IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN PREPARING AGENTS FOR DYEING, PREPARING FOR DYEING, AND TANNING, AND APPLYING CERTAIN OF THE RESULTING PRODUCTS FOR OBTAINING PULP FOR PAPER AND PASTEBOARD, AND THE MANUFACTURE OF BLACKING
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael Henry, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN
PREPARING AGENTS FOR DYEING, PREPARING FOR DYEING, AND TANNING, AND
APPLYING CERTAIN OF THE RESULTING PRODUCTS FOR OBTAINING PULP FOR PAPER
AND PASTEBOARD, AND THE MANUFACTURE OF BLACKING."-A communication
from J. B. Vasseur and A. Houbigant.
Sealed the 23rd November 1858, and dated the 29th May 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Henry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th
May 1858.
I, MICHAEL HENRY, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND IN PREPARING AGENTS FOR DYEING, PREPARING FOR DYEING, AND TANNING,
AND APPLYING CERTAIN OF THE RESULTING PRODUCTS FOR OBTAINING PULP FOR
PAPER AND PASTEBOARD, AND THE MANUFACTURE OF BLACKING," (communicated to
me by J. B. Vasseur and A. Houbigant, foreigners residing abroad,) to be as
follows:-
This Invention principally relates to the application and treatment with
acids or with chlorine of vegetable agents for dyeing, preparing for dyeing, and
tanning, certain of the resulting products being applicable for pulp and
blacking making.

page_text: T propose to employ for dyeing and preparing for dyeing concentrated baths
of vegetable matters containing resinous substances and tannin (such as gall
nut, sumac, female alder flowers, or others with like astringent and extractive
principles), treated with acids or chlorine to increase their astringent energy
and convert the resin into artificial tannin (or not so treated); also vegetable
substances containing resinous matters but no tannin (such as hazel nut
flowers, osier & walnut peel, nettle roots, male alder flowers, &c., pear-tree
bark, &c.,) treated with acids or with chlorine; and vegetable natters contain-
ing a bitter and styptic principle, (such as gentian, lucern roots, and fodder
plants) treated with acids or chlorine. And I propose to treat tanning agents
or matters, such as tan, oak bark, or sumac, &c., with chlorine or with acids
in order to free the materials tanned therewith from colour.
The fibrous and filamentous residua of the baths (for dyeing purposes) are
applicable as pulp for paper and pasteboard. The decoctions are evaporated
to deposit gummy, earthy, and resinous matters and salts (which may be
sometimes assisted by sulphuret of carbon). The deposits of the decoctions
of the baths containing tannin, mixed with a salt of iron and gum or treacle,
forms a serviceable blacking (but not when sulphuret of carbon is used).
In performing this Invention, materials to be dyed may be subjected to
alternate baths of salts of iron and "tanning" or gall, &c., liquid.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Michael Henry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th November 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHAEL
HENRY, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand cight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, givo and grant unto me, the said
Michael Henry, Her special licence that I, the said Michael Henry, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Michael
Henry, 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
rend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel

page_text: Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN PRE-
PARING AGENTS FOR DYEING, PREPARING FOR DYEING, AND TANNING, AND APPLYING
CERTAIN OF THE RESULTING PRODUCTS FOR OBTAINING PULP FOR PAPER AND PASTE-
BOARD AND THE MANUFACTURE OF BLACKING," communicated to me by Vasseur
and Houbigant, foreigners residing abroad, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Michael Henry, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, 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 sanie 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 Michael Henry, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof as communicated to me, that is to say:
This Invention principally relates to the application and treatment with
acids or chlorine of vegetable agents, for purposes of dyeing, preparing for
dyeing, and tanning, certain of the resulting products being applicable for
pulp and the manufacture of blacking.
According to these improvements the Inventors employ, for dyeing and
preparing for dyeing, concentrated baths of (1st), vegetable matters containing
resinous substances and tannin, such as gall nut, sumac, female alder flowers, or
others with like astringent and extractive principles, treated or not with acids or
chlorine, the treatment with acids or chlorine increasing the astringent energy
and converting the resin into artificial tannin; (2nd), vegetable matters
containing resinous substances but no tannin (such as hazel nut flowers, osier
peel, nettle root, male alder flowers, pear-tree bark, &c.,) treated with acids
or with chlorine; and, (3rd), vegetable matters containing a bitter or styptic
principle, such as gentian, lucerne root, and fodder plants, treated with acids
or with chlorine: According to this Invention, also vegetable tanning agents
or matters containing tannin (such as tan, oak bark, sumac, &c.,) are treated
with chlorine or acids, in order to deprive such agents of color and obtain
colourless tanning products by tanning skins and bides therewith.
The Invention further relates to obtaining pulp and blacking from the
resulting products. The fibrous and filamentous residua of the baths used
for dyeing, as aforesaid, are applicable as pulp for paper and pasteboard. The
decoctions are evaporated, so that they may deposit carthy, gummy, and
resinous matters and salts, and this may be sometimes assisted by sulphuret
of carbon. The deposit of the decoctions containing tannin, combined with a.

