CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF DYING VARIOUS MATTERS, WHETHER THE RAW MATERIAL OF WOOL SILK, FLAX, HEMP, COTTON, OR OTHER SIMILAR FIBROUS SUBSTANCES OR THE SAME SUBSTANCES, IN ANY STAGE OF MANUFACTURE, AND IN THE PREPARATION OF PIGMENTS OR PAINTERS' COLORS
Year: 1841

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, We, MARTYN
JOHN ROBERTS, of Bryn-y-caeran, in the County of Caermarthen, Gentleman;
Cand WILLIAM BROWN, of the City of Glasgow, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her..
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West..
minster, the Twenty-sixth day of October, in the fifth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself and successors, give and grant unto us, the said Martyn John Roberts and.
William Brown, Her special licence, that we, the said Martyn John Roberts and
William Brown, our exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Martyn John Roberts and William Brown, our exors, admors, and assigns,,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times.
during the term of years, therein, expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within that part of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland called England, Her Dominion of Wales, and Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations
abroad, our Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF DYING VARIOUS
MATTERS, WHETHER THE RAW MATERIAL OF WOOL, SILK, FLAX, HEMP, COTTON,
OR OTHER SIMILAR FIBROUS SUBSTANCES OR THE SAME SUBSTANCES, IN ANY STAGE OF
MANUFACTURE, AND IN THE PREPARATION OF PIGMENTS OR PAINTERS' COLORS;"
in which Letters Patent is contained a proviso that we, the said Martyn
John Roberts and William Brown, should cause a particular description of
.

page_text: the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
Martyn John Roberts and William Brown, do hereby declare the nature of
our Invention, as follows:-
Fibrous substances have hitherto been dyed by applying to them the coloring
matter or mordant, or both, by mere juxtaposition, with or without the appli-
cation of heat, and sometimes aided by sundry machines, such as padding
machines and hydraulic presses used in the manufacture of printed cottons and
bandanas, these machines assisting by their compressive power the impregna-
ting of the fibrous substances with coloring matters or mordants; but as there
is always a considerable quantity of air disseminated through the substance
and adhering to the particles of fibrous matters, this air offers a resistance to
the entrance of coloring matter or mordants into the substance of the fibrous
tissue, and consequently the internal part of the tissue is not so thoroughly
dyed as its outer surface; attempts have been made to obviate this difficulty,
but these have not succeeded, in consequence of sundry devices not having
been made use of for the more perfectly and evenly dying tissues. Pigments
or painters' colours have hitherto been made by simple mixture of the com-
ponent parts, which in some cases adhere together by mere adhesion, in other
cases by chemical affinity; but as the air is also attached to the particles of
these component parts, it prevents so thorough an admixture of them with
each other as would ensue were this air abstracted. In our improved process
for pigments or painters' colors, which we shall now proceed to describe, we
first abstract as much air as is practicable from them, and then compress these
substances, whether coloring matter or mordant, or bases, either separately or
any two or more of them together, either by the admission of the pressure of
the atmosphere upon their surface, or we cause a greater pressure than that
of the atmosphere by such apparatus as may be convenient for the same,
and in some cases we compress the usual component parts of pigments
or painters' colors into union with each other, or separately, by any convenient
apparatus, without having first abstracted the air that may adhere to the parti-
cles of these substances; but we much prefer first to abstract all the air that
can readily be taken away, and then compress these component parts by any
apparatus that will effect the desired purpose.

page_text: We next describe our improved process of dying, as used by us in dying
woollen broad-cloths, as this will serve as a guide for the dying of all: other
fibrous tissues or for impregnating them with mordants. If the process be
applied to other fibrous bodies than woollen cloths, slight differences of
detail will arise, which can always be suited to the exigencies of the case.
The process we are about to describe may be applied for impregnating
the cloth or other fibrous tissues with the mordaunt only, in which case
the coloring matter is to be afterwards applied by immersion in ordinary dyeing
vats, and by the process at present in use, increasing the strength of the solu̟-
tion of coloring matter or dyeing liquors as may be found necessary; or our
process may be applied for impregnating the cloth or other fibrous tissues with
the mordant and coloring matter either separately or together; but we prefer
applying our Invention to the impregnating with the mordant only, as in the
first-mentioned process. For dying broad-cloth, the vessel or reservoir to con
tain the coloring matter or mordant and the cloth should be a little wider than
the usual width of broad-cloth, and of a convenient depth; it may, if wished,
be heated by steam or fire applied to its outer surface. In the annexed Figure,
Figure A, B, represents a section of the vessel, which must be of a sufficient
strength to bear a pressure of at least one hundred pounds on the square inch,
and fitted with an air-tight cover. Near the top of the vessel are placed two
wooden rollers c, d, whose axes project through the sides of the vessel, working
in stuffing boxes; a few inches from the bottom of the vessel is placed a third
roller f, whose axis does not project through the side of the vessel, but works
on bearings on the inside. To the vessel is attached, by means of pipes opening
into it near the top, an air-pump of the usual construction, by which air can
be abstracted from the interior of the vessel, and by which air can be forced
into it so as to cause at least a pressure of one hundred pounds on the square
inch upon any body placed therein. The rollers c, f, d, must be a little longer
than the width of the broad-cloth intended to be dyed, and three or four inches

