Improvements in Carrotting or Preparing Furs intended for the Manufacture of Felts without using Mercury.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 15th July, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 16th Apr., 1894-Accepted, 23rd June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carrotting or Preparing Furs intended for the
Manufacture of Felts without using Mercury.
I, HENRI ALBERT ALEXANDRE LUSSIGNY, of 21 Boulevard Poissonière,
Paris, France, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to carrotting or preparing furs intended for the manufacture
of felts without using mercury.
In the carrotting or preparation of furs for manufacture into felts, as hitherto
ordinarily conducted nitrate of mercury is applied to the furs being operated upon
and according as the liquor containing the nitrate of mercury is in a less or
greater degree of concentration, the carrotting produced is pale or yellow. The
use of nitrate of mercury is disastrous to the health of the workmen who have to.
work upon
the fur.
On the 25th October, 1892, I applied by Application No. 19132 of the year 1892
for Letters Patent for an invention consisting in the application in the process of
carrotting or preparing furs of two materials by means of one of which pale
carrotting is produced and by means of the other of which a yellow carrotting is
produced so that such materials are capable of replacing completely and with
advantage the nitrate of mercury hitherto usually employed in carrotting or
preparing furs for use in the manufacture of felts. In so far as the material by
which pale carrotting is accomplished without the use of nitrate of mercury, is-
concerned, the invention for which I made application for Letters Patent by the
Application above mentioned consists in the use of the two alkalies caustic potash
and caustic soda.
My present invention consists in the application for the production of a pale
carrotting of furs for use in the manufacture of felts of certain other materials
which I find to possess carrotting properties and to give more satisfactory results
than nitrate of mercury without having its objectionable qualities.
According to my present invention I employ for the production of a pale
carrotting of furs all the caustic substances which have an alkaline reaction and by
way of example I would mention the hydrates of baryta, strontia, lithia and
ammonia and other analogous substances and the carbonates of potash and soda
and other analogous substances. 1 do not include lime among the materials which
may be employed according to my invention for I find from my experiments that
lime is not only inapplicable in practice but when present in sensible proportions in
mixture with one or more of the materials above mentioned it interferes with the
carrotting action of such material or materials.
Dated this Fourteenth day of July 1902.
HOWARD
CHEETHAM,
Manchester, Agent to the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carrotting or Preparing Furs intended for the
Manufacture of Felts without using Mercury.
I HENRI ALBERT ALEXANDRE LUSSIGNY of 21 Boulevard Poissonière,
Paris, France 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 :-
My invention relates to carrotting or preparing furs intended for the manufacture
of felts without using mercury.
In the carrotting or preparation of furs for manufacture into felts as hitherto
ordinarily conducted nitrate of mercury is applied to the furs being operated upon
and according as the liquor containing the nitrate of mercury is in a less or
greater degree of concentration, the carrotting produced is pale or yellow. The
use of nitrate of mercury is disastrous to the health of the workmen who have to
work upon the fur.
On the 25th October, 1892, I applied by Application No. 19132 of the year
1892 for Letters Patent for an invention consisting in the application in the
process of carrotting or preparing furs of two materials by means of one of which
pale carrotting is produced and by means of the other of which a yellow carrotting
is produced so that such materials are capable of replacing completely and with
advantage the nitrate of mercury hitherto usually employed in carrotting or
preparing furs for use in the manufacture of felts. In so far as the material by
which pale carrotting is accomplished without the use of nitrate of mercury, is
concerned, the invention for which I made application for Letters Patent by the
Application above mentioned consists in the use of the two alkalies caustic potash
and caustic soda.
My present invention consists in the application for the production of a pale
carrotting of furs for use in the manufacture of felts of certain other materials
which I find to possess carrotting properties and to give more satisfactory results
than nitrate of mercury without having its objectionable qualities.
According to my present invention I employ for the production of a pale
carrotting of furs all the caustic substances which have an alkaline reaction except
as hereinafter mentioned, and by way of example I would mention the hydrates of
harium, strontium, lithium and ammonium, and other analogous substances, and
I do not
the carbonates of potassium and sodium, and other analogous substances.
include lime among the materials which may be employed according to my
invention for I find from my experiments that lime is not only inapplicable in
practice but when present in sensible proportions in mixture with one or more of
the materials above mentioned it interferes with the carrotting action of such
material or materials.
In carrying my present invention into effect, I employ an aqueous solution of
any one or more of the substances above named as being employed according to
this invention, and I prefer that such solution shall be made as concentrated as
possible and diluted to a suitable extent when it is to be used. By way of example
I would state that when a solution of carbonate of sodium is to be employed such
solution may be made of a density corresponding to from 18 to 20 degrees of
Baumé's hydrometer or a specific gravity of from 1-134 to 1-152 the specific gravity
of water being taken as unity and such solution may be diluted when it is to be
used to a density corresponding to from 7 to 10 degrees of Baumé's hydrometer or
a specific gravity of from 1048 to 1070 the specific gravity of water being taken
as unity. By way of further example I would state that when a solution of
carbonate of potassium is to be employed such solution may be made of a density
corresponding to about 50 degrees of Baume's hydrometer or a specific gravity of

page_text: about 1.490, the specific gravity of water being taken as unity, and such solution
may be diluted when it is to be used to a density corresponding to from 7 to
10 degrees of Baumé's hydrometer or a specific gravity of from 1-048 to 1.070 the
specific gravity of water being taken as unity. By way also of further example I
would state that when a solution of the hydrate of barium is to be employed such
solution may be made of a density corresponding to from 5 to 6 degrees of
Baume's hydrometer or a specific gravity of from 1-037 to 1041 the specific gravity
of water being taken as unity, and such solution may be diluted when it is to be
used to a density corresponding to 4 degrees of Baumé's hydrometer or a specific
gravity of 1-027 the specific gravity of water being taken as unity.
.
As is apparent from what has been stated above it is necessary that the
substances employed according to my present invention shall not contain lime in
sensible proportions.
The operations in carrotting or preparing furs for use in the manufacture of felts
by means of the substances employed according to my present invention are similar
to those performed when nitrate of mercury is employed in carrotting furs. The
pelt to be operated on is placed on the carrotter's bench and the operator applies
the solution of the carrotting substance or substances by means of a brush so that
the liquid may be caused to penetrate as far as the skin or to the extent which may
be necessary or desirable; and the subsequent drying of the pelt is effected in a
stove and at a temperature similar to that employed in carrotting by means of
nitrate of mercury. The other operations to which the fur is subjected remain the
same as in the process hitherto employed.
The application of caustic potash and caustic soda for the production of a pale
carrotting of furs being claimed in the claiming clauses of the Complete Specification
filed in respect of my application for Letters Patent, No. 19132, dated October 25th,
1892, I would have it distinctly understood that the application of caustic potash
and caustic soda for such purpose forms uo part of my present invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is:
1. The hereinbefore described improvements in the process of producing a pale
carrotting in the carrotting or preparation of furs for use in the manufacture of
felts, which consist in treating the furs with any or all of the caustic substances
which have an alkaline reaction excepting caustic potash, caustic soda and lime,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The herein before described improvements in the process of producing a pale
carrotting in the carrotting or preparation of furs for use in the manufacture of
felts which consist in treating the furs with any or all of the caustic substances
which have an alkaline reaction excepting caustic potash, caustic soda and lime
among which caustic substances may be mentioned the hydrates of barium,
strontium, lithium and ammonium, and other analogous substances, and the car
bonates of potassium and sodium and other analogous substances separately or in
combination substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this Fourteenth day of April 1894
•
HOWARD
CHEETHAM,
Manchester, Agent to the Applicant.