US73139A - Improved - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

WILLIAM H. TOWERS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEDWATER-PROOP FABRIC FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TRAV= ELING-BAG-S, TRUNKS, CARRIAGE-TOPS, AND OTHER ARTICLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 73,139, dated January 7, 1868.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. Townes, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water-Proof Fabrics; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

The nature of my invention consists in making an improved water-proof, enameled, or glazed fabric, suitable for the manufacture of traveling-bags, trunks, valises, carriage-tops, table covers, piano covers, furniture-covers, and the like articles, by combining one or more sheets of paper with one or more folds of any strong textile fabric, such as muslin,

sheeting, duck, linen, or parchment-paper, and

finishing the surface of the paper with a coating of enamel, so as to resemble what is known as patent-leather. From the nature of the materials in my fabric it is quite strong and durable, and in many respectsequal to patentleather, while it can be afforded at much less cost, and of any size required. I

The following description will enable others to make and use my invention.

For preparing a fabric suitable for making traveling-bags, I take strong bult' paper and cement it to cotton cloth, muslin, hempen cloth, or coarse linen, with paste, cement, or size. A water-proof cement will make the article more durable, but is not necessary, since the enamel applied to the paper will render the whole water-proof. This compound fabric of paper and cloth is then coated on the paper side with the enamel well known in the manufacture of patent-leather, or any equivalent coating which will produce a similar efiect.

The materials for, and the process of, applying enamel to leather, being well known, need not be particularly described.

To render the process more flexible, the paper used may be impregnated with glycerine.

Any strong paper may be used instead of buff paper, and one or more thicknesses may be employed, according as a thinner or thicker fabric is required.

Instead of using cotton cloth, linen, duck,

sheeting, or other equivalent fabric may he used.

' Manila paper, such as is now used for the manufacture of paper belting, may be substituted for the woven fabric. This paper may also be first converted into what is known as vegetable-parchment. Y

By this process a fabric is produced identical in outward appearance with patent-leather, and a good substitute for that article in many manufactures. The enamel combines thoroughly with the paper. This fabric may be ornamented by painting, stamping, printing, or gilding.

By pasting a sheet of paper on bothsides of the muslin or other woven fabric, a fabric enameled on one or both sides may be produced.

The fabric above described may be made to resemble leather still more by saturating the fibrous materials of which it is composed with glue or gelatine and then treating it with tannin or tannic acid, so as to convert the whole into an artificial leather.

XVaterproofing materials, such as resins, gums, collodion, drying-oils, wax, paratline,

and the like may be combined with the fabric either by adding them to the cement which unites the several sheets making up the compound fabric, or by treating the sheets before combining, or by saturating the fabric after it is formed. Glycerine will serve to remove and to prevent harshness and brittleness in the fabric, and gives the necessary softness and pliability.

By combining white lead, oxide of zinc, oxide of iron, or other oxides and pigments, with the cement, greater body may be given to the fabric.

Having thus described my invent-ion, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The improved fabric, made substantially as herein described.

2. The combination of one or more thicknesses of paper with awoven fabric, and finishing the same with enamel, substantially as herein described. I

3. The manufacture of traveling bags,

trunks, valises, table-covers, carriage-tops, and similar articles, by combining enameled paper with other textile fabric, substantially as described.-

4. The application of glycerine to compound fabrics of paper and cloth, such as herein described, to render them tough and pliable, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of gums, resins, paraffine, collodion, drying-oils, and the like, with a fabric composed of paper and cloth, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have aflixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 21st day of December, 1867.

' WM. H. TOWERS. Witnesses:

JOHN S. HOLLlNGSHEAD, E. J. KLOPFER.