IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THREAD PROM GUTTA PERCHA AND SIMILAR. GUMS; IN GILDING, SILVERING, AND ORNAMENTING THE SAME, BEFORE OR AFTER BEING MANUFACTURED INTO FABRICS; AND IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street,
in the City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THREAD PROM GUTTA PERCHA AND SIMILAR.
GUMS; IN GILDING, SILVERING, AND ORNAMENTING THE SAME, BEFORE OR AFTER
BEING MANUFACTURED INTO FABRICS; AND IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN."-A communication.
Sealed the 4th May 1855, and dated the 15th November 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald Brooman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th November 1854.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THREAD FROM GUTTA PERCHA AND
SIMILAR GUMS; IN GILDING, SILVERING, AND ORNAMENTING THE SAME, BEFORE OR
AFTER BEING MANUFACTURED INTO FABRICS; AND IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN," (communicated to me by a foreigner residing abroad,) to
be as follows:-
This Invention consists in drawing out a strand or thread of gutta percha,
either around a thread of silk, linen, cotton, or other material, or in drawing
out a thread or strip of gutta percha into a thread finer and finer.

page_text: The Inventor proceeds as follows:-
1st, he surrounds a thread of silk with a strip of gutta percha, cut out from
a thin sheet of that substance, leaving the silk thread of an indeterminate
length. The gutta percha is fixed round the thread by suitable heat, applied
by the band, or by means of an iron slightly heated. The gutta percha strip
is next placed upon a hot plate or surface, heated by steam or water, and the
Inventor watches the moment when the gutta percha ceases all retractile
movement to plunge it suddenly in cold water; then, holding the end of the
gutta percha and of the silk, he draws them out through his fingers, or through
a draw plate, when the gutta percha strip will be drawn out, and will envelop
or encase as much silk thread as the quantity of gutta percha employed will
allow. The operation is repeated from the point where the gutta-percha
ceased, until the whole of the silk has been covered; and the joints are made
good, if necessary, by heat, applied by the hand or by an iron.
In order to produce a thread of gutta percha alone, the Inventor takes a
strip or rod of gutta percha, and forms it into a fine thread, by drawing it out
in the manner described for the gutta percha and silk thread. There will be
parts necessary to be joined by heat, in order to form sufficient to fill a reel
or bobbin. A gutta percha thread round a textile thread is also produced by
means of an apparatus about to be described.
The Inventor constructs a box, which may be hermetically closed except at
the bottom, which is pierced with a number of holes, so as to form a draw
plate, with apertures of the number and degree of fineness required. Having
placed through the apertures some threads, say, silk threads, with the reels
placed in the upper part of the box, gutta percha softened by heat is put in the
box, which it is made to about half fill, and the box is filled up with hot water.
The cover of the box is hermetically fixed at the edges, but contains through
the centre a pipe, which communicates with a hydraulic pump. When the
threads are drawn through the apertures in the bottom of the box, pressure is
applied by means of the hydraulic pump upon the gutta percha in the box
when a drawn gutta percha thread with a silk core will be forced through
the apertures in the bottom of the box. The thickness of the gutta percha
covering will be easily regulated. In some cases slight pressure may only b
required, and perhaps even dispensed with, and pressure may be applied by
means of air, heated and compressed. The box must be kept at a temperatur
at which gutta percha is readily workable.
To make drawn threads of gutta percha without core, the Inventor make
use of a metal box traversed by tubes, similar to a tubular boiler; and this bo
is heated by water, air, or steam. Rods or pieces of gutta percha are passe

