced to shreds according to the quality of fabric to be 2
made, the same being worked together into sheets of any desired
thickness and length by the process and machinery which I will now
describe.
The raw fibre, together with the shreds of leather, is first separated
or reduced to pulp by any means that will produce a long staple, but I 3
prefer to use the pulping machine described in the Specification of a
Patent granted to Samuel Slater Tiffany, and dated August 29th, 1874,
No. 2956, by which the fibre is boiled under pressure and simultaneously
ground whilst at a high temperature.
In order that my present Invention may be more readily understood 3
I have illustrated it in the accompanying Drawings, in which Figure 1
represents a side elevation of the machine for forming the fibres into

page_text: sheets of any length and thickness; and Figure 2, a side elevation of
another machine for drying, working, and consolidating the sheets formed
in the first machine.
The operation of my Invention is as follows:-The pulp is formed
into-sheets in much the same way that paper is commonly made in a
"Fourdrinier " or cylinder machine, that is to say, referring to Figure 1
of the Drawing, A is the vat containing the pulp and B is a cylindrical
mould rotating in said vat, which mould forms the pulp into a sheet,
which is then taken by an endless felt C passing over a cylinder D and
round guide rollers, as shown, and between a pair of press rolls E, E,
through which the sheet is conveyed by the said felt; F is the sheet
represented in red lines in the Drawing. The said sheet may then
either pass direct to the doubling press rolls G herein-after referred to,
or it may first pass as shown on to another endless felt, by which it is
carried through a second pair of press rolls E¹ to express any superfluous
moisture remaining in the sheet, which is then passed between the pair
of press rolls G, G, which I term doubling press rolls, as it is here that
the thickness of the sheet is increased to any extent desired by doubling
it one or more times upon itself, as hereafter described.
From the doubling press rolls G the sheet is carried on small supporting
rollers H to a distance equal to half the length of sheet required. The
sheet is then passed between another pair of press rolls I, I, termed
"return" press rolls, and is then returned as indicated by the arrows
over another series of small carrying rollers H' to the doubling press
rolls G, through which, being still wet, it is again passed as shown, thus
being doubled on itself, and consequently making two layers passing
through the rolls together, and so forming an endless sheet, which is
caused to pass round and round the system of doubling press rolls G and
return rolls I, and receives at each revolution an increment of thickness
by an additional layer of the continuously formed sheet F until the
desired thickness is obtained. Before being passed between the doubling
press rolls & the sheet may be made to pass through a trough K. con-
taining an adhesive solution, to assist in uniting the layers together, but
in some cases the application of this adhesive matter may be dispensed
with. One of the doubling rolls G is formed with fine corrugations cir-
cumferentially, which form longitudinal corrugations in the sheet. If
the endless sheet encircles the lower roll G, as in the Drawing, it is the
upper roll which is corrugated, but the sheet might be made to encircle

page_text: the upper rolls of the pairs G, I, in which case the lowermost roll G
would be corrugated. The corrugations thus formed in the sheet are
pressed out again when the sheet passes between the return press rolls I,
which have smooth surfaces, and under the combined action of these
rolls the fibres of the different layers thus become more completely
interwoven or knit together into a homogeneous sheet. When the
desired thickness is obtained the endless sheet is transferred to the
machine represented in Figure 2.
In order to remove the sheet from the first and run it through the
second machine it is cut across, the severed end being afterwards
reunited by lacing or otherwise. The second machine consists of
calendering rolls L, L, mounted in suitable standards at each end, and a
series of drying cylinders M with pairs of longitudinally corrugated or
fluted rolls N interposed, round and through which the endless sheet F
passes, as shown; O is a trough containing oil, through which the sheet
is passed if it is desired to render it repellent of moisture. The endless
sheet F is caused to travel continuously through this system of cylinders
by the revolution of the calendering rolls L, to which power is applied,
and which serve to solidify and compress the sheet, the cylinders M,
which are heated by steam, serving to dry it, and the rolls N, which are
corrugated longitudinally and mesh together as it were, serve the purpose
of working or kneading the sheet whilst drying, so as to render it soft,
pliable, and tough. Pare carrying rollers to support the sheet in passing
from one pair of calendering rolls to the other.
The drying cylinders M. may be enclosed in casings, steam heated or
not, between which and the said cylinders the sheet of fabric may be
caused to pass without touching the surfaces of the drying cylinders by
means of small conducting rollers p suitably disposed around said
cylinders, but these casings and conducting rollers may in some cases be
dispensed with, the fabric in that case passing round in contact with the
drying cylinders. The cylinders M. are supported in bearings in a suit-
abl frame, and steam is introduced through their journals; they are so
arranged and the fabric is so conducted round them as to be dried on
both sides. The sheet is subjected to the action of this machine until it
is thoroughly dried and finished, and it may then be used in that state
for floorcloth, or it may be printed with oil colors in the ordinary way
of printing floorcloths.
The adhesive solutions used as above mentioned for uniting the layers

page_text: of pulp together in the first machine may be of different compounds
according to the kind and quality of the fabric to be made, and said
adhesive solutions might also be such as to render the fabric waterproof
or fireproof if required.
I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the exact
method of forming the sheet from the pulp herein described and shown,
that is to say, I may use a large cylinder, say from 3 to 10 feet in
diameter, in order to form a thicker sheet, or I may use a number of
cylinders, each in a separate vat, to form a number of sheets at the same
time, the said sheets being all conveyed together through the circum-
ferentially corrugated press rolls G to form one sheet of the thickness
required, or I may use two endless wire cloths and form a thick sheet
between the two, but with these I find that the adhesive matters cannot
be so well applied, and I therefore prefer the before-described method of
bringing the sheet into an endless form to increase the thickness.
Having described the nature of the Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The manufacture of the new or improved fabric from fibrous
substances, substantially in the manner herein specified.
2nd. In the manufacture of the new or improved fabric herein
described, the bringing the wet sheet into an endless form, and tho
uniting layer upon layer of the wet sheet together in a continuous
manner until the desired thickness is attained with or without the aid of
an adhesive material, substantially as set forth.
3rd. The employment of the circularly corrugated doubling press rolls
alone or in combination with a pair of plain press rolls for effecting the
union of the layers of wet sheet, as described, whether such layers be
superposed by forming the sheet into an endless band or by bringing
together sheets made on different mould cylinders, as set forth.
4th. The method of simultaneously drying and working or kneading
the sheet of fabric by passing it continuously around drying cylinders
and between pairs of fluted rolls and pairs of plain calendering rolls,
until it is thoroughly dried and rendered pliable, as herein described.
5th. The employment of the fluted or longitudinally corrugated rolls
for working the endless sheet while drying to render it tough and flexiblo,
as herein specified.

page_text: 6th. The fluted rolls in combination with the drying cylinders and
calendering rolls, for the purpose set forth.
7th. The employment in combination of the machinery herein
described for forming the sheets of any desired length and thickness with
the machinery herein shown and described for drying and working the
said sheet, as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Harrison Benjamin Meech, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.