India Rubber Waterproof Fabrics and the like.
Year: 1884

page_text: India Rubber Waterproof Fabrics and the like.
I PATRICK MILLAR MATTHEW Jr. of The Victoria Rubber Company Leith Walk,
Edinburgh in the County of Midlothian India Rubber Manufacturer do hereby
declare the nature of my Invention for AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE PRO-
DUCTION OF COLORED DESIGNS ON INDIA RUBBER WATERPROOF FABRICS to be as
follows:-
My process is applicable to textures which have been rendered waterproof in the
ordinary manner by coating with India Rubber either pure or tinted or colored by
the addition of any coloring matter & consists in applying to the Rubber surface
by engraved rollers stamps, blocks or other suitable means, the required designs,
which are subsequently protected by a transparent coating of pure India Rubber.
I prepare the Rubber surface for receiving the required design by the addition
of Starch or other substance of a like nature, which may either be mixed with or
spread over the Rubber.
I now partly vulcanize this surface, & apply the printed design, coating the
whole very thinly thereafter with a solution of pure India Rubber, which while
being perfectly transparent, prevents injury to the colors by friction or moisture.
I next remove the adhesive nature of the surface, by coating it with Starch,
French Chalk, or other suitable substance, after which I thoroughly vulcanize the
whole by the ordinary cold process.
I claim for my process the following advantages:
1st That by the use of Starch before printing, I get a clear & distinct impression,
which could not otherwise be obtained on a Rubber surface.
2nd That by the transparent coat of Rubber which I afterwards employ, the
colors are rendered impervious to moisture, & are also unaffected by the action of
acids, which result cannot be obtained by any process of surface ornamentation
presently in use, whether the designs be produced by printing or otherwise these
being more or less liable to be impaired by the combined friction & moisture, to
which under ordinary circumstances, waterproof textures are subjected.
11
HAL 1
1004

page_text: India Rubber Waterproof Fabrics and the like.
I, PATRICK MILLAR MATTHEW Jr. of the Victoria Rubber Company, Leith Walk,
Edinburgh, India Rubber Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COLORED DESIGNS
ON INDIA RUBBER WATERPROOF FABRICS & TIE LIKE and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
My Invention as hereinafter described is applicable to Fabrics of any description,
whether textile or otherwise, which have been rendered waterproof in the ordinary
manner, by one or more coatings of India Rubber, which may be either pure or
colored by the addition of any suitable pigment, liquid dye or other coloring
matter.
:
The process consists in applying to the coated surface by Blocks, Stamps, Rollers
or other suitable means, the required designs, which are subsequently protected by
a transparent or semitransparent coating of India Rubber.
For many years it has been common practice to manufacture Waterproof Fabrics
& similar goods, composed either wholly or partly of India Rubber, & having
patterns or designs produced on their surface, by calico printing or other means,
solutions of India Rubber or other adhesive substances being mixed with the colors
to make them adhere. In addition however to the unsightly appearance of such
goods, the fact that the colors could not be made fast, or only imperfectly so, has
limited their use.
By my invention waterproof textures & similar goods may be made, having all
the appearance of printed calicoes &c., & the colored designs being perfectly fast, the
goods are admirably adapted for waterpoof purposes.
In carrying out my process, I prepare the Fabric for receiving the designs in the
following manner.
I first proof or coat the fabric to the required thickness, by one or a series of
coats of pure or colored India Rubber, which is applied in the ordinary manner.
If the pattern or design is to be printed on a black or dark colored ground,.
I mix with the Rubber which forms the last coat of the "proofing" above mentioned,
a quantity of starch or other vegetable or mineral powder, of such a nature as will
render the surface nonadhesive & to some extent absorptive.
If the patterns or designs are to be printed on a white or light colored ground,
I either proceed as above described, or simply apply the Starch or equivalent
powder to the India Rubber surface, which owing to its adhesive nature retains a
sufficent quantity of the said powder to form a suitable basis for the reception of
the colors. The Starch or equivalent is here applied in the same manner & by the
same means as are employed in the production of what is commonly known as
"dull electric" proofing.
The fabric having being prepared by either of these methods, I then partly
vulcanize it, either by steam or other heat, or by any of the cold processes

