Improvements in Means to be Employed in the Embossing of Fabrics for Decorative or other Purposes, which Improvements will Effect Considerable Economy in the Manufacture of such Articles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Dec., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 8th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 6th Nov., 1897
Improvements in Means to be Employed in the Embossing of Fabrics
for Decorative or other Purposes, which Improvements will Effect
Considerable Economy in the Manufacture of such Articles.
I JOSEPH SHIRT Papermaker of No. 9 Lynwood Villas Blackburn Road Darwen
Lancashire do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists in improvements in the embossing of articles in hollow
relief that is to say with projections on the one side of the fabric embossed and
corresponding indentations on the reverse side of the fabric.
For the purposes of my Invention. I use a box, without lid, of wood, metal, or
other suitable material, large enough for a die or embossing plate to enter. By
preference I make the bottom of this box of an open grid formation so that while
it binds together the sides of the box it nevertheless furnishes ample outlet for
any moisture. I may use very strong woven wire for the bottom of the box if
the said box is made of such material as will enable me to fasten the said woven
wire to it firmly. I place this box upon the bed plate of an embossing press and
place within it first a piece of felt or other suitable porous fabric and then a
suitable quantity of course sand such as sea sand or I may use any other hard
granulated material having the same characteristics as sand that with the aid of
moisture can be formed into masses that will yield to pressure and will also allow
moisture to pass freely through it if necessary.
With this I form a rough counter to the die or embossing plate and then bring
the said die or plate upon the sand or like material and moderately press it. This
will yield to the pressure and form a counter to the die or embossing plate.
Upon this if required I add more sand or like material upon the higher parts
of the counter so formed and press it again until I have compressed the said
counter to the required density.
If I find the sand has spread over onto parts where it is not required I remove
this without disturbing the remainder. Instead of a box. I may use a rectangular
frame or a frame of other suitable shape and of the necessary depth & thickness
and without bottom and after laying upon the bed plate of the press a stout felt
or other suitable fabric capable of passing water through freely, I lay the frame
before described upon it and mould the sand or other suitable material upon the
felt or fabric within the bounds of the frame before described.
Or I may place within the box or frame and upon the felt or fabric within, a
level body of sand or other suitable material and by gentle & frequent pressure
form this sand or other material into the counter to the die or embossing
plate. Having properly prepared this counter as before desen oed I place over it
one or more layers of soft flexible felt of the kind known to paper makers as
wet-felt, or I may use any other suitable porous fabric to keep the sand or other
material in position & from being disturbed by the removal of the pulp, paper,
or other fabric being embossed. For embossing fabrics with which there is little
or no moisture I may use clay or other earthy, vegetable, or mineral matter in a

page_text: plastic condition and build up the counter to the die or embossing-plate in much
the same manner as before described.
JOSEPH SHIRT,
9, Lynwood Villas, Blackburn Road, Darwen, Lancashire.
Improvements in Means to be Employed in the Embossing of Fabrics
for Decorative or other Purposes, which Improvements will Effect
Considerable Economy in the Manufacture of such Articles.
I, JOSEPH SHIRT of 9 Lynwood Villas, Blackburn Road, Darwen in the County
of Lancaster, Papermaker, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My Invention consists of improved means to be employed in the embossing of
fabrics such as material for wall decoration, ceilings, or the like, in hollow relief;
that is to say, with projections on the one side of the embossed fabric and corre-
sponding depressions, or indentations, on the reverse side of the said fabric.
According to my invention I employ sand, or equivalent material, which is acted
upon by the die, or embossing plate, so as to produce from the said sand, or
equivalent material a counterpart to the said die, or embossing plate, for use
therewith, as hereinafter described in embossing the fabric or material to con-
stitute the wall or ceiling decoration or the like the said counterpart being
readily made at a very small cost and with greater truth than can be done in
producing counterparts in the ordinary way.
In carrying my invention into effect I may use a box without a lid and made of
wood, metal, or other suitable material, and of a size to receive the die, or
embossing plate. I may make the bottom of the said box of an open grid, or of
perforated, or reticulated material which allows of the ready, escape of moisture
from the material being embossed. I may make the said bottom, for example,
of strong woven wire, the box being preferably made of a material which will
allow of the said wire bottom being fastened securely thereto. I place this box
upon the bed plate of an embossing press, or the like, and I place upon the bottom
of the said box, first a piece of felt, or other suitable porous fabric, or material,
and then a quantity of sea-sand, or other like sand or equivalent hard granulated
material, of a like, or, equivalent character, which when moistened will form a
firm mass which will yield to pressure sufficiently to take an impression from the
die, or embossing plate, and will also allow moisture to pass freely
through it when necessary. In this I form a counterpart to the die,
or embossing plate, by bringing the said die, or embossing plate, into contact
with, and pressing it upon, the moistened mass of sand, or equivalent material,
which will yield under the pressure, and form a counterpart to the said die, or
embossing plate. After the die, or embossing plate, is withdrawn from the sand,
or equivalent material, if the impression be not perfect, I add more sand, or
equivalent material, upon the imperfect (usually the higher) parts of the counter-
part, so formed and again press the die, or embossing plate, thereupon; repeating
the process if necessary until the counterpart is brought to the requisite density,
or firmness, and sharpness of design.
If the sand, or equivalent material, should spread onto parts on which it is not
required I carefully remove the sand, or equivalent material which has so spread,
so as not to disturb the remainder. Instead of a box with. a wire-work bottom I
may use a frame of rectangular or other suitable shape, and of the requisite depth,

