IMPROVEMENTS IN FORMING OR MAKING STRAIGHT AND BENT PIPES AND BENDS FOR PIPES, AND ALSO VESSELS OF VARIOUS SHAPES, AND IN COATING AND PROTECTING OBJECTS AND ARTICLES OF VARIOUS FORMS, AND IN THE APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Rhodes, of Old Ford, Bow, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FORMING OR MAKING STRAIGHT AND BENT PIPES AND
BENDS FOR PIPES, AND ALSO VESSELS OF VARIOUS SHAPES, AND IN COATING AND
PROTECTING OBJECTS AND ARTICLES OF VARIOUS FORMS, AND IN THE APPARATUS
TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 27th June 1862, and dated the 1st January 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Rhodes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st
January 1862.
I, BENJAMIN RHODES, of Old Ford, Bow, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FORMING OR MAKING STRAIGHT AND
BENT PIPES AND BENDS FOR PIPES, AND ALSO VESSELS OF VARIOUS SHAPES, AND IN
COATING AND PROTECTING OBJECTS AND ARTICLES OF VARIOUS FORMS, AND IN THE
APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in employing elastic fabrics in combination with
bitumen or bitumenous mastics or compositions for the purpose of forming
vessels of various kinds of regular and irregular shapes, and also for the
purpose of covering or coating various articles and things for the purpose of
protecting them,, rendering them capable of resisting the action of moisture or:
atmospheric influence, as also for the purpose of rendering them more perfect.

page_text: non-conductors of electricity, as well as to render articles so coated subservient
to other useful purposes.
Instead of forming bent pipes or elbows employed for altering the direction
in which pipes may be laid in any of the modes or methods which have here-
tofore been described, and whether such bends or elbows be of metal or formed
or made up of sheets of paper or other material, layer upon layer, wound
or coiled around or wrapped up in combination with bitumen or a bitumenous
or other compound or composition, I take an elastic or looped fabric of cotton,
hemp, flax, or other suitable material, circular in form. I draw such elastic
fabric over a core piece of the requisite pattern, such as that for an elbow
bend or other hollow form, or it may be a bottle, jar, or such like vessel; and
as from the nature of the fabric it will accommodate itself to the variations in
the shape and configuration of the pattern core or mould; I then dip the
core or pattern thus surrounded into a bath of bitumenous mastic or com-
position, and then proceed to draw on a second elastic coating, and again dip
or immerse it, and so on until the requisite thickness and shape or form is
obtained.
For the purpose of forming T-shaped junction pieces and other compound
figures, I employ the circular elastic or looped fabric before referred to, either
alone or in combination with sheets or webs of the same material, and secure
the overlappings or junctions of such pieces of material by the aid of wire
binding or by means of sewing or stitching with wire, thread, or any other
material, and each coating or envelope thus applied is dipped in a bath of or
otherwise coated with liquid bitumen or bitumenous composition.
For the purpose of giving the requisite final shape or finish to articles
produced as described, I form hollow moulds, which may be halved or other-
wise divided and secured together, and be capable of giving the requisite
pressure for that purpose.
In making long tubes or pipes or other such articles, I employ two hollow
pressure cylinders in contact with the core or mandril, so that the core or
mandril and its covering is uniformly supported throughout its length, and
one of such hollow cylinders should have a current of cold water flowing
through it. I also employ a third roller or cylinder, so arranged as to act
upon the sheet of looped fabric or other material immediately on its rising
out of the bath of bitumenous mastic, and by means of elastic springs applied
to the axle of the said roller it is made to press upon the material, so as to
effectually squeeze and press out all the superfluous bitumen, which greatly
improves the pipe in solidity and strength, and also regulates the thickness of.
the pipe without being, as at present, chiefly dependant upon the temperature