page_text: commonly in use. I here employ partial vulcanization in order that the surface
may become sufficiently firm to resist the effects of creasing or abrasion during the
process of printing, while it remains sufficiently soft to admit of its union with
the protective coating, when the finished fabrics &c are finally & completely
vulcanized. The designs are next imprinted on the prepared surface, by means of
Blocks, Stamps or Rollers, on which the desired pattern has been suitably
engraved, & any colors or combination of colors may be employed in producing
the said designs.
Instead of preparing the India Rubber surface for receiving the colors, as above
described, I may simply harden it sufficiently by semi vulcanization & proceed to
print the designs, adopting the old method of mixing with the colors, a certain
proportion of India Rubber or other substance of a sticky or resinous nature, which
will prevent the colors from running. I prefer however to use Starch as the basis
for printing on, as by so doing, I an enabled to employ colors similar in com-
position to those used in calico-printing, which are less expensive & much more
easily applied, than those which have been mixed with a solution of India Rubber
or other adhesive substance.
In order that the colors may be absolutely fixed, I then coat the whole surface
very thinly with a solution of India Rubber, which from its transparency does not
in any way interfere with the effect of the colors, whilst it prevents their being
displaced by friction, or otherwise injuriously affected. This new surface is then
rendered non-adhesive by a fine coating of Starch or other suitable substance, after
which the whole is thoroughly vulcanized by any of the known processes. I prefer
however to employ the liquid process, in which the vulcanizing is performed by a
solution of Chloride of Sulphur & Bisulphide of Carbon, as by this means I obtain
the most perfect transparency in the final or protective Coating of India Rubber.
Amongst the non-textile articles to which my invention is applicable, are the
sheets of solid India Rubber of any color, used in the manufacture of Tobacco
pouches, Hollow Balls, Balloons & such like articles:
**
In producing designs on solid. Sheet Rubber I proceed as follows. I first
spread" the sheet to the required thickness in the usual way, either on a polished
Rubber faced cloth, or unproofed calico previously sized in the ordinary manner.
I then prepare the surface, partly vulcanize it and print the designs, all in the
same manner as before described in the case of Waterproof fabrics, afterwards
coating the whole with transparent India Rubber, & finishing with Starch or its
equivalent. The sheet may then be completely vulcanized as in the case of the
waterproof fabric, or not, as required. If intended for articles manufactured in
the manner of Tobacco pouches, Balloons & such goods, it must be stripped from
the cloth on which it has been spread in its semi-vulcanized condition, & the
vulcanizing process completed when the various articles have been made up.
I have now particularly described the nature of my said invention & the details
of the process which appear to me best adapted for carrying it out, but I reserve
the right to vary the said details, so long as they shall comprise the same invention,
which I declare to be for the production, substantially as hereinbefore described,
of fast-colored designs on India Rubber waterproof fabrics & the like & for which
I claim the following features of novelty.
1st The addition or application of Starch or substance of a like nature to the
surface of the India Rubber before printing the designs, for the purpose of
rendering the said surface capable of absorbing ordinary calico printing colors, so
as to produce a clear and distinct impression, which could not otherwise be
obtained, without the use of more costly colors, specially prepared & difficult of
application.
2nd The semivulcanization of the body of the India Rubber before printing
which ensures an even surface during printing, & permits the protective coat of
India Rubber to adhere firmly when the article is completely vulcanized.

page_text: 3rd The transparent coating of India Rubber which I afterwards employ, by
which the colors are absolutely fixed & remain unaffected by the action of moisture,
friction & even acids. This result cannot be obtained by any process of surface
ornamentation presently in use, whether the designs be produced by printing or
otherwise, all such designs being more or less liable to be impaired by the
combined friction & moisture, to which under ordinary circumstances, waterproof
textures are exposed.