IMPROVEMENTS IN PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Mellodew, of Oldham, in the County of
Lancaster, Manufacturer, Charles-William Kesselmeyer, of Manchester,
in the said County, Warehouseman, and John Mayo Worrall, of Salford,
in the said County, Dyer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Mellodew, Charles
William Kesselmeyer, and John Mayo Worrall, at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 7th December
1861.
:.
We, THOMAS MELLODEW, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Manu.
facturer, CHARLES WILLIAM KESSELMEYER, of Manchester, in the said County,
Warehouseman, and JOHN MAYO WORRALL, of Salford, in the said County,"
Dyer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN DYEING AND PRINTING CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF WOVEN FABRICS," to be
as follows:-
Our Invention relates to an extended application of a method of dyeing and
printing for which Provisional Protection has been granted to us, bearing
date 17th June 1861, No. 1547. . According to the Provisional Specification.
thereof the said method was stated to be applicable only to velvets, velveteens,
cords, and other such fabrics; and these are ordinarily cut so as to open the :

page_text: floated threads, but since the filing thereof we have discovered that the said
method is applicable to such fabrics with a silk face and cotton or linen back,
ör substantially so, as are not intended to be cut, but which may, if desired,
be raised so as to form a plush or nap, although we do not confine ourselves
to such raising, as all goods (with back and face, as aforesaid,) which are
manufactured so as to be capable thereof, will be benefitted by our improve-
ments.
We propose now, therefore, and as applied to such fabrics as aforesaid, to
apply the solution of iron or other mordant (used for the dyeing or printing)
to the back of the fabric by the process known as padding, and we at present
assume that the subsequent washing will carry sufficient of such mordant to
the silk face, but if not, we propose using an additional solution thereof. Or
more than one mordant may be used if more than one color be desired.
Or by another method we apply the mordant to the cotton or linen yarn
previously to the weaving of the fabric.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Mellodew, Charles. William Kesselmeyer, and John
Mayo Worrall, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th June
`1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
MELLODEW, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturer, CHARLES
WILLIAM KESSELMEYER, of Manchester, in the said County, Warehouseman,
and JOHN MAYO WORRALL,, of Salford, in the said County, Dyer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth-year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
Said Thomas Mellodew; Charles William Kesselmeyer, and John Mayo
Worrall, Her special license, that we,. the said Thomas Mellodew, Charles
William Kesselmeyer, and John Mayo Worrall, our executors, administrators,..
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Mellodew, Charles William
Kesselmeyer, and John Mayo Worrall, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at, any time agree with, and no, others, from tinie, to time, and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully 3
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom. of. Great,

page_text: Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN DYEING AND PRINTING CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF WOVEN
FABRICS," upon the condition, amongst others, that we, the said Thomas
Mellodew, Charles William Kesselmeyer, and John Mayo Worrall, by an
instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal
of one of us, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent:
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles William Kesselmeyer, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say):-
"
Our Invention relates to an extended application of a method of dyeing and
printing for which Letters Patent were granted to us, dated Seventeenth June,
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, No. 1547, and refers to certain
descriptions of woven fabrics with a silk face and cotton or linen 'back, or
substantially so, which are manufactured in such a manner that the silk
surface thereof may be raised so as to form a plush or nap according to the
Specification filed in accordance with the above Letters Patent. The said
method was stated to be applicable only to velvets, velveteens, cords, and other
such fabrics, with floated threads as are woven with a silk face and cotton
back, or substantially so, and it was also stated that these fabrics usually
consist, firstly, of a close and firm back of grey or undyed cotton warp threads
interwoven at intervals for the purpose of forming this back, with weft threads
either of cotton or silk; and, secondly, of a floating surface of silk weft threads,
which are interwoven with the warp threads of the back in such a manner as
to cover one side of such back, and to produce races between the floating
weft threads of the surface and the back of the fabric into which races a cutters'
knife and guide can be introduced in order to cut open and divide the floating
weft threads of the surface, thus producing the plush or pile of the fabric. We'
now find that the said method of printing and dyeing may be applied also to
such fabrics with a silk face and cotton or linen back; or substantially so, as
are not intended to be cut as aforesaid, but in which a plusli or nap may be
produced by raising the silk surface instead of cutting open the silk threads of
such surface, altho' we do not confine ourselves to such process of raising, as
all goods with back and face, as aforesaid, which are manufactured so as to be
.capable thereof will be benefitted by our improvements. This class of fabrics
may be manufactured in various ways; either so as to consist, firstly, of a closer