page_text: salt of iron and gum or treacle, forms a serviceable blacking, but not when
sulphuret of carbon is used.
In performing this Invention, the materials to be dyed may be subjected to
alternate baths of salt of iron and of the tanning or gall, &c. liquid.
The vegetable dyeing and preparing agents before referred to may, for con-
venience of this Specification, be considered as belonging to three classes :-
First, those containing resinous substances and tannin, such as gall nut, sumac,
female alder flowers, cachou, &c.; second, those containing resinous substances
but no tannin, such as hazel-nut flowers, osier peel, nettle root, nettle stalk, male
alder flowers, certain skins of fruits, such as walnut skins, and bark of trees,
such as pear-tree bark; third, those containing a bitter or styptic principle
such as gentian, lucerne root, and fodder plants. Baths of vegetable sub-
stances of the 1st class are especially adapted for treating scoured silks, &c.,
on subsequently dyeing which black, excellent products will be obtained, the
fabric takes the dye better, and gains in grain and appearance, and also in
strength, the bath consolidating the texture. The agents may be advan-
tageously used for dyeing silks black. The preparation with acids or chlorine
may be dispensed with, but the effect would be weakened by such omission.
Baths of agents of the 2nd class may be employed with advantage for
strengthening scoured silk, and preparing it for being dyed in any except light
shades. Baths of the 3rd class of agents may be used for siks of other shades.
The 1st class of agents precipitate salts of iron in blue black, the 2nd class
dye them dark olive green, and the 3rd class do not act on them at all. The
coloring matters contained in vegetable bodies being decolorized by contact
with chlorine and acids, silk, &c. treated therewith is in fit condition to receive
coloring agents for light shades. The decoctions are evaporated at a somewhat
high point, say 10°, to effect precipitation of salts and gummy, earthy, and
resinous matters in suspension therein, which is completely accomplished
thereby, all suspension being done away with. At the bottom of the vessels
containing decoctions in which salts of iron are precipitated of a black color,
composed as before stated, but wherein natural and artificial tannin remain, 'a
deposit is formed, from which, after adding a salt of iron and treacle or gum,
an improved blacking is manufactured, having the advantage of preserving
leather (to which it may be applied) in good condition. When sulphuret
of carbon is applied, the deposit is more rapidly formed, and the resinous
matters are eliminated, but there would be nothing left to form our blacking.
The concentration of the liquids or baths is an important feature in the
process, as it is requisite for exciting a deposit of the gummy and carthy
matters, which, if allowed to fix in the silks, &c. would impede their absorp-

page_text: tion of the astringent and extractive principle. The number of baths, and
temperature, and degree of concentration may be varied according to the
product desired.
Though many of these improvements are especially applicable to dyeing
silk, they may also be applied to other textile fabrics and filamentous materials.
The best dyeing effects are produced by subjecting the materials to be dyed to
a salt of iron bath and gall or other astringent bath, alternately, repeating
such consecutive operations till the proper dye and appearance shall have been
obtained. The process may begin either with the salt of iron bath or the gall-
nut bath, at pleasure. The fibrous and filamentous residua are rendered
particularly applicable for employment as pulp, for the manufacture of various
descriptions of paper and pasteboard, by the bleaching which they undergo in
consequence of the preparation of the vegetable matters with acids or chlorine,
and by the disintegration resulting from boiling. The action of the baths may
be reduced or modified by combining with the ingredients described any
known substanco as desired, without departing from the nature of this
Invention.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same may be performed, I declare that what I claim is,―
First, producing agents for the aforesaid purposes, by preparing or treating
vegetable matters containing tannin or resinous matters, or tannin and resinous
matters combined, by means of chlorine or acids, thereby obtaining an artificial
tannin therefrom, while destroying their coloring principles, and adapting the
products for being utilized for dyeing purposes in any required shade.
Second, the employment of concentrated baths of female alder flowers, gall-
nut, or vegetable matters of like nature, as herein-before referred to, whether
prepared or not with chlorine or acids, for treating silk and other materials in
order to remove the gummy and earthy matters, and so facilitate their
absorption of the dyeing agents.
Third, the employment as pulp, in or for the manufacture of paper and
pasteboard, of the fibrous and filamentous residua of the baths used in dyeing,
the same being rendered suitable for the purpose by the bleaching which they
undergo resulting from the use of acids or chlorine, and the disintegration
produced by boiling.
Fourth, the employment, in the manufacture of an improved blacking, of
the deposits obtained by the concentration of baths of vegetable matters con-
taining tannin, treated with chlorine or acids, prepared in the manner herein-
before described.
Fifth, tho employment, for tanning skins and hides, of tan, sumac, and

page_text: matters having tannin for their base, prepared with chlorine or acids, for the
purpose of obtaining colorless products.
Sixth, the production of colorless tanned hides and skins as a new manu-
facture, by effecting the tanning of the same by means of vegetable tanning
agents, treated with chlorine or acids.
Seventh, the application of (more or less) concentrated baths of male alder
flowers, hazel-nut flowers, osier peel, neetle roots, and other vegetable sub-
stances of the like nature, herein styled the second class of agents, prepared
with acids or chlorine, for the purpose of preparing silk and other materials
for being dyed in black and dark shades.
Eighth, the employment, for purposes of dyeing in light shades, of baths of
vegetable substances (herein styled the third class), containing bitter and
styptic principles (especially lucerne roots, gentian, and fodder plants), prepared
with chlorine or acids.
Ninth, the various modes herein-before described, of applying the con-
centrated baths, the deposits thereof, and the residua of their components or
ingredients.
In witness whereof, I, the said Michael Henry, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of November, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
C. II. LANGMEAD.
M. HENRY. (L.S.)