IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF EMERY AND GLASS CLOTHS, AND IN DRESSING AND PREPARING WOVEN FABRICS FOR THE SAME, AND ALSO IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING SUCH. CLOTHS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard John Edwards, of Bow, in the County of
Middlesex, Emery Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF EMERY AND GLASS CLOTHS, AND IN DRESSING AND
PREPARING WOVEN FABRICS FOR THE SAME, AND ALSO IN APPARATUS FOR
CUTTING SUCH. CLOTHS."
Sealed the 26th April 1867, and dated the 8th November 1866.
fi
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard John Edwards
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th November 1866.
13.
I, RICHARD JOHN EDWARDS, of Bow, in the County of Middlesex, Emery
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for.
"IMPROVEMENTS. IN THE MANUFACTURE OF EMERY AND GLASS CLOTHS, AND IN
DRESSING AND PREPARING WOVEN FABRICS. FOR THE SAME, AND ALSO IN APPARATUS
FOR CUTTING SUCH CLOTHS," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to render woven fabrics impervious to the
gluten or other adhesive substance used for fastening on emery, glass, or other
sabrasive substance. Woven fabrics used for making emery and glass cloths
have usually hitherto been dressed with chalk, whiting, plaster of Paris, or
other earthy matter; the effect of. this kind of dressing renders cloths very..
absorbent and liable to take up a large portion of the gluten applied to fasten
on the abrasive substance, which causes the abrasive substance to be so loosely
held on the surface as to necessitate the application of a second coat of gluten

page_text: over the surface of the abrasive substance; this second coating somewhat
destroys the cutting properties of the abrasive substance; to remedy these
defects I put a thin film or sheet of paper on one or both sides of the cloth,
fastening it on with flour, paste, or other gluten. According to one mode of
doing this I take a piece of calico, linen, or other woven fabric of open
texture, of, say, from two feet to six feet long, and place upon it thin sheets
of paper of about the same size which have previously been smeared over with
flour, paste, or other gluten; I then place, the one upon the other, the
materials so placed together; I put upon a metal-plate, and submit them to a
screw or hydraulic press, several thicknesses of blanket being placed upon the
paper side of the material; a considerable pressure is then put upon it by
means of the screw or hydraulic press, the effect of which is to drive the thin
sheet of paper into the open texture of-the-cloth which renders the cloth more
or less impervious to the gluten, which is afterwards to be used for fastening
on the abrasive substance. The cloth and paper so pressed together is then
hung up to dry in a warm rooni; when dry it is taken down and again
"smeared over on the cloth side with liquid gluten and flour paste of about
"equal parts 'mixed; it is then hung up again, and when dry taken down and
cut up into sheets of the required size for putting on the abrasive substance.
The cloth thus prepared is next calendered to render it firm and to give to it
a smooth surface fit to receive the gluten which is to fasten on the abrasive
substance. Cloth so prepared made into emery cloth and glass cloth does not
require, to have a coat of gluten or size over the abrasive substance, as it will
be firmly held without such second coating, or secondary as it is usually
termed. I claim the sole right. of using cloths so prepared for this my
discovery of fastening on the abrasive substance without (what is termed in
the trade as secondary) or sizing the surface of the abrasive substance." !
Another mode of preparing the cloth is as follows:-I take a piece of calico,
linen, or other woven fabric, say, fifty or one hundred yards long and eighteen
or more inches wide, and wind it on a roller. I take a piece of thin paper of
about the same length and width and wind it on a roller); I then place the
'two rollers with the cloth and paper upon them in 'suitable framework; on the
same framework l place a trough 'containing the gluten or paste, with which I
coat or smear the cloth or paper. A roller is placed inside the trough, which
when turned round takes up the gluten and applies it to the cloth or paper, the
quantity being regulated by a scraper fixed at a 'regulated distance from the
roller which applies the paste or gluten. The cloth and paper so smeared is
then passed between two rollers, 'one of which is of smooth metal,: the other
being covered with felt, blanket, or a cushion of india-rubber." .A considerable
=

page_text: degree. of pressure is put upon the two rollers whilst in motion in order to.
press the paper into the open texture of the cloth; it is then passed over..
drying cylinders or subjected to other artificial heat; when dry it is again
sized on the cloth side, dried and calendered, and may be made into emery
cloth or glass cloth, in long or short lengths, without requiring to be.
seconded.
The advantages of my Invention are that the emery or glass cloth is more
durable on account of its not being dressed with chalk, whiting, or other
earthy matter, and that the cutting property of the abrasive substance is not.
partially destroyed by having a coat of size put upon it.
The emery or glass cloth made in large sheets I cut, up into the required
size by apparatus of my Invention and in the following manner: I take a
flat piece of board about 1 inches thick, two feet long, by 1 foot six inches
wide, and fasten four iron plates upon the board of the size of the sheets I
wish to cut; I cut grooves between each of the iron plates; I place the
emery cloth or glass cloth to be cut upon the iron plates; I then run a knife
through the cloth between the grooves, holding the emery cloth or glass cloth
firmly down upon the plates by means of a lever; by this means I easily and
quickly reduce sheets of glass cloth or emery cloth to an equal size; I claim
this as an entirely new mode of cutting up emery and glass cloths.

