A NEW METHOD OF PRODUCING PATTERNS ON CLOTH PREVIOUSLY DYED TURKEY-RED, AND MADE OF COTTON OR LINEN, OR BOTH
Year: 1813

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
THOMSON, of Primrose Hill, near Clithero, in the County of Lancaster,
Calico Printer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kindgom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Third day of March,
in the fifty-third year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said James
Thomson, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, His especial licence, full power,
sole privilege and authority, that 1, the said James Thomson, my exors,
adiiors, and assigns, and every of them, by myself and themselves, or by my
and their deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such others as I, the said
James Thomson, my exors, adññiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise
and vend, within that part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland called England, the Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, a certain Invention, made in France or in some other foreign country,
out of His said Majesty's Dominions, of "A NEW METHOD OF PRODUCING
PATTERNS ON CLOTH PREVIOUSLY DYED TURKEY-RED, AND MADE OF COTTON OR LINEN,
OR BOTH;" in which Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me,
the said James Thomson, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and to cause the same to

page_text: be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, as
in and by the said Letters Patent, relation being thereunto had, may more
fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in pursuance of and in compliance with the said
recited proviso, I, the said James Thomson, do hereby declare that the
nature of the said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be
performed, is as herein-after mentioned.
First, mix or combine with the acid called oximuriatic acid (or deplogisti-
cated acid of sea salt) and water, some of the alkaline salts or carths hercin-after
named, which shall weaken or suspend the power of the said acid in such
proportion that it shall not in such mixed or combined state of itself, and
without any further operation, be able to remove the Turkey-red colour from
the cloth, or materially to impair it within the moderate space of time taken
up in the performance of the process herein-after described.
Secondly, print, stamp, pencil, or otherwise apply to those parts of the said
cloth, which are intended to be either wholly or in a greater or less degree
deprived of their red color, some other acid or metallic oxide or calx which
has a greater affinity or attraction for the alkaline salt or carth with which the
oximuriatic acid is mixed or combined than that acid itself possesses; and
if any one of the stronger or more powerful acids be employed which is either
of a corrosive nature and cannot be safely used, or of a volatile nature and
cannot be used conveniently, such acid must be combined with alkalies, earths,
metals, or metallic oxides. or calces so as to form neutral salts, acid salts, or
metallic salts, which shall not be too corrosive or too volatile; and such
alkalies, earths, metals, or metallic oxides or calces only must be employed
as have a weaker affinity or attraction for the same acid than that acid has
for the alkaline salt or earth with which the oximuriatic acid has been mixed
or combined.
Thirdly, after the said acids, oxides, neutral salts, acid salts, or metallic salts,
so directed to be printed, stamped, pencilled, or otherwise applied to the cloth
as aforesaid, have been so printed, stamped, pencilled, or otherwise applied to
the cloth, as aforesaid, and are sufliciently dry, immerse the cloth in the solution
of the said oximuriatic acid so mixed or combined. with some of the alkaline
salts or earths herein-after named, as aforesaid, when the acid or oxide,
which either in its simple or combined state has been applied to parts of the
cloth, immediately seizes upon and unites with the alkaline salt or earth with
which the oximuriatic acid has been mixed or combined, and disengages that
acid, which almost instantaneously deprives of their color those parts of the

page_text: cloth to which the said acids or oxides, which in their simple or combined
state have been so printed, stamped, pencilled, or otherwise applied, as afore-
said, have been so applied.
Lastly, wash or otherwise remove all the said acids, oxides, or salts, by the
usual processes.
For the more fully explaining and illustrating the Invention herein-before
described, I add the following remarks:-The alkaline salts or earths which I
mix or combine with the oximuriatic acid, in order to suspend or prevent its
action on those parts of the red cloth which are intended to retain their color
are, the alkaline salts of potash and soda, or the calcareous, magnesian, barytic,
or strontitic carths, of which I prefer the calcareous earth. The acids which
I apply to the parts intended to be made white, or to those places on the cloth
intended to be deprived of their red color.in a greater or less degree, aro any
of the vegetable, mineral, or animal acids which have a stronger attraction
for the alkaline salt or earth with which the oximuriatic acid has been mixed or
combined than that acid itself has. Such, for instance, are the citric, oxalic,
tartaric, antic, malic, benzoic, sulphuric, sulphurous, phosphoric, fluoric,
boracic, nitric, muriatic, arsenic, tungstic, succinic, and carbonic acids. The
stronger acids, or such as might corrode the cloth, I saturate more or less
with some alkaline salt, earth, or metallic oxide or calx for which they have
a weaker affinity or attraction than they have for the alkali or earth with
which I have combined the oximuriatic acid. For instance, I unite the
sulphuric acid with potash, so as to form the acid sulphate of potash (or acid
vitriolated tartar), or with aluminous earth, to form alum. The muriatic acid
I combine with tin, or copper, .or zinc, forming muriate of tin, muriate of
copper, or muriate of zinc. In like manner the nitric acid may be combined
with the aluminous earth, or with the volatile alkali, or with the metals or oxides
of copper, or zinc, or iron, or mercury; and I take care, when I use acidulous
compounds of such corrosive acids, not to suffer the acid so far to predominate
as to render the compound injurious. In like manner I combine the volatile
acids, or such as might evaporate too speedily, with some alkaline salt, or earth,
or metallic oxide or calx for which they have a weaker affinity or attraction.than
they have for the alkali or.earth with which I have combined the oximuriatic
acid. For instance, I combine the acetic acid with the earth of alum, so as to
form acetate of alumine, or with copper, forming acetate of copper, or with
zinc, forming acetate of zinc. The carbonic acid may also be fixed and
combined with an alkali, as with soda, for example, forming carbonate of soda,
which may be used, though with less advantage, than the preceeding com-
binations. Those acids which are not corrosive nor volatile, and which con-