page_text: through the tubes in the box, and are received upon a cylinder which is made
to dip in cold water, from which the threads are wound upon another cylinder,
which, being of larger diameter, or revolving at greater speed, draws out the
thread to the fineness required. The threads obtained by these means are of
any thickness required, and may be drawn as fine as thread used in lace-
making.
In order to obtain fine strips of gutta percha for the purposes of this Inven-
tion, in addition to such as may be produced by other means, the Inventor rolls
thin sheets, of gutta percha, each sheet being wetted to prevent adhesion
between every successive layer upon a cylinder, which is withdrawn when the
roll is sufficiently large, and strips are sliced off the roll by scissors, knives, or
rotary cutters. In order to gild or silver the threads or fabrics of gutta percha,
instead of employing small sheets of gold or silver leaf, I cause the gold or
silver leaf to be, wound, with sheets of paper, as usual, between each layer, into
a roll of any desired length; and for the purpose of gilding or silvering gutta
percha after being softened by heat, it is first formed into a roll, and both the
gutta percha roll and the gold or silver leaf roll are simultaneously unrolled
against each other.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,' filed
by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 15th May 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special licence that I, the said
Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, admi-
nistrators, 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
.

page_text: Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THREAD FROM
GUTTA PERCHA AND SIMILAR GUMS; IN GILDING, SILVERING, AND ORNAMENTING THE
SAME, BEFORE OR AFTER BEING MANUFACTURED INTO FABRICS; AND IN MACHINERY
AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," (communicated to me by a foreigner residing
abroad), upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Archi-
bald Brooman, 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 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 Richard Archibald Brooman, 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in forming a strand or thread of gutta percha, caout-
chouc, and other similar gums either around a thread of silk, linen, cotton, or
other material, or not; also, in certain apparatus to be employed in forming
such threads; and in a means of gilding, silvering, and ornamenting threads of
gutta percha, caoutchouc, and other similar
gums.
I surround a thread of silk with a strip of gutta percha, cut out from a thin
sheet of that substance, leaving the silk thread of an indeterminate length.
The gutta percha is fixed round the thread by suitable heat, applied by the
hand, or by means of an iron slightly heated. The gutta percha strip is next
placed upon a hot plate or surface heated by steam or water, and I watch the
moment when the gutta percha ceases all retractile movement, and plunge it
suddenly in cold water; then, holding the end of the gutta percha and of the
silk, I draw them out through my fingers, or through a draw plate, when the
gutta percha strip will be drawn out, and will envelope or encase as much silk
thread as the quantity of gutta percha employed will allow. The operation is
repeated from the point where the gutta percha ceased, until the whole of the
silk has been covered; and the joints are made good, if necessary, by heat,
applied by the hand or by an iron.
In order to produce a thread of gutta percha alone, I take a strip or rod of
gutta percha, and form it into a fine thread by drawing it out, in the manner
described for the gutta percha and silk thread. There will be parts necessary
to be joined by heat, in order to form sufficient to fill a reel or bobbin. A
gutta percha thread round a textile thread is also produced by means of an
apparatus about to be described.

page_text: I construct a box, which may be hermetically closed except at the bottom,
which is pierced with a number of holes, so as to form a draw plate, with aper-
tures of the number and degree of fineness required. . Having placed through
the apertures some threads, say, silk threads, with the reels placed in the
upper part of the box, the gutta percha, softened by heat, is put in the box,
which it is made to about half fill, and the box is filled up with hot water.
The cover of the box is hermetically fixed at the edges, but contains through
the centre a pipe, which communicates with a hydraulic pump. When the
threads are drawn through the apertures in the bottom of the box, pressure is
applied by means of the hydraulic pump upon the gutta percha in the box;.
when a drawn gutta percha thread with a silk core will be forced through
the apertures in the bottom of the box. The thickness of the gutta percha
covering will be easily regulated. In some cases slight pressure may only bo
required, and perhaps even dispensed with, and pressure may be applied by
means of air, heated and compressed. The box must be kept at a temperature
at which gutta percha is readily workable. Or I make use of such an appa-
ratus as that shewn in the Drawing annexed, where A, A, represents a tank or
cylinder, closed by the cover B, and surrounded by an outer cylinder or jacket
C, into which steam is admitted through the pipe D, for heating the contents
of the cylinder A, and maintaining them in a proper state for working. E is
a pipe and cock for drawing off the water of condensation; F is the reel upon
which the thread to be covered is wound. This reel is supported by means of
its spindle in the sides of the trunk G. The trunk G is formed with a conical
end, which fits into a conical seat in the bottom of the cylinder A. Holes are
drilled through the bottom both of the trunk G and the conical seat, through
which the thread, from the reel is passed. The trunk G is raised or lowered
from or into its seat by means of the screws H, H, bevil gearing I, and handle
J. L is a pipe, for the introduction of steam, compressed air, or hot water,
which, pressing upon the contents of the cylinder, causes them to surround and
coat the thread on its passage through the holes. m, m, are passages for the
compressed air, steam, or water into the trunk G, to prevent the gutta percha
or caoutchouc being forced up into the trunk. When the reel F is emptied
of its thread, it can be replaced by a fresh one, the empty reel being lifted out
by the wire K, the ends of which are bent round its spindle. Several such
reels may be placed within the trunk G, a corresponding number of holes being
drilled through the bottoms of the trunk and cylinder A for their passage;
and instead of the trunk terminating in a point, a slot. may be cut in the
-bottom thereof, through which threads from a number of reels may be made to
pass. I prepare threads suitable for the manufacture of a waterproof or semi-