page_text: without a bottom, and after laying upon the table, or bed-plate of the press, a
stout felt or other suitable material, capable of allowing of the free passage of
moisture, I place the said frame upon it, and then I place the sand, or equivalent
material, in the frame and upon the said felt, or the like, and I mould, as
aforesaid, the sand or equivalent material, upon the felt, or fabric, within the
said frame, by means of the die, or embossing plate, as hereinbefore described to
make the counterpart. Or after placing within the box, or frame and upon the
felt, or the like, within it, a level body of sand, or equivalent material, I may
form the counterpart by pressing the die, or embossing plate, thereupon by a
succession of gentle pressures to make the counterpart instead of adding sand,
or equivalent material to the imperfect parts. Having thus prepared the counterpart
I place over it a layer, or layers, of soft flexible felt, or like material, such for
example as the material known to paper makers as wet felt, or any other suitable
porous material which will keep the counterpart of sand, or equivalent material in
shape and from being disturbed by the removal of the pulp, or other material,
when embossed; which embossing is done by placing the pulp, or other material,
upon the wet felt, or the like, on the counterpart, and pressing the said pulp or
other material between it and the die or embossing plate. Instead of sand I may
use other equivalent earthy, vegetable, or mineral, matter, or material, such for
example as a mixture of clay and sand or other matter which may be of a less
porous character if a considerable amount of moisture is not contained in the
material to be embossed.
I do no restrict myself to the use of a box, or frame, to confine the sand, or
other material employed for the counterpart as the felt, or like material, upon
which the said sand, or equivalent material, is placed will serve to keep it in
position.
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. For embossing fabrics or materials for decorative or other purposes, a counter-
part formed from sand, or equivalent material, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. For embossing fabrics or materials for decorative or other purposes, a counter-
part made by placing sand, or equivalent material, upon felt, or the like, and
pressing the die or embossing plate, thereupon; substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3. For embossing fabrics or materials for decorative or other purposes, a counter-
part produced by placing felt, or the like, and then sand, or equivalent material, upon a
bed, or table, under a press, and then pressing the die or embossing plate upon
the said sand, or equivalent material and forming the counterpart by repeated
pressures, substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. For embossing fabrics or materials for decorative or other purposes, a counter-
part produced by placing felt, or the like, and then sand, or equivalent material,
upon a bed, or table, under a press, and then pressing the die or embossing plate,
upon the said sand, or equivalent material, and forming the counterpart by
repeated pressures with the application of more sand, or equivalent material, to
build up the counterpart, or make good imperfections therein, between the
repeated applications of pressure, substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. For the production of counterparts for the purposes mentioned a box, or
frame, containing felt, or the like, and upon this sand, or equivalent material,
the said box, or frame, being adapted to receive the die or embossing plate, which
forms the counterpart, substantially as hereinbefore described.
6. For the production of counterparts for the purposes mentioned a box having
a wire bottom, or a bottom of other perforated or reticulated material, on which
is placed felt, or the like, and upon this sand, or equivalent material, the said box

page_text: being adapted to receive the die or embossing plate which forms the counterpart
substantially as hereinbefore described.
7. The production of embossed fabrics, or material, for decorative, or other
purposes, by first forming a counterpart from sand, or equivalent material, and
then applying over it a layer, or layers, of felt, or the like, and then pressing
pulp, or other fabric, or material, from which the decorative, or like, material, is
inade, between the die, or embossing plate, and the said felt and counterpart
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 8th day of September 1897.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.