Improvements relating to the Treatment of Skins for use in Furriery and Tawing Operations.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 29th June, 1898-Accepted, 17th Sept., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Treatment of Skins for use in Furriery
and Tawing Operations.
We, FRANCOIS DE RECHTER, Engineer, and GUSTAVE DE RECHTER, Doctor, both
of 7, Avenue de la Toison d'Oor, Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Of the various means hitherto employed or tried with a view of permanently
retaining the hair, or the feathers, on various skins none have given a satis-
factory result in connection with skins of dogs, hares, deers, roe-deers and such
like animals.
We have thought that by reason of the great activity of formic aldehyde or its
polymers on the tissues of skins, this chemical substance may cover or fill up a
blank in the treatment of skins which it would be of notable importance in con-
nection with furriery to remove.
Numerous trials in this regard have proved that our surmise was correct and we
have been able, by the use of formic aldehyde or polymers, to produce a permanent
and absolute fixity for the hair on skins which heretofore have resisted the
ordinary methods of treatment, while yet preserving their glossy appearance
specially required with furs.
Our process consists in submitting the skins, which may be either fresh or dry
but not depilated and not putrified, to the action of formic aldehyde or its polymers,
these chemicals being employed in the form of vapours, either dry or moist, where-
with the atmosphere, to which the skins are exposed, is saturated. In some
instances we may however prefer to immerse the skins in an aqueous alcoholic
solution of 1 to 20 parts of formaline as supplied to the trade, in 100 of the
excipient (alcohol or water) or any other more or less concentrated solution suitable
for the purpose. After having thus treated the skins for several hours they will be
found thoroughly suitable for the operations in connection with furriery and safe
against all risks of subsequent alterations. These skins can also eventually
be submitted to the tawing operation or to any other of the usual operations
in connection with the use of skins for furriers purposes.
The hair or feathers adhere so strongly to the skins so treated that when pulling
very strongly only a portion of their length can be broken or torn off but they can
never be pulled out of the skin. Moreover the hair has a silken appearance and
looks absolutely natural.
The results of this treatment on skins of dogs, hares and rabbits are truly remark-
able. The skins of roebucks, deers or like animals, after having been treated in
the manner hereinbefore described are essentially suited for use as short haired
skins in connection with the art of furriery as the hair of these animals easily
breaks, and this not being modified by the application of formic aldehyde it does
not require a great effort to break them off half way of their length.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is;
-
1. The treatment, by means of formic aldehyde, or its polymers, of non depilated
skins whereby the hairs or feathers thereon are permanently retained without
effecting their quality in regard to the work in connection with furriery and
tawing operations.
2. As a new industrial product the non depilated skins in which the hairs or
feathers have been permanently fixed through the action of formic aldehyde or its
polymers employed either in a gaseous or vapourous form, or as an aqueous
alcoholic or other suitable solution.
2000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.