page_text: waterproof cloth by laying down upon a table a series of rows of threads, and
coating them with caoutchouc or gutta percha, in the same manner as if a
fabric were being coated; I allow the threads to dry, and when dry separate
them, and wind them upon suitable reels or bobbins. These threads being
used in weaving for the warp, and ordinary unprepared threads for the weft,
or vice versa, a semi-waterproof fabric will be formed, particularly adapted for
garments, as it will to a great extent keep out wet, yet allow of the passage of
perspiration from the body. To make drawn threads of gutta percha without
core, I make use of a metal box, traversed by tubes, similar to a tubular boiler,
and this box is heated by water, air, or steam. Rods or. pieces of gutta percha
are passed through the tubes in the box, and are received upon a cylinder,
which is made to dip in cold water, from which the threads are wound upon
another cylinder, which, being of larger diameter, or revolving at greater speed,
draws out the thread to the fineness required. The threads obtained by these
means are of any thickness required, and may be drawn as fine as thread used
in lace making. In order to obtain fine strips of gutta percha for the purposes
of this Invention, in addition to: such as may be produced by other means, I
roll thin sheets of gutta percha, each sheet being wetted to prevent adhesion
between every successive layer, upon a cylinder, which is withdrawn when the
roll is sufficiently large, and strips are sliced, off the roll by scissars, knives, or
rotary cutters. In order to gild or silver the threads or fabrics of gutta percha,
instead of employing small sheets of gold or silver leaf, I cause gold or silver
leaf to be wound with sheets of paper, as usual, between each layer; into: a roll
of any desired length; and for the purpose of gilding or silvering gutta percha,
after being softened by heat, it is. first formed into a roll, and both the gutta
percha roll and the gold or silver leaf roll are simultaneously unrolled against
each other..
Where I have only used the term gutta percha in. the foregoing Speci-
fication, I have done so to save the repetition of analogous gums; and I desire
to be understood as meaning not only gutta percha, but also caoutchouc
and all similar gums. Where I employ caoutchouc, I reserve to myself the
right of using it in its pure state or vulcanized, and if not vulcanized before
being manufactured into a fabric, where necessary, I submit it to the vul-
canizing process after being manufactured.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the-same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,- .
First, the manufacture. of thread from gutta percha, caoutchouc, and other
similar gums, according to any and all of the methods herein-before, described.
Second, I claim the apparatus herein-before described and represented in

page_text: the Drawings annexed, for forming threads in gutta percha and other similar
gums over a core.
And, third, I claim the gilding, silvering, and ornamenting threads of gutta
percha, caoutchouc, and other similar gums, in the manner herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of May, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-five.
R. A. BROOMAN. (L.S.)