A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS OF PREPARING CLOTH, SO AS TO RENDER IT NEARLY IF NOT ENTIRELY IMPERVIOUS TO WATER, BUT NOT SO TO AIR; SUCH CLOTH BEING PARTICULARLY USEFUL IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES, OR VARIOUS OTHER ARTICLES OF DRESS OR UTILITY
Year: 1855

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to Charles Rice, of the State of Massachusetts, of the
United States of America, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED
PROCESS OF PREPARING CLOTH, SO AS TO RENDER IT NEARLY IF NOT ENTIRELY
IMPERVIOUS TO WATER, BUT NOT SO TO AIR; SUCH CLOTH BEING PARTICULARLY
USEFUL IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES, OR VARIOUS OTHER ARTICLES
OF DRESS OR UTILITY."-A communication from Henry G. Tyer and Jöhn
Helm, of the State of New Jersey, of the said United States.
Sealed the 15th February 1856, and dated the 27th November 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Rice at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th,
November 1855.
I, CHARLES RICE, of the State of Massachusetts, of the United States of
America, hereby declare the nature of my Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED
PROCESS OF PREPARING CLOTH, SO AS TO RENDER IT NEARLY IF NOT ENTIRELY IMPER-
VIOUS TO WATER, BUT NOT SO TO AIR; SUCH CLOTH BEING PARTICULARLY USEFUL IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES, OR VARIOUS OTHER ARTICLES OF DRESS OB
UTILITY," to be fully described in the following Specification:-
I take cotton, linen, or silk cloth, or such other, and of such fineness or
coarseness as fashion or convenience may require, for coats or other garinents,
or for uppers for shoes and boots, and coat it with a thin layer of india-rubber.

page_text: cement of ordinary consistence for spreading (such being mixed in the pro-
portions or about in the proportions of twelve gallons of camphine to thirty
pounds of rubber), and for this purpose a brush may be used; but I prefer
any machine.calculated to speedily and effectually accomplish the same. After
the goods are so coated they must be suddenly subjected to a degree of heat
ranging from 140° to 180° of Fahrenheit's thermometer. The goods or
cloth may be brought in connection with such degree of heat, either by
suddenly thrusting them into an oven or other apartment previously raised
to such temperature, or by passing them rapidly over or around a drying or
evaporating drum previously raised to the required temperature.
By this sudden application of a high degree of heat after the goods or cloth
have been spread as above stated, and while they are in a green undried state,
the camphine used in the cement evaporates with great rapidity, and by its
instantaneous escape or separation from and through the gum it punctures it,
and leaves it punctured by minute orifices throughout its entire surface so
subjected to the heat, which orifices, generally speaking, are too small to
allow the passage of globules of water through them, but are large and
numerous enough to allow a free passage of atmospheric air through them.
Boots and shoes made of this article are superior to and better preserve health
to the wearer than any other known waterproof boot or shoe. By allowing a
circulation of air around the foot they prevent it from becoming damp or wet
by perspiration, while at the same time they prevent it from being wet by
water by resisting the penetration of the water. The article or cloth so made
thus possesses the quality of attaining all the advantages and of escaping all
the disadvantages of punctures or holes through the uppers of boots and
shoes, and it may also be applied to other purposes.
Having thus described my Invention, what I claim and desire to secure by
Letters Patent is, the peculiar mode above described of preparing cloth for
the uppers of boots and shoes, or for other purposes in the arts.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Rice in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th April 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
RICE, of the State of Massachusetts, of the United States of America, send
greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the 27th day of November, A.D. 1855, in the nineteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant.
unto me, the said Charles Rice, Her special license that I, the said Charles,
Rice, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Charles Rice, 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, tho
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED.
PROCESS OF PREPARING CLOTH, SO AS TO RENDER. IT NEARLY IF NOT ENTIRELY!
IMPERVIOUS TO WATER, BUT NOT SO TO AIR; SUCH CLOTH BEING PARTICULARLY
USEFUL IN MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES, OR VARIOUS. OTHER ARTICLES OF:
DRESS OR UTILITY," (the same being communicated by Henry. G. Tyer and
John Helm, of the State of New Jersey, of the said United States,), upon the.
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Rice; by an instrument. in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-;
formed, 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 Charles Rice, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
I take cotton, linen, or silk cloth, or such other, and of such fineness or
coarseness as fashion or convenience may require, for coats or other garments,
or for uppers for shoes and boots, and coat it with a thin layer of india-
rubber cement of ordinary consistence for spreading (such being mixed in or
about in the proportions of twelve gallons of camphene to thirty pounds of
rubber), and for this purpose a brush may be used; but I prefer any machine
calculated to speedily and effectually accomplish the same. After the goods
are so coated they must be suddenly subjected to a degree of heat ranging
from one hundred and forty to one hundred and eighty degrees of Fahrenheit.
The goods or cloth may be brought in connection with such degree of heat,
either by thrusting them suddenly into an oven or other apartment previously
heated to such temperature, or by passing them rapidly over or around a
drying or evaporating drum previously raised to the required temperature.
By the sudden application of a high degree of heat after the goods or cloth

page_text: have been spread as above stated, and while they are in a green undried state,
the camphene used in the cement evaporates with great rapidity, and by its
instantaneous escape or separation from and through the gum it punctures it,
and leaves it punctured in minute orifices throughout its entire surface so
subjected to the heat, which orifices, generally speaking, are too small to
allow the passage of globules of water through them, but are large and
numerous enough to allow a free passage of atmospheric air through them.
Boots and shoes made of this article are superior to, and better preserve health
to the wearer than, any other known waterproof boot or shoe. By allowing a
circulation of air around the foot they prevent it from becoming damp or wet
by perspiration, while at the same time they prevent it from being wet by
water, by resisting the penetration of the water. The article or cloth so made
possesses the quality of attaining all the advantages and escaping all the
disadvantages of punctures or holes through the uppers of boots and shoes,
and it may also be applied to other uses.
Having thus described my Invention, what I claim and desire to secure by
Letters Patent is, the peculiar mode above described of preparing cloth for the
uppers of boots and shoes, or other purposes in the arts.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my signature and seal, this
14th day of April 1856.
CHARLES RICE. (L.S.)