IM- PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF INDIA-RUBBER CLOTH, JAPANNED AND LEATHER CLOTHS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hiram Lyman Hall, of 6, Upper Bedford Place,
in the County of Middlesex, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF INDIA-RUBBER CLOTH, JAPANNED AND
LEATHER CLOTHS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN."
Sealed the 4th October 1860, and dated the 9th April 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hiram Lyman Hall
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 9th April 1860.
I, HIRAM LYMAN HALL, of 6, Upper Bedford Place, in the County of
Middlesex, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF INDIA-RUBBER CLOTH, JAPANNED AND
LEATHER CLOTHS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved system or mode of "daubing" and
applying colors, varnishes, and sizes to india-rubber cloths, japanned and leather
cloth goods in the process of their manufacture, whereby a considerable
economy of time and material applied is effected, whilst the application of
such material to the goods is much more efficiently carried out than by the
ordinary process.
.

page_text: According to this Invention it is proposed to employ an endless band or an
open band, carried by or wound on a pair of rollers, the lower one of which is
contained within a trough or vessel containing the materials or colors to be
applied to the goods, such goods being caused to travel and rub over the upper
roller, and thereby receive the material or color to be applied on the surface.
The superfluous material may be removed from the endless or open band by a
"doctor" or a roller. The material or color in the trough is kept stirred or
agitated by the rotation of the lower roller of the endless or open band herein-
before referred to. In lieu of a band for applying the colors or other materials
one or more rollers may be employed, held in contact with each other by
suitable pressure, and rotating in contact with the cloth to which the material is
to be applied. These rollers may have either smooth or roughened or grooved
surfaces or they may be covered with any soft and elastic material, or they
may be made in the form of rotatory or cylindrical brushes. If found desirable
the apparatus herein-before described may be employed for printing designs on
the goods in substitution for block printing by hand.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Hiram Lyman Hall in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th October 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HIRAM
LYMAN HALL, of 6, Upper Bedford Place, in the County of Middlesex,
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me
the said Hiram Lyman Hall, Her special license that I, the said Hiram
Lyman Hall, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Hiram Lyman Hall, my executors, administrators, or 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, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF INDIA-RUBBER CLOTHS, JAPANNED AND LEATHER
CLOTHS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Hiram Lyman Hall, by an

page_text: 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 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 Hiram Lyman Hall, 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 accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to an improved system or mode of applying colors,
varnishes, and sizes to india-rubber cloths, and japanned and leather cloth
goods in the process of their manufacture, whereby a considerable economy of
time and material applied is effected, whilst the application of such material to
the goods is much more efficiently carried out than by the ordinary process of
painting or varnishing.
According to this Invention it is proposed to employ a revolving surface for
applying the material to the fabric or cloth, such revolving surface being in the
form of an endless band or consisting simply of suitable rollers kept constantly
supplied with material from a trough or vessel. When an endless band is
used it is carried by a pair of rollers, the lower one of which is contained
within a trough or vessel containing the materials or colors to be applied to the
goods, such goods being caused to travel and rub over the upper roller, and
thereby receive the material or color to be applied on to its surface. The
superflous material may be removed from the band by a "doctor" or a
roller. The material or color in the trough is kept stirred or agitated by the
rotation of the lower roller or of a stirrer or agitator employed for that purpose.
In lieu of a band for applying the colors or other materials to the fabrics, one
or more rollers may be employed, held in contact with each other by suitable
pressure and rotating in contact with the cloth or fabric to which the material
is to be applied. These rollers may be made of wood or metal, and may
have either smooth or roughened or grooved surfaces, or they may be covered
with any soft and elastic material such as felt or india-rubber, or they may be
made in the form of rotatory or cylindrical brushes.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the same
letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the Figures.
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of one arrangement of my improved