page_text: and firm back of grey or undyed cotton warp threads, interwoven at intervals
for the purpose of forming this back with weft threads either of cotton or silk;
and, secondly, of a floating surface of silk weft threads, which are interwoven
with the warp threads of the back, in such a manner as to cover one side of
such back, and so as either to produce races or no races between the floating
weft threads of the surface and the back of the fabric, as aforesaid, which
class of fabrics includes velvets, velveteens, cords, and other such fabrics, with
,a close and firm back, on which a plush or nap has been or may be produced
by raising the floating surface with cards, instead of cutting the floating weft
threads open with a cutters' knife, as before alluded to. Or these fabrics may
be manufactured without any such close and firm back, as aforesaid, and
consist entirely of floating silk weft threads interwoven with grey or undyed
cotton warp threads in such a manner as to form either on one or both sides of
the fabric a more or less floating surface of silk weft threads, on which surface
or surfaces a plush or nap can be produced by the process commonly called
"raising." This second class of fabrics includes twills of all sorts, jeans,
jeanets, satteens, satin tops, the fabrics usually called five shafts, reformers,
imperials, and other such like fabrics, which may be manufactured in great
variety without any close or firm back, and which yet may be raised, as
aforesaid. Or else the surface of these fabrics may be produced by floating
silk warp threads interwoven with grey or undyed cotton weft threads in such
a manner as either to form a close and firm back, as aforesaid, or not, and so
that the surface of the fabric is produced by the silk warp threads floating over
the cotton weft threads, as, for instance, in nankeens, satins, and drills, upon
which fabrics a plush or nap can be produced by raising the surface in the
direction from selvage to selvage, the general character of which fabrics, by
whatever name they may pass, will be at once recognized by all.competent
persons.
3
Having thus described the particular class of fabrics to which our Invention
relates, it will be obvious that when such fabrics are submitted to the usual
process of dyeing one or other of the following results is found to take place.
If the process of dyeing. be adapted to the silk contained in the fabric the
cotton contained in the back of the same will be of a different shade to the
silk. If the process of dyeing be adapted to the cotton contained in the back
of the fabric the strength of the mordaunt required for this purpose will have
a tendency to injure the silk face, plush, or nap, and more or less to destroy the
silky appearance of the plush or nap when dyed and finished. Now our
Invention has for its object the production. of a colour upon. both these mate-
rials without injury. to the silk face of the fabric, and this we accomplish by

page_text: previously applying the solution of iron or other mordaunt to the back only of
the above-described fabrics by the process known as " padding," the subsequent
washing out in water conveying sufficient of such mordaunt washed out of the
back to the silk face of the fabric either with or without a slight addition of.
such mordaunt, according to the shade of colour required. By means of this
process a larger quantity or greater strength of such mordaunt is applied to the
cotton in the back of the fabric than to the silk face of the same, so that in the
subsequent process of dyeing a colour is produced at the same time upon both
these materials without injury to the silk face. If another colour be desired.
for the silk face than for the cotton back of the fabric, either another mordaunt
may be used during or after the washing out above referred to, or the silk face
may be dyed in the usual manuer after having been thus washed out, some.
colours requiring the second mordaunt, and others doing without it. Bj
another method. we apply the mordaunt to the cotton yarn previously to the
weaving of the fabric and-thus produce a similar result to that described above
after the fabric has been dyed:
We now proceed to describe particularly the manner in which our Invention*
is to be performed: After the fabrics have been woven they may either be
raised with cards or other raising apparatus in the usual manner, or at this
time that operation may be omitted; then they are steeped in warm water in
order to dissolve the stiffening previously put in the warp threads preparatory..
to weaving, and also other impurities which may from any cause exist in 'such'
fabrics; then they are cleansed from the stiffening and other dissolved impu-
rities by submitting them to the process of scouring and washing, by which
such impurities are beaten or dashed out of the fabric while tundergoing a
continuous process of rincing in water. Then such cleansed fabrics are dried in
a stove through the action of hot air or on a drying machine by passing them:
over heated cylinders. Then such fabrics are submitted to the action of cards
for raising until the plush or nap is of the desired length; then such fabrics
may be submitted to the process of shearing in a shearing machine in order to
take. off the loose fibres and to reduce the plush to the required length; or if
great or unequal lengths of plush is required this process of shearing may be
omitted: Then: such fabrics are cleansed by passing them through solutions
of soda and spirits of salts, and washed out again in water; then they are dried
either in a stove by the action. of hot air or on a drying. machine by passing:
them over heated cylinders. Next such fabrics are padded" on the back
with a solution of iron or other mordaunt, which we prefer to be without.
thickening matters; then they are washed out again in water, during which
process an additional quantity of such mordaunt may be added to the water if

