IMPROVEMENTS IN TANNING HIDES AND SKINS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Evariste Chamonin Boët, of Lille, Department du
Nord, in the Empire of France, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TANNING HIDES AND SKINS." -A communication from Jean Baptiste
Vanrymonant, residing at Bruxelles, in the Kingdom of Belgium.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Evariste Chamonin Boët
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th May 1863.
I, EVARISTE CHAMONIN BOET, of Lille, Department du Nord, in the Empire
of France, do hereby declaro the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN TANNING HIDES AND SKINS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in tanning hides and skins,
and is applicable more particularly to the tanning of hides and skins with the
hair or wool upon them, but the improvements may be employed in tanning
hides and skins from which the hair or wool has been removed to solidify and
render them flexible and applicable for making shoes and boots and for other
uses. The process consists in dissolving in water one or several of the
following substances. These matters are,―
1st, tan.
2nd, catechu.
3rd, sumac.
4th, devi devi.
3th, fennel.
6th, common salt.

page_text: These matters are put into water and boiled gradually until the solution bas
attained a sufficient degree of sapidity; the solution is allowed to settle, and
drawn off clear for use. This process will not injure the hair or wool on the
hide or skin, whilst it renders the hide or skin supple and impermeable; the
process is also more rapid than those heretofore employed. These matters 5
may be employed about in the following proportions:-
80 parts tan.
catechu.
25
"
10
sumac.
"
5
devi devi.
"
10
fennel.
"
5
salt.
33
water.
1
500
"
A part only of these substances may be employed, the quantities of those
retained being then increased; for example, I in some cases employ about, 1
75 parts tan.
75
5
catechu.
"
"
salt.
500
water.
33
Skins are usually left in the solution from 25 to 40 days according to their 20
size. Hides require from 3 to 6 months, the time varying with the weight
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Evariste Chamonin Boct in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th November 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EVARISTE
CHAMONIN-BOËT, of Lille, Department du Nord, in the Empire of France,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by ler Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Iler reign,
did, for IIerself, ller heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Evariste Chamonin-Boët, 1er special licence that I, the said Evariste.
Chamonin Boët, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Evariste Chamonin-Boët, iny executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times

page_text: 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN TANNING HIDES AND SKINS," a communication from Jean Baptiste
Vanrymenant, a person resident at Bruxelles, in the Kingdom of Belgium,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Evariste Chamonin-
Boët, 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 Evariste Chamonin-Boët, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
By the use of this Invention any hides or skins can be tanned although
they have not been previously deprived of their hair or wool which will be
preserved, they are also rendered altogether tougher, supple, and waterproof.
Skins thus prepared are fit for many uses, either for coverings for the feet,
carpetings, knapsacks, and other similar objects. Further, the skins aro
thoroughly penetrated by the tannin in a shorter time than by the usual process,
requiring only from thirty to ninety days, according to the size of the skins
operated upon. The substances which I make use of are the following:-
Tan or oak bark, cashoo or catechu, sumach, a plant known in commerce as
"divi divi," fennel, and common salt.
I take the said substances in the following proportions, which after repeated
trials I deem the best, namely, 7lbs. cashoo or catechu, 2lbs. "divi divi,"
2lbs. sumach, 5lbs. oak bark (tan), 2lbs. fennel, and 2lbs. common salt; =
total 20lbs. The whole is put together in a suitable pan with 20 gallons of
water, and boiled during one hour; the half of this decoction is then poured
out into a large wooden tub, and mixed with the same quantity of water, and
the skins or hides which are to be tanned are put into this liquid, and there
left soaking for about ten days, care being taken to turn them from time to
time. After this first soaking the skins are carried to another similar large
tub containing the second half of the decoction above described, but to which
no water has been added, the first soaking being therefore weaker than the
second
The skins are left in this second liquid for about fifteen days, and
during this last soaking they must be turned several times. When the skins

page_text: or hides have been thoroughly penetrated by the tanning liquid they are taken
out and washed several times in clean water until the hair or wool is well
cleansed. By this process the hair or wool is perfectly preserved on the skin
(no lime being used as in the usual tanning process), and the skin becomes
supple and pliable although tough, and also waterproof. This process may be
applied likewise to skins without hair, which are thoroughly tanned in a much
shorter time than usual, for example, common calf skins can be tanned in less
than thirty days. The same result can be obtained even if one or two of the
above-named substances are not added in the mixture, but then the quantities
of the other substances should be increased so as to have at all times a total
of 20lbs. of tanning substances to 20 gallons of water.
The nature of the said Invention being now described, and the manner in
which the same is put into operation, I will set out my claims, which are as
follows:-
Firstly, I claim an accelerated way of tanning hides and skins without
depriving them of their hair or wool by leaving them soaking during a longer
or shorter time in a decoction of the several substances above named added in
various proportions to the tan or oak bark, as herein-before described.
Secondly, I claim effecting the same operation with a decoction into which
one or two of the said substances may not have been added, but then increasing a
the quantity of the other tanning substances so as to have the same quantity
in weight to boil in the water, namely, 1lb. per gallon.
Thirdly, I claim applying the same process to tanning skins deprived of
their hair or wool to produce in either case supple, pliable, tough, and water-
proof leather or skins.
In witness whereof, I, the said Evariste Chamonin-Boöt, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of October, in the the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
g
ETE. CHAMONIN BOET. (L.S.)