AN IMPROVEMENT IN DYEING WOOLLEN, WORSTED, COTTON, SILK, LINEN, AND OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS AND FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Beaumont Nortcliffe, of Fell Grove, near
Huddersfield, in the County of York, Dyer, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN DYEING WOOLLEN, WORSTED, COTTON, SILK, LINEN, AND
OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS AND FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 11th February 1859, and dated the 13th August 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Beaumont
Nortcliffe at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 12th February 1858.
I, WILLIAM BEAUMONT NORTCLIFFE, of Fell Grove, near Huddersfield, in the
County of York, Dyer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVEMENT IN DYEING WOOLLEN, WORSTED, COTTON, SILK, LINEN, AND
OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS AND FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to black dyeing woollen, worsted, cotton, silk, linen,
or other textile fabrics and fibrous substances, and combinations or mixtures
of such fibrous substances; and consists in the employment of nitrate of
copper in combination with extracts of logwood and fustic, or other yellow
coloring matter, with or without terra japonica as a first process, and in the
employment of chromate of potash as a finishing process. The whole opera-
tion is performed in two vats. Vat No. 1 is composed as follows:-Nitrate of
copper, with a solution of the extracts of logwood and fustic or some other
yellow coloring matter, and in some cases I prefer using a proportion of terra

page_text: japonica. The fabrics or fibrous substances are worked in this vat for about
half an hour, at a beat varying from 50° to 150°. They are then taken out
and the superfluous liquor removed therefrom by squeezing rollers or other
suitable means. They are then placed in vat No. 2, which is composed of a
solution of chromate of potash, and for some shades a little sulphate of copper
is added, and worked as in vat No. 1.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Beaumont Nortcliffe in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 12th February 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BEAUMONT NORTCLIFFE, of Fell Grove, near Huddersfield, in the County of
York, Dyer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Beaumont Nortcliffe, Her special licence that I, the said William Beau-
mont Nortcliffe, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Beaumont Nortcliffe, 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 "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN DYEING WOOLLEN, WORSTED, COTTON, SILK, LINEN, AND OTHER
TEXTILE FABRICS AND FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Beaumont Nortcliffe, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Beaumont Nortcliffe, 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 (that is to say) :-
:-
This Invention relates to black dyeing woollen, worsted, cotton, silk, linen,

page_text: and other textile fabrics and fibrous substances, and combinations or mixtures
of such fibrous substances, and consists in the employment of nitrate of
copper in combination with the extracts of logwood and fustic, or other yellow
coloring matter, with or without terra japonica, as a first process; and in the
employment of chromate of potash as a finishing process. The whole opera-
tion is performed in two vats. Vat Number One is composed of nitrate of
copper, with a solution of the extracts of logwood and fustic, or some other
yellow coloring matter, and in some cases I use a proportion of terra japonica.
The fabrics or fibrous substances are worked in this vat for about half an hour,
at a heat varying from 50° to 150°. They are then taken out and the super-
fluous liquor removed therefrom by squeezing rollers or other suitable means.
They are then placed in vat Number Two, which is composed of a solution of
chromate of potash, and for some shades a little sulphate of copper is added,
and worked as in vat Number One.
In carrying out this my said Invention for black dyeing Coborgs or Orleans
cloths, or other mixed fabrics, I first charge or "set" the vessel so as to stand
at about 1on the "Twaddell," by adding extracts of logwood and fustic in the
dry state (as imported from America), and nitrate of copper, in the proportions
of sixteen pounds weight of the former, to three pounds weight and two
pounds weight respectively of the latter, and then for every hundred pounds
weight of fabrics I use or add thereto about sixteen pounds weight of the
extracts of logwood, three pounds weight of fustic or other yellow coloring
matter, in the dry state, as imported from America, and two pounds weight of
nitrate of copper, and when weight is required to be given to such fabrics I
introduce a suitable proportion of terra japonica for such purpose. The
fabrics are worked in this vat for about half an hour for ordinary qualities or
conditions of such fabrics, but the time required for working, and the most
suitable temperature will vary according to circumstances, which will be
readily understood by practical dyers. The fabrics are then wrung or purged
of the liquor in the ordinary way, after which they are worked in vat Number
Two, as described herein-before. The vat Number One is again set or charged
with the same quantities of ingredients without letting out the spent or
partially spent liquor.
In dyeing raw materials or fibrous substances I set the vat, as before stated,
and then for every hundred pounds weight of material I use about twenty-five
pounds weight of the extracts of logwood, five pounds weight of the yellow
coloring matter, and two pounds weight of nitrate of copper for vat Number
One, and treat as before described.
For both fabrics and fibrous substances in vat Number Two, for every

page_text: hundred pounds weight I use about four pounds weight of chromate of potash
and sulphate of copper, as desirable.
Having thus fully described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I desire it to be distinctly
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein set
forth, as such may be varied or modified without departing from the
principle thereof; but I claim as my Invention, and which to the best of
my knowledge and belief has not been hitherto used within the realm,
the dyeing of wool, cotton, silk, linen, or any mixture or combination thereof,
either as woven fabrics or fibrous substances, as herein described, by which I
am enabled to dye animal and vegetable substances at one and the same
operation.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Beaumont Nortcliffe, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
WN B. NORTCLIFFE. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered, by the within-
named William Beaumont Nortcliffe, in
the presence of
WM B. NORTCLIFFE. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered, by the within-
named William Beaumont Nortcliffe, in
the presence of
W TASKER, Patent Agent,
Halifax.