IMPROVEMENTS IN UN- HAIRING AND TANNING SKINS
Year: 1851

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
LAYCOCK, late of Albany, in the State of New York, in the United States of
America, Dyer, but now of Doncaster, in the County of York, in that part of
the United Kingdom called England, Tanner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the First day of
December, in the fifteenth year of Her said Majesty's reign, did give and
grant unto me, the said George Laycock, my exors, adññors, and assigns, and
such others as I, the said George Laycock, my exors, adñors, and 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 mentioned, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within that part of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, Her Dominion
of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in the Islands of
Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and in all Her said Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN UN-
HAIRING AND TANNING SKINS ;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a
proviso, requiring that I, the said George Laycock, shall particularly 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, to
be enrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited
I

page_text: Letters Patent, as, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
George Laycock, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by this present instrument in writing as follows,
that is to say :-
My said Invention consists of "improvements in unhairing and tanning
skins."
First, as to the unhairing hides or skins.-I first soak the skins in water and
break up and unflesh them well, as at present practised. I then take six pounds of
soda-ash, pearl-ash, potash, or any other strong alkali, and six pounds of un-
slacked lime, and boil them together for the space of half an hour in six gallons
of cold water. To this mixture of caustic soda I add additional water until the
strength of the liquid rises to fourteen degrees of No. 1, Tweddle's alkali
hydrometer. In this solution of caustic soda I immerse the skins and handle
them well at first so as to give an equal chance to every part, and I allow
them to remain in the liquid until the hair starts easy in every part. After
removing the hair with knives as at present practised by tanners, I work the
skins well out in clear water in the usual manner.
Secondly, as to sheep skins.-To get the wool off sheep skins I dip a brush
(similar to a brush used in white-washing walls) into the solution of caustic
soda made as above-mentioned, and apply some of the solution to the flesh side
of the skin, and in about two hours the wool can be removed by the means I
have previously described; by this process (instead of the old system of limes
as it is commonly known and called in the trade) several days can be saved.
Thirdly, as to the bait.-The bait I make as follows:-Instead of hen and
pigeon dung, I take a mixture of water and sulphuric acid of a perceptibly sour
taste. Into this mixture I put the skins, and they will run down in from one
to two hours, but if they do not run down sufficiently fast I add a small
additional quantity of sulphuric acid, and work the skins well out in clean water.
I then kill the acid with a little old human urine and water, and I then work
the skins well out in the manner in which skins are worked out by the trade
at present.
Fourthly, as to tanning.-My improvement in tanning I perform as follows:-
For one hundred calf skins I take one hundred pounds of sumac, fifty pounds
of terra japonica, twelve pounds and half a pound of sulphate of potash,
and twelve pounds and half a pound of alum. I boil all the ingredients
together for half an hour with water enough to cover the skins, and I steep

page_text: forty pounds of oak bark in water, which latter mixture I add to the mixture
I have above described, and after stirring the whole well together I immerse
the skins in the mixture thus formed and handle them well at first, and at least
twice in each day until they are tanned, which they will be in from six to eight
days. The mixture which I have thus described will be sufficient for about
twenty skins of oxen, cows or horses, and for about one hundred skins of sheep
and other animals.
Fifthly, as to the grain.-The grain (must be set in the first instance in
weak liquor made in the manner lastly herein-before described.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that I claim as my Invention
the unhairing and tanning skins and bides in the manner herein-beforo
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Laycock, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.
Signed, sealed, and delivered (being
first duly stamped) by the within-
named George Laycock, in the pre-
sence of
GEORGE (L.S.) LAYCOCK.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eleventh day of February, in
the year of our Lord 1852, the aforesaid George Laycock came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twelfth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.