IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL LEATHER.
Year: 1874

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LETTERS PATENT to Cristoforo Muratori, of No. 29, Burton Crescent,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL LEATHER.
Sealed the 30th October 1874, and dated the 30th April 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Cristoforo Muratori at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th April 1874.
I, CRISTOFORO MURATORI, of No. 29, Burton Crescent, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL LEATHER," to be as
follows:-
The object of my Invention is to produce an imitation of leather or a
substitute for leather which may be suitable for all purposes to which
ordinary leather is now applied.

page_text: The Invention consists in forming a bath by dissolving alum and
muriate of soda in cold water until complete saturation, that is to say,
until the water has absorbed as much of the alum and muriate of soda
as it can take up.
Into this solution I immerse the stuff to be manu-
factured into my artificial leather, and which may be of cotton, linen,
wool, or any other fibre or fabric and leave it immersed for about four
days. The alum and muriate of soda slowly react upon one another
and give up chloride of alumina which unites with the stuff so as to
form the imitation leather. The stuff is then removed from the bath and
exposed to the air until it is dry. A second bath is then prepared by
dissolving one ounce of glove waste or waste pieces of glove leather (poïl
de gant) in twelve parts of cold water. This is then caused to boil until
the water has evaporated down to 8 parts, and when this has taken
place I add one ounce of alum to the bath.
bath for a short time,
The stuff is now ready
The stuff which has been immersed in the first bath, as described, and
afterwards dried is now immersed in the second
say five minutes, when it is removed and dried.
for the ordinary treatment of leather.
The chief advantages of my imitation leather are its suppleness, its
bad conductability of heat combined with its porosity, and the great
economy of its manufacture; it is also uninflammable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Cristoforo Muratori in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 30th October 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CRISTOFORO 2
MURATORI, of No. 29, Burton Crescent, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty- 3
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Cristoforo Muratori, Her special licence
that I, the said Cristoforo Muratori, my executors, administrators, and

page_text: assigns, or such others as I, the said Cristoforo Muratori, 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 Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL LEATHER," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Cristoforo Muratori, my executors or admi-
nistrators, by an instrument 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 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.
D
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Cristoforo Muratori, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say:―
The object of my Invention is to produce an imitation of leather or
a substitute for leather which may be suitable for all purposes to
which ordinary leather is now applied, and to which give the name
"vegetable "leather.
This Invention consists in forming a bath by dissolving alum and
muriate of soda in cold water until complete saturation, that is to say,
until the water has absorbed as much of the alum and muriate of soda
as it can take up. Into this mixture I immerse the stuff to be manu-
factured into my artificial or vegetable leather, which may be of cotton,
linen, wool, or any other fibre or fabric, and leave it immersed for about
four days. The alum and muriate of soda slowly react upon one another
and give up chloride of alumina which unites with the stuff so as to
form the imitation leather. The stuff is then removed from the bath
and exposed to the air until it is dry. A second bath is then prepared
by dissolving one ounce of glove waste or waste pieces of glove leather
(peau de gant) or glue in twelve parts of cold water. This is then
caused to boil until the water has evaporated down to 8 parts, and
when this has taken place I add one ounce of alum to the bath so that

page_text: parts of water.
The stuff which has been immersed in the first bath, as described, and
afterwards dried is now immersed in the second bath for a short time,
say five minutes, when it is removed and dried. The stuff is now ready
for the ordinary treatment, as leather for boot uppers, clothing, and other
purposes.
With the artificial leather or substitute for leather manufactured by
my process from the fabric known as moleskin and similar fabrics I
prefer to make boots and shoes, gaiters, and other articles, which should
possess toughness, porosity, impermeability and durability, and ordinary
canvas will give very similar results. With the artificial leather or
substitute for leather manufactured by my process from linen and
cotton goods I prefer to make articles which do not require to be of such
great strength, such as bags, coverings for furniture, and similar articles.
With the artificial leather or substitute for leather manufactured by.
my process from woollen goods I prefer to make articles which require
to be at once durable and warm, such as articles of clothing generally.
The artificial leather or substitute for leather manufactured by my
process from canvas is specially suitable for use as bands for driving
machinery. I take a strip of my vegetable leather of suitable width
and fold it over upon itself three, four, or more times until almost any
desired strength is obtained. The folds are then pressed down tightly
and sewn together by a sewing machine. Such bands will be found
far superior to any of those at present in use, because with unrivalled
suppleness they will possess almost an absolute toughness, thus pre-
venting the unnecessary amount of slack so inconvenient and trouble-
some in the bands at present in use.
All the articles made from my artificial or vegetable leather or sub-
stitute for leather will be found to be almost absolutely uninflam-
mable and waterproof.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the
treatment of fabrics in baths composed of a solution of alum and
muriate of soda in water, and of glove waste in water respectively, as

page_text: herein-before described, for the production of artificial vegetable leather
or substitute for leather, suitable for all the purposes for which leather is
at present employed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Cristoforo Muratori, have hereunto
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of October One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-four.
set
CRISTOFORO MURATORI. (L.S.)