IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SEAMLESS DRESS SHIELDS AND OTHER ARTICLES
Year: 1885

page_text: "
I ADOLPH OPPENHEIMER, of No 19 Königsgraben in the City of Berlin and
German Empire, Manufacturer of dress shields, do hereby declare the nature of
my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SEAMLESS DRESS
SHIELDS AND OTHER ARTICLES and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
My invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of seamless dress
shields or ladies dress protectors and other articles.
•
It is well known that seamless dress shields and other articles have heretofore
been manufactured from fabric with an intermediate layer of vulcanised india
rubber id est a mixture of india rubber or caoutchouc C, H, and sulphur S.
Seamless dress shields were first made from thin sheets of caoutchouc C, H, in
1876 by Frederick Wittram (U.S. Patent No 172941). These shields proved
however very unpleasant to the wearer as they are liable to hinder the free
perspiration in the arm pits and in consequence of the vulcanisation give off an
unpleasant smell.
În 1881 Isaac Canfield (U.S. Patent 239442 and British Patent 2307) improved
these said Wittram shields by covering the same with fabric on each side and
vulcanising the said india rubber shield.
These vulcanised india rubber dress shields are however considered by most
eminent medical authorities to be injurious to the health of the wearer when the
sulphurous effluvium comes in contact with the body of the wearer and besides
this they emit a very unpleasant smell.
In order to avoid all these disadvantages I employ thinly rolled sheets of gutta
percha C H₁o which, as is well known, does not possess the elastic qualities of
india rubber or caoutchouc and will not vulcanise in the same manner as caoutchouc
or india rubber,
In carrying my invention into effect I proceed as follows:-I take a piece of
suitable fabric, flanel, satin, silk, wollen stuff, cotton or other fabric and lay a
sheet of gutta percha paper of appropriate size and length above the same and
a second layer of fabric above the said sheet of thinly rolled gutta percha C H₁0 so
called gutta percha paper so that the said layer of gutta percha is enclosed between
the said double layer of fabric or instead of employing two layers of fabric only one
layer can be employed.
Now in order to firmly connect these three layers ie the two layers of fabric and
the intermediate layer of gutta percha I pass the said fabrics with the interposed
layer of gutta percha through a pair of rollers which are heated by means of gas,

page_text: hot water, steam or a suitable solution of appropriate salts or their equivalents so
that the gutta percha is caused to adhere firmly to the said fabrics.
It is well known that only a moderate heat is requisite to soften gutta percha so
that the same will adhere firmly to any object pressed onto the same 25° to
35° Centrigrade being amply sufficient for the purpose.
The so prepared material composed of two layers of fabric and one layer of gutta
percha paper or thin rolled gutta percha C, H₁, is now cut up into suitable pieces
for forming the dress shields and these pieces placed over a wooden, zinc or other
appropriate form or former, drawn tightly over and affixed to the same by suitable
clamps or by means of pins or pegs so that the still warm material is compelled to
take the form of the former,
The material is allowed to remain on the former until it is thoroughly cooled or
if desired the forms can be placed in or near an appropriate heating device in
order to assure the material accomodating itself to the form of the former and then
allowed to cool.
Instead of passing the two layers of fabric and the interposed layer of gutta
percha C H₁ between two heated rollers one heated roller can be employed and
passed over each or only one side of the said composite material or where this is
not found admissable or accessable the same effect can be produced by ironing the
surface of the material by means of a box iron, sad iron or its equivalent-I have
in the course of my experiments found that wooden forms or formers which are
provided with suitable attaching pins or clamps are admirably adapted for my
purposes as no heating of the same is necessary.
The blanks for forming the dress shields can either be cut out automatically by a
suitable device as soon as the fabric leaves the rollers or as soon as the three layers
are thoroughly combined or can be cut out by hand.
After the said dress shields are taken from the former I prefer to place the same
in a suitable receptacle arranged so as to firmly compress a smaller or larger
number of such said dress shields onto each other and then cut the edges of the
said dress shields into shape by means of a suitably formed cutter and a screw,
lever or other press but this said operation can be carried out by hand or in
any other appropriate manner without in any way effecting the tenor of my said
invention.
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. The manufacture of seamless dress shields from one or two layers of a suitable
fabric and an interposed layer of gutta percha C, H₁ substantially as described in
the foregoing specification.
2. The process of producing arm pit dress shields from a combination of fabric
and thinly rolled gutta percha or gutta percha paper whereby the said gutta percha
paper is intimately connected to one or interposed between two layers of stuff or
fabric and is intimately connected to the same by the said combined fabric being
treated under moderate heat by being passed between heated rollers, rolled with
one heated roller or ironed with a sad iron or its or their equivalents.
1002
Witnesses,
EUGEN STUTZER.
ANTHONY STEFFEN.
ADOLPH OPPENHEIMER.