page_text: in diameter. Opposite to the roller c, and in the cover or side of the vessel,
should be an opening sufficient in size to allow of the inserting or removal of
the roller c when covered by the piece or pieces of cloth, and this opening
must be fitted with a cover shutting air-tight. The aperture may thus be
opened or shut at pleasure for the purpose of taking out the roll of cloth when
dyed, and replacing it by another to be operated on. To the roller d is
attached a piece of cloth or web (as shewn by the dotted line in the section)
of the usual width of broad-cloth, and of a length sufficient to extend from the
roller d, under the roller f, to the roller c, near which it may be stayed by a
temporary fastening; its use shall be presently shewn. At the bottom of the
vessel is a stopcock x, connected with a pipe for the admission of the solu-
tions of mordants or colouring matters when requisite. 'If'desired, a vessel may
be constructed of such dimensions as to admit of being fitted with several sets of
rollers. The roller c having been taken out of the vessel, the cloth (prepared
for dying in the usual and at present practised manner) is wound round it, one
end of the cloth being first fastened to the rollerc, by pins or other convenient
device, and the roller is, then replaced in its position c, (or, if preferable, the
cloth may be wound round the roller while in the vessel; after the cloth is
put on the roller c, the outer end of the cloth is fastened to the web (dotted line
in the Figure) permanently attached to the roller d. The aperture through which
the roller or cloth was inserted is now to be closed air-tight, and the pump worked
until the air within the vessel is of less elasticity than will counterbalance one
inch of mercury; keep the pump at work, and by means of a handle on that
part of the axis of the roller d which is outside the vessel, slowly wind off
the cloth from the roller c, passing it under the roller f, on the roller d; then
by means of the stopcock a, admit the solution of mordants or coloring
matter into the reservoir, and fill it to such a height that the roller and cloth
are immersed in the liquid. Now shut the stopcock and keep the pump at
work until the air is in a great measure abstracted from the liquid, which may
be indicated by a mercurial guage attached to the vessel. When this is
accomplished, turn the roller c, by means of its handle, and shortly wind the
cloth off the roller d, under f, and on to the roller c; this winding of the cloth
from one roller to another while immersed in the solution may be repeated
as often as is thought necessary, taking care to maintain during the whole of
this part of the process as good a vacuum as is practicable. When the cloth
has been sufficiently under, the, action described, reverse, the action of the
pump so as to allow of the pressure of the atmospheric air upon the surface
of the liquid in the reservoir, care being taken that the liquid is at least
three inches higher than the top of the roll of cloth; then work the pump

page_text: in its forcing action, forcing air upon the surface of the solution, until a
pressure of at least one hundred pounds on the square inch is attained. During
the whole of this operation the cloth must be wound backwards and forwards
from one roller to the other, as before described, in order to expose. the whole
of the surface of the cloth equally to the action of the liquid; when this has
been well effected, wind up the cloth upon the roller c, open the aperture,
detach the cloth from the web which is permanently attached to d; (the use of
which is to guide the cloth under the roller f to the roller'd,) remove the
roller c, with its dyed cloth; and replace it by one covered with undyed cloth,
in readiness for another operation.
Should it be desirable not to make use of these rollers, a frame may
be employed, such as is used for dipping cottons and similar fabrics in
indigo vats; in this frame the cloth should be. stretched on tenter hooks,
the whole may then be put into the reservoir; and the operation,. as
before described, carried on. If the cloth is thus stretched, the frame should
be attached to an axle passing through a stuffing box in the top of the
vessel A, B, and by means of this axle the frame and cloth may be con-
tinually turned round while under the action of the pump and solution.
Should it in any case be desirable to impregnate the interior of the cloth with
one kind of coloring matter and its surface with another or superior kind,
the cloth may. first be dyed with the coloring matter intended for the internal
part by means of our apparatus for abstracting the air and for producing a
pressure, and by the processes therewith already described; and afterwards,
the cloth may be removed from the apparatus; and its surface dyed of a fine
and brilliant color by immersion in ordinary dying.vats, and by the process at
present in use for dying woollen cloths. In this manner broad-cloth can be
thoroughly dyed in the piece; which is much to be preferred to the practice of
dying the wool before it is manufactured into cloth, as has hitherto been done
to obtain a thoroughly dyed cloth; our process will therefore be of great
advantage in this respect. In the manufacture, of pigments or painters'
colors by our improved process, the bases and coloring matters and mordants,
or either of them, or any two or more together; as is necessary for the kind
of pigment we wish to manufacture, are placed in a reservoir of any con-
venient form, constructed on the same principles as that which has been
described for dyeing cloth, but without the horizontal rollers c, d, f, represented
in the section. This reservoir must be air-tight, and have an air pump attached
to it, by means of which the air can be abstracted from or forced into the reser-
voir. The component parts of the pigments may, when mixed with water,' be

