Improvements in the Treatment of Leather.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Dec., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 14th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 8th Dec., 18.04
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Treatment of Leather.
I HENRY NEIL of 11, Wansey Street, Walworth Road in the County of
Surrey, Boot and Shoe Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The chief object of this invention is to improve the quality of inferior leather,
both as regards toughness or strength, and durability of wear.
The invention applies mainly to the production of waterproof soles for boots and
shoes, but it is applicable also to uppers, and likewise to the treatment of leather
used in the manufacture of harness, hose pipes, belting, foot and other balls, and a
variety of articles made of leather.
In preparing boot and shoe soles according to this invention, I prefer to utilize
the inferior parts of the hide, such as the shoulders and belly, the market value of
which is about one third of the butt,-surface for surface. These parts, when cut
into soles, I steep in a composition which is calculated to close up the pores of the
leather, and impart to it a toughness which will enable it to resist wear equal to, or
longer than, the best butt soles.
The composition which I use for leather of this porous class, is resin, say 4 lbs.,
and bees wax, say 8 ounces, dissolved in benzoline. To this is added French chalk,
say 2 ounces, and after thoroughly mixing, castor oil, say 2 lbs., is added. The
waterproof bath thus composed is ready to receive the leather, which, after
immersion for some five minutes, is taken out, and placed in racks to drain
and dry.
When the leather is of a somewhat better quality, the proportion of the resin
may be reduced.
In the treatment of uppers, one half the quantity of resin above named will
suffice, and the proportion of beeswax may be slightly increased. The use of the
French chalk is to remove all tackiness from the surface of the leather (due to the
presence of the castor oil), and to improve its appearance.
The leather used for, or composing, other articles than boots and shoes, may be
steeped in the composition either before or after being made up, as thought most
convenient.
Dated this 14th day of December 1893.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Treatment of Leather.
I HENRY NEIL of 11 Wansey Street, Walworth Road, in the County of
Surrey, Boot and Shoe Manufacturer, 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 :-
The chief object of this invention is to improve the quality of inferior leather, by
removing its spongy character, and at the same time increasing its toughness or
thand drivability of wear

page_text: .
The invention 'applies mainly to the production of waterproof soles for boots and
shoes, but it is applicable also to 'uppers, and likewise to the treatment of leather
used in the manufacture of harness, hose pipes, belting, foot and other balls, and a
variety of articles made of leather.
In preparing boot and shoe soles according to this invention, I prefer to utilise
the inferior parts of the tanned hide, such as the shoulders and belly, the market
value of which is about one third of that of the butt, surface for surface. These
parts, when cut into soles, I steep, without the use of artificial heat, in a composition
which is calculated to close up the pores of the leather, and impart to it a
toughness which will enable it to resist wear equal to, or longer than, the best
butt soles.
I also treat, in a similar manner, the best butts, and thereby improve their
toughness, and render soles made therefrom impervious to moisture. The leather
treated as hereafter explained, whatever may be its character and its destination,
will be found to be improved in quality, and better suited for the purposes for
which it is designed. Thus, for example, leather converted into driving bands or
belting prepared according to my invention, will have little tendency to stretch and
become slack and slip upon the driving pulleys.
Again, by treating according to my invention calf and other skins used (among
other purposes) for the uppers of boots and shoes, great suppleness is imparted to the
skins, while at the same time they are rendered impervious to water.
In carrying out my invention, I prepare a bath, the constituents of which are
resin dissolved in benzoline, castor oil, wax, or its equivalent, and French chalk,
steatite dust, or fuller's earth. In this bath, I steep the leather until it is saturated,
after which I remove it from the steeping tank, wipe off the superfluous liquid, and
dry by the aid of a current of air, or in the open air, finishing off the goods as
hereafter explained. The proportions of these materials will somewhat vary
according to the character of leather to be treated.
I may remark that the several saturating materials of which my bath is composed
have already been used in the treatment of leather, but not, so far as I am aware,
in combination, or for the precise objects which I have in view. The property of
the resin, when absorbed in the leather, is to harden it, and remove its porosity.
The use of the castor oil is not only to modify the hardening effect of the resin, and
to retain or increase the natural pliability and toughness of the leather, but it also
has the effect of assisting greatly in improving the water-resisting power of the:
composition. The service rendered by the wax, or the equivalent therefor (to be
hereafter mentioned), is, through its unchanging character, to preserve the absorbed
oil from oxidation and consequent hardening, and thereby to maintain the supple-
ness of the treated leather. The design of adding to the bath French chalk or its
equivalent, is to remove from the steeped leather the tackiness due to the use of the
oleaginous materials contained in the bath.

page_text: French chalk, steatite dust, or fuller's earth (or the equivalent therefor), and stir
until a thorough combination is effected. I then add the two solutions together,.
and after stirring, to effect a thorough mingling, I allow the same to rest in a
covered tank, after which it will be fit for use. By steeping the butts in this.bath
for some 15 minutes, more or less, while at the ordinary atmospheric temperature,.
the dissolved resin and the oleaginous constituents of the mixture will be absorbed
into the fibres of the leather, filling up the pores, and toughening the fibres, and
thereby increasing the surface hardness and the durability of the leather, without
imparting a cracking tendency thereto.

page_text: These combine by stirring, as described in Example I. The steeping of the
leather in this bath may continue for some 30 minutes. When leather suitable for
the manufacture of belting, harness, and hose pipes, is treated according to my
invention, its tendency to stretch is so far diminished as to render it inappreciable.
The leather, in fact, assumes a different character, and it may almost be considered
a new article of manufacture. In a lesser degree, this non-stretching characteristic
is imparted to other kinds of leather by treating them as above explained, and in
such case the leather will be impervious to water.
The sole leather, after undergoing the steeping process, and being dried as above
explained, I finish or polish off by applying to its surface bee's-wax dissolved in
benzoline, as it removes all tackiness therefrom.
I may remark that although I may use wax in the bath prepared for upper
leathers, yet for the finer kinds of leather I prefer to substitute spermaceti for the
bee's-wax, as I have found by experience that it prevents the forming of a kind of
mildew on the surface, which is detrimental to the appearance of the leather.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. Treating tanned hides and skins by immersing them in a bath prepared as
above explained with reference to Examples I and II, and composed of resin in
solution mixed with oleaginous matters diluted with a solvent, and combined with
finely powdered French chalk, steatite dust, or their equivalent, as and for the
purpose above set forth.
2. The toughening of manufactured leather goods by immersing the same in a
bath prepared as explained above in Example III.
3. The preparation of leather for the manufacture of belting (driving bands) and
hose pipes, by steeping it in a bath (at the temperature of the atmosphere) composed
as set forth in Example IV.
Dated this 14th day of September 1894.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.