A METHOD OR PROCESS OF GIVING A METALLIC SURFACE TO COTTON, SILK, LINEN, AND OTHER FABRICS
Year: 1830

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
YATES, of Hyde, in the County of Chester, Calico Printer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His late most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth did,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Twenty-sixth day of January, in the tenth year of His
reign, give and grant unto me, the said John Yates, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, His especial licence, that I, the said John Yates, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should and lawfully might, during the
term of fourteen years therein mentioned, make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention
of "A METHOD OR PROCESS OF GIVING A METALLIC SURFACE TO COTTON, SILK,
LINEN, AND OTHER FABRICS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso that if I, the said John Yates, should not particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and cause
the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months then next and immédiately after the date of the said Letters
Patent now in recital, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and
advantages whatsoever thereby granted, should utterly cease, determine, and
become void, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, may
more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Yates, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention consists

page_text: in applying a metallic surface to cotton, linen, silk, and other fabrics, by
reducing the metal or metals employed to a state of powder, afterwards mixing
that powder with some farinaceous paste or other mucilaginous or cohesive
substance, such as glue or gum, to cause it to adhere to the cloth or fabric to
which it is to be applied, and by subjecting the cloth to which the powder
has been applied to a high degree of friction, in order to produce the bright
or burnished appearance of metal, at much less expence than has been hitherto
effected. And in further compliance with the said proviso, I, the said John
Yates, do 'hereby declare that the manner in which my said Invention is to be
performed is set forth in the following description, that is to say:―
The metal I commonly use is tin, as combining cheapness with brilliancy,
and I dissolve it by means of a sand bath in pure muriatic acid, of the specific
gravity of 1.160, or thereabouts, until the quantity of acid used is saturated
with the tin, which is always; known when any portion of the latter continues
in the vessel undissolved by the acid. This solution so prepared and ready for
use I keep carefully made up in bottles to prevent its absorbing oxygen. I
then employ a vessel cf wood, about five feet long, three feet wide, and one
foot deep, along which I place lengthwise an iron centre which runs on its
iron axis, and having supporters, on which centre I frame a cylinder of hoops
of zinc or spelter running the whole length of the vessel, each-hoop being
fourteen to twenty inches in diameter, about five or six inches wide, and one or
two thick. The cylinder is so placed as to run about half an inch deep in the
liquor used. I then fill the vessel with pure cold water, and the solution of tin
before mentioned, in the proportion of one part. of the solution to ten parts of
water, and the cylinder is made to revolve slowly by the application of any
moving power, so as continually to present a fresh surface to the liquor in the
vessel. This process is continued, the tin appearing reformed or revived on
the whole surface of the cylinder by the combination of the zinc of the
cylinder with the oxygen of the tin previously dissolved in the liquor, and
consequent precipitation or revival of the tin, according to a principal well
known and acted upon in chemical manufactories. The tin so reformed or
revived is carefully scraped off by a wooden or metallic instrument into
another vessel, in which it is washed with clear water in order to deprive it of
évery impurity, the water being changed and renewed until it becomes taste-
less: The metal, after being subjected to this washing, is taken out and
ground' between two flat pieces of wood until it will pass through a fine" brass
wire sieve; it is then boiled several hours in water; and is afterwards put upon
flakes or filters of cloth in a stove to dry; when dry it is again passed through
a-fine brass, sieve; and again boiled in water for about four hours. After it

page_text: has undergone the second boiling I add to the water in which the metal
continues after the second boiling a little diluted muriatic acid, in order to
take away any oxidation of the metal which might have occurred during the
operations above described, or any remaining impurity. It is then again
washed in cold water until the water becomes tasteless, and being then taken
out, dried as before, and again passed through a fine brass wire sieve, it is
fit for use. In the next stage of my process, in order to apply the powder to
cover the whole surface on one side of any fabric of cloth composed of cotton,
linen, or silk, either separately or combined, I proceed as follows:-My
cloth being scoured, cleansed, bleached, or dyed, as may be required, I pass
it through a friction or common calendar to give the fabric a firm and smooth
face. I then, by means of a machine, or block, or brush, any of which
may be used for this purpose, lay on a uniform covering of starch or paste,
of sufficient consistency to work easily, the starch which I use for the purpose
being made by dissolving about one pound and a half of starch in one gallon
of water. A covering or coat of the dry metallic powder is then carefully
laid on the surface with a soft brush, and the cloth is afterwards dried. In
some cases I prefer drying the piece after the starch or paste has been laid
on, and afterwards wetting it again with cold water by a brush on the face;
or I immerse the piece upon which the starch or paste has been laid and dried
in water, and after the immersion I pass it through padding rollers so as to
leave it uniformly wet. I then apply the metallic powder in the manner before
mentioned. When perfectly dry the piece must be well brushed with a hard
brush to take off all the powder which does not firmly adhere; I then pass
the cloth through a friction calendar of the ordinary description employeḍ in
glazing calicoes, or I pass it over second-hand cards, as herein-after described,
or. I glaze it by hand. The pieces, when thus finished, may have figures
embossed upon them, or may be printed with colors, or varnish may be
employed to give various hues to the metallic face, or a watered effect may
be given to the fabric. To produce the proper effect, I pass it again through
the calendar, which for that purpose must have a fine cotton or linen cloth
wrapped round one of the cylinders before the operation. In order to
cover part only of any piece of cloth or other fabric with a metallic surface,
pass the piece through a common or friction calendar, in order to make the
face firm and smooth to the touch. I then apply starch or paste by means of
a machine or block, or brush over those parts of the fabric on which the figure
is required; I then carefully apply the metallic powder with a soft brush,
whilst the impression is wet, as before described, until the piece is finished.
The cloth is afterwards dried and brushed well with a hard brush, in order to
I

