IMPROVEMENTS IN DISINFECTING AND PRESERVING HIDES AND SKINS AND THE PREPARATION OF A MATERIAL EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Clayton Mewburn of 169 Fleet Street in the
City of London Patent Agent and Consulting Engineer for an Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN DISINFECTING AND PRESERVING HIDES AND SKINS AND
THE PREPARATION OF A MATERIAL EMPLOYED THEREIN Communicated to
him from abroad by La Société Guillemin et Compagnie of Paris France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Clayton Mewburn at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th July 1882.
"
"
JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of 169 Fleet Street in the City of London Patent
Agent and Consulting Engineer
IMPROVEMENTS IN DISINFECTING AND PRESERVING
HIDES AND SKINS AND THE PREPARATION OF A MATERIAL EMPLOYED THEREIN.
[Communicated to him from abroad by LaSociété Guillem in et Compagnie of
Paris France]
The object of this Invention is the disinfection and preservation of hides and
skins, raw or tanned, of various sorts including guts. The process is based on
the employment of chloride of zinc as a disinfecting product and is characterized
by the use of this product in combination with carbonate of soda and alum.
I will explain first the manner in which I prepare or make the combined
product and then the mode of employing it for disinfecting and preserving hides
and skins.
I can employ the chloride of zinc of commerce but I prefer to employ the product
arising from the treatment of zinc by hydrochloric acid. For this purpose cause
to react in vessels lined with lead 100 Kilogrammes of hydrochloric acid at
20° Baumé on 20 Kilogrammes of zinc; the vessels employed for this operation are
closed and fitted with a pipe by which the gases produced by the operation are
disengaged. The materials should be well mixed or worked up so that the
reaction may be complete and there is obtained in the vessels a liquid formed of
a solution of chloride of zinc and hydrochloric acid. I add to the liquid obtained
2 Kilogrammes of carbonate of soda and 200 grammes of alum; I work up the

page_text: mixture to render it homogeneous and to dissolve the salts. The product obtained
is the compound or material I use for treating the hides and skins.
For this purpose the product which has been obtained at the maximum
concentration is more or less diluted according to the nature of the hides or skins
to be operated on. For thick skins I employ a solution containing 10 per cent of!
the concentrated product; I spread it with a brush or sponge on the skin, preferably
on the flesh side. The liquid penetrates the skin and effects disinfection and
preservation through its whole thickness. This operation replaces with advantage
the ordinary salting operation and with much better effect because the body of the
skin is better penetrated. Further, the skins thus treated are very well prepared 1
for tanning in consequence of the combined action of the chloride of zinc,
the carbonate of soda and the alum. After they have undergone the treatment
above described they are rolled up; then for tanning they are treated in the
ordinary way.
According to the nature and thickness of the skins the solution having chloride of 1
zinc as its base will be varied; it should be less concentrated for the thinner hides
and skins.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Clayton Mewburn in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 30th December 1882.
"
JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of 169 Fleet Street in the City of London, Patent
Agent and Consulting Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN DISINFECTING AND PRESERVING
HIDES AND SKINS AND THE PREPARATION OF A MATERIAL EMPLOYED THEREIN
(A communication to me from abroad by La Société Guillemin et Compagnie of
Paris, France)
The object of this Invention is the disinfection and preservation of hides and
skins raw or tanned of various sorts including guts. The process is based on the
employment of chloride of zinc as a disinfecting product and is characterized by
the use of this product in combination with carbonate of soda and alum.
I will explain first the manner in which I prepare or make the combined
product and then the mode of employing it for disinfecting and preserving hides
and skins.
I can employ the chloride of zinc of commerce, but I prefer to employ the
product arising from the treatment of zinc by hydrochloric acid. For this
purpose
I cause to react in vessels lined with lead about 100 Kilogrammes (say 220 lbs) of
bydrochloric acid at 20 degrees Baumé on 20 Kilogrammes (44 lbs) of zinc; the
vessels employed for this operation are closed and fitted with a pipe by which the
gases produced by the operation are disengaged. The materials should be well mixed
or worked up so that the reaction may be complete and there is obtained in the
vessels a liquid formed of a solution of chloride of zinc and hydrochloric acid. I
add to the liquid obtained about two Kilogrammes (4 lbs) of carbonate of soda
and about 200 grammes (7 oz) of alum; I work up the mixture to render it
homogeneous and to dissolve the salts. The product obtained is the compound or
material I use for treating the hides and skins.
For this purpose the product which has been obtained at the maximum
concentration is more or less diluted according to the nature of the hides or
skins to be operated upon. For thick skins I employ a solution containing 10 per
cent of the concentrated product; I spread it with a brush or sponge on the skin,
preferably on the flesh side. The liquid penetrates the skin and effects disinfection
and preservation through its whole thickness. This operation replaces with
advantage the ordinary salting operation and with much better effect because
the body of the skin is better penetrated. Further, the skins thus treated are
very well prepared for tanning in consequence of the combined action of the
chloride of zinc, the carbonate of soda and the alum. After they have undergone
the treatment above described they are rolled up; then for tanning they are treated
in the ordinary way.
According to the nature and thickness of the skins the solution having chloride
of zinc as its base will be varied; it should be less concentrated for the thinner
bides and skins.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention as communicated to me
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I claim :-
First: The employment of chloride of zinc combined with carbonate of soda and
alum for disinfecting and preserving hides and skins substantially as herein before
described.
Second-Disinfecting and preserving hides and skins by applying to them by
means of a brush or sponge, and preferably on the flesh side, chloride of zinc
combined with carbonate of soda and alum and suitably diluted, substantially as
hereinbefore described.

page_text: Third: The mode or process hereinbefore described of preparing a material for
disinfecting and preserving hides and skins, that is to say, causing hydrochloric
acid to react on zinc and adding to the liquid thereby obtained carbonate of soda
and alum, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof I the said John Clayton Mewburn have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty ninth day of December One thousand eight
hundred and eighty two.