Year: 1776

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
KER, JOHN CHAPMAN, and THOMAS IRELAND, all of Liverpoole, in the County
of Lancaster, Iron Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty hath been graciously pleased, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Thirty-first day of October last past, to grant unto us, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, especial licence, full power, sole privi-
ledge and authority, that we, our executors, adñiors, and assigns, and every of
them, by ourselves and themselves, or by us, our or their deputy or deputys,
servants or agents, or such others as we, our executors, admors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no other, from time to time and at all
times thereafter, during the term of years therein and herein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend our Invention therein
mentioned within that part of His Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain called
England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in
such manner as to us, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or any of
them, should in their discretions seem meet, and that we, our executors,

page_text: administrators, and assigns, should and lawfully might have and enjoy the
whole profit, benefit, commodity, and advantage from time to time coming,
growing, accruing, and arising by reason of the said Invention, for and during
the term of years therein and herein-after mentioned; to have and to hold,
exercise, and enjoy the said licence, powers, priviledges, and advantages therein-
before granted or mentioned unto us, our executors, adiñors, and assigns, for
and during and unto the full end and term of fourteen years from the date of
these Presents next and immediately ensuing, and fully to be compleat and
ended according to the Statute in such case made and provided, with a
provisoe therein contained that if we, the said William Ker, John Chapman,
and Thomas Ireland, should not particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an
instrument in writing under our hands and seals, and cause the same to be
inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within four calender months
next and immediately after the date of these Letters Patent, that then these
Letters Patent, and all libertys .and advantages whatsoever thereby granted,
should utterly cease, determine, and become void, anything therein-before
contained to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding, as in and by the
said Letters Patent, relation being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that we, the said
William Ker, John Chapman, and Thomas Ireland, in obedience to the said
Letters Patent, and the said provisoe therein contained, by this Instrument in
writing, under our hands and seals, to be inrolled in the said High Court of
Chancery, do hereby particularly describe and ascertain the nature of our
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, in manner
following (that is to say):-
By putting the iron intended to be hardened into a cementing furnace, the
figure and size of which is to be varied according to the quantity of iron to be
purified and hardened. The ingredients to be used for such purpose are wood,
charcoal, and vegitable salts and oils, in various proportions, according as the
iron is more or less impregnated with crude sulpher, and also according to the
flexibility and hardness it is intended to be brought to; the same are mixed
with the iron, and inclosed in the furnace, so as that no air can penetrate it or
vapour exude from it. The necessary heat and time of fermentation varys
according to the nature of the iron made use of, and the different proportions

page_text: ingredients, which therefore cannot be expressed, but must be left to the
igment of the operator.
In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Nineteenth day of February, in the seventeenth year of the reign of His
present Majesty King George the Third, by the grace of God of Great
Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, and so
forth, and in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and
seventy-seven.
Inrolled the Twenty-fifth day of February, in the seventeenth year of the
reign of King George the Third.