IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLICATION OF CERTAIN SALTS AND SOAPS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THREADS AND FABRICS TO GIVE THEM STIFFNESS, RENDER THEM IMPERMEABLE, AND IMPROVE THEIR APPEARANCE."
Year: 1876

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Hazeltine, Lake, &
Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLICATION OF CERTAIN SALTS AND SOAPS FOR THE
PREPARATION OF THREADS AND FABRICS TO GIVE THEM STIFFNESS, RENDER
THEM IMPERMEABLE, AND IMPROVE THEIR APPEARANCE." A communication
from abroad by Claude Garnier, of Lyons, France, Cloth Dresser.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th November 1876.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLICATION OF CERTAIN
SALTS AND SOAPS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THREADS AND FABRICS TO GIVE THEM
STIFFNESS, RENDER THEM IMPERMEABLE, AND IMPROVE THEIR APPEARANCE." A
communication.
This Invention relates to the preparation of threads and fabrics, for which purpose
I employ various salts and soaps, as herein-after described. I prefer to employ the
following, namely,-
The alkaline bistearates,
"
"
دو
bioléates,
bimargarates,
bipalmitates,
and biresinates,
and the neutral metallic salts of the various acids above mentioned and formed
by alumina, magnesia, zinc, lead, and the like, that is to say, uncolored metallic salts
soluble in different vehicles, or which can be formed on fibre by double decomposition
by means of two preparatory baths.
The alkaline bisalts are very translucent, insoluble in water, easily soluble in
lenzine, essential oils, alcohols, sulphide of carbon, and the like; consequently they
are easily applicable to threads or fabrics by the ordinary manipulation. They give

page_text: all the desirable rigidity when employed in sufficient quantity; they also render
. the material sufficiently impermeable, to prevent the fabric from being soiled by
rain; being translucent they do not injure the most delicate colours; and not being
fusible up to 100° centigrade they do not become softened by the heat of the
'sun, and the fabrics which are impregnated with them are dustproof. They have
thus imparted to them all the desired qualities for an excellent impermeable
preparation.
.
The ammoniacal bisalts are generally very easy to prepare, do not reduce the
colors like free fatty acids, and it is these that are employed most frequently for
silken fabrics, principally for taffetas, serges, handkerchieves, and the like.
I would also observe that neutral ammoniacal salts which are soluble in water
are easily transformable by heat in insoluble bisalts. In many cases I may employ
an acqueous solution of these neutral salts, which by the ordinary preparation will
give the required bisalt. This solution is employed especially for light dressing,
with the object of thickening the fibre, without producing great stiffness or
impermeability, and for what is termed false dressing.
For stronger dressings it is necessary to dissolve the bisalts in beuzine, essential
oil, sulphide of carbon, or alcohol, in such a manner as to fix the product more
effectually on the thread or fabric. The quantity employed varies according to
circumstances, and depends more especially upon, first, the results desired to be
obtained, that is to say, the force and quality of the dressing; second, the nature
of the salt employed for this dressing or preparation; third, the quality and nature
of the stuff; fourth, the colour of the said stuff. For black taffetas and the like I
usually employ in dry bistearate of ammonia from 60 to 250 ounces for each quart
of the dressing. For coloured stuffs, especially those with clear colours or shade,
the quantity is less, and is reduced to about 12 to 90 ounces per quart.
I may mix divers of the above-named salts and apply them together for obtaining
a dressing or perforation of any determined quality.
In some instances, especially with regard to impermeability, and principally with
black stuffs, I may employ the following, namely, paraffin, spermacetti, vegetable or
Japanese wax, mineral or fossil wax, or "the like, dissolved in benzine or other
suitable solvent. In this case I seek for substances having an elevated point of
fusion, so as to avoid the settling of dust which would result from softening by the
heat of the sun; these substances are specially applicable to black silk stuffs.
For colored stuffs I prefer to employ almost exclusively those bisalts above
mentioned, which alone permit of obtaining results which have not been produced
hitherto.
For rendering the material impermeable and giving a suitable stiffness thereto by
means of metallic soaps, such as the oleates and steariates of alumina, I proceed
either by means of a single bath with a suitable solution of soap in an appropriate
vehicle, or by forming these salts on the tissues by double decomposition by means
of baths. The first is given with a solution of bistearate of ammonia, for example,
in benzine, and the second with an aqueous solution of acetate of alumina; the
latter can be given by pulverization.
I can also render the material quite sufficiently impermeable to prevent soiling
by rain, especially for silk handkerchieves, silk and woollen stuffs, and silk and
cotton stuffs as follows, that is to say, I provide a preparatory bath of a suitable
consistency with gelose, fucus crispus, alga of various kinds, and lichens, and I
add to these a concentrated solution of pure acetate of alumina.
In this case
the drying in the air or airing, the passage of the stuff to the heated drums, and
the action of the vegetable acids, fucus, alge, or lichens, expels the acetic acid
of the acetate, so as to give insoluble sub-salts of alumina, which do not easily
become wet, and thus constitute preparations of sufficient impermeability.
I may also employ gum and glue mixed with acetate of alumina, but in this case
the results obtained by the free alumina or by the sub-acetates are not so perfect,
and I prefer to use the vegetable substances before mentioned containing natural
organic acids, such as stearic, lichen, pectic, and the like, or acids forming by

