IMPROVEMENTS IN DYEING AND PRINTING, WITH CERTAIN DERIVATIVES OF ANILINE AND OTHER SIMILAR COLORING MATTERS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS
IN DYEING AND PRINTING, WITH CERTAIN DERIVATIVES OF ANILINE AND
OTHER SIMILAR COLORING MATTERS." A communication from abroad by
Charles Collin and Henri Lenicque, both of Paris, France.
Sealed the 13th February 1880, and dated the 27th August 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th August 1879.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent.. "IMPROVEMENTS IN DYEING AND PRINTING WITH
CERTAIN DERIVATIVES OF ANILINE AND OTHER SIMILAR COLORING MATTERS." [A
communication from abroad by Charles Collin and Henri Lenicque, both of Paris,
France.]
This Invention relates to improvements on the process for dyeing and printing
with certain aniline products distinguished as "sulpho-conjugated" derivatives of
aniline and other similar coloring matters, for which Letters Patent were granted
to me dated February 14th, 1878, No. 630.
It has been noticed in practice that the dyeing of fine wools requires a longer
time and necessitates a greater expenditure of coloring matter, and the cause has
been found in the gradual re-oxidation of the reduced coloring matter, which
consequently returns to its former insoluble condition, and a loss of coloring matter
therefore ensues. To remedy this objection it is proposed to add de-oxidising matters
to the vat in order to maintain it in its deoxidised condition throughout the whole
duration of the operation. All the reducing salts give this result, and it has been
ascertained that a reduced vat with the addition, for example, of an alkaline,
bisulphite, or hydrosulphite, or proto-sulphate of iron, &c., will be maintained
during 12 hours in a perfectly reduced condition. It has also been found by
experiment that the "yolk" or yolk water of raw wool produces the same effect
as the deoxidising agents above mentioned, for when added to the vat the yolk has
been found to maintain it in a perfectly reduced condition during 12 hours, and has
thus enabled the maximum of coloring matter absorbable by the wool to be taken
up. This newly discovered property of the yolk when added to the dye vat enables
one to dye not only wool free from grease, but also greasy wool from which the
yolk has been removed, or even raw wool as it comes from the fleece. Moreover
Price &d

page_text: the yoke has the property not only of enabling the easy and economical dyeing. of
the wool as above mentioned, but it also preserves all the strength and elasticity
of the wool notwithstanding a long immersion in the boiling vat.
The results derived from this novel application of the yolk of wool are:-The
utilisation of the whole of the coloring matter; the preservation of the fibre by the
retention of its natural suppleness and elasticity, and the dispensing with the
operations of removing the yolk and grease.
The modus operandi is as follows:-The wool is first moistened with cold water
which is gradually raised to 212° Fah. to expel all the air contained in the water
and in the wool, and the coloring matter already reduced by a separate operation is
then added.
The reducing agent may either be added to the water or to the dye bath after
the addition of the coloring matter. It is preferable to put the reducing agent in
cold water in order the better to make it penetrate the wool before the introduction
of the coloring matter. The proportion in which the reducing agent should be
employed is excessively variable since it depends on the nature of the water, the
strength of the vat, and the color to be produced. For instance, in using the
yolk the operation may be as follows:-Given, 1 litre (13 pints) of hot water in
which the yolk has been removed from 100 grammes (1,543 grains) of raw wool,
from 100 to 1,000 cubic centimetres (6 to 60 cubic inches) of this yolk water may
be efficaciously employed to dye 100 grammes (1,543 grains) of wool; there may
even be a considerable excess of yolk used without inconvenience.
If wool in the fleece be treated it is placed in cold water, which is then raised
to 212° F., and boiled the usual time to dissolve the matter adhering to the fibre,
after which the reduced dye bath is poured into the same vat which thus contains
the wool to be dyed, the whole of the yolk obtained from the said wool, and the
reduced coloring matter.