page_text: machinery or apparatus for applying paint or varnish to the surface of leather
cloth fabrics or japanned cloth goods; Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section
of the machine taken along the centre line thereof; Figure 3 is a plan corre-
sponding to Figure 2; and Figure 4 is an end elevation of the machine.
A represents the main framing of the machine, and B the fabric to be
painted, which is previously united at its ends so as to form an endless cloth,
and in this form it is placed on the two drums C and C. The framing which
supports these rollers is made to overhang from the main supports A¹, A¹³,
which extend from the floor to the ceiling, the stability of the overhanging
portion being maintained by suitable stays and braces a, a, (Figure 4). The
object of making the frame and drums overhanging is to afford facility for the
placing and removing of the endless cloth on to and from the drums without
obstruction, which could not be effected were the framing supported at both
sides by standards from the floor without temporarily removing such standards.
The axis of the drum C is carried in the two sliding bars D, D, which are
made to slide longitudinally in or out of the framing by means of the pinions
E, E, gearing into rack teeth F, formed on the bars D. These pinions are
carried by the transverse shaft G, so that they both rotate together, and
simultaneously actuate both racks when required. The shaft G carries a
spur wheel H, which receives motion from a pinion I, fast on the short
shaft K. This shaft is also provided with a winch handle L and ratchet
wheel M, the latter being held in any desired position by the detent N. By
turning the handle L in the proper direction the sliding bars D will be moved
inwards so as to bring the drum C nearer to the opposite drum C¹; this
admits of the endless cloth being easily slipped over the two drums, and when
adjusted it is tightened up or stretched by reversing the motion of the handle L,
which has the effect of forcing out or separating the drum C from its neighbour,
and consequently of tightening or stretching the endless cloth over and
between the two drums. The ratchet wheel M and detent N serve to
maintain the cloth stretched until released for the purpose of its removal. The
painting apparatus is carried by the standards separate O, O, and consists of a
colour trough P, provided with a rotatory stirrer Q and color roller R, which
dips into the color, and has its bearings in the ends of the color trough, so that
the whole may be moved out of the standards O, when necessary. Above the
roller R is another roller or color distributor S, which works in vertically
adjustable bearings carried in slots in the standards O, such bearings being
adjusted by the screw, spindles and hand wheels T, or other suitable contrivance,
so as to cause the roller S to press evenly and more or less forcibly upon the
surface of the roller R, such pressure being regulated according to the

page_text: thickness of the coat of color to be applied to the cloth. By screwing down
the roller S so as to cause it to press firmly upon the roller R, the amount of
color which it will receive from the roller R will be considerably less than
when the two rollers are only in slight contact with each other. A positive
rotatory motion is imparted to the color-distributing roller S by means of a
spur wheel U fast on its axis, and gearing into a spur wheel V on the axis of
the drum C. This drum is rotated by means of the winch handle W, which
through the pinion X imparts motion to the spur wheel V, and consequently
to the drum and to the color-distributing roller S. By rotating the drum C¹
a travelling motion is imparted to the endless cloth B, which passes over and in
contact with the surface of the color-distributing roller S, and receives a coat
of color or varnish therefrom, as the case may be. In order, however, that
the color or varnish may be more evenly spread on the cloth a frictional or
rubbing action is produced between the cloth and the roller S by driving such
roller either faster or slower than the endless cloth. The two rollers R
and S are geared together by small spur wheels Y, and the agitator or stirrer
may be driven by a band from the spindle of the roller R, so as to keep the
contents of the trough well mixed. Z, Z, are a pair of rollers carried on
moveable arms b, b, their object being to keep the cloth B down upon the
surface of the color-distributing roller S. When the cloth is to be removed
these rollers are turned out of the way, as shewn by the dotted lines in
Figure 2. c, c, are stretching rollers so constructed as to keep the cloth well
distended or stretched laterally so as to prevent the formation of creases
therein. If found desirable, the fabric to be painted or varnished may be
placed in the machine in the form of a web or open band, being wound off one
drum on to another, and receiving its coat of paint or varnish as it passes
along. In this case suitable means must be employed for keeping the coils or
layers of newly painted or varnished fabric out of contact with each other
until they are sufficiently dry; this may be accomplished by inserting
laths between each coil of freshly coated fabric as it is wound on to the
receiving drum.
Figure 5 represents a reduced diagram, shewing the application and use of
an endless band for applying the color or varnish to the distributing roller S
in lieu of the single roller R; or this band may be used for applying the
color direct to the fabric itself without the intervention of the roller S, an
adjustable "doctor" or scraper being used in both cases for removing any
excess of color from the band.
In the Diagram, Figure 6, the coloring apparatus is shewn as applied to the
end of the machine, the endless fabric being passed over the drum C, and two

page_text: smaller drums or rollers C, C¹, between which the color or varnish is applied
by the distributing roller S and apparatus in connexion therewith herein-
before referred to.
In Figure 7 the color-applying apparatus is placed beneath the drum C',
the roller S which applies the color being made to bear upon that portion of
the fabric contained on the drum in place of upon an intermediate part
of the fabric between the two drums C and C, as in the first described
arrangement.
It is obvious, however, that the color-applying apparatus may be combined
in various ways with the apparatus for holding and traversing the fabric
without deviating from the principles or main features of my Invention.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First, the general construction and arrangement of machinery or apparatus
to be employed in the manufacture of what are known as india-rubber cloth
and japanned and leather cloths, as herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of applying color, varnish, or size to textile
fabrics in the manufacture of india-rubber cloth and japanned and leather
cloths by means of a revolving surface in contact with the fabric to be operated
upon, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hiram Lyman Hall, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of October, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty.
H. L. HALL. (L.S.)