page_text: modification of the pectic products of these substances; then the acetic acid of
the acetate can be expelled more easily by heat in obtaining insoluble salts of
alumina.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th May
1877.
WILLIAM ROBERt Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPLICATION OF CER-
TAIN SALTS AND SOAPS FOR THE PREPARATION OF THREADS AND FABRICS TO GIVE
THEM STIFFNESS, RENDER THEM IMPERMEABLE, AND IMPROVE THEIR APPEARANCE."
A communication from abroad by Claude Garnier, of Lyons, France, Cloth Dresser.
This Invention relates to the preparation of threads and fabrics of various kinds
and of any shades or color in such a manner as to give then stiffness and
impermeability, and an appearance superior to that presented in their primitive or
natural condition, by swelling or thickening their fibres. For this purpose I employ
various salts and soaps, as herein-after described.
The salts and soaps which are preferably employed in practising this Invention
are the following, namely, the alkaline bistearates, alkaline bioléates, alkaline
bimargarates, alkaline bipalmitates, and alkaline biresinates, and the neutral
metallic salts of the aforesaid various acids and formed by alumina, magnesia, zinc,
lead, and the like, that is to say, uncolored metallic salts soluble in different vehicles,
or which can be formed on fibre by double decomposition by means of two preparatory
baths.
The alkaline bisalts are very translucent, insoluble in water, easily soluble in
benzine, essential oils, alcohols, sulphide of carbon, and the like; consequently they
are easily applicable to threads or fabrics by the ordinary manipulation. They give
all the desirable rigidity when employed in sufficient quantity; they also render
the material sufficiently impermeable to prevent the soiling or spotting of the
fabric by rain; being translucent they do not injure the most delicate colors; and
not being fusible, except in a tenperature above 100° centigrade, they do not become
softened by the heat of the sun, and the fabrics which are impregnated with them
are dustproof. They have thus imparted to them all the desired qualities for an
excellent impermeable preparation.
The ammoniacal bisalts are generally very easy to prepare; do not reduce the
colors like free fatty acids, and it is these that are employed most frequently for
silk fabrics, principally for taffetas, serges, handkerchieves, and the like.
I would also observe that neutral ammoniacal salts which are soluble in water
are easily transformable by heat in insoluble bisalts. In many cases I may employ
an acqueous solution of these neutral salts, which by the ordinary preparation will
give the required bisalt. This solution is employed especially for light dressing,
with the object of thickening the fibre, without producing great stiffness or
impermeability, and for what is termed false dressing.
For stronger dressings it is necessary to dissolve the bisalts in benzine, essential
oil, sulphide of carbon, alcohol, and the like, in such a manner as to fix the product
more effectually on the thread or fabric. The quantity employed varies according to
circumstances, and depends more especially upon, first, the results desired to be
obtained, that is to say, the strength and quality of the dressing; second, the nature
of the salt employed for this dressing or preparation; third, the quality and nature
of the stuff; fourth, the color of the said stuff. For black taffetas and the like I
usually employ in dry bistearate of ammonia from 60 to 250 ounces for each quart
of the dressing. For colored stuffs, especially those with clear colors or shades, the
quantity is less, and is reduced to about 12 to 90 ounces, per quart.

page_text: may
I mix divers of the above-named salts and apply them together for obtaining
a dressing or preparation of any determined quality.
In some instances, especially with regard to impermeability and principally with
black stuffs, I may employ the following, namely, paraffine, spermacetti, vegetable, or
Japanese wax, mineral or fossil wax, or the like, dissolved in benzine or other
suitable solvent. In this case I seek for substances having a high fusion point, to
avoid the settling of dust which would result from softening by the heat of the
sun; these substances are specially applicable to black silk stuffs and similar
materials.
For colored stuff's I prefer to employ almost exclusively those bisalts above
specified, which alone permit of obtaining results not hitherto produced.
For rendering the material impermeable and giving a suitable stiffness thereto by
means of metallic soaps, such as the oleates and stearates of alumina, I proceed
either by means of a single bath with a suitable solution of soap in an appropriate
vehicle, or by forming these salts on the stuff by double decomposition by means
of two baths. The first is given with a solution of bistearate of ammonia, for
example, in benzine, and the second with an aqueous solution of acetate of alumina ;
the latter can be obtained by pulverization.
I can also render the material sufficiently impermeable to prevent soiling by rain,
especially for silk handkerchieves, silk and woollen stuffs, and silk and cotton stuffs,
by the following treatment, that is to say, I provide a preparatory bath of a suitable
consistency with hai-thuo or gelose, fucus crispus, alge of various kinds, and
lichens, and I add to these a concentrated solution of pure acetate of alumina. In
this case the drying in the air or airing, the passage of the stuff to the heated drums,
and the action of the vegetable acids, fucus, alge, or lichens will expel the acetic
acid of the acetate, so as to produce insoluble sub-salts of alumina, which do not
easily become wet or moist, and thus form preparations of sufficient impermeability.
I may also employ gum and glue mixed with acetate of alumina, but in this case
the results obtained by the free alumina or by the sub-acetates are not so perfect,
and it is preferable to use the above-named vegetable substances containing natural
organic acids, such as lichen, stearic and pectic acids, and the like, or acids formed
by modification of the pectic products of these substances, as then the acctic acid
of the acetate can be expelled more easily by heat in obtaining insoluble salts of
alumina.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim, the employment of the above specified various salts or soaps for giving
to threads and textile fabrics of all kinds and of all shades or colors stiffness and
impermeability, and an appearance superior to that presented by them in their
primitive or natural condition, by swelling or thickening the fibres, while at the
same time ensuring a permanent effect of the dyeing, as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
W. ROB. LAKE. (L.S.)