A Process for Imparting to Feather-fur and to suitable Feathers the Appearance of Animal Fur.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1892-Accepted, 13th Aug., 1892.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Process for Imparting to Feather-fur and to suitable Feathers the
Appearance of Animal Fur.
I, BERTHOLD TAUSK of 2 Holzmarkt Strasse, Berlin, in the Empire of
Germany, Master Dyer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
The use of feather-fur obtained from turkey feathers as dress trimmings has
been approved by fashionable taste but it is now rapidly falling out of favour
because of the want of resemblance to animal fur, and of the dull woolly appearance
which feather-fur bears. Could it be caused to more nearly resemble the fur of
animals it would soon regain public favour.
This invention is applicable to all kinds of feathers and is effected in the following
nanner.
The feather-fur or single feathers being prepared in the usual way are steeped in
a very weak solution of sulphuric acid in order to make them susceptible the treat-
ment following. They are then partly dried and while in a half moist condition,
are dipped into or coated with a fluid composed of a mixture of soap (or water-
glass, soda or other alkali in solution) with oil, resin and spermaceti.
After the feathers are sufficiently soaked with this mixture they are subjected to
a drying heat of forty to fifty degrees centigrade, until completely dry which occurs
in about 24 hours.
During this drying process owing to the adhesive nature of the mixture the
feathers become stuck together, and to separate them they are brushed with stiff'
brushes. They are then subjected for a short time to a damp steam whereby the
appearance of the original coating is restored. The feathers are then again dried
and in conclusion are damped with spirits of wine or naphtha in order to remove
any oleaginous or fatty shine. In order to harden the hairs a sprinkling of alum
water is given them.
This solution consists of one part alum to twenty parts water. This restores the
rigidity of the natural hair.
The feathers or feather-fur so prepared are not to be distinguished from animal
fur in exterior appearance.
The principal part of the invention consists in treating the feathers with the
before-named solution.
Many experiments show the following to be the most suitable proportions of the
ingredients.
To 1 litre of water
Soap, watergrass, or soda serve as a solvent for the adhesive mixture of oil, resin
and spermaceti.
I do not however restrict myself to these exact ingredients or proportions, but
claim the right to substitute similar substances, and other quantities. For instance
there are other fatty substances which might be substituted for spermaceti.
[Price 8d.1

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The process of treating feather-fur or feathers of suitable kinds, whereby a
resemblance to animal fur is imparted, the said process consisting of immersion
in a weak acid solution and afterwards steeping in a mixture of water and soap (or
other suitable substance) oil, resin and spermaceti (or other fatty substance) then
drying, brushing, washing in spirit or naphtha and damping with alum solution as
herein described and set forth.
Dated this 12th day of July 1899
S. S. BROMHEAD,
97, Newgate Street, London, E.C., Patent Agent.