AN IMPROVED ELASTIC MATERIAL, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME, FOR STUPFING MATTRESSES, SOFAS, AND CHAIRS, AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED ELASTIC MATERIAL, AND METHOD OF
MANUFACTURING THE SAME, FOR STUPFING MATTRESSES, SOFAS, AND CHAIRS,
AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES."-A communication from abroad by
John Langdon Kendall, of Foxborough, Massachusetts, United
States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 14th September 1872.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED ELASTIC MATERIAL, AND
METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME, FOR STUFFING MATTRESSES, SOPAS, AND
CHAIRS, AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES," a communication, to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to new articles of manufacture from paper
pulp, sponge, and the like, more especially intended for mattresses,
sofas, chair seats, and other furniture, as an under lining to carpets,
although it is susceptible of other uses; by this Invention in connection

page_text: with any of the ordinary modes of manufacturing articles from paper
pulp an article of manufacture is produced having at more or less points
in its thickness, length, and breadth, flexible and elastic cushions,
surrounded and encased by the fibres of the pulp or paper sheet, which
otherwise is substantially continuous and coherent throughout.
The said Invention consists in adding to paper pulp before manu-
facturing it into a paper sheet or other form comparatively small pieces
of sponge, india-rubber, cork, or other material indissoluble in the liquid
of the pulp, and elastic and buoyant, so that in the then deposition of
the pulp containing them upon a wire screen the fibres of the pulp in
lieu of acquiring a continuous coherent thickness will have embedded
or embraced within their thickness the pieces of sponge or other
materials previously added to the pulp, producing from the pulp a sheet
having within it cavities or cells filled with pieces of sponge or other
material, but otherwise substantially coherent and continuous. These 1
pieces of sponge or other material give elasticity to the body of the
sheet.
In some instances I insert in the cells or cavities made by the pulpy
fibres conical spiral springs, surrounded by the sponge pieces. These
springs are perpendicular to the thickness of sponge and cells. By the
combination of springs with the paper pulp and sponge increased
elasticity is obtained, and the springs cannot “cant" over sidewise.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 14th March 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
2
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Fourteenth day of September, in the year 3
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-

page_text: trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
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, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "An
IMPROVED ELASTIC MATERIAL, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME, FOR
STUFFING MATTRESSES, SOFAS, AND CHAIRS, AND FOR OTHER LIKE PURPOSES," &
communication to me from abroad by John Langdon Kendall, of Fox-
borough, Massachusetts, United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, 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 Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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
Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
This Invention relates to new articles of manufacture from paper pulp,
sponge, and other materials, more especially intended for mattresses,
sofas, chair scats, and other furniture, and as under lining for carpets,
although it is susceptible of other uses; by this Invention in connection
with any of the ordinary modes of manufacturing articles from paper
pulp an article of manufacture is produced having at more or less points
in its thickness, length, and breadth, flexible and elastic cushions,
surrounded and encased by the fibres of the pulp or paper sheet, which
otherwise is substantially continuous and coherent throughout.
The said Invention consists in adding to paper pulp before manu-
facturing it into a paper sheet or other form comparatively small pieces ·
of sponge, india-rubber, cork, or other material indissoluble in the liquid
of the pulp, and clastic and buoyant, so that in the then deposition of
the pulp containing them upon a wire screen the fibres of the pulp in
lieu of acquiring a continuous coherent thickness will have embedded or
embraced within their thickness the pieces of sponge or other materials
1