The Invention thus consists in the addition to the dye vat of a reducing agent,
or one that prevents or retards the reoxidation of the vat, and particularly the use
for this purpose of the natural yolk or "suint" of wool, the method of using these
matters being susceptible of modification, and comprising, in the case of the yolk or
suint being used, the option of utilising that which is actually contained in the
wool by entering the wool in its raw state (ie., without previously removing the
yolk) in the deoxidised vat.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th February 1880.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN DYEING AND PRINTING WITH
CERTAIN DERIVATIVES OF ANILINE AND OTHER SIMILAR COLORING MATTERS."
communication from abroad' by Charles Collin and Henri Lenicque, both of Paris,
France.
"
A
This Invention relates to improvements on the process for dyeing and printing
with certain aniline products distinguished as sulpho conjugated" derivatives of
aniline and other similar coloring matters, for which Letters Patent were granted
to me, dated February 14th, 1878, No. 630.
It has been noticed in practice that as the dyeing of fine wools requires a longër
time it necessitates a greater expenditure of coloring matter, and the cause has
been found in the gradual re-oxidation in the vat of the reduced coloring matter,
which consequently returns to its former insoluble condition, a loss of coloring
matter therefore ensues. According to this Invention it is proposed to remedy this
objection by adding de-oxidising matters to the vat in order to maintain it in its
de-oxidised condition throughout the whole duration of the operation. All the
reducing salts give this result, and it has been found that by the addition to a
reduced vat of, for example, an alkaline bisulphite or hydrosulphite, or of proto
sulphate of iron, &c., the vat will be maintained during 12 hours in a perfectly
reduced condition. It has also been found by experiment that the "yolk" of raw
wool or the yolk water (i.e., the water in which raw wool has been washed) produces
the same effect as the deoxidizing agents above mentioned, for when added to the
vat this "yolk" maintains it in a perfectly reduced condition during 12 hours, and
tlius enables the maximum of coloring matter absorbable by the wool to be
taken up.
This newly discovered property of the yolk when added to the dye vat admits
not only of ungreased or scoured wool being dyed as in ordinary, but also enables
greasy wool from which the yolk has been merely washed, and even raw wool as
it comes from the fleece, to be dyed in the same way. Moreover the yolk. has the
property not only of enabling the easy and economical dyeing of the wool, as above
mentioned, but it also preserves all the natural strength and elasticity of the wool
notwithstanding a long immersion in the boiling vat of reduced coloring matter.
The results derived from this novel application of the yolk of wool are:-The
whole of the coloring matter is utilized, the fibre is unaltered, its natural supple-
ness and elasticity being retained, and the operations of washing and scouring to
remove the yolk and grease are dispensed with.
The modus operandi is as follows:-The wool is first immersed in a vat of cold
water which is gradually raised to 212° Fahr. to expel all the air contained in the
water and in the wool, and the coloring matter (already reduced by a separate
operation) is then added to the vat.
The reducing agent for preventing the reoxidation of the vat may either be added
to the water before the wool is immersed, or to the vat after the addition of the
coloring matter. It is, however, preferable to put this reducing agent in the cold
water in order the better to make it penetrate the wool before the coloring matter
is introduced.
The proportion in which the reducing agent should be employed is excessively
variable since it depends on the nature of water, on the strength of the vat, and on
the color to be produced. For instance, in using the "yolk" of wool suppose we
have one litre (13/, pint) of hot water in which the yolk has been washed from
From 100
100 grammes (1,543 grains, or say 31, oz. avoirdupois) of raw wool.

page_text: to 1,000 cubic centimetres (6 to 60 cubic inches) of this yolk water may be effica-
ciously employed to dye 100 grammes (1,543 grains, or say 3%, oz. avoirdupois) of
wool, there may even be a considerable excess of yolk used without inconve-
nience.
.
If wool in the fleece be treated it is placed in cold water, which is then raised
to 212° Fahr. and boiled the usual time to dissolve the matter 'adhering to the
fibre; after which the reduced dye bath is poured into the same vat which thus
contains the wool to be dyed, the whole of the yolk obtained from the said wool,
and the reduced coloring matter.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim as the Invention
to be protected by the berein before in part recited Letters Patent is,―The addition
to the deoxidized dye vat of a reducing agent, or one that prevents or retards the
reoxidation of the vat, and particularly the use for this purpose of the natural
"yolk" of wool, whether the said yolk be added separately to the vat, or whether
it be that naturally contained in the wool to be dyed, which in that case is entered
in its raw state in the deoxidized vat, all as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.).