Improvements in the Manufacture of Imitation Whalebone.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 12th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Imitation Whalebone.
I JOSEPH BAIER of No. 51 Brunswick Place Hoxton London N., Tailor do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
My invention consists in the use of sinews, guts and other parts of any animal.
The material to be soaked first in soda & water, afterwards to be passed through
sulphate of iron which has been dissolved in hot water and after this to be soaked
again in methylated spirit and potassium in which saffron has been mixed. Then
the material will be flattened and cut in any size and get dried and finished with
fish oil.
1905
Improvements in the Manufacture of Imitation Whalebone,
I, JOSEPH BAIER formerly of 51 Brunswick Place, Hoxton in the County of
Middlesex, now of 10 Hewitt Street, Curtain Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Tailor do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
Owing to the serious decrease in the number of whales caught yearly and the
consequent increased price of whalebone, numerous imitations and substitutes for
whalebone have during the past few years been introduced into the market. These
imitations have however not proved an efficient substitute for whalebone on account
of their fragility.
This invention relates to the manufacture of an article resembling whalebone in
appearance, and having the same elasticity and strength, but in some ways being
even superior to whalebone inasmuch as the material may be pierced say by a
needle without being split.
This artificial whalebone is prepared from the sinews, muscles, guts and other
parts of animals, but not their skins or hides. These sinews, muscles, guts and
other parts of animals are first thoroughly cleansed from the adhering skins, and
fatty or meaty parts, then soaked in soda, salt or other preserving agent, then
treated with a solution of oxide of zinc, which acts as a deodoriser, and subse-
quently steeped in water for say one or two days. The material is then passed
through a solution of sulphate of iron, say 1 lb. of sulphate of iron to a ton of
the material to be treated, and subsequently immersed preferably for a day or more
in a suitable mixture composed say of half a pound of carbonate of potash, five
gallons of spirit of wine, and ten ounces of saffron, to half a ton of the material,
but other suitable chemicals which will give the necessary elasticity may be
substituted it desired. After the material has been sufficiently soaked, it may be
dried in suitable frames for instance between perforated metal plates at ณ
temperature preferably not exceeding 90° F. and when dried may be cut into the
pieces or lengths required by corset makers, tailors, and other trades using
whalebone.

page_text: If it is desired to give the material a greater elasticity it may be immersed in
oil, linseed or poppy oil for example, at a temperature of say 90° to 100° F. for
forty-eight hours. I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the
materials, proportions, or periods, mentioned as obviously modifications may be
made to suit requirements without departing from the spirit of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A substitute for whalebone prepared from the sinews muscles guts and other
parts of animals.
2. A substitute for whalebone prepared by passing the sinews muscles guts and
other parts of animals suitably cleansed through a solution of sulphate of iron and
then soaking in a mixture of carbonate of potash spirit of wine and saffron
and subsequently drying substantially as specified.
3. Rendering the material described in Claim 1 more elastic by immersion in oil
substantially as specified.
Dated this 5th day of March 1896
JOSEPH BAIER.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.