i the Drawing.
ea s earn r110 To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that l, Atnrnr L. Caner, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Braintree, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful llmprovements in Tibrouslt laterials and Methods of Making the Same, of which the followingis a specification. A
The object of the present invention, broadly stated, is two-fold: first, to produce a soft porous absorbent felt-like material,
and, second, to utilize waste or scrap leather, which otherwise would be burned or unused commercially. A further object of the invention is to produce a felt-lilre sheet material which can be used as the base or foundation in the manufacture of wall poard, flooring, prepared roofing and the ilre.
According to my invention ll subject scrap leather to the action of a beating engine, with sufiicient water added, to disintegrate it into a fibrous pulpy mass. Scrap leather of any kind may serve as the initial stock to be treated. The treatment of disintegration is continued until the fibrous ass is in condition to be run in a web onto a Fourdrinier or other equivalent form of pa err-making machine.
fter being reduced toa soft pulpy fibrous mass, 1 add to the stock a small quantity of potassium or sodium bichromate,
. andv a small quantity of calcium hydroxid,
sodium carbonate or the like, partially to neutralize the tannic acid in the leather, and to soften the fibers and render them absorbent when dry. The mixture is thoroughly beaten in the beating engine, and then by any suitable machine or apparatus is formed into sheets of the desirable thickness, and then run through drying rolls, much in the same manner that cellulose fiber orwood' pulp is formed into sheets of paper.
Preferably, ll addto the raw stock a quantity of cellulose fiber, such as mixed waste paper, rags, wood pulp or the like.
As an example of the method of carrying out my process, ll may recite the followin liload a beating engine with 1,000 ounds of leather scrap, and hlldp'ounds o waste equivalent prevents the leather Patented June 1d, 101%..
Application one ne talent. term in. taste.
paper. Sufiicient water is added to allow the stock tov circulate in the beater. The heater is then started in operation and the beating action is continued until the stock is gradually beaten out or disintegrated into a homogeneous pulpy fibrous state. The addition of the waste pa or or its bers from sinking or settling in the aqueous mixture. When the pulpy mass has reached a condition when itmay be run into a wet machine or into a Fourdrinier or other web- ,forming machine, I add to the mixture 5% to by weight of bichromate of potash or soda, and about 2% of sodium carbonate. After being thoroughly mixed in the beater, the mass is then formed into sheets, either of predetermined or indeterminate lengths, and dried. Such sheets are relatively soft, porous or absorbent, very much like wool felt. in this condition they are saturated or impregnated with suitable compounds, such as Waxes, oils, pitches, asphalts, resins or the like, according to the particular use to which they are to be put. For example, when they are to be employed in the manufacture of prepared roofings, they may be saturated with asphalt or other equivalent hydrocarbon compounds, and then coated with a relatively high-melting-point pitch or asphalt.
If desired, during the treatment of the raw stock, it may be heated to a temperature of say, not over 110 F, immediately integrating scrap leather into a fine fibrous pulpy mass, adding-a softening agent and then forming the mass into soft porous sheets of the desired thiclmess.
2. The herein described process of making felt for roofing which consists in disintegrating scrap leather and cellulose fiber into a fibrous pulpy mass of the consistency of paper stock, adding a softening agent soft admixture of cellulose, adding bichromate of soda or potash to the pulp, and then forming the pulp into soft porous absorbent sheets.
5. A felt-like sheet consisting essentially ent.
and a softemng agent, and which is soft, porous and absorbent.
6. A felt-like sheet consisting rincipally of thoroughly disintegrated leat er fiber, a softening agent, and intermingled cellulose, such sheet eing soft, porous, and absorb- 7. A felt of which the base is disintegrated leather fiber, and having characteristics of porosity and absor tion similar to those of a woolen or rag fe t.
8. A soft, spongy, springy material composed in large .measure of disintegrated leather fibers having united therewith the product of reaction between sodium or potasr sium bichromate and tannic acid.
In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.
ALBERT L. CLAPP.
of thoroughly disintegrated leather fiber