A NEW PROCESS OF FREEING TARRED ROPE FROM THE TAR, AND RENDERING IT FIT FOR THE USE OF THE MANUFACTURER
Year: 1809

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, THOMAS
Porrs, of Hackney, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Fourth day of February,
in the forty-ninth year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas
Potts, my exors, admors, and assigns, His especial licenco, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said Thomas Potts, my exors, adiñiors, and
assigns, during the term of fourteen years therein mentioned, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A NEW PROCESS OF FREEING TARRED
ROPE FROM THE TAR, AND RENDERING IT FIT FOR THE USE OF THE MANUFACTURER;"
in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging me, the
said Thomas Potts, by an instrument in writing, under my hand and seal, to
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months after the date of the said recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, relation being thereunto had, may
more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Potts, do hereby declare that my said Invention is described and
ascertained in manner following, that is to say:-
My process for freeing tarred rope from the tar may be conducted in three

page_text: different ways, first, by means of sulphat of alumine (common alum); second,
by sulphate of alumine and fullers' earth; and third, by fullers' earth.
First, by sulphat of alumine, let the rope be cut in proper lengths (which
must be determined by the length of staple required), and the lengths opened
into yarns, when opened let them be put into a proper vessel for boiling;
suppose the quantity to be only one hundredweight, cover it with water and add
five pounds of sulphat of alumine, bring the rope and liquor to a boil, and let
the whole continue to a boil for one hour; take the material out of the boiling
vessel and put it into a pair of fulling-stocks, or any other machine capable
of beating and turning it, (for everything performed by machinery is generally
preferrable to manual labor. Work and wash the pieces of rope for one hour,
take them out of the fulling-stocks or other machine, and return them into the
boiling vessel, cover them again with water, and into the water put from five.
to ten pounds of carbonat of lime (whiting is best), stir the whole well, and
bring to a boil and continue to boil for a half an hour, take the pieces of rope
out of the boiling vessel and again return them into the fulling-stocks or other
machine, and work and wash them quite clean, when they will be in a fit state
to be bleached, either on the grass or by the oxymuriatic acid.
Second, by sulphat of alumine and fullers' earth; one hundredweight of
the rope being cut and opened, as directed in the first process, let it be put
into the boiling vessel, and when covered with water let the same quantity of
sulphat of alumine be added as directed by the first process; bring the whole to
a boil and continue to boil for one hour; take out the material or pieces of
rope, lay them as before directed in the fulling-stocks or other machine, and
work and wash it or them for one hour, return it or them into the boiling
vessel, cover with water, add from five to ten pounds of carbonat of lime
(whiting is best), and stir well; let tho whole boil and continue to boil for half
an hour, take the material or pieces of rope out of the boiling vessel, put it or
them into the fulling-stocks or other machine, work and wash for a quarter of
an hour, plug the holes in the stocks or other machine, and add from twenty-
eight or fifty-six pounds of fullers' earth, (or any clay equally free from sand
and containing an equal portion of alumine, previously reduced or converted to
a semi-fluid state, or to the substance of pap by means of water, let on no
more water than will keep it or them moist, and let it or them work freely;
work the whole for half an hour, let on a sufficiency of water, and wash quite
clean, the produce of the rope will be in a fit state for bleaching, either on the
grass or by the oxymuriatic acid.
Third, by fullers' earth; one hundredweight of rope being cut and opened
as directed by the first process, let it he put into a boiling vessel, covered with

page_text: water, brought to boil and continue to boil for one hour; take it out of the
boiling vessel, plug the holes in the fulling-stocks or other machine, and lay it
in, pour on it fifty-six pounds of fullers' earth previously reduced to a semi-
fluid state, or converted into the substance of pap by means of water (or any
thing equally free from sand, and containing an equal portion of alumine), let
on no more water than will make it sufficiently moist, and work for one hour
without any further washing, put it into the boiling vessel, cover it with water,
bring it to a boil, and let it continue to boil for half an hour; take it out of the
boiling vessel, lay it in the fulling-stocks or other machine, and add from
twenty-eight to fifty-six pounds of fullers' earth, or any other clay equally free
from sand, and containing an equal portion of alumine, prepared as before
directed, let on no more water than will make it sufficiently moist, work it
for one hour; take out the plugs of the fulling-stocks or other machine, and
work and washi till perferctly clean, when it will be in a fit state for bleaching,
either on the grass or by the oxymuriatic acid. When the boiling is performed
by steam, which is most economical, the vessel will not need filling up, because
the condensation will be equal to the evaporation; but if boiled on the naked.
fire, water must be added to make up for that which evaporates.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Potts, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and nine.
(L.B.)
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirty-first day of July, in the
year of our Lord 1809, the aforesaid Thomas Potts came before our said Lord
the King in His 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 stampt according to the tenor of the
Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Thirty-first day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and nine.