IMPROVEMENTS IN DRESSING LACE AND OTHER FABRICS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Norton Bates, of New Basford, in the
County of Nottingham, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRESSING
LACE AND OTHER FABRICS."
Sealed the 17th October 1862, and dated the 23rd April 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Norton Bates at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd April 1862.
I, GEORGE NORTON BATES, of New Basford, in the County of Nottingham,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DRESSING LACE AND OTHER FABRICS," to be as follows:-
T
My improvements consist in the use or employment of an amalgamation or
combination of wax, whether sperm or bees wax and gelatine, in certain pro-
portions in the dressing of lace and; other fabrics. The wax and gelatine I
dissolve either with the aid of hot water or by a heated stove or other vessel,
or by other suitable means or contrivances, and thereby reduce, the said
materials to a liquid state. The proportion of wax and of gelatine that I use
will mainly depend on the substance of the fabric or fabrics to be dressed.
The liquid may be applied either by a brush or sponge, or by flannel, to the
back of the lace or other fabric intended to be dressed. The ordinary
machinery in common use for dressing lace may be employed in my Invention,
and where greater expedition is required than is attained by the employment
of such machinery, a traversing machine well known to lace dressers may be
used, having revolving rollers, the bottom roller of which should be wrapper

page_text: with soft or suitable material, and this said bottom roller may be worked in a
trough, which trough is to contain the "dressing" liquid intended to be used;
the same roller revolving will receive the dressing fluid or liquid, and will
carry to the under side of the lace or other fabric to be dressed a sufficient
quantity of the liquid while the lace or other fabric is passing over it. Imme-
diately after the lace or other fabric has passed over the said revolving roller,
the lace or other fabric must again pass between two other rollers, the bottom
one of which last-mentioned rollers, shall be heated to a suitable degree.
After these operations have been performed I wind the lace or other fabric on
a reel, windlass, or other suitable contrivance.
-It has long been a matter of complaint that on lace or other fabrics
becoming exposed to damp or moist atmosphere they lose their usual stiffness,
and become deteriorated in appearance, whereas by my Invention the soften-
ing influence of the atmosphere, and even water itself, is resisted.
I may mention as proportions that may sometimes be used, though without
restricting myself thereto, four ounces wax to sixteen ounces gelatine, but
these proportions may be varied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Norton Bates in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 23rd October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
NORTON BATES, of New Basford, in the County of Nottingham, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Norton Bates, Her special licence that I, the said George Norton
Bates, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Norton Bates, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DRESSING LACE AND OTHER FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said George Norton Bates, my executors or administrators, by an instru-

page_text: ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 George Norton Bates, 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:-
My improvements consist in the employment of an amalgamation or com-
bination of wax, whether sperm or bees' wax, and gelatine in the dressing of
lace and other fabrics. I dissolve the wax and gelatine by hot water or a
heated stove, or other convenient means or contrivance, and thus reduce them
(the wax and gelatine) to a liquid state. The proportions of wax and gelatine
to be used will mainly depend on the substance of the fabric or fabrics to be
dressed; but I may mention the following as 'proportions that may sometimes
be used, without, however, restricting myself thereto, namely, four ounces of
wax to sixteen ounces of gelatine. The liquid may be applied by a brush,
sponge, or flannel to the back of the lace or other fabric to be dressed. The
ordinary machinery in common use for dressing lace may be employed in
carrying out my Invention, and where greater expedition is required than
is attained by the employment of such machinery, a traversing machine well
known to lace dressers may be used, having revolving rollers, the bottom roller
of which should be wrapped with soft material; and this said bottom roller
may be worked in a trough containing the "dressing" liquid; the same roller
in revolving will take up the dressing liquid, and will carry a sufficient quan-
tity thereof to the under side of the lace or other fabric while the said lace
or fabric is passing over it. The lace or other fabric immediately after
passing over this revolving roller should pass between two other rollers, the
bottom one of which shall be heated to a suitable degree. After these opera-
tions have been performed I wind the lace or other fabric on a reel, windlass,
or other ordinary contrivance for winding on.
It has long been matter of complaint that on lace or other fabrics being
exposed to damp or moist atmosphere they lose their usual stiffness, and thus
become deteriorated in appearance; whereas by my Invention the softening
influence of the atmosphere, and even the effect of water itself, is resisted.
When the ordinary machinery well known to lace dressers is employed in
carrying out my Invention, I find it convenient to use for imparting heat to
the wax and gelatine, and forcing the dressing material into the fabric to be

page_text: dressed, an instrument made of tin; block: tin, or other metal, and. heated by
steam, hot water, or other convenient nieans: The dimensions of this instru-
ment should by preference be' about twelve inches in width, by about eighteen
'inches in length. Between the lace and: this instrument I place paper, leather,
or other convenient substance in order to prevent any glossing of the lace
or other fabric. When the lace or fabric has received the dressing liquid
from the roller revolving in the trough; it may be passed under-or over a single
heated roller instead of between two rollers, as above mentioned. This single
roller, or the two rollers if two be used, should be wrapped or clothed
in paper, leather, or other convenient substance to keep the fabric from being
injured.
:
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I wish it to be under-
stood that I do not restrict myself to the particalár proportions of wax
and gelatine herein-before mentioned, as the same may be varied without
departing from the nature of my Invention; also I do not restrict myself' to
the particular machinery or mechanical means herein-before described for
carrying out my Invention, and, indeed, I do not restrict myself to-any' par
ticular. mode of or ineans for applying the dissolved wax and gelatine to the
lace or other fabric in carrying out my Invention; but I declare that I claim as
my improvements in dressing lace and other fabrics, the employment for that
purpose of an amalgamation or combination of bees' wax, or sperm wax, and
gelatine, or of, an agent produced by combining or amalgamating bees' wax or
sperm wax with gelatine.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Norton Bates, bave hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
GEO. JON. ROBINSON,
Patent Office,
Nottingham.
GEORGE NORTON BATES. (L.S.)