AN IMPROVED PROCESS OR MANUFACTURE, WHEREBY THE TEXTURE OF COTTON AND CERTAIN OTHER FABRICS AND MATERIALS MAY BE RENDERED IMPERVIOUS TO WATER
Year: 1835

page_text: SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HELLEWELL, of Springfield Lane, in the Borough of Salford and County of
Lancaster, Dyer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-eighth day of November, in the sixth year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Hellewell, His special licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said James Hellewell, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, and such others as I, the said James Hellewell, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no other, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend; within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVED
PROCESS OR MANUFACTURE, WHEREBY THE TEXTURE OF COTTON AND CERTAIN OTHER
FABRICS AND MATERIALS MAY BE RENDERED IMPERVIOUS TO WATER;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said James Hellewell, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same;
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Hellewell, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained by the following explanation thereof, that is to say:-
My improvements in the process whereby the texture of cotton and certain
other fabrics and materials may be rendered impervious to water, consist in
steeping the fabric intended to be made waterproof in a peculiar solution
which has been previously prepared for the purpose in vats or cisterns of any
required dimensions and material, and which are to be situated in any con-
venient position, so as to carry on the process to the required extent, and in
the most advantageous and convenient manner to the operator. It is generally
known that the waterproof cloths which have been found superior to others,
and which have been mostly adopted for the purposes of wearing apparel and
other similar uses, are composed of two pieces of materials cemented together
with a preparation of caoutchouc or other material, and thereby rendered
totally impervious to air as well as water, which fabrics (usually called "double
texture") are exceeding detrimental and repulsive to the action of natural
perspiration, to obviate which defects my improvements are principally
designed, and the expence of rendering manufactured articles perfectly water-
proof is greatly reduced by their being of single texture only, and merely
steeped or saturated in the solution hereafter described, which is found to make
it repel the action of the water, and prevent its running through the fabric,
and at the same time leaving the fibres of the cloth sufficiently open to allow
the necessary passage of air. I presume, as the principal feature of novelty
and improvement is now understood, and the object of my Invention sufficiently
oxplained, a description of the ingredients and their relative quantities will
only be needful to render my Invention fully and most perfectly understood;
and as by experience I have found that dyers and persons accustomed
to use such like processes in general mix their solutions with particular
regard to the weight of the manufactured material to be steeped therein, and
without any reference to its length or width (which is always so much more
variable than its weight), I shall describe my process in pursuit of the same
plan, being most approved, and generally found the most correct. The mixture
of ingredients I have hereafter described will be found the best quantity
in which to saturate or steep fabrics, to the weight of one thousand pounds
avoirdupoise; when the cisterns or vats have been previously disposed so as
to contain the proper quantities of materials, mix in one large vessel (which
may be subsequently divided) about two hundred gallons of water with about
one hundred and twenty pounds of common alum in its chrystalized state,

page_text: commonly called rock alum; and for the purpose of rapid dissolution I prefer
that the alum should be previously ground or pulverized; to this mixture add
in small quantities about eighty pounds of common whiting (chalk cleared of
impurities and ground in a mill). It will now be found, by this addition, a
considerable effervescing action has taken place, and a chemical change has
also been effected, whereby the sulphuric acid, of which the alum principally
consists, is perfectly destroyed, and the alumina which is the residium I
require left entire; now the alumina being in a state of solution, and
remaining mixed with the water, the whiting, and other unnecessary parts
will precipitate and remain at the bottom of the vessel. When entirely cold
the liquor may be drawn off, leaving the impurities and sediment in the vessel
in which the preparation has been made, and in this state is ready for imme-
diate use.
The cloth or fabric intended to be saturated is now to be
introduced into suitable vessels containing the above-mentioned solution, and
either allowed to remain to be thoroughly steeped, or merely passed through
the solution, as found most convenient, provided that the cloth is sufficiently
saturated. I also wish it to be understood that I have found acctate of lead
(sugar of lead) to have the same effect in destroying the sulphuric acid
contained in the alum, but it is much more expensive, besides leaving a quan-
tity of acetic acid in the solution, which will be found injurious to many
colours of which the fabrics may happen to have been dyed. The cloth is
now to be taken to a vat or vessel containing a mixture of water with common
yellow soap, allowing about three pounds of soap to every fifty pounds of cloth,
and to be mixed with about thirty gallons of water, either more or less, as
shall be found by the experience of the operative to have the desired effect;
the soap may either be dissolved by boiling, or cut into pieces and boiling
water poured on to it; and when it has cooled to about one hundred degrees
Fahrenheit, the cloth is to be passed quickly through the solution in the most
convenient manner. This part of the process is for the purpose of strengthen-
ing the repellant qualities of the cloth which have been subjected to previous
saturation, and fastening the alumina which has been taken up by the cloth
during the former process, that is, preventing it from being washed out or
destroyed. By way of cleansing the fabric which is now rendered perfectly
repellant and impervious to water from any impurities, such as the soap lees
or other extraneous matter which it may have taken up during its passage
through the processes above described, I now pass the same through cisterns
of clean water, in any convenient manner, and after being dried the cloths are
ready for use, some qualities of which may require to be finished or calendered
in the usual manner.