page_text: of the mastic. In making tubes of large diameter, I form the cylinders or
cores upon which the material is wound or made to surround it, in the following
manner-Instead of the ordinary drum-like cylinder, core, or mandril, with
the boss and arms as part thereof, I make a framework and surround it with
a sheet of steel or thin iron as a cover, which may be readily removed by
expanding it and taking it off, or by springing it sufficiently large to slip off at
one end, there being a longitudinal division in the outer skin or cylinder.
For the purpose of coating various articles with a waterproof covering or
envelope, and also for the purpose of better insulating and preserving telegraph
posts, I apply an envelope of elastic material, in combination with bitumen
similarly applied and as before described. In like manner other articles and
things may be coated or covered for the purpose of protecting them, rendering
them capable of resisting the action of moisture and the injurious action of
atmospheric influences by the combined use of the elastic fabric and bitumen
or bitumenous compound, as before described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Benjamin Rhodes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st July 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJANIN
RHODES, of Old Ford, Bow, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the First day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Benjamin Rhodes, Her special licence that I, the said Benjamin Rhodes, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Benjamin
Rhodes, my executors, administrators, 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 FORMING OR MAKING,
STRAIGHT AND BENT PIPES AND BENDS FOR PIPES, AND ALSO VESSELS OF VARIOUS
SHAPES, AND IN COATING AND PROTECTING OBJECTS AND ARTICLES OF VARIOUS FORMS,
AND IN THE APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition, amongst
others, that I, the said Benjamin Rhodes, my executors or administrators, by.
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their bands and seals,

page_text: 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 J, the said Benjamin Rhodes, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying :-
My Invention consists in employing elastic fabrics in combination with
bitumen or bitumenous mastics or compositions, for the purpose of forming
vessels of various kinds of regular and irregular shapes, and also covering
or coating various articles and things for the purpose of protecting them,
rendering them capable of resisting the action of moisture or atmospheric
influence, as also for the purpose of rendering them more perfect non-conductors
of electricity, as well as to render articles so coated subservient to other useful
purposes.
.
Instead of forming bent pipes or elbows employed for altering the direction
in which pipes may be laid in any of the modes or methods which have here-
tofore been described, and whether such bends or elbows be of metal, or formed
or made up of sheets of paper, or other material, layer upon layer, wound or
coiled around or wrapped up in combination with bitumen or a bitumenous
or other compound or composition, I take an elastic or looped fabric of
cotton, hemp, flax, or other suitable material, circular in form, I draw such
elastic fabric over a core piece of the requisite pattern, such as that for an
elbow bend or other hollow form, or it may be a bottle, jar, or such like
vessel, and as from the nature of the fabric it will accommodate itself to the
variations in the shape and configuration of the pattern, core, or mould, I
then dip the core or pattern thus surrounded into a bath of bitumenous mastic
or composition, and then proceed to draw on a second elastic coating, and
again dip or immerse it, and so on, until the requisite thickness and shape or
form is obtained.
For the purpose of forming T-shaped junction pieces and other compound
figures I employ the circular elastic or looped fabric before referred to either
alone or in combination with sheets or webs of the same material and secure
the overlappings or junctions of such pieces of material by the aid of wire
binding or by means of sewing or stitching with wire, thread, or any other
material, and each coating or envelope thus applied is dipped in a bath of, or
otherwise coating with, liquid bitumen or bitumenous composition.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shown, at Figures 1 to 21 inclusive,

