IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN MORDANTS USED IN PREPARING WOVEN OR TEXTILE FABRICS FOR PRINTING, STAINING, OR DYEING THEM, AND IN THE MODE OR METHOD OF USING THE SAME OR OTHER MORDANTS FOR THE SAID PURPOSES
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Higgin, of Manchester, in the County.
of Lancaster,: Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN MORDANTS USED IN
PREPARING WOVEN OR TEXTILE FABRICS FOR PRINTING, STAINING, OR
DYEING THEM, AND IN THE MODE OR METHOD OF USING THE SAME OR
OTHER MORDANTS FOR THE SAID PURPOSES "
Sealed the 16th February 1853, and dated the 24th November 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Higgin at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 24th November 1852..
I, JAMES HIGGIN, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN MORDANTS
USED IN PREPARING WOVEN OR TEXTILE FABRICS FOR PRINTING, STAINING, OR
DYEING THEM, AND IN THE MODE OR METHOD OF USING THE SAME OR OTHER
MORDANTS FOR THE SAID PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of making or manufacturing a compound
-salt, containing alumina, oxide or oxides of tin, and soda, potash, or
ammonia, which I accomplish, firstly, by making a solution of
oxide of tin in alkali, and, secondly, by making a solution
of alumina in alkali, and mixing the two liquids together in

page_text: proportions suitable for printing purposes; such proportions to be
regulated according to the style of coloring required, which I use
either at once in liquid, or I boil down and dry the liquid to forin
a compound salt to be dissolved as wanted. To use the above
liquid or solution of the dry salt, I steep the goods in the liquid by the
ordinary process or operation of padding; then steep or rinse them in
dilute sulphuric acid, whereby a compound of alumina and oxide of
tin are fixed upon the cloth. In some cases, however, I prefer to
produce the compound of alumina and oxide of tin upon the cloth
by a different process. I pad the cloth or goods in a solution
of oxide of. tin in alkali, known as stannate of an alkali, and rinse
or pad in a solution of any alumina salt; or I, firstly, pad in
a solution of any alumina salt, and, secondly, pad in a solution of
stannate of an alkali. By either or any of the above processes I
produce a compound of alumina and oxide of tin; or I manufacture
a salt for the same purposes, by mixing salts of alumina and acid
salts of tin, such as sulphates or chlorides of tin or other acids
salts of 'tin, the mordants being thus a double salt of tin and alumina
not having as component parts. And I sometimes produce the
compound of alumina and oxide of tin by padding in the last
named solution and rinsing or padding in an alkali. I desire to be
distinctly understood that this is merely an outline sketch of my
Invention, which I will more fully explain in my Complete Speci-
fication.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said James Higgin in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th May. 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JAMES HIGGIN, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Manufac-
turing Chemist; send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria; by. Her
Royal Letters Patent bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of No-
•vember, in the sixteenth year of Her reign, and in the year of our

page_text: Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, did, for Herself,
Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said James
Higgin, Her especial license that I, the said James Higgin, my
executors, administrators, or assigns, or such others as I, the
said James Higgin, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times 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, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF CERTAIN MORDANTS USED IN PREPARING WOVEN OR TEXTILE FABRICS
FOR PRINTING, STAINING, OR DYEING THEM, AND IN THE MODE OR METHOD OF
USING THE SAME OR OTHER MORDANTS FOR THE SAID PURPOSES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Higgin,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particu-
larly describe and ascertain the nature of my 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 iminediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Higgin, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement (that is to say):
My Improvement consists in the manufacture of a compound
mordant containing oxide or oxides of tin and alumina combined with
an alkali, so as to form a solution containing stannite or stannate
and aluminate of the alkali employed. The alkali which I prefer is
soda; and although I do not intend to confine myself to it, I shall,
for the purpose of this my Specification, speak of it only. To form one
of my compound mordants, which I call alumino-stannate of soda, I
precipitate perchloride of tin by caustic soda, and redissolve the oxide
in more of the alkali, whereby stannate of soda is obtained; and if I
wish to have stannite of soda also in solution, I mix a little protochlo-
ride of tin with the perchloride before precipitation. To this solution
I now add aluminate of soda, which may be made as follows: -I

page_text: a convenient vessel I put alum, which may be in such proportion
that for every fourteen pounds of metallic tin in the stannate
solution there shall be one pound of alumina or oxide of aluminium;
to this I add caustic soda gradually, till all the alumina which was
at first precipitated has been redissolved; I then mix this with the
stannate solution, and the mixture is ready for use; or, if a dry form
be preferred, the solution may be boiled down to a state of dry powder
which will require only to be redissolved in water. In using this
mordant I dilute it to about twelve degrees Twaddell, and pad the
goods in the solution, as is well understood by calico printers; the
cloth is then soured with dilute sulphuric acid, as is at present prac-
tised with stannate of soda; by this means a compound of alumina
and oxide of tin is fixed on the cloth, which, after washing and
drying, is ready for printing upon. In some cases it may be con-
venient to pad the goods in stannate of soda, as at present, and,
instead of sulphuric acid, to use dilute solution of an aluminous salt;
or to put a portion of an aluminous salt into the sulphuric sours; or
the goods may be padded in alum solution first and afterwards in
stannate of soda, souring or not, as may be requisite. By any of these
means a compound of alumina and oxide of tin will be fixed in
the cloth; but I prefer to use the alumino-stannate of soda, as before
described. I also make an acid compound of alumina and oxide of
tin, by adding to any of the chlorides of tin chloride of aluminium,
made by precipitating the earth of alum with an alkali,. and, after
washing the precipitate, redissolving it in strong muriatic acid,
using about the same proportions between the tin and the alumina
as before stated. Having thus described the method of manufac
turing my compound mordants, I desire it to be distinctly under-
stood, that I do not claim any particular method of making stannate
of soda or aluminate of soda, such having been used previously,
though not in conjunction, as herein set forth; neither do I confine
myself to the exact proportions herein described, as such may be
varied or modified without departing from the principle of my Inven-
tion; but I claim as new, and which, to the best of my knowledge and
belief, has not been hitherto used within this realm, firstly, the manu-

page_text: facturing alumino-stannates of an alkali to be applied to the ordinary
purposes for which the stannates of soda are employed; secondly, the
manufacturing compound acid mordants containing a salt or salts of
alumina and a salt or salts of tin in combination, to be used as the
chlorides of tin are used in the arts of dyeing and calico printing;
thirdly, the fixing any compound of alumina and oxide or oxides of
tin on the fabric by padding or immersion previously to printing
or dyeing.
facturing alumino-stannates of an alkali to be applied to the ordinary
purposes for which the stannates of soda are employed; secondly, the
manufacturing compound acid mordants containing a salt or salts of
alumina and a salt or salts of tin in combination, to be used as the
chlorides of tin are used in the arts of dyeing and calico printing;
thirdly, the fixing any compound of alumina and oxide or oxides of
tin on the fabric by padding or immersion previously to printing
or dyeing.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Higgin, have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Twenty-third day of May, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Higgin, have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Twenty-third day of May, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
JAMES HIGGIN. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent, Manchester.