An Improved Coloring and Burnishing Composition for Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Oct., 1892-Accepted, 4th Feb., 1893
DIECITICATION.
An Improved Coloring and Burnishing Composition for Boots
and Shoes.
We JAMES FERDINAND THOMPSON of Rockland, Plymouth County, Gentle-
man, and CHARLES FRANCIS BAKER of Boston 50 Lincoln Street, Suffolk County,
Gentleman, both in the State of Massachusetts and United States of America,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement':-
This invention relates to compositions employed upon surfaces of heels and other
parts of boots and shoes to color or dye the same and to be acted upon by friction
and impart a polish or lustre upon the surface to which they are applied.
The invention has for its object to provide a coloring dye or composition that
can be burnished or polished and is adapted to dry quickly upon the surface to
which it is applied, to be burnished or polished while in a dried condition, and to
impart a high gloss without having its color affected by the operation of polishing
or burnishing.
The invention consists in the improved composition which we will now proceed to
describe. We take carnauba wax, and dissolve or cut the same in' an alkaline
solution composed, preferably, of sal-soda or crystalline sodium carbonate and
fresh slaked lime, to which may be added a suitable oleaginous material, such as
tallow or palm-oil. These ingredients, suitably colored, preferably with an aniline
color or dye, constitute an operative composition which may be spread upon the
surface of a heel or other part of a boot or shoe and after it has become dry may
be burnished or polished by friction applied in any suitable way, such as by a
yielding-surfaced polishing pad or roll or by a tool or roll of rigid construction
operated either by power or by hand and heated or not.
The following proportions of the specified ingredients are preferred: carnauba
wax, twenty pounds; sal-soda, two pounds; fresh slaked lime, two pounds;
tallow or other oleaginous material, two pounds; water, twenty gallons.
Caustic soda, potash, soda-lye, or any other suitable alkali may be substituted
for the sal-soda and the oleaginous material may be omitted, the essential elements
of the composition being carnauba wax held in an alkaline solution.
This composition is a substitute for the ordinary burnishing-inks, which are
objectionable for several reasons, of which may be mentioned the following:
first, any burnishing-ink has to be burnished or finished while in a damp condition,
thus involving a considerable amount of time and labor and rendering the parts
composing the finished surface liable to check or crack when the surface becomes
dry; second, the operation of burnishing an ink-surface creates dust or smut,
which is scattered on and soils contiguous parts; third, a surface of burnished ink
is ruined by acid, because it is composed largely of logwood and iron; fourth, the
burnished ink chips off and turns dim or gray with age and by handling.
Our improved composition is free from the objections above mentioned, and
among its advantages may be mentioned the following:
First. It is adapted to be burnished or finished after it is dried, so that the time
and labor involved are reduced to a minimum.
Second. The operation of burnishing a surface coated with the improved
composition is entirely dustless, there being no dust raised and scattered by the
operation.
Third. The burnished surface is water-proof and is not affected by the acids nor
by the handling to which boot and shoes are subjected.
Fourth. The improved composition can be treated by any of the burnishing

page_text: appliances now in use, including polish pads and rolls; also, hot-kit and the friction
heel edge and shank burnishing machines and hand-operative tools.
Another important advantage is that the composition can receive any color or
shade desired from light yellow to ebony-black, the shade being unaffected by the
burnishing operation.
While the above-described composition is a good and practical one for the
purpose described, we find that it is improved by the addition of a suitable gum
dissolved in an alkaline solution, which may be composed of any suitable alkali
and water, this solution being adapted to quick and thoroughly cut the gum. Any
suitable gummy or resinous matter may be used.
We find that the addition of the alkaline solution of gum gives the composition
the following advantages, riz.: The composition dries more quickly and constitutes
a harder finish than it would without the gum.
Another important advantage we claim is that the ordinary burnishing-inks now
in use have to be applied to the parts or surface, and when nearly dry a wax
manufactured for this purpose has to be applied by hand or by a machine, making
an extra operation, whereas my blacking contains the wax, thus saving one
operation, and, being in liquid form, it is spread more evenly on the surface.
The preferred proportions of the gum and alkali are fifteen (15) pounds of gum
and seven (7) pounds of alkali dissolved in twenty (20) gallons of water. A suit-
able proportion of aniline for colouring, with the above-mentioned proportions of
gum and alkali; would be seven (7) pounds.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :
1. The improved coloring and burnishing composition hereinbefore described,
comprising an alkaline solution, carnauba wax dissolved therein, and coloring-matter,
as set forth.
2. The improved coloring and burnishing composition hereinbefore described,
comprising a solution of carnauba wax with an alkali, a solution of gum with an
alkali, and coloring matter, as set forth.
Dated this 31st day of October 1892
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.