A METHOD OF FIXING TANNIN UPON TEXTILE FIBRES, AND THE EMPLOYMENT THEREOP IN DYEING BLACK AND DARK COLORS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street, in
the City of London, E.C.; Patent Agent, for the Invention of "A
METHOD OF FIXING TANNIN UPON TEXTILE FIBRES, AND THE EMPLOYMENT
THEREOP IN DYEING BLACK AND DARK COLORS."-A communication from
M. Verruin, residing at Lyon, France.
Sealed the 16th August 1859, and dated the 22nd February 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald
Brooman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 22nd February 1859.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in. the City of
London, E.C., Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "A METHOD OF FIXING TANNIN UPON TEXTILE FIBRES, AND THE EMPLOY-
MENT THEREOF IN DYEING BLACK AND DARK COLORS," (communicated to me by
M. Verguin, residing at Lyon, France,) to be as follows:-
It is known that tannin of any description. forms insoluble combinations
with various metallic bases, and that several operations of dyeing have no
other object than that of producing the union of compositions thus formed
.with fibrous materials. Compositions. containing iron. in the form either of
persalts or protosalts have hitherto been chiefly employed, the former especially.
According to the present Invention the Inventor employs tannin of any

page_text: description in conjunction with some other substance to act as a reducing
agent, which shall form with it a composition insoluble in water and not
readily soluble in acid, but capable of absorbing oxygen from the air. Stannic
salts have hitherto been found by him to succeed best, particularly chlorides
of tin, but he does not confine himself to these salts.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd August 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, E.C.,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
-
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special licence that I, the said Richard
Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and. assigns, or such
others as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 In-
vention for "A METHOD OF FIXING TANNIN UPON TEXTILE FIBRES, AND THE
EMPLOYMENT THEREOF IN DYEING BLACK AND DARK COLORS," (a communication
from M.Verguin, residing at Lyon, France,) upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors or administrators,
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. Inven-
tion, 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 Richard Archibald Brooman, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 :-
It is known that tannin of any description forins insoluble combinations

page_text: with various metallic bases, and that several operations of dyeing have no
other object than that of producing the union of compositions thus formed
with fibrous textile materials. Compositions containing iron, in the form
either of persalts or protosalts, have hitherto been employed, the former
especially. On the contact of these .compositions with the tannin a series of
very complex reactions takes place amongs them, the transformation of a
portion of the tannin.into gallic acid and the réduction of the salt of peroxide
of iron to a minimum of oxidation, in the mode of 'fixing which the Inventor
employs, the tannin is made to unite itself with a reducing agent, forming
with it a composition insoluble in water and not readily soluble in acid, but
capable of absorbing oxygen from the air. Stannic salts have hitherto been
found by him to succeed best, particularly chlorides of tin.
:
In carrying the Invention into effect the Inventor dissolves in a quantity of
water sufficient for treating the fibres in, 150 parts of cashoo or any kind
of tannin to every 100 parts of fibre, he raises the bath to a temperature of
176 degrees Fahrenheit, and passes the fibres through it (on lise les fibres sur
ce bain). When they have become impregnated he immerses them in the
bath, and leaves them there for the night. The next day he removes and
wrings them; then heats the bath to 203 degrees Fahrenheit, and for every
100 parts (by weight) of tannin adds 6 of a salt of tin, well mixing the whole
together; he then plunges the fibres into the bath, and afterwards passes them
during two days at intervals through the bath (on lise &c.) without changing
or reheating it; the fibres are then wrung and washed.
In order to distribute and fix the combination of tannin and tin equally
over the fibres, the Inventor adds to the bath for every 100 parts by weight of
fibre one part of hydrochloric or any other acid, which will form a soluble com-
position with the oxyde (oxyde stanneux) or else of certain salts susceptible
of forming double soluble salts with the said oxyde (such as bitartrate of potassa,
by-oxalate of potassa, &c.) and then passes the fibres into the bath thus prepared.
For applying this mode of fixing the tannin in dying fibres of black and
dark colors the fibres are first dyed blue with a persalt of iron and with
prussiate of potash, this operation being performed as usual, but care being
taken that the persulphate, when such is used, shall mark at least 25° Beaumé.
The fibres are passed a second time through the persulphate of iron. After
this they are submitted to the operation described for fixing the tannin, and
then the blacks are completed as usual by dyeing them with India wood (bois
d'Inde) washing with soap and applying the finishing process (avivage).
For marones and browns the tannin is fixed without previous dyeing, and the
colour is modified as desired with blues or reds.

page_text: The method of fixing the tannin before described increases the weight of
the fibres about 20 per cent., but does not in any way impair their appearance
if the operation is well conducted.
And having now described the nature of. the said Invention and in what
manner the same may be performed, I declare that I claim the method of
fixing tannin upon textile fibres by means of chlorides or other salts of tin,
or by means of any other equivalent substance, that is, any other substance
which will act as a reducing agent, and form with the tannin a composition
insoluble in water, as herein-before described.
I also claim the employment of this method of fixing tannin in dying black
and dark colors as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have here--
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of August, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.