IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COATING FABRICS WITH GELATINOUS COMPOUNDS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF IMITATION LEATHER, FABRICS, WOOD, AND OTHER EMBOSSED OR FIGURED SURFACES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Loewenberg, of Charlottenburg, near
Berlin, in the Empire of Germany, but at present of No. 20,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middle-
sex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COATING
FABRICS WITH GELATINOUS COMPOUNDS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF IMITATION
LEATHER, FABRICS, WOOD, AND OTHER EMBOSSED OR FIGURED SURFACES."
Sealed the 18th January 1876, and dated the 31st August 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Loewenberg at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 31st August 1875.
I, HENRY LOEWENBERG, of Charlottenburg, near Berlin, in the
Empire of Germany, but at present of No. 20, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
COATING FABRICS WITH GELATINOUS COMPOUNDS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF IMITATION

page_text: 2
LEATHER, FABRICS, WOOD, AND OTHER EMBOSSED OR FIGURED SURFACES," to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to improved apparatus for coating fabrics in a¯
continuous manner with gelatinous compounds for the production of
imitation leather, fabrics, wood, and other embossed or figured surfaces.
For this purpose I mount a horizontal cylinder in trunnions on a
framing, which also carries a roller on which is rolled the fabric to be
coated, such roller being mounted over the top of the cylinder, and the
fabric being led therefrom round the cylinder, and then away from the
same over a guide roller on the other side thereof. In front of the roller
containing the fabric is placed a supply vessel containing the liquid
composition with which the fabric is to be coated, such composition con-
sisting by preference of an admixture of glue with glycerine, oil, or
soap and colouring matter, such as described in a Provisional Specifi-
cation filed by me on the 19th day of May 1875, No. 1837. The cylinder
is covered with a mould, which may be previously prepared by taking a
cast of the article or surface to be imitated in a gelatinous compound,
in the manner described in my-above-mentioned previous Specification;
or the desired pattern may be produced on the cylinder by engraving or
casting the design in metal or other material, or by any other known
process. As the liquid composition flows from the supply vessel through
a long narrow orifice in a thin stream on to the cylindrical mould, it is
carried by the rotation of the latter between it and the surface of the
before-mentioned fabric passing round the cylinder, such fabric being
applied to the composition by an adjustable knife or blade carried by
the framing, and extending across the cylinder at the back of the fabric.
This blade spreads the composition evenly between the fabric and the
cylindrical mould, and at the same time regulates the thickness of the
layer of composition on the fabric. The cylinder is provided at each
end with a flange, which confines the composition within the required
limits. As the cylinder revolves, carrying with it the fabric and the
layer of composition thereon, the latter solidifies, and as the fabric
eventually passes away from the cylinder over the before-mentioned
guide roller it carries with it the composition adhering thereto impressed
with the design or pattern of the cylindrical mould.
If desired the back of the fabric may be coated with the composition
at the same time that the coating for the facing is produced by causing
some of the liquid composition to flow from the narrow orifice of a

page_text: second supply vessel between the before-mentioned spreading blade and
the back of the fabric, so that the said blade spreads the composition in,
a thin coating over the fabric, which is thus coated on both sides with.
the composition and figured or embossed with the desired pattern at one
and the same operation, and in a continuous manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Loewenburg in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 19th January 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, Ì, HENRY
LOEWENBERG, of Charlottenburg, near Berlin, in the Empire of Germany,
but at present of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Loewenberg, Her special license
that I, the said Henry Loewenberg, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Loewenberg, 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 makė, usc, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR COATING FABRICS WITH GELATINOUS COMPOUNDS FOR THE PRO-
DUCTION OF IMITATION LEATHER, FABRICS, WOOD, AND OTHER EMBOSSED OR FIGURED
SURFACES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry
Loewenberg, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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.'.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that. I, the said Henry Loewenberg, 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 accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked.
thereon, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to improved apparatus for coating fabrics in a
continuous manner with gelatinous compounds for the production of
imitation leather, fabrics, wood, and other embossed or figured surfaces.
For this purpose I mount a horizontal cylinder in trunnions on a
'framing, which also carries a roller on which is rolled the fabric to be
coated, such roller being mounted over the top of the cylinder, and the
fabric being led therefrom round the cylinder, and then away from the
same over a guide roller on the other side thereof. In front of the roller.
containing the fabric is placed a supply vessel containing the liquid
composition with which the fabric is to be coated, such composition con-
sisting by preference of an admixture of glue with glycerine, oil, or
soap, and colouring matter, such as described in the Specification of a
Patent granted to me on the 19th day of May 1875, No. 1837. The
cylinder is covered with a mould, which may be previously prepared by
taking a. cast of the article or surface to be imitated in a gelatinous
compound, in the manner described in my above-mentioned previous
Specification; or the desired pattern may be produced on the cylinder by
engraving or casting the design in metal or other material, or by any
other known process. As the liquid composition flows from the supply
vessel through a long narrow orifice in a thin stream on to the cylin-
drical mould, it is carried by the rotation of the latter between it and
the surface of the before-mentioned fabric passing round the cylinder,
such fabric being applied to the composition by an adjustable knife or
blade carried by the framing and extending across the cylinder at the
back of the fabric. This blade spreads the composition evenly between
the fabric and the cylindrical mould, and at the same time regulates the
thickness of the layer of composition on the fabric. The cylinder is
provided at each end with a flange, which confines the composition
within the required limits. As the cylinder revolves, carrying with it
the fabric and the layer of composition thereon, the latter solidifies, and
as the fabric eventually passes away from the cylinder over the before-
mentioned guide roller it carries with it the composition adhering thereto,
impressed with the design or pattern of the cylindrical mould,