page_text: ...
several descriptions of vessels to the manufacture of which my present Invention
is adapted.
For the purpose of giving the requisite final shape or finish of articles
produced as described I form hollow moulds, which may be halved or otherwise
divided, and secured together and be capable of giving the requisite pressure
for that purpose.
In making long tubes or pipes, or other such articles, I employ two hollow
pressure cylinders in contact with the core or mandril, so that the core or
mandril and its covering is uniformly supported throughout its length, and one
of such hollow cylinders should have a current of cold water flowing through
it. I also employ a third roller or cylinder so arranged as to act upon the
sheet of looped fabric or other material immediately on its rising out of the
bath of bitumenous mastic, and by means of elastic springs applied to the axle
of the said roller it is made to press upon the material so as to effectually
squeeze and press out all the superfluous bitumen, which greatly improves the
pipe in solidity and strength, and also regulates the thickness of the pipe
without being, as at present, chiefly dependant upon the temperature of the
mastic. In making tubes of large diameter I form the cylinders or cores
upon which the material is wound, or made to surround it, in the following
manner-Instead of the ordinary drum-like cylinder, core, or mandril, with
the boss and arms as part thereof, I make a framework and surround it with
a sheet of steel or thin iron as
cover, which may be readily removed by
expanding it and taking it off or by springing it sufficiently large to slip off at
one end, there being a longitudinal division in the outer skin or cylinder. This
I have shown at Figures 22, 23, and 24.
For the purpose of coating various articles with a waterproof covering or
envelope, and also for the purpose of better insulating and preserving telegraph
posts, I apply an envelope of elastic material in combination with bitumen,
similarly applied and as before described. In like manner other articles and
things may be coated or covered for the purpose of protecting them, rendering
them capable of resisting the action of moisture and the injurious action of
atmospheric influences by the combined use of the elastic fabric and bitumen
or bitumenous compound, as before described.
I have also shown in the accompanying Drawing, at Figure 25, an arrange-
ment of machinery and apparatus for making straight pipes according to my
present Invention, of which machinery or apparatus the following will serve
as the description.
A is a smooth hollow pressure roller having a current of cold water circu-
lating through it, this roller being caused to rotate upon the core or mandril B

page_text: so as to cool and compress the material wound thereupon as it leaves the
bitumen bath or pan; C is a large cylinder or roller which revolves in the
bitumen bath or pan F and brings down and passes through the bitumen the
sheet of elastic fabric or other material employed in the manufacture of the
pipes (indicative by a line in red at Figure 25; D is the final finishing or
polishing cylinder or roller to which the pipe or tube, which has been formed
of the requisite thickness upon the core or mandril B, is brought, by means
of a moveable carriage, endless chain, or other suitable contrivance), and with
which it revolves in contact until the pipe or tube has become cool and hard;
E is a guaging or pressing roller employed for the purpose of removing the
superfluous bitumen from the sheet of material as it emerges from the bath or
pan, and by which means also regularity and uniformity in the thickness of
the pipe is ensured; F is the bitumen bath or pan, kept fully supplied with
bitumen maintained in a melted state by means of fire placed underneath
the bath or pan; G is the supply roller or cylinder from which the elastic
or other material employed in the manufacture of the pipe is gradually
unwound.
I wish it to be understood that instead of the pressure roller A (Figure 25),
immediately above the core or mandril, as shown in the Drawing, two pressure
rollers may be used or employed as herein-before described, and a current of s
water may be made to flow through one or both of them.
Having now described my said Invention as herein set forth, I wish it to be
understood that what I claim is,-
First, the mode or method herein described of molding and forming
elbows, bends, and other hollow vessels, articles, and things by the combinations
of elastic fabrics with bitumen, bitumenous compounds, or mastic, as herein
set forth.
Second, the mode or method of forming hollow vessels and other articles by
means of elastic fabrics in combination with strips of paper, canvass, or other
materials and bitumen, bitumenous compounds, or mastics, for the purpose of
combining the layers together and rendering them impervious to water.
Third, the mode or method of covering articles, objects, and things with an
impervious and (electrically) non-conducting coating formed in the manner
and of the materials herein described, whether the same be employed as a
means of supporting and insulating telegraph wires or for any other purpose.
Fourth, the machinery or apparatus herein described for making long pipes
or tubes.
Fifth, the employment in such machines of top-pressure cylinders or rollers
having a current of cold water circulating through them, for the purposes

page_text: herein described, and whether the pressure be applied by springs or by any
other means.
Sixth, the mode or method of constructing mandrils or cores for making
tubes or pipes, as herein set forth, and as illustrated by Figs. 22, 23, and 24.
Seventh, the application of a guaging or pressing roller, as herein described,
and as shown in the accompanying Drawing, for the purpose of removing
superfluous bitumen or mastic from the sheet of material in its progress from
the pan or bath to the mandril or core upon which it is wound.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Rhodes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of June, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-two.
BENJAMIN RHODES. (L.S.)