page_text: Although the principal object of this Invention is intended to be used
for such goods or materials as are manufactured from cotton, I wish it to
be understood that I will not confine myself to that fabric alone, as it must
be evident that wool, silk, linen, or any other fibrous substance, may be
subjected to similar processes with the same advantageous effect. Nor do
I mean to confine my claim to the use of the precise quantities here
specified, as they are mentioned merely for illustration, and are such as I have
found to be most convenient and beneficial.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Hellewell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-six.
JAMES (L.B.) HELLEWELL.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fourth day of May,
in the sixth year of the reign of His Majesty King William the Fourth, the
said James Hellewell came before our said Lord the King in His Chancery,
and acknowledged the instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein
contained and specified, in form above written. And also the instrument
aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the fifty-
fifth year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Twenty-eighth day of May, One thousand eight hundred and
thirty-six.

page_text: En the Matter of a Patent granted to James Hellewell, of Springfield
Lane, in the Borough of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Dyer,
for his Invention of "AN IMPROVED PROCESS OR MANUFACTURE WHEREBY
THE TEXTURE OF COTTON AND CERTAIN OTHER FABRICS AND MATERIALS
MAY BE RENDERED IMPERVIOUS TO WATER," bearing date at Westminster,
the Twenty-eighth day of November, in the sixth year of the reign of
His late Majesty; and of which Invention a Specification was duly
inrolled upon the Roll of Specifications and Surrenders in the Chapel
of the Rolls of the High Court of Chancery on the Twenty-eighth
day of May, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-six.
DISCLAIMER AND MEMORANDUM OF ALTERATIONS of part of the Title
of the said Invention and of part of the Specification thereof, entered by
the said James Hellewell with the Clerk of the Patents in England,
pursuant to an Act passed in the fifth and sixth years of the reign of
His late most Excellent Majesty, entitled An Act to amend the Law
touching Letters Patents for Inventions.
I, the said JAMES HELLEWELL, do hereby declare, that since the inrollment of
my said Specification, I have not found (as I had previously expected) that it
is advantageous to subject goods manufactured from wool, silk, linen, or any
other fabrics or substance, except cotton, to my improved process therein
described; for which reason, I do hereby disclaim the following words in the
title of the said Invention, namely, the words "and certain other," also the words
"and materials"; in order that the title of the said Invention may henceforth
stand as follows, viz., "An improved process or manufacture whereby the tex-
ture of cotton fabrics may be rendered impervious to water." And for the
aforesaid reason, I do also hereby disclaim and alter the following words in
my said Specification, viz., immediately after the preamble thereof, the words
"improvements in the," I alter to the word "improved," and I disclaim the words
"and certain other;" also I disclaim the words "and materials;" and the word
". consist" I alter to "consists," and near to the conclusion of my said Specification,
I disclaim the words "although the principal object of," and likewise the words
"to that fabric alone as it must be evident that wool, silk, linen, or any other
fibrous substance, may be subjected to similar processes, with the same

page_text: "
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advantageous effect, nor do I mean to confine my claim." And I, the said
James Hellewell, do hereby further declare that I have lately been advised
that the following words near the commencement after the preamble of my said
Specification are superfluous and useless; for which reason I do hereby disclaim
the following words, viz., "a peculiar solution which has been previously
"prepared for the purpose, in vats or cisterns of any required dimensions, and
material, and which are to be situated in any convenient position, so as to
carry on the process to the required extent, and in the most advantageous and
"convenient manner to the operator. It is generally known that the water-
"proof cloths which have been found superior to others, and which have been
"mostly adopted for the purposes of wearing apparel, and other similar uses, are
composed of two pieces of materials cemented together with a preparation of
caoutchouc or other material, and thereby rendered totally impervious to air
as well as water; which fabrics, (usually called double texture,) are ex-
ceedingly detrimental and repulsive to the action of natural perspiration ;
"to obviate which defects, my improvements are principally designed, and the
expence of rendering manufactured articles perfectly waterproof, is greatly
reduced by their being of single texture only, and merely steeped or satu-
"rated in." And the word "solution," next after the aforesaid words I alter to
"solutions ;" and I disclaim the following words, "I presume as the principle
". feature of novelty and improvement is now understood, and the object of my
Invention sufciently explained, a description of the ingredients and their
relative quantities will only be needful to render my Invention fully and most
perfectly understood;" and I disclaim the following words; "besides leaving a
quantity of acetic acid in the solution which will be found injurious to many
colours of which a fabric may happen to have been dyed." And whereas
in my said Specification-in-the-words, "fastening the alumina which has been
taken up by the cloth during the former process," had an unintentional
omission of three words, for that reason I do hereby alter the words, "former
process" to stand henceforth " former part of the process." And whereas,
since the inrollment of my said Specification, I have been informed that most
of the ingredients which I use in my said improved process had been previously
used by others for a similar object; for that reason I liereby disclaim any.other
mode or way of using the said ingredients, excepting that improved process
which is described in my said Specification.
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In witness whereof, I, the said James Hellewell, have hereunto set my
band and seal, the Seventh day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight."