CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN DYEING COTTON, FLAXEN, AND HEMPEN YARNS AND FABRICS
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL, COME, I; WILLIAM
NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,.. in the: County, of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal, of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Third day of June, in the eighth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant.. unto me,.; the said
William Newton, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege (and
authority, that I, the said William Newton, my executors, administrators;
and assigns, and such others as I, the said William Newton, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein men-
tioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend," within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, an Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN DYEING COTTON, FLAXEN, AND HEMPEN YARNS AND
FABRICS;" being a communication from a Foreigner residing abroad; in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me the said
William Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be
enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will
more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Newton, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof (that is to say):-
These improvements consist principally in the production of sulphuret of
lead, which is effected, first, -by-means of one of the mordants of lead here-
after described, the novel application of which to the purpose of dyeing con-
stitutes one improvement; and secondly, by the employment of sulphuret of
calcium. Sulphuret of calcium is obtained by boiling quicklime with flowers of
sulphur. The mordants in question are the double plumbate of potash and
lime, the double plumbate of soda and lime, and the subacetate of lead. By
the employment of any one of these mordants and sulphuret of calcium, the
following results are obtained:-First, a slate grey color, composed solely of
sulphuret of lead; second, a fast black dye, having sulphuret of lead for its
base; third, a yellow, having for its base chromate of lead. This has been.
produced before in the art of dyeing, but the mordant employed for that
purpose is less economical than those above mentioned. I will now point
out the manner of obtaining the said mordants, after which I will proceed to
describe their application in the process of dyeing. The subacetate of lead is
formed by the combination of acetic acid with oxide of lead in excess; the
double plumbate of potash and lime is formed by potassiate of lime and oxide
of lead; and the double plumbate of soda and lime is formed of the sodate of
lime and oxide of lead. All these products are obtained by the processes
usually employed in chemistry.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCESS OF DYEING..
The threads or fabrics of cotton, flax, or hemp to be dyed are first: to be
scoured, they are, then to be steeped in a solution of one of the above-men-
tioned mordants of lead, and after being taken out are allowed to drain; they
are then washed with much water. In order to obtain a yellow die, they
must now be passed through a solution of bichromate of potash, which pro-
duces a yellow of greater or less depth, according to the shade required to be
obtained. For a slate grey, composed solely of sulphuret of lead, the threads
or fabrics, after being impregnated with the mordant, are to be dipped in a
solution of sulphate of calcium; the process is finished by softening the shade
in the same manner, as will be presently described for the black. For black;
the threads or fabrics on coming from the mordant are passed through the
sulphuret of calcium, they are then washed and converted into black by means
of iron and logwood, as is generally done by the processes pursued in dyeing

page_text: which give the shade required in commerce. The dye is finally softened in
the ordinary way.
Having now described this Invention, as communicated to me from abroad,
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood
that I claim under the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent,-
Firstly, the application of sulphuret of lead to the purpose of dyeing cotton,
flaxen, and hempen yarns and fabrics.
Secondly, the use of the double plumbates of potash and lime and soda and
lime, as mordants in the process of dyeing; but I lay no claim to subacetate
of lead.
Thirdly, the application of sulphuret of calcium, as above described, and
the method of converting the mordants and the sulphuret of calcium into
sulphuret of lead.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Newton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Second day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.
WILLIAM (L.S.) NEWTON.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Second day of December, in
the year above mentioned, the aforesaid William Newton, came before our
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Third day of December, in the year above written.