page_text: If desired the back of the fabric may be coated with the composition
at the same time that the coating for the facing is produced by causing
some of the liquid composition to flow from the narrow orifice of a
second supply vessel between the before-mentioned spreading blade and
the back of the fabric, so that the said blade spreads the composition in
a thin coating over the fabric, which is thus coated on both sides with
the composition and figured or embossed with the desired pattern at one
and the same onemation and in a continuous manner.
Fig. 1 represents a side view, and Fig. 2. an end view of apparatus
according to my Invention for coating fabrics in a continuous manner,
as above described.
A is the cylinder, having the pattern on its periphery or on flexible
sheets affixed thereto by means of bands a², and having flanges a¹ to
hold in the coating material. B is an annular chamber for the reception
of cooling or heating fluid supplied by a pipe b through the one
trunnion, and discharged by a pipe b¹ through the other trunnion of the
cylinder A. C is the knife or scraper, which can be adjusted nearer to
or farther from the surface of the cylinder, according as the material is
desired to have greater or less thickness. D is the feed vessel for
supplying the coating material through the adjustable feed valve d..
E is the roller containing the fabric to be coated, which fabric is led
under the knife C, round the cylinder A, and over a delivery roller F,
as indicated by the dotted line f. G is a clamp, by which at first
starting the end of the fabric from the roller E is held to the surface of
the cylinder.
The coating material applied by means of this apparatus may be such
as I have described in my previous Specification above referred to, which
is in a fluid condition when heated, and is quickly set by cooling. The
apparatus can however be employed with compounds of other kinds,
such as are set either by cooling or heating, the annular chamber B
being supplied with either a cooling or heating fluid, according to the
nature of the material employed. The feed vessel D being supplied with
the compound in a fluid condition while the valve d is closed, the edge
of the fabric from the roller E is led under the knife C and secured to
the cylinder A by the clamp G, whereupon the feed valve d is opened,

page_text: and the cylinder is caused to revolve in the direction of the arrow, being
driven by hand or any suitable motor. When the cylinder has made
about /ths of a revolution, so as to bring the clamp G round under the
delivery roller F, the clamp is released, and the end of the fabric is led
by hand over the roller F, and the rotation of the cylinder being con-
tinued the fabric fis delivered coated with the compound to a thickness
determined by the adjustment of the knife C, and having on it the
impression of the pattern on the periphery of the cylinder. When the
fabric on the roller E is nearly exhausted the feed valve d is closed,
the roller is removed, and another roller with a fresh supply of fabric is
mounted in its place, whereupon the operation is continued.
It will be seen that by means of this apparatus the pattern on the
cylinder A, or on flexible sheets affixed thereto, can be impressed con-
tinuously on any desired length of coated fabric, the heating or cooling
chamber B affording means of rapid operation, the vessel D supplying 1
continuously the compound in quantity regulated by the adjustable
valve d, and the knife C effecting its regular and even distribution,
whilst the flanges a¹ prevent its escape laterally.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I claim the use for coating fabrics a
with gelatinous compounds of apparatus constructed and operating sub-
stantially as herein described, wherein a cylinder, having a heating or
cooling chamber and a pattern round its circumference, is caused to
rotate while the coating compound is fed to it, and the fabric to be
coated is passed round it, the coating of any length of fabric being thus 2
effected in a continuous manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Loewenberg, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
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