Improvements in the Treatment of Fabrics Printed or Dyed with Several Colours.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 7th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 18th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Treatment of Fabrics Printed or Dyed with
Several Colours.
A communication from FAVRE and BRAUN, of Mulhausen, Alsace, German
Empire, Merchants.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of 46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
London, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
It is known that when fabrics printed or dyed with several colours, are treated in
a lukewarm or boiling soap bath, certain colours which are not thoroughly fixed,
leave the fibre or fabric and are then taken up by the adjacent fixed colours which
in this case act as mordants.
It is more particularly basic colouring matters fixed with tannin and tartar emetic,
and amongst which may be especially mentioned methylene blue and induline, that
are not sufficiently combined with the fibre after passing through the tartar emetic,
to prevent running or removal during the soaping operation, of the portion of such
colouring, matter not thoroughly fixed.
On the other hand certain colours, such for instance as, the alizarine colours,
eagerly take up in the soap bath, other colouring matters, especially those above
referred to, and are thereby injuriously effected, losing their original shade, and
becoming generally very clouded.
Thus a bright alizarine red when printed on fabric that has also been printed with
methylene blue, becomes after the soaping of the fabric, completely bordeaux
colour. The same disadvantageous result takes place when a piece of fabric dyed
with alizarine red is soaped with another piece of fabric dyed with methylene blue.
Printers and dyers are therefore obliged to keep many expensive soap baths, and
to frequently replace the used ones with fresh ones..
For the same reasons, it has also been impossible to obtain certain combinations
of colours in printing fabrics.
The means heretofore tried for obtaining better results have failed, but the treat-
ment hereinafter described renders it possible to work for a long time with the same
soap bath, and to effect the soaping of fabrics printed with several colours without
one or more of the colours being injuriously affected by the other colour or colours.
Now according to the present invention there is introduced into the soap bath a
compound of tannin with a metallic oxide, as for example taunate of antimony, or
of zinc, or in lieu thereof, there may be used the precipitate obtained by adding to
an extract containing tannin, such as a decoction of sumach, a metallic salt that
will form an insoluble salt with the tannin present, as for example salts of antimony,
zinc, lead or tin.
The unfixed colouring matter or matters or colour varnish or varnishes removed
from the fabric during the soaping operation combine with these tannin compounds
or precipitates and are consequently not taken up by the other colouring matter or
matters remaining on the fibre or fabric.
The tannin compound employed is introduced into the soap bath in the form of
paste and to the extent of from about 20% to 50% of the weight of soap employed,
the soaping operation being effected in the usual manner. Thus if a soap bath
contains 5 kilogs. of soap per cubic meter of water, there can be added to the
bath from about 1 to 24 kilogs. for instance, of tannate of antimony in the form of

page_text: a paste. The bath thus prepared can be used for weeks. When required, it can
be improved by adding thereto fresh material.
Dated this 6th day of June 1890.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham.
Improvements in the Treatment of Fabrics Printed or Dyed with
Several Colours.
A communication from FAVRE and BRAUN, of Mülhausen, Alsace, German
Empire, Merchants.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of 46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
London, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
It is known that when fabrics printed or dyed with several colours are treated in
a lukewarm or boiling soap bath, certain colours which are not thoroughly fixed,
leave the fibre or fabric and are then taken up by the adjacent fixed colours which
in this case act as mordants.
It is more particularly basic colouring matters fixed with tannin and tartar emetic,
and amongst which may be especially mentioned methylene blue and induline, that
are not sufficiently combined with the fibre after passing through the tartar emetic,
to prevent running or removal during the soaping operation, of the portion of such
colouring matter not thoroughly fixed.
On the other hand certain colours, such for instance as, the alizarine colours,
eagerly take up in the soap bath, other colouring matters, especially those above
referred to, and are thereby injuriously affected, losing their original shade, and
becoming generally very clouded.
Thus a bright alizarine red when printed on fabric that has also been printed with
methylene blue, becomes after the soaping of the fabric, completely bordeaux
colour. The same disadvantageous result takes place when a piece of fabric
dyed with alizarine rea is soaped with another piece of fabric dyed with methylene
blue.
Printers and dyers are therefore obliged to keep many expensive soap baths, and
to frequently replace the used ones with fresh ones.
For the same reasons, it has also been impossible to obtain certain combinations
of colours in printing fabrics.
The means heretofore tried for obtaining better results have failed, but the treat-
ment hereinafter described renders it possible to work for a long time with the same
soap bath, and to effect the soaping of fabrics printed with several colours without
one or more of the colours being injuriously affected by the other colour or
colours.
Now according to the present invention there is introduced into the soap bath a
compound of tannin with a metallic oxide, as for example tannate of antimony, or
of zinc, or in lieu thereof, there may be used the precipitate obtained by adding to
an extract containing tannin, such as a decoction of sumach, a metallic salt that will
form an insoluble salt with the tannin present, as for example salts of antimony,
zinc, lead or tin.
The unfixed colouring matter or matters, or colour varnish or varnishes removed
from the fabric during the soaping operation, combine with these tannin compounds
or precipitates and are consequently not taken up by the other colouring matter or
matters remaining on the fibre or fabric.
The tannin compound employed is introduced into the soap bath in the form of
paste and to the extent of from about 20% to 50% of the weight of soap

page_text: employed, the soaping operation being effected in the usual manner. Thus if a
soap bath contains 5 kilogs. of soap per cubic meter of water, there can be added
to the bath from about 1 to 2 kilogs. for instance, of tannate of antimony in the
form of a paste. The bath thus prepared can be used for weeks. When required,
it can be improved by adding thereto fresh material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
For the purpose of preventing one or more of the fixed colouring matters in
fabrics printed or dyed with several colours, from becoming injuriously affected
by the action thereon during soaping, of unfixed colouring matter, or inatters,
treating such fabrics to the action of a soap bath containing a compound of tannin
with a metallic oxide, or the precipitate obtained by adding to an extract containing
tannin a metallic salt that will form an insoluble salt with the tannin present, as for
example a salt of antimony, zinc, lead or tin, as set forth.
Dated this 18th day of February 1891
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham.