IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRE- PARATION OF HIDES OR SKINS, ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE PREPARATION OF THE ENTRAILS OF ANIMALS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Frederick Claus, of Latchford, in the County
of Chester, Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRE-
PARATION OF HIDES OR SKINS, ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE PREPARATION OF THE
ENTRAILS OF ANIMALS."
Sealed the 15th July 1856, and dated the 30th January 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Frederick Claus,
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th January 1856.
I, CHARLES FREDERICK CLAUS, of Latchford, in the County of Chester,
Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVE:
MENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF HIDES OR SKINS, ALSO
APPLICABLE TO THE
PREPARATION OF THE ENTRAILS OF ANIMALS, to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in steeping or immersing the hides, skins, or
the entrails of animals in a bath of glycerine; or any diluted solution
thereof. The hides or skins, and any suitable portion of the entrails
required, may be placed in a trough or pit containing the glycerine for
a sufficient length of time necessary.for their impregnation or saturation,
after which they may be removed and hung up to dry in any convenient
Should the substances as above treated be afterwards required
for exposure to water or moisture, they may be coated with any suitable
waterproofing material.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters l'atent, filed
by the said Charles Frederick Claus in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 29th July 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
FREDERICK CLAUS, of Latchford, in the County of Chester, Chemist,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year
of Her reign, did, for Herseif, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Charles Frederick Claus, Her especial licence that I,
the said Charles Frederick Claus, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Frederick Claus, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times 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 IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PREPARATION OF HIDES OR SKINS, ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE PREPARATION OF THE
ENTRAILS OF ANIMALS, upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the
said Charles Frederick Claus, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, 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 Charles Frederick Claus, 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 Invention consists in steeping or immersing the hides, skins, or
entrails of animals in a bath of glycerine, or any diluted solution thereof.
The process I have found to answer is as follows:-The hides or skins
being previously unhaired, cleaned, and fleshed in the ordinary manner;
as adopted for tanning, are placed into a vessel or cistern containing a
suitable quantity of glycerine, or a diluted solution thereof, required for
their immersion, in which they are allowed to remain a sufficient length
of time necessary to become perfectly impregnated or saturated, the

page_text: time required for this purpose varying from one to four days, according
to the thickness of the hides or skins. After being so treated, they are
each placed in a convenient position to allow the superfluous glycerine
to be scraped off in order to avoid waste; such being accomplished, the
hides or skins are then placed or hung up in a heated shed or room, or
any other convenient situation, for a sufficient length of time for the
same to become perfectly dried and suitable for use. Instead of treat-
ing the hides or skins in their green state, as above mentioned, the same
may be first partially tanned in the ordinary manner until such tannage
has penetrated one-eighth or so their thickness, the degree of tannage
depending upon the quality of the material to be produced; after which
they may be placed in the bath of glycerine, as before mentioned, and
dried in the manner set forth above. The material produced by the pro-
cess and treatment as above described may be used as a substitute for
various purposes, for which leather gutta percha, and other similar sub-
stances have hitherto been employed, such, for instance, as driving
bands, straps, cords, or ropes, and other such articles; and should the
material, prepared as above described, be exposed to moisture or the
action of water, a coating of any waterproofing substance may be used
to prevent the same penetrating. If it be desirable, the glycerine may
be extracted again by water from the materials after the same have been
used, as above set forth, and the residue boiled into glue or size. When
the hides or skins of animals are to be stuffed, or preserved for
ornamental purposes, they should be freed or cleaned from all super-
fluous flesh &c. The flesh side being turned out, they are then placed
into the bath of glycerine the required length of time for to become
impregnated or softened; this being accomplished, they are taken out
and superficially cleaned and washed with water to prevent the glycerine
adhering, after which they are dried, as above described. And if it be
desirable, a small quantity of alum, or a mixture of alum and salt, or
arsenous acid, may be added to the bath of glycerine when the hides or
skins are to be used, as above stated. The entrails of animals may also
be treated in the manner described above with reference to hides or
skins. If the hides or skins are to be tanned and are unhaired with
lime, or similar earthly or mineral substances injurious to leather, the
flexibility and softness of which is lost thereby, the same may be restored
by placing them in a bath of glycerine, as above described, after which
the glycerine may be partially scraped or rubbed off, and the hides or
skins placed in a vessel containing water for a sufficient time for them

page_text: to be washed. I would remark, that the lime, &c. held in solution by
the glycerine may be precipitated by oxalic acid or by diluted sulphuric
acid; such being accomplished, the glycerine may be used again, as
above described.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be
understood that I claim, as secured to me under the above in part
recited Letters Patent, steeping or immersing hides, skins, or the
entrails of animals in a bath of glycerine, or any diluted solution thereof,
for the purposes described and set forth above.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Frederick Claus, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of July, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
CHARLES FREDERICK CLAUS. (L.S.)