IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING SHEETS OF CAOUTCHOUC OR GUTTA PERCHA, SO AS TO תמתחת SAME PIT FOR ORNAMENTAL COVERINGS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Pidding, of the Strand, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TREATING SHEETS OF CAOUTCHOUC OR GUTTA PERCHA, SO AS TO
תמתחת
SAME PIT FOR ORNAMENTAL COVERINGS"
Sealed the 9th September 1853, and dated the 9th March 1853.
1
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Pidding
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 9th March 1853.
"I, WILLIAM PIDDING, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING SHEETS OF CAOUTCHOUC OR
GUTTA PERCHA, SO AS TO RENDER THE SAME FIT FOR ORNAMENTAL COVER-
INGS," to be as follows:-
I propose to treat india-rubber, for the manufacture of fabrics
applicable to various useful and ornamental purposes, in the following
I take a sheet of india-rubber, of such thickness as I may
require, and stretch it by any means to form eight to sixteen times its

page_text: original superfice; I then print, either by cylindrical or flat-surface
printing or pattern. The pattern is made to shew, on its surface,
numerous equidistant dots; each of these dots I perforate with a needle
point or punch, angular or of any other form, by means either of forms
or cylinders, or hand, as will hereafter in my Complete Specification be
shewn. Into each of these holes is introduced a stud, of any size, of
any material, or of any shape, such as silica, electroplated glass, metal,
&c. (I will describe several in my Final Specification.) On the with-
drawal of the stretching press or frames, the sheet of india-rubber
will collapse; and the studs; béing retained and drawn closely together,
will present various brilliant patterns of glass, steel, or other, fit for
the covering of shoes, boots, ottomans, carpets, ornamental hangings,
and other useful and ornamental purposes. Or, instead of using india-
rubber, as mentioned, a net or web may be made, or it can be loose,
and when stretched the ornaments inserted as per pattern. I also
effect closer adherence between the caoutchouc and ornaments by
boiling them in water, where possible or desirable. Or instead of
studs, I insert into the holes aforesaid threads of any material, drawn
as minutely as possible, and soaked in gelatine or any proper adhesive
substance, passing them, when prepared, through the holes in the
caoutchouc aforesaid, and then cut into required lengths. I then
relieve the threads from the adhesive substance by using such solvents
as their nature may require; or the threads may be inserted into the
holes by extending the india-rubber, as first mentioned, and otherwise;
but I prefer the methods first partially described. I also produce uncut
pile or india-rubber grounds, by taking a sheet of caoutchouc, of any
length and width, which I greatly distend, and pass between two or
more sets of rollers. The external surface of the first rollers (set of) is
cut into grooves, equidistant and longitudinal: these rollers are to be
supplied by other rollers or apparatus, with sufficient adhesive substance
in solution, together with the length of India-rubber already mentioned.
I pass threads, yarns, spun glass, or other; and when, by pressure and
adhesion, the two are well connected, the moisture (adhesive solution)
is thrown off. When the india-rubber contracts, the fabric will be an

page_text: uncut pile, on one or both sides thereof. Of course, I can produce any
design or pattern on these fabrics. Or I use a warp of india-rubber
thread, and weft of yarn or thread, spun or unspun (or vice versa),
taking care that the india-rubber threads shall be proportionally
stretched, so as totally, when relieved from such extension with the
lengths of the yarns, &c. The pile, in all the before-described fabrics,
can be cut, ground, or shorn, according to the nature of the material of
which such pile is composed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Pidding, in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 9th September 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM PIDDING, of the Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Gen-
tleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Pidding, Her special licence that I,
the said William Pidding, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said William Pidding, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING
SHEETS OF CAOUTCHOUC OR GUTTA PERCHA, SO AS TO RENDER THE SAME
FIT FOR ORNAMENTAL COVERINGS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Pidding, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be