page_text: remove all the superfluous powder that may-attach-to-the-piece. After this
operation the piece must be passed through a slightly heated: friction calendar,
or may be glazed by hand so as to cause the raising or burnishing of the
metallic surface required. In order to produce the effect of matted or dead
silver, I make use of old steel cards (which have been previously used for
carding cotton), which I so fix upon a board or in a frame, or on a roller,
as. that the piece of cloth or other fabric may be drawn against them the
smooth way of the card until the metallic surface assumes a dead or matted
appearance.
In order to apply my Invention to yarns or thread in the skeiu or hank or
in the warp, the same process must be gone through as is herein-before
described with respect to piece goods, taking care to use starch thinner, in
point of consistency. The starch which I use for this purpose is made by
dissolving about one pound of starch to one gallon of water. Care must also
be taken that the threads be kept sufficiently separate and distinct, so as to
admit of the metallic powder reahing and covering every part of the thread.
The dressing machine commonly used by power loom weavers answers very
well for that purpose.
In applying my Invention to paper, I use the same process as is done in
piece goods, except that when I again wet the starch or paste which has been
suffered to dry on the paper, I do it in all cases-by applying water by means of
a brush, as before described, and not by immersion in water, the starch used
being of the consistency produced by dissolving about one pound and a half-of
starch in one gallon of water.
In applying my Invention to leather the process is the-same as is. herein-
before described with respect to piece goods, except that I commonly use glue
as the adhesive substance for fixing the powder firmly upon the leather, dis-
solving about four pounds of glue in one gallon of water, and the glue being
used when quite hot; the powder being applied either immediately after the
glue is put on or after the glue has dried and been again-wetted in the manner
before, mentioned in describing the process of applying the powder by means
of starch to fabrics of cotton, linen, or silk. The friction necessary to give
the bright or burnished appearance may be applied by hand, according to the
nature of work required to be done. To produce the appearance of matted or
dead silver, second-hand cards may be employed, as before-described. Leather
which has been curried, and so polished as for sale, is the best for the
purposes aforesaid.
Although I have in the previous description stated the size of the vessel
and the description of acid I use, and also that I prefer starch as the adhesive

page_text: substance for attaching the powder to cotton, linen, or silk, either separately,
or mixed, or in yarns, or in the piece, or to paper, I declare that the vessels in
which the metals are revived or reformed may be adapted, in point of size, to
the extent of the production required; and, as tin is soluble by all or most of the
mineral and some of the vegetable acids, that any of such acids may be used
for dissolving the metal, although I prefer and use the muriatic acid. And I
further declare, that the strength of the acids and solutions employed may be
varied, modified, and reduced, according to the quantity of precipitate or revived
metal required; and I also use starch in preference to other mucilagenous or
cohesive substance, as being more easily reduced to the consistency required by
the nature of the work to be performed. And I declare that I do not claim as
my Invention either the solution of the tin or metal employed by means of
muriatic or other acid, or the reviving or reforming of the tin or other metal,
that process being well known, nor any part of my process taken separately,
as the various operations are of constant occurrence in different manufactories.
But I do claim, as of my sole Invention, the combination and employment of
the several operations of reforming the tin or other metals in a state of fine
powder; the application of the metal in that state to the fabric used; and the
use of a high degree of friction to raise a metallic surface or figure at a much
less expence than has hitherto been effected, such a result having been here-
tofore produced by methods in which these combinations have not occurred.
And I claim such process whether the whole be effected by hand or manual
labor, or by the use and adaptation of any machinery to the purpose.
And I further declare that although I have, in the foregoing description,
exhibited my Invention of giving a metallic surface to cotton, silk, linen, and
other fabrics by the employment of tin only, yet the same process may be used
with corresponding results whether that metal, or silver, lead, bismuth, or anti-
mony, either separately or in combination, is or are the metal or metals
employed. And I therefore claim as my Invention the Process or Method of
giving a Metallic Surface to Cotton, Silk, Linen, and other Fabrics, by the
application of a metallic powder, in manner herein-before expressed, whether
the metal employed be tin, silver, lead, bismuth, or antimony, separately or in
combination, and where the metal or metals employed is or are first reduced
to a powder, and where, after its application, friction shall be used in raising
the metallic surface.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Yates, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-second day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty.
JOHN (L.s.) YATES.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-second day-of July,
in the first year of the reign of His Majesty King William the Fourth; the
said John Yates 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.