AN IMPROVED METHOD OF MAKING ALL KINDS OF LEATHER AND VARIOUS OTHER ARTICLES WATERPROOF, FOR THE PURPOSE OF BEING MADE UP AND USED IN A VARIETY OF NECESSARY ARTICLES OF CONSUMPTION
Year: 1794

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BELLAMY, of the Parish of Saint Mildred, in the City of London, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Ninth day of January, in the thirty-fourth year of His reign, did
give and grant unto me, the said John Bellamy, His especial licence that I,
the said John Bellamy, during the term of years therein mentioned, should and
lawfully might use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF MAKING
ALL KINDS OF LEATHER AND VARIOUS OTHER ARTICLES WATERPROOF, FOR THE PURPOSE
OF BEING MADE UP AND USED IN A VARIETY OF NECESSARY ARTICLES OF CONSUMPTION;"
in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said
John Bellamy, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to cause
a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within four calendar months after the date of the said recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same (relation being thereunto had) may
more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliancewith he said Invention, I, the said John
Bellamy, do hereby declare that my said Invention of an improved method of

page_text: making all kinds of leather and various other articles waterproof, for the
purpose of being made up and used in a variety of necessary articles of con-
sumption, is described in manner following, that is to say :-
First method. Take nutt oil, one gallon; poppy oil, one gallon; linseed oil,
two gallons; or tako nutt oil, one gallon; linseed oil, three gallons; or take
poppy oil, linseed oil, three gallons; or take linseed oil, or take linseed oil, two
gallons; poppy oil, one pint; nutt oil, one pint; then take the above-named
linseed oil, with the nutt and poppy oils, together or separate, or without them,
or take the nutt and poppy oils, with any other drying oil, or with the linseed
oil, in any other quantity which by experience may be found adviseable, but
the above proportions I think best; and put the afore-mentioned oil or oils,
according to the above or any other proper proportion, into an iron vessel, for it
will bo necessary to vary the above proportions according to the nature of the
oil, and also according to the nature of the leather or other article, for the samo
kind of oil will not always have exactly the same qualities. Oils of different
expressions will frequently have a greater or lesser propensity to finish, and
must on that account have more or less of the poppy or nutt oils; for if the
drying oil finish reluctantly, there must be added a less or a lesser quantity still,
or none (if necessary) of the nutt or poppy oils, and a small quantity of an
essential oil alded, till it will finish with ease and beauty. The same kind of
leather will also frequently require a different mode of treatment, for if tho
leather be new it will abound more with the natural grease of the animal which
produced it, and will require the oil or oils to be so managed as to absorb or
neutralize the greasy quality, that it may finish without loading the leather and
'making it unpleasant to the wearer; when this is the case, one-fourth part of
essential oil of turpentine must be mixed with the above oil or oils when pre-
pared, and, vico versa, when the leather is old. Yet the two different kinds of
leather will finish with either way of preparing the oil or oils, but the abovo
method I think best; and set it over a gentle fire, and to every gallon of oil or
oils put half a pound of umber or white copperas, sugar of lead, colcother, or any
other proper dryer, or the same proportion of any of them, or all of them, mixed
together, or any other proper proportion, always observing to use a larger pro-
portion than the above when the oil is to be prepared for new leather, and the
above or a lesser proportion when it is to be prepared for old, or without any
of the above ingredients, for it will answer either way, but the first is prefer-
able; let it abide on the fire, and give it as great a degree of heat and as it
can bear, without burning it or causing it to rise, for six or seven hours, and if
it will not dry sufficiently give it the same degree of heat till it does; then tako
it off the fire, and when it is a little cooled it is ready for use to be applied to

page_text: make waterproof leather and other articles, in the manner which will be given
hereafter in No. 3.
Second method. To one gallon of the above prepared oil or oils (which in
this and the following must be used as a menstruum to dissolve and unite
with the articles hereafter specifical), add one pound of gum resin, half a
pound of pitch, quarter of a pound of tar, quarter of a pound of turpentine ;
or, to one gallon of the above prepared oil or oils, add one pound of gum
resin, one pound of pitch, half a pound of tar, half a pound of turpentine;
or, take of the above prepared oil or oils, two pound; tar, half a pound;
resin, half a pound; pitch, half a pound; or, to two pound of the above
prepared oil or oils, add half a pound of tar, half a pound of resin; or, to two
pound of the above prepared oil or oils, add half a pound of pitch, half a pound
of tar; or, to the above prepared oil or oils two pounds, add one pound of tar;
or take equal parts in weight of the above prepared oil or oils, and tar, resin
pitch, and turpentine; or take equal parts in weight of the above prepared oil
or oils and resin; or take equal parts in weight or measure of the above pre-
pared oil or oils, and tar, pitch, and turpentine; or take equal parts in weight
or measure of the above prepared oil or oils, tar, and turpentine; or take equal
parts in weight or measure of the above prepared oil or oils and one-fourth
part in weight of resin; or take the above prepared oil or oils and one-half
part in weight of resin; or take of the above prepared oil or oils, and of the
gums sandarac, mastac, animy, copal, amber, together or separate, according to
the above proportions; or take asphaltum or jews pitch with the above pre-
pared oil or oils, together or separate, agreeable to the above proportions; or
take to one gallon of the above prepared oil or oils equal parts in weight or
measure of resin and pitch; or take to one gallon of the above prepared oil or
oils equal parts in weight or measure of either resin or pitch; or take to one
gallon of the above prepared oil or oils one pound and a half of resin and half
a pound of pitch; or take of the above prepared oil or oils one gallon or eight
pounds and one-sixth part of bees-wax; or take of the above prepared oil or
oils one gallon and one-eighth part of bird lime, or less or more of each,
together or separate, or part or any of them, as they will answer if taken in a
lesser or in a larger proportion (provided the increased quantity does not render
the leather hard or disagreeable, or that a less quantity does not answer the
desired end), but the above proportions I think best. Or take any bituminous,
resinous, glutinous, oleous, or adhesive matters (except the gum commonly
called elastic gum or india-rubber) which will resist acids, alkalies, and water,
and that will unite with drying oils, for such things are proper for making
leather and other articles waterproof, provided, when mixed according to the

page_text: above or any other proportion, they do not render the leather hard, or make it
crack or otherwise disagreeable. Let them be well ncorporated with the oil or
oils, by first heating the whole mass gently, and then increase the fire till the
whole is thoroughly mixed.
Method of use. When the above prepared oil or oils, agreeable to the first
method, or the gum or gums, resins, or bituminous or glutinous matters, agroe-
able to the second method, together or separate, are sufficiently cool, tako a
brush, dip in the above prepared matter or matters, agreeablo to the first or
second method, and rub or brush it into the leather or other articles, or mako
use of any other method which may be found preferable; when the article is
filled with the aforesaid matter or matters, lay it on an even board and scrapo
off what is superfluous with a thin iron tool, then put it to dry in a warm
room, and when sufliciently dry it will be fit for use.
For sole leather and other thick substances, take the sole leather or other
thick substance, let it be gently warmed, and, with a brush or pad made of
wool or hair, or any other proper materials, rub or brush on the leather or sub-
stance the above prepared matter or matters till it is thoroughly suturated, or
without saturating it, or mako uso of any other mode which may be found
preferable (but the above I think best), then let it dry in a warm plate and it
is then ready for use.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Bellamy, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
savan hundead and ninety-fou
Inrolled the same Ninth day of May, in the year abovo written.