page_text: performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Pidding, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof; and in order to render the modus
operandi of my Invention as clear as possible, I will describe my mode
of treating a single sheet of india-rubber; but it will be quite evident on
perusal of the description, that in the first part of the operation many
sheets thereof may be treated or operated upon at one and the same
time.
I take a sheet of india-rubber (caoutchouc) of such thickness as I
may require, (which will be determined by the purpose of covering for
which I intend to use the fabric or material when completed,) and
stretch it, by any known means, to from eight to sixteen times (more
or less, as desirable,) its original superfice; I then print thereon a
design or pattern, by any mode of printing, whether block printing or
by cylinder. This design or pattern is made to show on its surface
equidistant dots, or dots printed according to the design to be used.
Each of these dots must be perforated by any known means, such as
needle points, punches of angular points, or any other formed points;
and such are to be used by hand, or upon forms or cylinders, where the
latter are capable of being used for the purpose. As there is no novelty
in any part of the machinery or apparatus used by me in the course of
my operations on caoutchouc or gutta percha, it is, I conceive, needless
to illustrate such mechanical means by annexing drawings to the Spe-
cification. Into each of the holes perforated in the caoutchouc, as
aforesaid, I introduce a stud, or other formed substance, angular, sex-
agonal, octagonal, or otherwise shaped, of any convenient size, or of any
suitable material, as electroplated substances, silica, glass, glazed metal,
metal, or other substance. On withdrawal of the stretching press or frame,
the sheet of india-rubber will collapse to, or nearly to, its size before
stretching. The studs, or other formed substances, being retained by the

page_text: I then
increased pressure of the caoutchouc, and drawn closely (or nearly so,
as may be preferred,) together, will present a surface of glass, steel, or
other coloured substances, either in design of various patterns and
substances, or plain of one substance, as may be preferred; and this
fabric will be found fit for covering shoes, boots, ottomans, carpets,
ornamental hangings, and for other useful and ornamental purposes.
I effect closer adhesion of the caoutchouc and ornaments by boiling the
fabric in water, where desirable. Or, instead of studs, I insert into the
holes aforesaid threads of any material, drawn as minutely as possible,
previously soaked in gelatine, or any proper adhesive substance, and
allowed to dry; then cut into the required lengths, and pass them, when..
thus prepared, through the holes in the caoutchouc aforesaid.
relieve the threads from the adhesive substance, by using such solvents
as their nature may require. I also produce uncut pile, on india-rubber
grounds, by taking a sheet of caoutchouc, of any length and width,
which I greatly distend, and pass between two or more sets of rollers.
The external surface of the first rollers (set of) is cut into grooves, equi-
distant and longitudinal, or otherwise: these rollers are to be supplied
by other rollers or apparatus, with sufficient adhesive substances in
solution, together with the length of india-rubber already mentioned.
I pass threads, yarns, spun glass, or other substances, and when, by
pressure and adhesion, the two are well connected, the moisture
(adhesive solution) is thrown off. When the india-rubber contracts,
the fabric will be an uncut pile on one or both sides thereof. Any design
or pattern may be produced on these fabrics. The pile, in all the before-
described fabrics, can be cut, ground, or shorn, according to the nature
of the material of which pile is composed. Instead of using sheets
of india-rubber alone, I use sometimes a combination of caoutchouc
and gutta percha in sheets, or gutta percha alone; in the latter case, of
course, the flexibility of the material being less, the holes would be made
closer to each other.
Having now described the mode or modes of carrying my Invention
into practical effect, I would observe that I lay no claim to the use of
any of the materials or substances mentioned in this my Specification,

page_text: when considered or taken separately, but only when used in com-
bination, as herein-before directed, for the purpose of fitting such
combination of materials or substances for ornamental coverings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Pidding, have herein-
before affixed my hand and seal, this Ninth day of September,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
WILLIAM PIDDING. (L.S.)
Witness, JOHN GEDGE, Patent Agent,
Wellington Street, Strand, London.