IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF FIBROUS MATERIALS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF VARIOUS ARTICLES, AND IN THE MEANS FOR RENDERING THE SAME FIRE AND WATER PROOF
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the International
Patent Office, No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF FIBROUS MATERIALS FOR
THE MANUFACTURE OF VARIOUS ARTICLES, AND IN THE MEANS FOR
RENDERING THE SAME FIRE AND WATER PROOF."-A communication from
abroad by Robert Orpheus Lowrey, of Salem, New York, United
States of America.
Sealed the 24th April 1868, and dated the 9th March 1868.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 9th March 1868, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LARE of the International Patent Office No e
Southampton
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 9th March 1868, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE of the International Patent Office, No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting.
Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE TREATMENT OF FIBROUS MATERIALS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF VARIOUS
ARTICLES, AND IN THE MEANS FOR RENDERING THE SAME FIRE AND WATER PROOF,"
and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same,
and have made solemn declaration that it has been communicated to
me from abroad by Robert Orpheus Lowrey, of Salem, New York,
United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement:-
My Invention relates to a new composition of matter consisting
principally of vegetable fibre, treated or united with certain chemical
ingredients, for the production more especially of a waterproof material,
for the manufacture of paper, and all other articles to which it may be
adapted, the composition being intended to produce an article much
stronger than ordinary paper and one that will not lose its strength
when subjected to the action of water. To form my composition I take
vegetable fibre of any kind but prefer such as is used in the manufacture
of paper, and treat it with the following ingredients, either before or
after it is formed into paper or into the articles for which it is intended
to be used or employed:-I prepare a solution consisting of gelatine
or animal glue, in the proportion of four ounces, of soap or similar
extractive matter two ounces, and of glycerine or saccharine matter or
of both combined two ounces; these ingredients I dissolve in from two
to four quarts of water. I prefer to dissolve the gelatinous material in
about one half of the water, and in the other half dissolve the soapy
matter, I then add the saccharine or glycerine (or the two combined,
if both are used) to either of the two solutions and then mix the two
solutions together, or if preferred the glycerine and saccharine matter
(or either of them, if but one is used) may be united to the compound
after the two solutions are mixed together. The proportion of the
glycerine or saccharine matter used will be varied according to the
degree of hardness or pliability that it is desired to give to the article;
the less of these ingredients used the harder the article will be. In

page_text: like manner also if it is desired that the article should be soft and
slippery in its nature so as to prevent chafing by friction the proportion
of the soapy matter will be increased as compared with the gelatinous;
the quantity of water may be increased or decreased according as it is
desired to apply the compound in greater or less quantity to the fibre.
With the solution: thus prepared I saturate or treat the fibre, or pulp, or
paper or article made therefrom, and then dry it more or less. After
being thoroughly treated by this gelatinous compound I then submit the
material to the action of an astringent solution which will render it
insoluble in water. For this purpose I prefer to use alum and salt
dissolved in water in about equal proportions.. The material is retained
in this astringent solution from ten to sixty minutes according to its
bulk or thickness and the strength of the solution. This solution may
be applied either hot or cold; it will act more energetically when hot.
The foregoing is the method I prefer as giving the best results and as
being the simplest; but in my experiments I have ascertained that
similar results may be obtained by mixing the gelatinous and the
astringent solutions together, and when precipitation has taken place
strain the liquid from the precipitated matter or sediment, and then add
water to this precipitated matter or sediment and boil over a brisk
fire till dissolved. Or the two solutions may be mixed and heated until
the precipitated matter is dissolved, and then the solution thus obtained
may be incorporated with the pulp, or the paper or other material may
be saturated with it.. The results thus obtained are however inferior
to those obtained by first treating the fibre or material to the action
of the gelatinous solution and then to that of the astringent.
When it is desired to make paper that is not to be waterproof with a
suitable surface for writing upon, the astringent solution may be omitted,
and the gelatinous compound in that case may be used alone as a sizing
or it may be mixed with vegetable sizing. The advantage of using this
as a sizing is that it can be mixed with the pulp and run over. the
drying, rolls without difficulty or injury.
The chemical action of these ingredients. upon each other is as
follows: The soap is a compound of margaric, stearic, and oleic acids
with an alkali, and when the soap is acted upon by a solution of alum
a double decomposition takes place and the acids of the soap will
combine with the alumina of the alum, and form, an insoluble compound..