page_text: :
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF EMERY AND GLASS: CLOTHS, AND IN
DRESSING AND PREPARING WOVEN FABRICS FOR THE SAME, AND ALSO-IN APPARATUS
FOR CUTTING SUCH CLOTHS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Richard John Edwards, my executors or administrators, byan
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 Richard John Edwards, 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 (that is to say) :-
'The object of my Invention is to render woven fabrics impervious to the
gluten or other adhesive substances used for fastening on pulverized emery,
glass, or other abrasive substances. Woven fabrics used for making emery
and glass cloth have usually hitherto been dressed with chalk, whiting,
plaster of Paris, or other earthy matter, the effect of this kind of dressing.
renders cloths very absorbent and liable to take up a large portion of the
gluten applied to fasten on the abrasive substance, and thus render the
abrasive substance so loose on the surface as to require a coat of gluten
'to fasten the surface of the abrasive substance, and thus somewhat destroy
the cutting properties of the abrasive substance; to remedy these defects
I put a thin film or sheet of paper on one or both sides of the cloth,
fastening it on with flour paste or other gluten. According to one mode of
doing this I take pieces of calico, linen, or other woven fabric of open
texture of from two feet to six feet in length, and place them upon thin
sheets of paper of about the same size which have been previously smeared
over with flour paste or other gluten; I then place the one upon the other,
the niatèrials so put together I place upon a metal plate and convey them to a
screw or hydraulic press, several thickness of blanket being placed on the
paper side of the material; a considerable pressure is then applied by means
of the screw or hydraulic press, the effect of which is to drive the thin sheet of
paper into the open texture of the cloth and thus render the cloth impervious
to the gluten passing through; which is afterwards used for fastening the
abrasive substance on the cloth side. The cloth and paper so pressed together
is then hung up to dry in a warm room, when dry it is taken down and again
smeared over on the cloth side (when paper is on one side only) with liquid

page_text: gluten and flour-paste, of about equal parts mixed; it is then hung up again,"
and when dry taken down and cut up into sheets of the required size for
putting on the abrasive substance; the cloth thus prepared is then calendered"
or rolled to render it firm and give it a smooth surface fit to receive the gluten
which fastens on the abrasive substanice:. Cloth so prepared may be made
into emery cloth and glass cloth without requiring a coat of gluten or size on
the surface of the abrasive substance.
I claim the sole right of using cloth so prepared for this my discovery of
fastening on the abrasive substance without what is termed in the trade as
seconding or sizing the surface of the abrasive substance.
Another mode in which I prepare the cloth is as follows:-I take a piece
of calico, linen, or other woven fabric, say fifty or one hundred yards in length
and eighteen or more inches wide, and wind it on a roller; I next take a piece
of thin paper of about the same length and width and wind it on a roller; I
then place the two rollers with the cloth and paper upon them on framework
constructed for the purpose; on the same framework I place a trough containing
gluten or paste with which I coat or smear the cloth or paper. A roller is placed
inside. the trough, which when rotated for the purpose takes up the gluten
and applies it to the cloth or paper, the quantity being regulated by a scraper
fixed at a regulated distance from the roller which applies the paste or gluten.
The cloth and paper so smeared then passes between two rollers, one of which
is of smooth metal, the other being covered with felt, blanket, or a cushion of
india-rubber; a considerable degree of pressure is then put upon the two
rollers whilst in motion in order to press the paper into the open texture of the
cloth;
it is then passed over drying cylinders or other artificial heat, and when
dry it is again sized on the cloth side, dried, and calendered, and may be made
into emery cloth or glass cloth in long or short lengths without requiring to be
seconded.
The emery cloth or glass cloth when made I cut up into sheets in the
following manner :-I take a flat piece of board about one and a half inches
thick, two feet long by one foot six inches wide; I fasten four iron plates upon
the board of the size of the sheets I wish to cut, and cut grooves between each
of the iron plates; I then place the emery cloth or glass cloth to be cut upon
the iron plates, and run a knife through the cloth between the grooves, holding
the emery cloth or glass cloth firmly down upon the plates by means of a lever
or with the hands, thus producing economically sheets of glass cloth or emery
cloth. of equal size.
I claim this as an entirely new mode of cutting up emery and glass cloths.
The advantages of my Invention are, the article is more durable on

page_text: account of not being dressed with chalk, whiting, or other earthy matter, the
cutting properties of the abrasive substance not having a coat of size put.
upon it.
In witness whereof, I, the said: Richard John Edwards, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord: 5
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven
in