IMPROVEMENTS IN DYEING AND PRINTING FABRICS AND YARNS AND ANIMAL OR MIXED ANIMAL AND VEGATABLE SUBSTANCES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lightfoot, of Accrington, in the County of
Lancaster, Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DYEING AND
PRINTING FABRICS AND YARNS AND ANIMAL OR MIXED ANIMAL AND VEGATABLE
SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 6th March 1866, and dated the 11th September 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lightfoot at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th
September 1865.
I, JOHN LIGHTFOOT, of Accrington, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DYEING AND
PRINTING FABRICS AND YARNS AND ANIMAL OR MIXED ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE
SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to dye, print, or stain a fast black on
wool, silk, feathers, or other animal substances, or fabrics made of a
mixture of animal and vegetable substances, such as delaines and similar
mixed goods. Dyeing or printing woollen, silk, or mixed goods by the
present processes is not only tedious but expensive, which I avoid to a very
great extent by proceeding as follows:- I wince or steep the goods in a
solution of hypochlorite of lime, commonly known as chemick, or a mixture of
hypochlorite of lime, hydrochloric acid, and water, for the purpose of oxidizing
the deoxidizing properties of the animal fibres and substances, thereby render-

page_text: ing them capable of receiving the aniline black, as described by me in the
Specification of a Patent dated January 17th, 1863, No. 151.
Although I have named only bypochlorite of lime, I wish it to be understood
that other similar oxidizing agents will answer the purpose, such as bypochlorous
and chlorous acids, hypochloric, chloric, and perchloric acids, or a solution of
their salts of alkaline or metallic bases, for the object already described. The
proportions to be about as follows:-I take for every yard of cloth, or about the
same quantity in weight of yarn, silk, or animal substance, well cleaned, ten
quarts of water, at about 86° Fahrenheit, one half pint of chemick at twelve
ounces to the gallon, and half an ounce of hydrochloric acid. I keep the goods
in this solution from twenty to thirty minutes, and then wash well in water and
dry. I steep or pad the goods either before drying or after in the following
dye-Seven pints of water, four ounces of chlorate of potash, and one pint of
acetic acid, and then add twelve ounces of chloride of aniline (crystals), three
ounces sal-ammoniac, and two ounces sulphate of copper. I then dry the
goods and age for three nights in a room about 76° to 80° Fahrenheit, and
raise either in water or any weak alkali, or a weak solution of neutral
chromate of potash.
When the cloth is used for printing, I print on the aniline black color, as
described in the Specification of the Patent before alluded to, and dry and age
in a warm room, and then pass the goods through a solution of hyposulphite
of soda, or a solution of any deoxidizing agent and warm water, to improve
the white or whites.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Lightfoot in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th 2
March 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
LIGHTFOOT, of Accrington, in the County of Lancaster, Chemist, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 3
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Lightfoot, Her special license that I, the said John
Lightfoot, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said John Lightfoot,' my executors, administrators, and assigns, should

page_text: 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
make, use, exercise, and vend,, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "
IM-
PROVEMENTS IK DYEING AND PRINTING FABRICS AND YARNS AND ANIMAL OR MIXED
ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Lightfoot, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Lightfoot,. do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be partioularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say:-..
The object of this. Invention. is to dye,, print, or stain a. fast black from
aniline on wool, silk, feathers, or other animal substances or fabrics made
from wool, and also fabrics made of a mixture of animal and vegetable sub-
stances, such as delaines and similar mixed goods..
For mixed goods I wince or steep them in a solution of hypochlorite of
lime, commonly known as chemick, or a mixture of hypochlorite of lime, hydro-
chloric acid, and water, for the purpose of preventing the deoxidizing properties
of the animal fibres and substances, thereby rendering them capable of
receiving the aniline black, as described by me in the Specification of a Patent
bearing date the Seventeenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, number 151.
Although I have here named only hypochlorite of lime, I wish it to be
understood that other similar oxidizing agents will answer the purpose, such
as hypochlorous and chlorous acids, bypochloric,, chloric, and perchloric acids,
or a solution of their salts of alkaline or metallic bases. Other oxidizing acid
salts, such as nitric acid, nitro-muriatic acid, bichromate of alkalies, and per-
manganate of alkalies will produce a certain effect; .but I prefer, as more
economical and of greater utility, the chlorine mixtures before described.
When the wool or animal substance is thoroughly oxidized. to its maximum,.
and in a fit state to receive the aniline black already named (by oxidation
being understood the change, whatever it may be, that animal fibres undergo
when exposed to the substances described), it may be known by the following
simple test:-Take a dilute solution of permanganate of potash in two test

page_text: tubes, and into one put a piece of the oxidized wool and into the other a piece
that has not been oxidized, and apply a gentle heat; the solution containing
the one that is in a fit state to receive 'the aniline black remains pinky, but
the other is decolorized immediately.
The proportions for preparing the wool are about as follows:-I take for
'every pound of cloth, wool, yarn, silk, delaine, feathers, or animal substance
(well cleaned) six gallons of water at about 100° Fahrenbeit, two and a half
ounces by weight of hydrochloric acid of commerce, and one 'pint of hypochlo-
rite of lime in 'solution, containing sixteen ounces of hypochlorite of lime per
gallon. I keep the goods in this solution for from twenty to thirty minutes,
or until the wool becomes quite yellow, I then wash well in water and dry.
I am aware that woollen fabrics and fabrics of mixed wool and cotton havé
been previously steeped or prepared in mixtures containing chlorine or bypo-
chlorous acid for the purpose of subsequent printing or dyeing such fabrics
with ordinary colors not aniline black, but the chlorodizing or oxidation
sufficient for such purposes is not applicable to aniline black, and a point of
oxidation or chlorodizing is required which would not be advisable 'to give to
fabrics intended for ordinary colors.
In dyeing cobourgs and similar goods the present processes involve two
operations; firstly, the cotton has to be dyed, and then the wool or silk. I
avoid this twice dyeing by préparing the mixture of cotton, wool, silk, or other
animal substance as above, so that they will both take a black dye at one and
the same time. I steep or pad the goods either before drying or after in the
following dye-One gallon of water, four ounces of chlorate of potash,
twelve ounces of chloride of 'aniline crystals, six ounces of sal-amoniac, two
ounces of sulphate of copper. I then dry the goods at as low a heat as
possible and age for two or three 'nights in a moist room at from about 76° to
80° Fahrenheit, and when the color is thoroughly developed it becomes an
intense myrtle green, almost black. I raise the goods either in water or any
weak alkali, or in a weak cold solution of neutral chromate of potash, which
I use in preference; and if a brownish black is required the goods may be
subsequently dyed in a weak hot 'solution of archill or cudbear.
When the prepared cloth is used for printing, I print on the aniline black
color as described in the Specification of my former Patent already referred to,
and 'dry and age in a warm moist room, and raise in weak alkali as before.
I'then pass the goods through a warm solution of sulphite or hyposulphite of
soda, or a solution of any suitable deoxidizing agent to improve the white or
whites; or the goods may be passed through Mr. Thom's sulphuring appa-
ratus, which restores the white in the parts not printed, but does not injure

page_text: the black. It is preferable, after sulphuring, to repass the goods through a
weak alkali.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be under-
stood that I claim the preparation of the materials or fabrics herein described
in such a manner as to prevent the deoxidizing property of the animal matters
from hindering the formation of aniline black by an oxidizing or chloridizing
process of much greater intensity than hitherto followed, or until the test
described shews that the maximum has been attained.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Lightfoot, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named John Lightfoot in
the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
JOHN LIGHTFOOT. (L.S.)
Patent Agent,
Manchester.