page_text: required. Or if another colour be desired for the silk face than for the back
of the fabrics another mordaunt may be used either during the above or
subsequent process of washing. Then such fabrics are dyed, in the usual way
of silk dyeing, to the required shade or color; then they are again submitted
to the process of washing out, to remove any superfluous matter adhering to
them; then such dyed fabrics, are again dried in a stove or on a drying
machine, as before stated. Then the plush or nap of such fabrics, which
during the process of dyeing has naturally got more or less clotted together,
is again raised with cards in order to loosen and straighten such plush or
nap; then such fabrics may again be submitted, for the second time, to.
the process of shearing in a shearing machine in order to take off the loose
fibres and reduce the plush to the required length, or this process may be
'omitted; as before stated; and, lastly, such fabrics are finished in various
ways, by means of which processes, a gloss or lustre is put on the plush
or nap, so that the fabric becomes ready for sale or use. .
14
These processes, save and except the application of a mordaunt to the back
only of the above-described fabrics by the process of padding, are all known
to the practical dyer and finisher, and are merely described for the purpose of
pointing out in what part of the manufacture our Invention comes into opera-
tion. The manner in which these processes follow each other may be varied in
some measure in order to adapt them to the particular texture of the fabric, and
to the length or fullness of plush or nap required, on which account the raising
of the surface may be performed, either wholly or partly, in the dry or wet
state of the fabric.
We have in the foregoing description spoken of fabrics with a silk face
and cotton or linen back, which may, if desired, be raised so as to form a
plush or nap on the surface thereof, but we do not confine our Invention to
fabrics which have been thus raised, as before stated, as the same is applicable
also to all such fabrics (with back and face, as aforesaid), which are manufac-
tured in such a manner as to be capable of being raised, as aforesaid, but
which are also suitable for being dyed and finished without any plush or nap
having been produced on the surface thereof by the process of raising. In
this case, the manner of treating and finishing such unraised fabrics must be
adapted to the altered circumstances of the case, but the application of the
principle of our Invention by applying the solution of iron or other mordaunt
to the back of the fabric by the process known as "padding" remains the
same, whether such fabrics have been previously raised or not..
Our Invention of applying the mordaunt to. the cotton yarn previously to
the weaving of the fabric, we carry out in various, ways, as follows:-We take

page_text: the cotton yarn intended to be used either for warp 'or weft, scour it or leave
it unscoured, and saturate it in a solution of iron or other mordaunt. com=
monly used by dyers. We next dry these hanks, and wind the yarn either.
upon bobbins, if it is to be used for. warp, or upon spools or cops ready for
weaving if..for weft. If. for warp, we wind the yarn from the bobbins either
on to beams or make it up in regular. warps by means of a warping' mill, and
afterwards pass these warp
threads through size or paste; and dry them in the:
usual manner of sizing or dressing, though the latter processes may be dis-
dispensed with. if the yarn is of sufficient strength for weaving without being
sized or.dressed. If the yarn is to be used for weft we can leave it in the
cops: (as it comes from the spindle), through which we pass wooden skewers,
and then steep them in a solution of iron or other mordaunt, as named above,
or force such mordaunt into the interior of the cops by a pump, in the manner
well known to weavers of wet wove fabrics, after which process we dry such
cops by rapid revolution or the application of hot air; or, in any other way,
for effecting this purpose. Cops treated in this manner will also answer
either in the single state or double for warp threads. If the yarn is to be
used for warp we can make it to pass through the mordaunt, as aforesaid, either-
during the process of winding on; bobbins from the cops or of warping,
whether on beams or in regular warps; or we can make the warp threads
pass through such mordaunt after the same have been wound on beams, or
made into regular warps previously to such warp threads being sized or
dressed; or we can mix such mordaunt with the size or paste used in the
process of sizing or dressing, by which the necessary stiffening of the warp
threads is accomplished along with the mordaunting of them at the same time
and by one process; or we can apply such mordaunt to the warp threads after
the same have been sized or stiffened, as aforesaid, by passing them between
rollers, which are made to convey sufficient of such mordaunt to the yarn, and
to squeeze it into it at the same time.
Although we have thus particularly described what we consider to be the
best ways of applying the mordaunt to the yarn, either warp or weft, previous
to weaving the above-named fabrics, we do not confine ourselves, to those ways
alone, as the same object may be accomplished in various other ways. After the
weaving of the fabric with such mordaunted warp or weft has been accomplished
the processes of scouring, raising, shearing, dyeing, and finishing are applied to
it in the usual manner, or they may be varied to suit the altered circumstances.
of the case. We have above particularly alluded to fabrics which have a
silk face and a cotton back or substantially so, and it will appear to all com-
petent persons that the object of using these two materials is to economise the

page_text: more expensive; a similar effect therefore may be obtained by using linen
instead of cotton, and it will be seen by all practical dyers that our Invention
is applicable to that modification of manufacture.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it 5
to be understood that we claim as secured to us under the above in part
recited Letters Patent,-
Firstly, the application of the solution of iron or other mordaunt by the
process of padding to the back only of such fabrics, as aforesaid.
Secondly, the use for the above described fabrics of yarn, of cotton, or other 1
such material, as aforesaid, which is prepared only for dyeing by the applica->
tion of a mordaunt.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles William Kesselmeyer, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
1
C. W. KESSELMEYER. (L.S.)