THE MANUFACTURE OF NEW OR IMPROVED DYES OR COLOURING MATTER FROM MATERIALS NOT HITHERTO USED FOR SUCH PURPOSES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Walker, of Mansell Street, Aldgate, in the
County of Middlesex, and Peter Augustin Godefroy, of Templer
Road, Homerton, in the said County, Chemist, for the Invention of
"THE MANUFACTURE OF NEW OR IMPROVED DYES OR COLOURING MATTER
FROM MATERIALS NOT HITHERTO USED FOR SUCH PURPOSES."
Sealed the 25th September 1869, and dated the 10th July 1869..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Walker and Peter
Augustin Godefroy at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 10th July 1869.
We, JOHN WALKER, of Mansell Street, Aldgate, in the County of
Middlesex, and PETER AUGUSTIN GODEFROY, of Templer Road, Homerton,
in the said County, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "THE MANUFACTURE OF NEW OR IMPROVED DYES OR COLOURING.
MATTER FROM MATERIALS NOT HITHERTO USED FOR SUCH PURPOSES," to be as
follows, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in extracting and utilizing the colouring
matter from parasites, such as grow in Jamaica and other parts of the

page_text: West Indies, and are known by the natives by the name of "vine"
or "cocoon." The colouring matter is obtained by the well known
processes of steeping, pressing, and boiling, and possesses the peculiar
property of a vegetable dve requiring no mordant.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Walker and Peter Augustin Godefroy in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th January 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
WALKER, of Mansell Street, Aldgate, in the County of Middlesex, and
PETER AUGUSTIN GODEFROY, of Templer Road, Homerton, in the said
County, Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said John Walker and Peter Augustin Godefroy, Her
special licence that we, the said John Walker and Peter Augustin
Godefroy, our executors, administrators, and assigns,, or such others as
we, the said John Walker and Peter Augustin Godefroy, our 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 Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "THE MANUFACTURE
OF NEW OR IMPROVED DYES OR COLOURING MATTER FROM MATERIALS NOT HITHERTO
USED FOR SUCH PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said John Walker and Peter Augustin Godefroy, our exccutors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, 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 we, the said John Walker and Peter Augustin
Godefroy do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention and in

page_text: what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This Invention consists in extracting and utilizing the colouring
matter from the sap, alburnum, and lignin of the ligneous plants and
woody substances such as are found growing in Jamaica and other parts
of the West Indies, particularly those of the parasitic or creeper orders,
commonly known there as "cocoon," by cutting, boiling, and pressing
the same.
In carrying out the said Invention in practice we cut down the plants
and fibres in a green state, by preference when tho sap has begun to fall,
but without any previous tapping of the alburnum; we then split or
separate the fibres longitudinally, and cut them into short lengths
transversely; for this purpose we place the said split or separated
fibres in a trough, at one end of which we mount a rotary or other
cutter, under which the fibres are gradually advanced by means of a
roller, and cut by hand or otherwise, so as to reduce the fibre to very
short lengths (similar to that of coarse chaff); in this condition we place
the said divided fibre'in bags, and then immerse in clean soft boiling
water in a circular cast-iron pan, which for very fine colours may be
lined with glass or be enamelled, and in which pan the fibre should be
kept at a brisk boil for from ten to fifteen minutes; the bags and
contents are then removed and the whole subjected to pressure by
means of a hydraulic or powerful screw press to press out the sap and
colouring matter which flows into a suitable well or receptacle provided
to receive it. The liquid or extract in which the fibre has been boiled,
together with that separated from the fibre by the press, are then mixed
and removed into shallow evaporating pans of an oblong form, to the
bottoms and sides of which heat is applied by means of fire-grates and
flues, the refuse fibre and lignin being used as fuel in whole or in
part. The bags of fibre after having been boiled and pressed, as above
described, once, are again placed in boiling water in the circular pan,
and the boiling and pressing processes repeated until the whole of the
colouring matter has been extracted. In practice we have found a
good size for the evaporating pans to be six feet in length, two feet in
width, and one foot six inches in depth, and for evaporating up to
18° (Twaddle's hydrometer) the heat from the fuel may be applied
directly to their outer surfaces; when, however, it is desired to further
concentrate the extract, a double pan should be used heated by steam

page_text: passing between them to prevent the extract from burning. The boiling
process in the evaporating pans is continued until the residium, extract,
or colouring matter has attained the required semifluid consistency or
solid state, in which respective conditions it is ready for use, and may
afterwards be variously treated according to the colours required to be
made or obtained therefrom.
We hereby further declare that what we claim as our Invention is,―
First. Extracting and utilizing for dying purposes, the colouring
matter from the sap, alburnum, and lignin of ligneous plants of the
creeper or parasitic orders, such as are found growing in Jamaica and
other parts of the West Indies, more particularly from those commonly
known there as "cocoon."
Secondly. The mode of separating or extracting the said colouring
matter herein described.
And, thirdly. The means and appliances herein described therefor,
and for concentrating the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Walker, on behalf of myself
and the said Peter Augustin Godefroy, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
JOHN WALKER. (L.S.)