Improvements in the Dressing or Coating of Cloth for Tarpaulins, Van Covers, Waterproof Sheets, and the like, commonly known as "Patent Dressed Cloths."
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Sept., 1892
⚫ Complete Specification Left, 27th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 25th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Dressing or Coating of Cloth for Tarpaulins,
Van Covers, Waterproof Sheets, and the like, commonly known
as "Patent Dressed Cloths."
I, THOMAS POTTER COUBRÓ, of the firm of Coubró & Scrutton, Tarpaulin
Makers, of 11 West India Dock Road, Limehouse, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
I use ordinary dressing cloth, or preferably cloth of a closer texture, or I use
chemically prepared cloths, such as those commonly known in the trade as Oriental,
Willesden, Birkmyre's, or others of a similar nature or character.
"
Ordinary dressing cloth or cloth of a closer texture requires to be dressed with
what is commonly known as "patent dressing to make them waterproof, which
patent dressing, when in use for some time, becomes thoroughly dry, causes these
cloths to become hard, and, when doubled up, to crack and tear and so become
useless, not being watertight, and chemically prepared cloths, under certain
conditions, such as chafing or rubbing underneath or when subject to animal heat
as in the case of horse cloths when covering a horse's back, are found not to be
thoroughly waterproof.
The object of my invention is to prevent the ordinary patent dressed cloths from
ever becoming hard or from cracking or tearing when doubled up, and to make the
chemically prepared cloths watertight under all circumstances.
My invention consists in first treating all cloth, of whatever nature, with a
mixture of non-oxidizing or non-drying oil and vegetable oil before the usual patent
dressing or coating is applied, it being found that by so doing the cloth does not
under any circumstances become hard and consequently does not crack tear or
break when doubled up, but is perfectly watertight, supple and soft.
This preliminary treatment of the cloth with a mixture of non-oxidizing or non-
drying oil and vegetable oil, prevents the fully treated cloth from sticking together
when folded, and also from spontaneously heating and thereby injuring the texture
of the material.
By this process I am enabled to dress any width of cloth in the piece or "bolt,"
and, from its pliability after the dressing has been applied and allowed to dry, it is
then at any moment ready to be made up into any size tarpaulin or waterproof
cover or cloths, avoiding the necessity for any subsequent dressing of the finished
cloths, which, under the practice hitherto adopted in certain cases, has to be done,
entailing delay for subsequent drying.
Dated this 16th day of September 1892.

page_text: Improvements in the Dressing or Coating of Cloth for Tarpaulins,
Van Covers, Waterproof Sheets, and the like, commonly known
as Patent Dressed Cloths."
66
I, THOMAS POTTER COUBRÓ, of the firm of Coubró & Scrutton, Tarpaulin
Makers, of 11 West India Dock Road, Limehouse, in the County of Middlesex,
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 :-
I use ordinary dressed canvas, or cloth of any material, or preferably cloth of a
closer texture, or cloth such as is usually employed for oil-skin coats, sou'
westers, &c., or I use chemically prepared cloths such as those commonly known
in the trade as Oriental, Willesden, Birkmyre's or others of a similar nature or
character.
"
Ordinary dressing cloth, or cloth of a closer texture, or canvas, or cloth of
whatever nature, requires to be dressed with what is commonly known as "patent-
dressing to make them waterproof, which dressing may be of any color but is
usually black. This "patent dressing," in time, causes these cloths to become
hard and, when doubled up, to crack and tear and so become useless, not being
watertight. Also, "patent dressing," as now applied, in drying, generates heat
and so injures the cloth and also makes tarpaulins and other articles made from
such dressed cloths liable to stick together when folded in moist or warm weather.
The object of my invention is to prevent ordinary patent dressed cloths, whether
in the form of tarpaulins, van or barge covers, waterproof sheets, loin cloths, oil-
skin coats, sou' westers, &c., from ever becoming hard, or from cracking or tearing
when doubled up, or from generating heat whilst drying, or from sticking together
when folded in moist or warm weather, and to make the chemically prepared cloths
watertight under all circumstances.
My invention consists in applying to all cloth of whatever nature, a non-oxidizing
or non-drying oil, such for instance as heavy mineral oil, combined or not with an
oxidizing or drying vegetable oil, such for instance as linseed oil, in more or less
nearly equal proportions, in addition to the usual patent dressing or coating.
In carrying my invention into effect the non-oxidizing or non-drying oil may be
first applied to the cloth by itself, or an oxidizing or drying vegetable oil, in pro-
portions before mentioned, may be mixed therewith previous to such application;
or such non-oxidizing or non-drying oil, either by itself or combined with oxidizing
or drying vegetable oil in proportions before mentioned, may be mixed with the
patent dressing before or whilst the latter is being applied to cloth. By these
means the outside coating becomes elastic and the cloth does not, under any
circumstances or in any length of time, become hard, and consequently does not
crack, tear or break when doubled up, but is perfectly supple and soft, does not
become injured by generating heat whilst drying, and does not stick together when
folded in moist or warm weather.
I would here remark that either animal or vegetable non-oxidizing or non-drying
oil, such as whale oil or castor oil, may be substituted for the heavy mineral oil,
but the latter is preferred as being cheaper and more effective.
By this process am enabled to dress or coat any width of cloth in the piece or
"bolt" and, from its pliability and elasticity after the dressing has been applied
and allowed to dry, it is then at any time ready to be made up into any size 4
tarpaulin, waterproof cover or cloth or other article, avoiding the necessity for any
subsequent dressing of the finished cloths, but finishing coats may be applied should
it be deemed necessary for a better finish or to cover the twine or thread that has
been used to sew the cloths together.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The dressing or coating of cloth for tarpaulins, van covers, waterproof sheets,
and other articles, with a non-oxidizing or non-drying oil, either alone or combined
with an oxidizing or drying vegetable oil, in addition to the application thereto of
ordinary "patent dressing," substantially as herein described.
2. The dressing or coating of cloth with a non-oxidizing or non-drying oil, either
alone or mixed with an oxidizing or drying vegetable oil, preparatory to applying
thereto the ordinary "patent dressing," substantially as herein described.
Dated this 20th day of January 1802
THOS. P. COUBRÓ,
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C, Agents.