CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PALETÔTS AND OTHER ARTICLES OF DRESS, THE SAID IMPROVEMENTS BEING OBTAINED BY AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF FELTING AND FULLING
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jean Hyppolite Salvan, aîné, of Paris, in
the Republic of France, Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PALETÔTS AND
OTHER ARTICLES OF DRESS, THE SAID IMPROVEMENTS BEING OBTAINED
BY AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF FELTING AND FULLING."
Sealed the 9th April 1853, and dated the 26th November 1852.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Jean Hyppolyte
Salvan, ainé, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition and Declaration, on the 26th November 1852,
pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment
Act 1852.
I, JEAN HYPPOLYTE SALVAN, ainé, of Paris, in the Republic of
France, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my Inven-
tion of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PALETÔTS AND
OTHER ARTICLES OF DRESS, THE SAID IMPROVEMENTS BEING OBTAINED BY AN
IMPROVED PROCESS OF FELTING AND FULLING."
For this manufacture all qualities of wool and all other animal
matters can be employed which are capable of being felted. The
first operation is to dye the wool of the shade desired, substantially,
so that the colour may be fast and not run at the fulling and

page_text: washing of the fabric. The wool must afterwards be carded, and
then mattrasses be made of it about six feet four inches long, and
about two feet ten inches wide, of the weight of about four hundred
grammes French weight. One third of the mattrasses must be of
about one hundred and fifty grammes French weight, and of the
same dimensions. The use of them will be hereafter explained.
The most essential part of my Invention for this kind of manu-
facture is the bastissage (basting); that is to say, the construction of
a dress with materials that can be felted.
To construct these garments a steam-basin must be established
to felt the bastissage (basting). Its construction is easy: a flooring
of about seven feet square raised from the ground by a stand about
twenty-seven inches high. In the middle is a copper pan about four
inches deep and twenty-seven inches wide, and about seven feet
long. This pan must be fixed in a cast iron framework. A steam
pipe in the interior passes from one end to the other, and the
steam issues forth in all its length. The top of the pan must be
pierced with small holes very close together. The basin is sus-
pended perpendicularly to the pan by means of pulleys, a rectan-
gular prism of wood, or any other matter, to which is given, by
means of an eccentric and crank, a to-and-fro motion. When a
paletôt has to be felted the prism must be lowered to make the
pressure, and is left to rest on the cloth covering the paletôt, and
felts it by its to-and-fro motion. To obtain different degrees of
rapidity spindles of different degrees of diameter are to be em-
ployed, over which is passed the moving belt or strap.
prism employed for the pressure is of simple construction: it is a
table of wood one yard wide, and about seven feet six inches long;
it should weigh about fifty rilos; if it have not this weight it must
be loaded with metal.
The
To construct a paletôt, a felting cloth about fifty-four feet long
and about seven feet wide must be employed. Different qualities of
cloth may be used, but the most suitable is that of linen, and that
as fine as possible. Half of the felting cloth is spread on a table of
the same dimensions, the other half is folded, and serves to cover

page_text: the paletôt once made, and in this manner it is placed between
two cloths to felt. Two mattrasses of wool are laid on the felting
cloth, and they are placed widthways: at the centre of these two
mattrasses is laid the strip. What I designate the strip is a piece
of cloth giving the shape of the article that it is proposed to make.
Thus, to make a paletôt of an ordinary size, the strip must be about
four feet long, not reckoning the collar; for the width of the bottom
of the skirt about a yard and four inches, cut in, diminishing
towards the middle, and which is reduced to a width of about a
yard under the armpit. The width from one armpit to the other is.
about three quarters of a yard. Over the armpit is the sleeve, which
consists of a single piece of cloth, flat and not cylindrical as coat-
sleeves, and which from the top of the shoulder must have a certain
rotundity in descending to the elbow, which is about a yard and:
a quarter, and, lastly, to the end of the sleeve, which is about a foot
wide. From the top of the shoulder the sleeve ought to be about
a yard long, the collar about nine inches high, measuring from the
middle of the shoulders, and about one foot wide. It is understood
that the strip is composed of two sleeves, which ought to be of the
same proportions. I vary the sizes in making strips which differ
in all their dimensions.
A general rule for making it matters not what garment.-It is
necessary to. take for the base of the strip, the strip which serves
for paletôts, and following the same proportions; that is to say,
that if for a paletôt one yard long there needs a strip of about
three quarters of a yard, then for trousers of one yard long a strip
of about three quarters of a yard is necessary. What remains
from the mattrasses on each side of the strip, after having placed
it in the middle, ought to be folded above. In case there should
not be a sufficient width, and that happens for great sizes, àn addi-
tion is made; that is to say, that wool is added where wanted and
gives it the desired width. The two front skirts are put one on
the other, and separated by a cloth to prevent their touching one
another. The two sides which project, and which serve to form
the collar and facings, ought to be laid and cut so as to form a cer.

page_text: tain roundness. Then it is necessary to divide into two a mattrass
of one hundred and fifty grammes, to strengthen the collar and
facings, in order that the stuff may be strong enough to bear the
pull of the buttons and button holes. For the pockets a piece of linen
cloth is necessary, twice the size that they are to be made: once in
their places they are covered with wool, letting the linen cloth pass
on the side it is wished that the pocket should open. The pockets
may be placed anywhere it is thought suitable. Then the sleeves
are to be covered; a part of the mattrass is taken and the strip of
the sleeve is covered. In making an addition of wool care must be
taken that the additions be smooth, so as to avoid irregularity. I
recommend in laying down the paletôt to draw the wool close, in
order to avoid ribs, which would be objectionable, as well as to.
strengthen the armpits, for these are the parts most exposed. When
the paletôt has been submitted to the above processes it must be
covered with the other part of the linen cloth. It must be carefully
folded in three equal parts. It is taken to the basin to be felted.
Once the stuff is made firm the strip is taken away, the ribs
smoothed down, and the weak parts strengthened by adding wool;
then it must be again submitted to the action of the basin till it
acquire sufficient body to bear the process of fulling. For each
paletôt about two pounds and a half of wool is employed. The
process of fulling is to be made as for other stuffs, only care must
be taken to take them off the pile now and then to open the sleeves
and pockets so as to prevent their being felted together. The soap
used to wash out the greasy matters, &c. ought to be of good
quality. After this the articles have to be submitted to dressing
apparatus; for instance, for paletôts, busts of different sizes made
of metal or wood, mechanical busts which can be altered to dif
ferent sizes. The garment must dry on the bust to preserve all its
dimensions. When dry the felted cloth must be sheared smooth.
Fig. 1, is plan of vapour basin, for felting the garment.
Fig. 2, is an elevation of the same.
Fig. 3. is a view of the pattern, facings turned back.

page_text: B, B, is a worm conveying the vapour.
C, is an eccentric wheel, putting in motion the prism serving to
compress the object to be felted.
D, is a shaft setting the machinery in action.
E, is a compressing prism.
F, is a hook serving to raise the prism when the felting process
is to be discontinued.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jean Hyppolyte Salvan,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of
November, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.
J. H. SALVAN, ainé.
(L. 8.)
Taken and acknowledged by Jean Hyppo-
lyte Salvan, at Paris, in France, this
Fifteenth day of November, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-two. Before me,
Her Britannic Majesty's Consul at Paris,
THOMAS PICKFORD.