IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF PREPARING WIRE CLOTH COATED WITH INDIA-RUBBER FOR THE MANUFAC- TURE OF WASHERS, PISTON PACKING, HOSE, AND SUCH LIKE ARTICLES THEREFROM.
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Isaac Bluc Harris, of Castle Mills, Fountain-
bridge, Edinburgh, for the Invention of ** IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE
OF PREPARING WIRE CLOTH COATED WITH INDIA-RUBBER FOR THE MANUFAC-
TURE OF WASHERS, PISTON PACKING, HOSE, AND SUCH LIKE ARTICLES
THEREFROM.
"
Scaled the 17th June 1873, and dated the 16th April 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isaac Blue Harris at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, ou
the 16th April 1873.
I, ISAAC BLUE HARRIS, of Castle Mills, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MODE OF PREPARING WIRE CLOTH COATED WITH INDIA-RUBBER FOR THE MANU-
FACTURE OF WASHERS, PISTON PACKING, HOSE, AND SUCH LIKE ARTICLES
THEREFROM," to be as follows:→
.
Hitherto brass or iron, or other wire cloth, has been coated with
india-rubber in the same manner as textile fabrics, so as to form slects
from which entire washers, valves, and such like articles have been cut,

page_text: and necessarily with great waste. The employment of such sheets has
consequently been limited to the production of articles susceptible of
being cut therefrom in a completed state and generally after the rubber
with which the wire cloth is combined has been vulcanized.
Now my present Invention consists in cutting a sheet or web of wire
cloth coated with india-rubber into diagonal strips of any suitable width
before the rubber is vulcanized, and with these strips to form not only
washers and valves, but also cords or ropes suitable for piston packing,
also hose and tubing, and such like articles as have hitherto been manu-
factured of textile clotli coated with india-rubber; and these articles can
in general be made up from such strips in the same manner, and as
easily and with equal economy of materials as when textile cloth is
used, the diagonal cutting of the wire cloth destroying to a great extent
its lateral rigidity.
In some instances, as when applied to form washers, the strips can bo
made up with greater ease and economy than the materials now used,
for a diagonal strip of wire cloth coated with india-rubber may be easily
bent round into a flat ring or washer of much less diameter than a
similar strip of cloth can be, the "give" of the wire cloth being greater
by reason of its more open texture.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Isaac Blue Harris in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 16th October 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ISAAC BLUE
HARRIS, of Castle Mills, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors
give and grant unto me, the said Isaac Blue Harris, Her special
licence that I, the said Isaac Blue Harris, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Isaac Blue Harris,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree

page_text: 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 "IM-
Ď PROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF PREPARING WIRE CLOTH COATED WITH INDIA-
BUBBER FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF WASHERS, PISTON PACKING, HOSE, AMD SUCH
LIKE ARTICLES THEREFROM," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Isaac Blue Harris, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
O 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 Isaac Blue Harris, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):-
Hitherto when manufacturing washers and valves from wire cloth
coated with india-rubber in the same manner as textile fabrics the
washers, valves, and such like articles have been cut out from the sheet,
and necessarily with great waste of material. The employment of such
sheets has consequently been limited to the production of articles
susceptible of being cut therefrom in a completed form, and generally
after the rubber with which the wire cloth is combined has been
vulcanized.
Now my present Invention consists in cutting up the sheets or webs
of wire cloth coated with india-rubber into diagonal strips of any
suitable width before the rubber is vulcanized, and applying these strips
to form not only washers and valves, but also cords or ropes suitable for
piston packing,, also hose and tubing,,, and such like articles as have
hitherto been manufactured of textile cloth coated with india-rubber;
and these articles can in general be made up from such strips in the
same manner and as easily and with equal economy of materials as
when textile cloth is used, the diagonal cutting of the wire cloth
destroying to a great extent its lateral rigidity.

page_text: In some instances, as when applied to form washers, the strips can be
made up with greater ease and economy than the materials now used,
for a diagonal strip of wire cloth coated with india-rubber may be easily
bent round into a flat ring or washer of much less diameter than a
similar strip of cloth can be, the "give" of the wire cloth being greater
by reason of its more open texture.
The accompanying Drawing illustrates my Invention as applied to
the manufacture of washers.
Fig. 1 represents a portion of a sheet of wire cloth coated with india-
rubber in the usual way. This cloth in its green or uncured state I cut
up for the several purposes of my Invention in the direction indicated by
the red lines a, a, a, and I thus obtain strips of any desired width, such
"will
as that shewn at Fig. 2. These strips by being cut on the "bias
be exceedingly pliant in a lateral direction, the tenacity or resistance of
the wire cloth when the strip is bent in the plane of its breadth being.
very slight. Thus it will readily admit of being laid edgewise around a
cylinder to form a washer, such as that shewn at Fig. 3. When thus
bent into a ring its ends may be brought together to form a butt joint.
Any number of rings thus formed may be applied, one over the other, to
produce the required thickness of washer, as shown by the edge view,
Fig. 4. The butt joints I prefer to make diagonal, as illustrated at
Fig. 5, and the abutting ends may, if thought desirable, be laced
together, as shown in that Figure. To complete the washer it is con-
solidated by pressure, and then submitted to the vulcanizing or curing
operation.
It will be understood that the coated surface of the external layers of
wire cloth will be placed outermost.
In applying this Invention to the manufacture of delivery or suction
hose the wire cloth strips cut on the bias are laid round a mandril or
core, as in the ordinary way of manufacturing such hose from coated
canvas; and by reason of the yielding property thus imparted to the
wire cloth it may be used with the same facility as cotton coated
strips.
Cords suitable for the packing of pistons may also be produced from
these strips by rolling them up in the manner now practised in producing

page_text: Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements
in the Mode of Preparing Wire Cloth Coated with India-rubber for the
Manufacture of Washers, Piston Packing, Hose, and such like Articles
therefrom," and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent I claim for the manufacture of washers, piston packing, hose,
and such like articles, the preparation of coated wire cloth, as above
described and illustrated in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Isaac Blue Harris, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, the Fourteenth day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.

page_text: a
a