IMPROVEMENTS IN NETS FOR FISHING AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Stuart, of Musselburgh, in the County of Mid-
Lothian, North Britain, and William Stuart, of the same Place, Manu-
facturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN NETS FOR FISHING AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 7th October 1859, and dated the 13th August 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Stuart and William
Stuart at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 18th August 1859.
We, JOHN STUART, of Musselburgh, in the County of Mid-Lothian, North
Britain, and WILLIAM STUART, of the same Place, Manufacturers, do hereby
declare,: the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN NETS FOR
FISHING AND. FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the manufacture or production of nets such as are
used for fishing, and for other general purposes to which such open-meshed
fabrics are ordinarily applied, and it consists in the adoption or adaptation and
use of any single yarn fibre in the manufacture of nets by machinery.
adoption of single yarn for this purpose nets can be produced at a much
cheaper rate than has hitherto been the case, whilst the fabric is softer and
more pliable, better to handle in use, and a more successful fishing net. It
By the

page_text: also takes on the "tannin" or matter, which operates to preserve the net in a
superior manner.
The Invention relates also in some respects to an Invention of "Improve-
ments in Machinery or Apparatus for Manufacturing Nets for Fishing and for
other Purposes," for which we obtained a grant of British Letters Patent,
bearing date on or about the Twenty-seventh day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-nine, No. 1056,50, as the single yarn nets can be produced
by such machinery or apparatus in a peculiarly superior manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Stuart and William Stuart in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 13th February 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
STUART, of Musselburgh, in the County of Mid-Lothian, North Britain, and
WILLIAM STUART, of the same Place, Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said John Stuart and William Stuart, Her special license that we, the said
John Stuart and William Stuart, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said John Stuart and William Stuart, our executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others from
timo 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 NETS FOR FISHING AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Stuart
and William Stuart, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or
under the hand and seal of one of us, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 we, the said John Stuart and William Stuart, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, that is to say :-
Our said Invention relates to the manufacture or production of nets such as
are used for fishing, and for other general purposes to which such open
meshed fabrics are ordinarily applied, and it consists in the adoption or
adaptation and use of any single yarn fibre in the manufacture of nets by
machinery. By the adoption of single yarn for this purpose nets can be pro-
duced at a much cheaper rate than has hitherto been the case, whilst the
fabric is softer and more pliable, better to handle in use, and a more successful
fishing net. It also takes on the "tannin or matter which operates to
preserve the net in a superior manner.
"
The Invention relates also in some respects to an Invention of "Improve-
ments in Machinery or Apparatus for Manufacturing Nets for Fishing and
for other Purposes," for which we obtained a grant of British Letters Patent,
bearing date on or about the Twenty-seventh day of April, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-nine, as the single yarn nets can be produced by such
machinery or apparatus in a peculiarly superior manner.
The single yarn after being prepared in the ordinary manner, but with a
twist less than ordinary yarn, which is intended for two or more ply, in order
to prevent the yarn when weaving into the nets from kinking or twirling, is
manufactuted into fishing nets by means of the machinery or apparatus
referred to in the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, or by means of
other machinery or apparatus in ordinary use. The manufactured nets are
afterwards treated in the ordinary manner by immersing them in a solution of
bark or other astringent matters containing tannin; this is done for the
purpose of preserving the nets, and enabling them to withstand the action of
In this way nets peculiarly well adapted for fishing purposes may
be produced at much cheaper rates than heretofore, having at the same time
the advantage of being more manageable in use than those made from the
ordinary yarns, which are much thicker and harder when made up.
sea water.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, we would observe, in conclusion, that what we consider novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the application to and use in the manufacture of fishing nets of single
yarn, for the purpose of producing light, cheap, and effective nets, as herein-
hafara locasibed

page_text: Second, the system or mode of manufacturing fishing nets from single ply
yarn in lieu of the two or other number of ply yarn hitherto used, as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Stuart, on behalf of the said
John Stuart' and of myself, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this 5
Tenth day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty.
WILLIAM STUART. (L.S.)