The invention comprehended under this patent is stated to have for its object the “the manufacture of a thread of great strength and durability, and perfectly water-proof, from the substance called gutta-percha, and the application thereof to the manufacture of piece goods, ribbon, paper, and other articles.” The specification then describes the manner in which this object is carried out. The machinery is very simple. It consists of a die-box kept hot by steam, from the bottom of which a number of small tubes project downwards into a tank filled with cold water; and a cylinder and piston mounted on the top of the box. The mode of operation is as follows: A roll of the prepared gutta-percha is introduced into the cylinder immediately above the die-box. The piston is then replaced, and forced steadily downwards by hand or other suitable power upon the gutta-percha, which, becoming softened at the lower end by contact with the hot die-box, escapes from the pressure through the tubes in a series of threads, which, as they drop into and are cooled in the water in the tank, and carried around a roller, whence they are conducted to and wound upon a set of revolving reels, after the manner of hand-spinning, that is, by working the thread between the fingers and thumb, the thread may be stretched about four times the original length. The threads are then wound off on bobbins and ready for use. I twist and spin two or more such threads together into one round thread, by means of a bobbin and fly frame, such as is used in the manufacture of cotton. Besides giving to the gutta-percha threads the desired roundness, these whirling and twisting processes have the effect of greatly improving them, in point of elasticity. * * * * * A strong, and perfectly water-proof fabric is formed by simply laying a number of gutta-percha threads side by side upon a foundation of cotton or linen, or other textile fabric, and passing the two materials between heated rollers, which have the effect of cementing the threads firmly to the cloth and to one another; and such fabrics may, by using the threads of different sizes and color, have every nicety of striped appearance given them.