A CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND METHOD OF APPLYING THE SAME IN THE PREPARATION OF HIDES, SKINS, AND LEATHER,SILKS, TAFFETAS, AND LINEN, AND TO ALL ARTICLES ALREADY MADE OF SKINS AND LEATHER, THEREBY COLOURING AND GIVING A BEAUTIFUL GLOSS TO THE SAME, RENDERING THEM WATERPROOF AND IMPENETRABLE TO HOT OR CORRODING LIQUIDS, AND AT THE SAME TIME PRESERVING THEM FROM DECAY, AND KEEPING THEM Price
Year: 1805

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
FREDERIC MOLLERSTEN, of Hackney Wick, 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 dateat Westminster, the Twenty-third day of January, in
the forty-fifth year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said Charles
Frederic Mollersten, exors, adññiors, and assigns, His especial licence, that
I, the said Charles Frederic Mollersten, my exors, admors, and assigns, during.
the term of 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 CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND METHOD OF APPLYING
THE SAME IN THE PREPARATION OF HIDES, SKINS, AND LEATHER, SILKS,
TAFFETAS, AND LINEN, AND TO ALL ARTICLES ALREADY MADE OF SKINS AND
LEATHER, THEREBY COLOURING AND GIVING A BEAUTIFUL GLOSS TO THE SAME,
RENDERING THEM WATERPROOF AND IMPENETRABLE TO HOT OR CORRODING LIQUIDS,
AND AT THE SAME TIME PRESERVING THEM FROM DECAY, AND KEEPING THEM
Price 81

page_text: SOFT AND PLIABLE;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a pro-
viso obliging me, the said Charles Frederic Mollersten, 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 one calender month after the date of the said 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
Charles Frederic Mollersten, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of
my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as
follows; that is to say :-
To preparethecomposition for the black colour, iaketwogallons of linseed oil,
onegallon whale oil, and one half pound of horse grease, mingle them with four
pounds of fine ground Prussia blue, and four pounds of lamp black, and after-
wards boil them on a strong fire to which add oue pound of fine ground benzoin
gum previously welliningled inone gallonof linseed oil, of which one half gallon
is put in the above when the composition has boiled one half hour, and the
residue when it is sufficiently boiled and ready. This composition isquiteboiled
enough when it gets so thick that no drops fall from anything dipped into it,
and it is afterwards fit for use when cold. For all other colours the genuine
linseed oil must be well bleached, to two gallons of which put one half gallon
of spermaceti oil and one half pound Prussia blue; place them inaglass vessel
in a strong sun (the effect encrease by burning glasses if necessary), and when
it has attained the sameconsistencyastheblackcomposition, after havingboiled
one half hour, take one pound benzoin gum mixed with one gallon linseed oil,
bleached, and add one half of it to them,and place the same in the sun as before,
when it has attained the same consistency as the black composition; when
ready, add the remaining half of the gum and oil. The colours used are those
composed of inetallic and animal parts, or metallic only, as I am not satisfied
that colours composed of animal parts only will answer the purpose. Those
colours which will admit an equal quantity of Prussia blue with that used in
the black composition will have an equal power of resisting heat or corroding
liquids, without which their effect as to those purposes will not be so powerful,
tho' equally so as to rendering waterproof the articles manufactured. The
mode of working the leather, and the necessary implements for that purpose,
are as follow:-For leather, after having been first well curried, especially
that in its brown state, well draw it out with pincers, aud nail it on a board to fit
the oven, which board first cover with woollen blankets, and then lay the com-

page_text: The
position on the outside of the leather as thin as possible by using iron scrapers
of all dimensions, but at least of four inches breadth and six inches height..
Every time the composition is so laid on the leather, put the board into the
oven to dry the composition; and when it is taken out of the oven dry, and
previous to the composition being again put on, the leather must be well rubbed
with pumice stone to smooth it more and make the composition fasten on
better; when this is done until the leather possesses its regular gloss all over,
it is (when taken out of the oven dry the last time) to be speedily taken
loose from the board, and when cold is ready for use. If the leather is good,
and of a smooth surface, it requires only to be done four, but if otherwise five,
six, or more times. The last or two last times, the composition had best be
put on with the hand to make it very thin and exact all over. The number of
times the composition should be put on the leather is very uncertain, as it
depends entirely on its more or less fatness, thickness, or good quality. The
same rule exists for the time it requires to dry in the oven, which is in general
in about an hour, except the last or two last times, which take about two or
three hours. Silk, taffetas, and linen are done exactly in the manner above
stated, but they may be nailed to a frame of any shape if required
drying of the leather is done in an oven or furnace, which may be constructed
larger or smaller according to wish; the best shape and dimensions of it, not-
withstanding, are nine feet in length, six feet in breadth, and four or five feet
in height inside. Through two iron doors in the front of the oven, as large as
the opening, the boards are put in the oven on iron rails, which are placed
on the two length sides; they are distant from each other about six inches,
and may be made to introduce from two to twelve boards into it. The fire-
place is made towards the one side under the oven, and the flames and smoke
go under and on all sides round the oven by means of fire proof flues, which
must be so well constructed as not to admit in the oven even smoke; a slow
fire must be kept during the working of the leather not exceeding sixty
degrees of heat. All boots must be done, formed, or shaped on blocks, in which
manner already-made cartouch boxes and military accoutrements must be
done; previous to their being put into the oven, some woollen stuff must be
put between the wood and the leather to prevent the heat from affecting it.
In witness whereof, 1, the said Charles Frederic Mollersten, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and five.
CHARLES FREDRIC MOLLERSTEN. (L.S.)

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eighteenth day of February,
in the year of our Lord 1805, the aforesaid Charles Frederic Mollersten
came before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and speci-
fied, in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stampt
according to the tenor of the Statutes made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Eighteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and five.