page_text: sequently are used with most advantage in their simple or uncombined state,
may, however, be united, like the preceding, to the alkalis, earths, metals, or
metallic oxides or calces for which they have a weaker affinity or attraction
than they have for the alkali or earth with the oximuriatic acid has been
united. Thus the tartaric acid may be combined with potash to form cream of
tartar, and the oxalic acid with potash to form salt of sorrel, and these two
salts may be employed in the process, though it is not necessary so to combine
the two acids, but on the contrary, the acids may be used alone. The com-
binations which I prefer as uniting the greatest number of advantages upon.
the whole are the supersulphat of potash (or acid vitriolated..tartar), the
sulphat of copper or blue vitriol, the muriat of tin, or sal-jovis, the nitrat of
copper, and the muriat of copper; but I prefer to any single combination.
a mixture of the supersulphat of potash with the tartaric or citric acids.
Lastly, I employ, uncombined, such metallic oxides or calces as approach in
their properties to the nature of acids, and are capable of combining either
with the alkaline salts of potash or soda, or. with the calcareous, magnesian,.
or strontitic.earths, or of disengaging them, or any of them, from their com-
bination with oximuriatic acid. Such, for instance, is the oxide of arsenic or
common white arsenic, and the oxides of tin and tungsten. It is evident,
from what I have set forth in the preceding part of this Spécification; that
this process admits of great variety in its application, according to the com-
binations I make use of, since not only the various acids, oxides, and salts-
I. have enumerated may be employed, but also various mixtures of them,
and in various proportions. But I prefer and generally use the following
process:-
First, I take one gallon of good vinegar, or rectified pyroligneous acid,
which I thicken with 'starch or flour in the way practised by calico printers
in preparing their mordants or colors for printing. Whilst boiling hot, I add
to it five pounds of crystalized tartaric acid, and incorporate the whole very-well
by stirring; or I take one gallon of strong concentrated lime juice or lemon
juice, or one gallon of water in which I have dissolved two pounds and, a
half of crystalized citric acid, which I thicken with starch or flour in the-
manner directed above; and to which, whilst hot, I add two pounds of super-
sulphat of potash, and incorporate the whole very well by stirring. I prefer
starch to any other thickening, though others may be used with more or less
advantage.
Secondly, the paste so prepared, I print; stamp, pencil or otherwise apply
to the cloth previously dyed Turkey-red, in the mode and with the precautions
generally used in the printing or stamping of linens or cottons.....

page_text: Thirdly, I prepare a solution of oximuriate of lime either by dissolving.
the dry oximuriate of lime (commonly called bleaching powder or bleaching
salts) in water, or by passing the oximuriatic acid gas into a vat, vessel, or
cistern, in which, by agitation or otherwise, I keep.suspended such. quantity of
quicklime as will more than saturate fully and compleatly the said oximuriatic
acid gas. In either way I obtain a solution of oximuriate of lime with excess
of lime. That which I use and prefer is of the specific gravity 1050, and I
seldom employ it lower than 1030 (water being considered. as 1000). The
vat, vessel, or cistern which contains the solution of oximuriate of lime in
which I immerse the cloths may be of any size or form best adapted to the
purpose or situation. I use and prefer vessels of stone of from six to eight
feet deep, six to seven feet long, and three and a half to four feet broad,.
but larger or smaller vessels will answer very well..
:
Fourthly, when the cloths are ready for immersion, which they are as soon
as the paste is dry, I hook them on a frame such as is used in drying indigo
or China blues, commonly called a dipping frame, on which the cloth should
be so disposed that no two folds can touch each other. I then plunge the
frame with the cloth so attached into the vat containing the solution of
oximuriate of lime, and keep it gently in motion during the time of the
immersion, which should not be prolonged more than ten minutes, and which
rarely need exceed five minutes, the object being either wholly or partially to
remove the Turkey-red dye from certain parts or places. As soon as that is done
the cloth should be withdrawn from the solution of the oximuriate of lime, and
plunged or rinsed in clean water. I practise and approve the aforesaid plan
of immersion, but any other plan or plans by which the cloth can be exposed a
greater or less time to the action of the oximuriate of lime, without bringing
one part of the said cloth into contact with another, will answer very well.
Lastly, after having, as before directed, rinsed or washed the cloths in clean
water, I free. them from all remains of the different agents or substances
employed, by the ordinary means of washing, branning, or soaping, as practised
by calico printers; and if those parts of the cloth that are intended. to be
made white should still retain any red or other tinge or stain injurious to the
effect, in order to render the white complete I clear it by the usual process of
exposure to the air, or by passing the cloth through hot water, to which I
have added as much of the solution of oxinuriate of lime as will remove
the said stains or tinge, without inaterial injury to those parts from which the
red dye is not intended to be removed.
I then proceed, if other colors are to be applied, to finish the cloths by the
ordinary and well-known methods of calico printers; but these not being

page_text: necessarily connected with nor forming any part of the peculiar process or Inven-
tion herein intended to be described, I purposely make no mention of here.
The above particulars and examples are given for the more full explanation
of the said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed;
but the Invention whereof I claim the sole and exclusive use consists in
printing, stamping, pencilling, or otherwise applying to those parts of the
cloth which are intended to be either wholly or in a greater or less degree
deprived of their red color an acid, oxide, neutral salt, acid salt, or metallic
salt, such as is herein-before for that purpose directed, and immersing the
whole cloth in such mixture or combination of oximuriatic acid and water
with some of the alkaline salts or earths as is herein-before directed for that
purpose.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Thomson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirteen.
Inrolled the Third day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and thirteen.