Improvements in the Water-proofing of Textile Fabrics, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1894

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Water-proofing of Textile Fabrics, and in
Apparatus therefor.
We, JAMES BANKS FEARNLEY, and JOHN SOWDEN FEARNLEY both of
Mannville Terrace, Bradford, in the County of York, Dyers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the waterproofing of fabrics by such agents that while
rendering them impervious to moisture will still leave them porous.
The object of the invention is to apply the waterproofing agent or substance
to the fabric in a more perfect manner and in such a way as to preserve and
not to interfere with or impair the colours, porosity, natural qualities or character
of the fabric.
In the processes hitherto employed the fabric is subjected to a variety of
unnatural and deteriorating treatments such as severe tension, and continual and
excessive heat whereas by our method any process at all deleterious is avoided.
We have found that by adding only a very small quantity of solvent to the
waterproofing agents the melting point of such is reduced to a low degree and if so
employed the proofing agent can be spread and distributed over the fabric without
the application of any great beat either to melt the material or to drive off the
solvent and remove the odour. This invention therefore consists essentially in
treating the waterproofing agent with ouly a sufficient amount of solvent to reduce
the melting point and applying the agent thus prepared to the fabric without the
application of a great degree of heet and without subjecting it to a great amount
of tension.
In carrying out the invention we employ or use paraffin wax, Japanese wax,
spermaceti wax, bees' wax, turpentine, borax, benzol, casein, fatty oils, glue,
gelatine, colophony, or other waterproof substances or compounds. With one, two,
or more of these substances we mix a small quantity of solvent, not sufficient to
dissolve it or make a solution but such quantity as will reduce the inelting point
of the material to such a degree that a very slight degree of heat will liquify the
mixture. This is then applied to the fabric.
The machine we have designed for applying the waterproofing agent thus formed
to the fabric is constructed with a steam jacketed or heated trough into which the
waterproofing material is placed. In this trough a steam beated roller rotates and
above this roller is placed a second roller covered with an absorbent material
capable of evenly absorbing the waterproofing agent. The first roller rotating in
the trough lifts the waterproofing material and evenly deposits it upon the surface
of the absorbent covering of the second roller. A third heated roller is placed to
rotate in contact with the second roller and between the second and third rollers
the fabric under treatment is passed. Steam pipes of suitable arrangement connect
with the jacket of the trough and interior of the rollers.
The waterproofing agent to be used is placed in the jacketed trough where it
liquifies and the roller which rotates therein transfers it to the second covered
roller upon which it is evenly deposited. The fabric is passed between the covered
roller and the top roller and in thus passing between these two rollers the water-
proofing material is deposited on the fabric in such a state as to require no further
melting. The fabric is then passed through an ordinary steam heated or hot air

page_text: tentering or drying machine which completes the process and renders the fabric
waterproof and rain repellant.
By this process we avoid the risk and danger from fire and explosion consequent
upon the use and storage of a large quantity of inflammable solvents or material
dissolved therein and we also avoid any damage to the colours or texture of the
fabric arising from the action of such solvent thereon or from the use of excessive
heat when the proofing agent is applied without the addition of any solvent and
has to be melted upon or into the fabric.
Dated this 23rd day of November 1894.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester, Patent Agents.
Improvements in the Water-proofing of Textile Fabrics, and in
Apparatus therefor.
We, JAMES BANKS FEARNLEY, and JOHN SOWDEN FEARNLEY, both of
Mannville Terrace, Bradford, in the County of York, Dyers, 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 :-
This invention relates to the waterproofing of fabrics by such agents that will
while rendering them impervious to moisture still leave them porous.
The object of the invention is to apply the waterproofing agent or substance
to the fabric in a more perfect manner and in such a way as to preserve and
not to interfere with or impair the colours porosity natural qualities or character
of the fabric.
In the processes hitherto employed the fabric is during or after the application
of the proofing material subjected to a variety of unnatural and deteriorating
treatments such as severe tension and continual and excessive heat whereas by our
process any treatment deleterious to the fabric is avoided.
We have found that by adding to or mixing with the proofing agents only a
very small quantity of solvent the melting point thereof is reduced to a low degree
and that a proofing agent so prepared or of low melting point can be spread and
distributed over the fabric without the application of any great degree of heat
either to melt the material or to drive off the solvent and remove the odour and
without applying fiction to the surface of the fabric or subjecting it to a severe
tensile strain.
This invention therefore consists in treating the proofing material with only a
sufficient amount of solvent to reduce the melting point and in applying to or
spreading upon the fabric a proofing material of low melting point in a soft or
melted condition at a low temperature by means of a series of distributing rolls
which do not strain or subject the fabric to a great amount of tension.
It will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
we have illustrated the machine we have designed for applying such proofing
material to the fabric.
Fig. 1. Front elevation.
Fig. 2. Transverse sectional elevation.
Fig. 3. Longitudinal sectional elevation.
The apparatus is constructed with a steam jacketed or heated trough A to
receive the proofing material. In this trough rotates a steam heated roller B
which is partly immersed in the melted proofing material therein and above or in
contact with the roller B is a second steam heated roller C.
The roller C is covered with an absorbent material c capable of taking up or

page_text: absorbing evenly over its surface the proofing material. A third roller D prefer-
ably also heated rotates in contact with the second roller C and between these two
rollers the fabric under treatment is passed. The machine may be fitted with
delivery rollers E at either side of the machine.
We employ or use paraffin wax Japanese wax spermaceti wax bees' wax casein
glue gelatine colophony or other waterproof substances or compounds.
With one
two or more of these substances we mix a small quantity of solvent not sufficient to
dissolve it or make a solution but such quantity as will reduce the melting point of
the material to such a degree that a very slight degree of heat will liquify the
mixture
The proofing material or compound when prepared is placed in the jacketed
trough A where it is liquified at a low temperature and the roller B rotating
therein lifts it upon its surface and transfers it to and deposits it evenly over the
absorbent covering of the roller C. The fabric is passed between the covered
roller C and the top roller D and in thus passing between these two rollers the
waterproofing material is deposited on the fabric in the required quantity in such a
state as to require no further melting. The fabric is then passed through an
ordinary steam heated or hot air tentering or drying machine which completes the
process and renders the fabric waterproof and rain repellant.
By this process we avoid the risk and danger from fire and explosion consequent
upon the use and storage of a large quantity of inflammable solvents or materials
dissolved therein and we also avoid any damage to the colours or texture of the
fabric arising from the action of such solvent thereon or from the use of excessive
heat when the proofing agent is applied without the addition of any solvent and
has to be melted upon or into the fabric.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The process of waterproofing textile fabrics which consists in applying to or
spreading upon the surface of the fabric a proofing material reduced to a low
melting point in a soft or melted condition at a low temperature by means of heated
spreading or distributing rolls and without any subsequent application of heat
tension or friction substantially as described and illustrated.
2. An apparatus for applying proofing material to the surface of textile fabrics
constructed with a steam heated trough in which the material is melted at a low
temperature in combination with a heated roller rotating therein, which lifts the
material from the trough, a roller with absorbent covering in contact therewith
which takes up the proofing material from the first roller and distributes it over
the fabric and a third roller which presses the fabric on the second or absorbent
roller arranged substantially as described and shown.
Deal his out
A 1805
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool, and London, Patent Agents.