IMPROVEMENTS IN THE OPERATION OF TANNING
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
WARINGTON, late of South Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, but now of
Apothecaries Hall, in the City of London, Gentleman, send greeting.
7
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-fifth day of March, in the ninth year of Her reign, did
give and grant unto me, the said Robert Warington, my exors, admors,
and assign, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I
the said Robert Warington, my exors, admors, and assigns, and such others
as I, the said Robert Warington, my exors, admors, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within Her Islands of Jersey, Guernsey,
Alderney, Sark, and Man, and also in Her Colonies and Plantations abroad,
my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE OPERATION OF TANNING;" in which
said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, that I, the said Robert
Warington, shall particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my.said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, to be enrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within four calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Robert Warington, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the

page_text: manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and
ascertained as follows, that is to say:-
My improvements are applicable to all kinds of hides and skins, whether
dry, salted, or fresh.
First, for soaking or preparing the skins for unhairing. This I do by means
of the carbonates of potass or soda; the latter, from its cheapness, is to be pre-
ferred, and dissolved in water, in the proportion of from one to two pounds of
the carbonate to ten gallons of water.
Second, for the preparing the hides or skins for unhairing, and at the
same time swelling them, or for swelling them only; and this I do by
various agents, which I shall here divide into three classes, viz., first class,
baryta, potass, and soda; second class, muriatic acid, nitric acid, oxalic acid,
and all other acids except sulphuric acid; third class, vegetable matters, such
as the culinary rhubarbs, sorrel, apple, marc, vine cuttings, and many others
which from locality and other circumstances may be economically employed.
The agents I prefer to use are as follows:-Of the first class, soda dissolved in
water, in the proportion of from half a pound to a pound of the dry carbonate
to ten gallons of water, being rendered caustic by about half its weight of fresh
burnt lime.
Of the second class, I prefer, on account of its cheapness, the
muriatic acid diluted with water, which I use in the proportion of from half a
pound to two pounds of the acid of commerce, of specific gravity 1-17, water
being 1.0, mixed with ten gallons of water. Of the third class, I prefer the
culinary rhubarbs bruised and mixed with water, in the proportion of from one
to ten pounds of the rhubarb to one gallon of water. As the details of the
method of unhairing and fleshing the hides or skins, when ready for that purpose,
are the same as those usually followed, and are well known to all practical men,
they are not here stated.
Thirdly, for the use of the carbonates of ammonia in the operation of
graining; and this I employ in the proportions of from half a pound to four
pounds of them, dissolved in ten gallons of water.
Fourthly, for the use of green vegetable matter, bruised, as culinary rhubarb,
bruised potatoes, &c., or chemical agents capable of deoxidizing, or preventing
oxidation, as gum, starch, certain compounds of sulphur, which are to be
mixed in small proportions with the tanning material, as barks, divi divi, or
extracts, as rino, catechu, &c., the vegetable matters consisting of culinary
rhubarb, bruised potatoes, &c., the chemical agents of gum, starch, certain
compounds of sulphur, such as sulphuret of sodium, sulphite or hyposulphite
of soda and analogous compounds, and in the proportions following (that is to
say), one to ten pounds of culinary rhubarb, potatoes, starch, &c. to every one

page_text: hundred gallons of tanning liquor, and from one quarter of a pound to three of
the sulphur compounds to every one hundred gallons of tanning liquor.
Fifthly, for the use of bichromate of potass in solution, or diluted sulphuric
acid, for the preservation of animal matter, so as to prevent putrefaction:
When the bichromate of potass is used, I employ from one-eighth to half a
pound of the bichromate to one hundred gallons of water; and in the case of
sulphuric acid, in proportions of from a quarter of a pound to a pound of the
acid to ten gallons of water. Into either of these solutions the skins, or any
other animal substances in their moist state are to be immersed and kept from
the dust.
I do not claim the use of any of the proportions herein-before given, as these
must be regulated by the nature of the material operated upon and the tem-
perature of the air and season when it is employed; but what I claim is, first,
the use of carbonates of soda or potass for soaking the hides or skins so as to
enable the hair being readily removed.
Secondly, the employment of baryta, potass, soda, muriatic acid, nitric acid;
oxalic acid, and any other acid (except the sulphuric), as also vegetable matters,
as culinary rhubarb, sorrel, apple, marc, &c. for the purpose of facilitating the
removal of the hair and at the same time swelling the hide or skin, or for
swelling them only.
Thirdly, the use of the carbonates of ammonia as a grainer, for the purpose
of graining hides or skins.
Fourthly, the employment of vegetable matters and chemical agents capable
of retarding oxidation, such matters or agents to be used with the tanning
agent employed.
Fifthly and lastly, the use of bichromote of potass in solution, or diluted
sulphuric acid, for preserving skins or other animal substances.
And such my Invention being to the best of my knowledge and belief new
and never before used in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and
Man, nor in Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, I hereby claim
to maintain exclusive right and privilege to the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Warington, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-six.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fourth day of July, in
the year of our Lord 1846, the aforesaid Robert Warington came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all. and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose..
"
Enrolled the Twenty-fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-six.