page_text: Common salt (chloride of sodium) promotes precipitation in the above
and throws down a compound which deposited upon the fibres is
insoluble, prevents decomposition, and at the same time does not lessen
the softness of the material acted upon. The glue with its well-known
properties also promotes the precipitation of the insoluble salts of
alumina, and in connection with the glycerine gives a peculiar flexibility
and softness to the paper or cloth and in many cases increases its.
strength.
I have ascertained by my experiments that similar results may be
produced to a greater or less degree by substituting for the gelatine or
glue gum arabic or senegal, dextrine or cassein, or albumen, gluten,
starch, or a mixture of any two or more of these, or any one or more of
these ingredients may be used with gelatine or glue, or both. Instead
of the astringent solution composed of alum and salt as previously
described. the following may be used, viz., tannin or tannic acid, catechu
or any material containing tannin, gallic acid, boracic acid,, alum alone
or combined with borax or chrome alum, or any of the salts of the
sesqui-oxide of chromium, or chloride of sodium alone may be used,
or any two or more of these ingredients may be united and used in
the place of the alum and salt but not with so good effect. If it
is desired to give body to the material without the use of so much
fibre, as will be the case in the manufacture of ornamental and other
articles of certain kinds, there may be added to the fibre or pulp clay or
aluminous, earths, plaster, calcined or otherwise, or ground slates or
stone, or the oxides of metals; and for giving color to the mass any
suitable pigment or coloring matter may be added to the gelatinous
compound, especially when it is desired to form a coating on the surface
instead of mixing them with the fibre or pulp.
My Invention may be used in treating leather as well as fabrics of
all kinds to render them waterproof without entirely closing the pores
of the material. The fabric may be treated with these solutions after it
is manufactured, or the material may be treated with these solutions
while in the raw state, as wool, cotton, silk, or similar fibrous matters.
These materials I saturate with the gelatinous compound or solution by
any convenient means; then press them sufficiently to remove any
surplus of the solution, dry them, and then treat them with the
astringent solution, or they may be treated with the astringent solution

page_text: before being dried. After being treated with the astringent solution
they may be washed or rinsed and dried, when they will be found to be
waterproof and will make up into waterproof articles.
The various substitutes given above to be used in place of the
solutions may be used in the treatment of fabrics or the raw materials
of which they are composed for the purpose of rendering them waterproof
as described. These solutions may be applied cold or warm or heated;
when applied warm or heated their action will be more rapid and
thorough. The fabrics may be rendered soft, smooth, and fireproof by
being treated with the substances above described, but more completely
so by the addition of others herein-after mentioned. A fine surface may
be formed upon them by the use of a gelatinous compound as above
described, being made sufficiently thick for the purpose; this is done
when a superior article is desired.
An excellent substitute for oil cloth, leather, and similar articles may
be produced by the application of my solutions in a modified form to
fabrics of various kinds, as cloth, paper, and other similar fabrics. To
the gelatinous solution above described I add earthy matters, pigments,
or colouring matters, and in sufficient quantities to form a pasty
compound and to give it any desired color. The fabric when treated
with the solution thus thickened should be immersed or otherwise
treated with the astringent solution; after being treated in this way
other colors may be applied so as to give it a uniform appearance, or
figures or ornamental designs may be painted upon it. The surface
may be enamelled or polished by any suitable means, or by polishing
rollers or other suitable devices, and then painted upon.
In all cases when it is desired to make the fabrics fireproof the
gelatinous solution before being applied should have a quantity of
sulphate or phosphate of ammonia, or tungstate of soda, or tungstate
and phosphate of soda combined, or phosphate of soda and borax, or
the sulphate, carbonate, or chloride of magnesia, or any equivalent
material suitable for producing that result mixed with it. By these
means I am able to make waterproof papers of various kinds and styles
for the manufacture of bags, belting, cordage, twine, harness, roofing,
and nearly all articles now made of cloth or leather. It may also be
formed into utensils for household use, such as buckets, tubs, and basins,
also into boats, barrels, and all similar articles, and articles of wearing

page_text: apparel, and also into ornamental articles, such as are now made of
papier maché, and similar substances.
The process for the production of all these various articles while
substantially the same and having for its object the same general result
is varied a little to suit the different materials that may be used in 5
order to obtain the special result aimed at. Sometimes for some purposes
the fibrous matter is treated partially while in its raw state, and the
treatment completed when the manufacture is completed but before
the article is made; for example, in the manufacture of twine I first
mix my gelatinous compound with pulp (or after the pulp is formed 1
into paper it may be so treated), I then cut the paper into strips and
twist it by suitable machinery and treat it with the astringent solution,
when it may be woven or braided into any article desired.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and shown how the same may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, I claim,-
First. The use of salt in combination with any of the salts of alumina
or similar astringent material for rendering a gelatinous compound or
mixture insoluble in water, substantially as described.
Second. The use of salt in combination with the salts of alumina
or similar astringent material for rendering soapy compounds or
mixture insoluble in water, substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
Third. The use of alum or any of the salts of alumina for rendering a
soapy compound insoluble in water, when the said soapy compound has
been previously incorporated with paper pulp or fibre, substantially as
described.
Fourth. The use of glycerine in combination with a gelatinous or a
soapy compound when applied to fibrous materials, substantially as set
forth.
Fifth. The use of sulphate or phosphate of soda or their equi-
valents for the purpose of rendering the materials or fabrics fireproof,
as set forth.
Sixth. The new compound or composition of matter produced by the
treatment of fibrous materials whether in a raw or manufactured state,
substantially as herein described.

page_text: Seventh. The process herein described of treating fibrous material for
producing a new compound consisting of either or any or all of the
articles mentioned or similar ones, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of March, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
eight.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)