page_text: poured into the reservoir through a pipe fixed in the top; this pipe must be
provided with a stopcock.
The process for the manufacture of pigments, as far as relates to our
improvements therein, is somewhat similar to that already described as our
improvement in dyeing cloth. The component parts of the pigments or
painters' colours mixed with water are put into the reservoir, either together
or separately, as may be deemed necessary; the stopcock and all other
apertures are then shut, and the pump worked until as great a portion of the
air is abstracted as is practicable. The atmospheric air is afterwards admitted
on the surface of the liquid, and if necessary, an additional pressure is
given to it by forcing in air until a pressure of about one hundred pounds on
the square inch is attained. While under the action of the vacuum the liquid
should be kept in a constant state of agitation by means of a stirrer or agitator,
whose axis passes through a stuffing box in the cover of the reservoir. When
the operation is finished the liquid is let out of the reservoir by a pipe and stop-
cock at the bottom of the vessel. By this process we manufacture finer and
more brilliant colors than by the other processes at present in use.
We therefore claim as our Invention the preparation of pigments or painters'
colours, the abstraction of a great portion of the air from the component parts of
pigments or painters' colors, and also the compressing of the component parts of
pigments or painters' colors, either separately or two or more of them together,
after the air has been in a great measure abstracted from them with any amount of
pressure whatever. And we also claim the compressing of the component parts of
pigments or painters' colors, either separately or two or more of them together,
without having first abstracted the air therefrom. But we do not claim as our
Invention the separate parts or details of the apparatus whereby this process is
effected, but only the improved process itself, either by means of the apparatus
before described, or by any practicable means at present known for these pur-
poses. As regards the dyeing of wool, silk, flax, hemp, cotton, or other similar
fibrous substances, we do not claim as our Invention the abstraction of air from
fibrous bodies, and afterwards allowing the simple atmospheric pressure to act
upon them. But we do claim as our Invention the application of a greater
pressure than that of the atmosphere to fibrous bodies while immersed in solu-
tions of coloring matter, or of mordants, after the air has been in a great
measure abstracted from them. And we do also claim as our Invention the
improved process, as herein-before described, of exposing fibrous tissues or
bodies to the solutions of coloring matters or of mordants while under the action
either of a partial vacuum or of pressure, in such manner that the said fibrous

page_text: tissues or bodies may be evenly and regularly impregnated with either or both
of the said solutions. But as well in the application of the greater pressure, as
also in the process generally, we do not restrict ourselves to, nor do we claim
as our Invention, the separate details of the apparatus as before described; but
we claim the process, whether performed by means of such apparatus or by
any practicable means at present known for such purposes. And we also
claim the impregnating of these fibrous bodies or tissues, first throughout their
interior parts with any desired coloring matter, by means of the apparatus for
abstracting air and for producing pressure, and by the process we have already
described; and afterwards the external part or surface of the fibrous bodies
or tissues with the same or a different kind of coloring matter by process at
present practised, or any other process whatever. And such our Invention being,
to the best of our knowledge and belief, entirely new, and never before used
within that part of Her Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland called England, Her Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, or in Her said Colonies or Plantations abroad, we do hereby declare
this to be our Specification of the same, and we do verily believe this our said
Specification doth comply fully, and in all respects without reserve or disguise,
with the proviso in the said herein-before in part recited Letters Patent,
wherefore we claim to maintain exclusive right and privilege to our said
Invention.
In witness whereof, we, the said Martyn John Roberts and William Brown,-
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-first day of April,
One thousand eight hundred and forty-two.

page_text: character of the handwriting of Henry Paul, Esquire, of Number 58, Virginia
Street, in the City of Glasgow, Justice of the Peace and Magistrate for
Lanarkshire; and that the name or signature "Henry Paul," set and
subscribed at the foot of the Memorandum of Acknowledgment of a certain
Specification hereto annexed, bearing date the Twenty-first day of April instant,
under the hands and seals of Martyn John Roberts and William Brown, is of
the proper handwriting of the said Henry Paul.
Inrolled the Twenty-sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-two.