IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF DYEING AND MANUFACTURE OF TEXTILE FABRICS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Bryan Baker, of Sherwood Street, Notting-
ham, Lace Dyer and Dresser, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE PROCESS OF DYEING AND MANUFACTURE OF TEXTILE FABRICS."
Sealed the 31st July 1866, and dated the 3rd February 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Bryan Baker at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd February 1866.
I, FRANCIS BRYAN BAKER, of Sherwood Street, Nottingham, Lace Dyer
and Dresser, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF DYEING AND MANUFACTURE OF TEXTILE
FABRICS," to be as follows:-
The Invention relates chiefly to the process of dyeing and manufacture
of fabrics composed of mixed materials which are usually made partly or
wholly in self-colour and afterwards dyed black in the fabric, as for
instance, those lace fabrics known as sprigged nets, laces, shawls, and warp
nets which are manufactured of cotton and silk, or cotton and spun silk,
and the object of the Invention is to obviate a difficulty experienced in
dyeing such fabrics, and to produce a better and more durable black
upon them.
The difficulty referred to is occasioned by the different
materials or component parts of such fabrics having different affinities

page_text: for receiving the dye. I may remark here that manufacturers of these
fabrics always prefer to use material in self-colour to using it in a dyed
state, and by my Invention the chief advantages of this plan are retained.
For this purpose, I apply to those parts or materials of mixed fabrics which
have less affinity for the dye than the other parts any suitable mordant
separately and independently before those parts are worked into the fabric,
in order that when the fabric is produced and the dyeing of it proceeded
with those parts which have been previously mordanted may take up a
quantity of "dye" in advance of the other constituents of the fabric.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Francis Bryan Baker in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd August 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
BRYAN BAKER, of Sherwood Street, Nottingham, Lace Dyer and Dresser,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Francis Bryan Baker, Her special licence that I, the said
Francis Bryan Baker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Francis Bryan Baker, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF DYEING AND MANUFACTURE
OF TEXTILE FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Francis Bryan Baker, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should parti-
cularly 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francis Bryan Baker, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The Invention relates to the process of dyeing and manufacture of
fabrics composed of mixed materials which are usually made partly or
wholly in self-color and afterwards dyed black in the fabric, as for instance,
those lace fabrics known as sprigged nets, laces, shawls, and warps which
are manufactured of cotton and; silk, or cotton and spun silk, and the
object of the Invention is to obviate a difficulty experienced in dyeing
such fabrics, and to produce a better and more durable black upon them.
The difficulty referred to is occasioned by the different materials or com-
ponent parts of such fabrics having different affinities for receiving the dye.
I may remark here that manufacturers of these fabrics. always prefer to
use material in self-colour to using it in a dyed state, and by my Invention
the chief advantages of this plan are retained. For this purpose I apply to
those parts or materials of mixed fabrics which have less affinity for the dye
than the other parts any suitable mordant separately and independently
before those parts are worked into the fabric, in order that when the fabric
is produced and the dyeing of it proceeded with those parts which have
been previously mordanted may take up a quantity of "dye" in advance
of the other constituents of the fabric. And I carry out my Invention in
the following manner:-When the fabric to be manufactured is composed of
cotton and silk or cotton and spun silk (such fabric when woven being
intended for black) I take the cotton in the hank, boil it in a bath com-
posed of soda and water, or soap and water, then rinse in clear water, and
afterwards drain, wring, press, or in any other way extract the surperfluous
moisture. I may here say that the operation of removing superfluous
liquor by the "hydro-extractor" is termed "centreing," and this term
will be herein-after used to denote any means by which this end is accom-
plished. I now place the cotton in the mordant liquor, which for a middle
quality of cotton is usually composed of water and nitrate of iron at about
24° Twaddle. I adapt the specific gravity of the mordant to the quality
of the cotton, using more for a common quality and less for a superior
quality. The cotton is worked in the mordant and remains in it about an
hour, it is then laid up, rinsed, centred, dried, made up, and wound for
manufacture. When the cotton thus mordanted is worked with the silk
or other material into a fabric, I proceed with the dyeing of such mixed
fabric thus, 1st, if the fabric is intended to be dyed in the gum I first
scour it with soap and water, rinse in clear water, and next place it in a
bath of diluted logwood liquor, in this bath the cotton becomes dyed with

page_text: the logwood, while the silk (not being mordaunted) remains nearly its
original color. The fabric is now treated as though it were composed
wholly of silk, saddened with copperas and blue stone, and dyed (with soap)
in a logwood and fustic liquor. 2nd, if the fabric is intended to be
"boiled" in order that the gum may be removed from the silk, I do not
follow the usual method of boiling first, but I place the fabric in a bath
composed of diluted logwood liquor, then when the cotton has taken up a
sufficient quantity of dye I centre the fabric, and afterwards boil it in the
usual manner in soap and water, it is next rinsed, and the dyeing proceeded
with as previously described for silk goods. 3rd, if the fabric is required
to feel heavy I proceed in the ordinary manner as for dyeing and weight-
ing by first steeping it in a tan or sumac liquor, then rinsing, saddening
with copperas, and dyeing in a logwood bath. The cotton having the
mordant upon it is dyed a dark color by the sumac, and completely black
along with the silk in the next process.
It is not necessary to add further particulars as to the time required in
the various operations or quantities of soap, copperas, blue stone, logwood,
fustic, & sumac, because dyers know that these vary with the quality of
the materials used, the fabrics operated upon, and particular shades desired,
also it is evident that the operations may be varied, the order modified,
and other mordants and dyes used besides those herein mentioned.
I claim as my Invention the applying of any suitable mordant to those
parts or materials of mixed fabric which have less affinity for the dye than
the other parts separately and independently before those parts are worked
up into the fabric for the purpose of facilitating and improving the dyeing
of such fabrics in the piece.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Bryan Baker, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
F. B. BAKER. (L.S.)