page_text: The sheet material made substantially as above described is to be used
as a filling for mattresses or sofas, or the like, or as underlining for
carpets, or as a wadding for quilts, and for similar purposes, the pieces
of sponge giving greater elasticity to the sheet through its thickness,
and otherwise rendering the sheet particularly desirable and useful for
purposes substantially as recited.
.
In lieu of sponge other elastic materials in comparatively small pieces,
such as india-rubber or cork, may be employed, and a manufacture
substantially the same produced; but sponge is preferable, for while it
is bulky it is extremely light and elastic. It is necessary that the clastic.
material or materials employed should be of sufficient buoyancy to float
in the pulp, at least when it is agitated, and that they should not be
liable to dissolution in the liquid of the pulp.
The size of the pieces of sponge or other material may be varied
according to the thickness which it is desired the sheet shall have when
made; but for all thicknesses of sheet small and thin pieces of sponge,
&c., may be used, while large or thick pieces can be only employed when
the thickness of sheet is to be comparatively large.
The proportion of sponge or other material to the paper pulp may
be more or less than that herein-before given; but the proportion herein
given is found to be most satisfactorily, for while the holding together
in a sheet form of the pieces of sponge is secured the fibre is not
sufficient in quantity to impart great stiffness and hardness to the sheet.
If however greater hardness or stiffness is desired, and less elasticity, it
is only necessary to increase the quantity of pulpy fibre and decrease
the quantity of sponge, &c., or both the proportions of sponge, &c., and
fibre, more or less depending upon the use to which the sheet material is
to be applied.
In Figure 3 a represents pieces of sponge; b, cells or cavities made
by the pulpy fibres, in which cells are the sponge pieces a; c, conical
spiral springs within and surrounded by the sponge picces a and cells b.
These springs c are perpendicular to the thickness of sponge a and cells b.
In the production of the material shewn in Figure 3 as the means for
moulding the fibrous pulp and sponge about the springs an apparatus is
to be employed substantially similar to apparatus heretofore used for
the moulding of hollow articles from paper pulp, the said apparatus
being a vessel having at the bottom a screen or perforated plate, so that

page_text: the water of the pulp can pass freely through, leaving the fibres of the
pulp and pieces of sponge within the vessel, settling about each other,
substantially as shewn, as in ordinary paper making or the moulding of
articles from paper pulp. In the production of this manufacture, using
an apparatus substantially as described, the springs which are to he
surrounded by the moulding of the paper pulp and sponge, and other
material, are located within the vessel before the mixture of pulp and
sponge and other material is poured into the moulding reservoir.
In the location of these springs I may suspend them by lines from
the top of the reservoir, and they are of course to be placed within such
a horizontal plane of the depth of the reservoir that they will be within
the thickness about them of the pulp, sponge, and other material after
moulding; the pulpy fibres, sponge, and other material by the operation
of the apparatus forming one about the other, as shewn in the Drawing,
at the same time settling within and filling in and around the coils of
the springs, entirely covering and enclosing them. Or I may locate the
springs within a frame by lines stretched across the said frame, and
then set this frame upon the top of the moulding screen in reservoir, the
springs being secured to the said lines.
The manufacture just above described is more especially intended for
mattresses, seats, backs of chairs, and similar articles; and to apply it
for such purposes obviously no special instructions are needed. But it
may be well to observe that care should be taken that the springs are in
the proper position for action. By the combination of springs with the
paper pulp and sponge, or other material, increased elasticity is obtained,
and while I retain all the advantages of springs for mattresses, backs,
seats for chairs, and the like, by the surrounding fibres, sponge, and
other material, I obtain additional and very important advantages,
among which are the following, viz., that the springs are held more
perfectly to the plane of action, are braced, and cannot "wabble,” that
is, cannot "cant" over sidewise.
I do not intend to limit myself to the use of any particular apparatus,
but may employ any apparatus found the best and most suitable.
Furthermore, the suspension of the springs within the moulding reservoir
may be variously accomplished; also the proportion of fibrous pulp to
sponge may be four ounces of fibres to one pound of sponge, or more
or less according as may be found necessary or desirable.

page_text: The size of the pieces of sponge or other materials depends somewhat
upon the coarseness and size of the springs, and it may be well to here
say that pieces can be used substantially larger than would be advan-
tageously used were the springs omitted.
The means for forming the pulp and sponge or other material into a
sheet or other form constitutes no part of the present Invention; and
the said Invention is not limited to any particular apparatus or means
for accomplishing it, for ordinary paper machines are sufficient therefor.
As a filling for mattresses the material produced under this Invention
may be employed either in several layers or in one equal to the thick-
ness of the mattresses. As a carpet lining the material, if desired, may
be perforated through its thickness, and either used alone or in con-
nection with a sheet or sheets of paper covering one or both of its sides.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I do not claim combining divided or
disintegrated sponge with cotton, wool, or other such fibrous material
spread in layers upon or between sheets of paper; but I claim,-
First. The improved elastic material, manufactured as herein set
forth.
First. The improved elastic material, manufactured as herein set
forth.
Second. The process of manufacturing the same, consisting in mixing
paper pulp and sponge or other material, and forming the mixture into
sheets, or otherwise, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of March,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
thon
Witness,
JAMES EDWARDS,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)