IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF CLEARING OR CAUSING TO DISAPPEAR FROM WOOL, WOOLLEN YARN, WOOLLEN FABRICS, MIXED WOVEN FABRICS, OR FELTED CLOTHS OR FABRICS THE SPECKS, CAUSED BY PARTICLES OF MATTER IN WOOL OR FABRICS ABOVE MENTIONED, AND OTHER BLEMISHES WHICH DO NOT RECEIVE THE DYE EQUALLY WITH THE GENERAL BODY OF THE FABRIC OR SUBSTANCE
Year: 1864

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to Louis Adolphus Durrieu, of 33, Soho Square, London,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE METHOD OF CLEARING OR CAUSING TO DISAPPEAR FROM WOOL, WOOLLEN
YARN, WOOLLEN FABRICS, MIXED WOVEN FABRICS, OR FELTED CLOTHS OR
FABRICS THE SPECKS, CAUSED BY PARTICLES OF MATTER IN WOOL OR FABRICS
ABOVE MENTIONED, AND OTHER BLEMISHES WHICH DO NOT RECEIVE THE DYE
EQUALLY WITH THE GENERAL BODY OF THE FABRIC OR SUBSTANCE."-A com-
munication from abroad by François Romain Joly, residing at Gaillon
(Eure), in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 8th September 1864, and dated the 12th March 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Louis Adolphus Durrieu
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th March 1864.
I, LOUIS ADOLPHUS DURRIEU, of 33, Soho Square, London, in the County
of Middlesex, do bereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF CLEARING OR CAUSING TO DISAPPEAR FROM WOOL,
WOOLLEN YARN, WOOLLEN FABRICS, MIXED WOOLLEN FABRICS, OR FELTED CLOTHS
OR FABRICS THE SPECKS, CAUSED BY PARTICLES OF MATTER IN WOOL OR FABRICS
ABOVE MENTIONED, AND OTHER BLEMISHES WHICH DO NOT RECEIVE THE DYE EQUALLY.
WITH THE GENERAL BODY OF THE FABRIC OR SUBSTANCE," a communication to me
from abroad by François Romain Joly, resident at Gaillon (Eure), in the
Empire of France, to be as follows:-

page_text: My Invention consists in covering or obliterating these specks, spots, or
blemishes with liquid, either laid on by covered rollers saturated with liquid I
use for such purpose, or it may be sprinkled on by a rose jet, or in any other
convenient way, so that there shall be a sufficient quantity put upon the cloth
for the purpose intended. The liquid may be used at the temperature of the
ordinary dye bath, or at any temperature that will be most suited to the colour
of the wool or fabric under treatment. The ingredients I use are such as
have already served for the dyeing of wool and woollen fabrics. I first apply
to the wool or fabric a weak mordant, which is let rest awhile to become
evenly saturated. I then put it in a colouring liquid suited to the colour of
the wool or fabric under treatment; this liquid has little effect on the colour of
the cloth, and in most instances brightens it and renders it of more value in
the market. I pass the wool or fabric which is to be benefited by my process
through a vat or tub in which cylinders are placed; in this tub I put a
suitable mordant according to the colour to be acted upon; these cylinders
grip the cloth, wool, or fabric as it passes through the tub, and if necessary
the wool or fabric may be passed backwards and forwards between these
cylinders, it then passes through another tub which contains the colouring
matter. The above operations may be reversed, that is to say, the colouring
matter may be employed first and the mordant afterwards.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Louis Adolphus Durrieu in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 12th September 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LOUIS
ADOLPHUS DURRIEU, of 33, Soho Square, London, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Louis Adolphus Durrieu, Her special licence that I, the
said Louis Adolphus Durrieu, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Louis Adolphus Durrieu, 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 lawfuliy might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United

page_text: Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF CLEARING OR CAUSING
TO DISAPPEAR FROM WOOL, WOOLLEN YARN, WOOLLEN FABRICS, MIXED WOVEN
FABRICS, OR FELTED CLOTHS OR FABRICS THE SPECKS, CAUSED BY PARTICLES OF
MATTER IN WOOL OR FABRICS ABOVE MENTIONED, AND OTHER BLEMISHES WHICH DO
NOT RECEIVE THE DYE EQUALLY WITH THE GENERAL BODY OF THE FABRIC OR
SUBSTANCE," upon the condition (amongst others) that the said Louis
Adolphus Durrieu, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Louis Adolphus Durrieu, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My improvements consist in obliterating the spots or blemishes in woollen
or mixed fabrics, wool, or yarns. These spots or blemishes are caused by
vegetable or other extraneous matter, which become mixed with the wool spun
in the yarn, and woven into the cluth or fabric, and as this matter will not
take the dye in the same manner as the wool, spots or blemishes are caused.
These spots or blemishes are at present removed by hand labour, assisted by
pickers or tweezers, or they are sometimes covered or obliterated partially by
a kind of ink; these methods are not only slow, but liable to injure the cloth or
fabric, and especially the picking process is liable to cause holes. I accomplish
the obliterating of these spots or blemishes in the following manner, that is to
say, by mordanting the fabric, wool, or yarn by any of the well-known
mordant salts used for dyeing vegetable fabrics, and then passing the said
fabric, wool, or yarn through a dyeing liquid, which I will presently further
describe. The mordant I prefer to be weak, and made quite suitable to the
colour which the fabric, wool, or yarn bas been previously dyed.
My process
is applicable to all woollen fabrics, single or mixed, to wool or to yarns, and it
will not injure the most delicate fabric or colours, but the rather improves the
appearance of both, particularly in piece goods. The colouring matter or dye
I prefer to use is such as has already been used for dyeing the same or similar
fabrics, wools, or yarns, but such colouring matter or dye must not have
undergone any chemical change by decomposition or otherwise, and it must
not have been kept too long a time since its previous use.

page_text: My first operation is to place the fabric, wool, or yarn in a vessel con-
taining a weak mordant salt in solution suitable for dyeing vegetable matter,
and one which will be best adapted to the colouring matter or dye already
used and intended to be used; the most suitable mordants are well known to
practical dyers. The fabric, wool, or yarn should then be drained, and
afterwards passed into another vessel containing the colouring matter or dye,
which may either be a spent dye liquor as above described, or it may be a
weak dye liquor made for the purpose; both the mordant and the dye liquors
may be used in a cold, a lukewarm, or a tepid state, so that no ill effect can
be had upon the colour or shade of the fabric, wool, or yarn under treatment.
The operations will be greatly facilitated and accelerated by placing in a vessel,
which I will call No. 1, rollers both at the lower part inside, and at the upper
part, by means of which rollers the fabric may be made to pass through the
contents of vessel No. 1, which will contain the solution of mordant salt; one
pair of these rollers must squeeze out the excess in quantity taken up by the
fabric as it passes on to vessel No. 2. Vessel No. 2 will contain the dyeing
liquid, and will be also furnished with rollers similar to those in No. 1, so that
the fabric may be well saturated. I place over No. 2, and communicating
with it by a pipe and tap, a vessel No. 3, which contains a supply of dyeing
liquor, which replenishes No. 2 when required. I mention this arrangement
as used by myself, but I do not exclusively claim it, as the obliterating process
may be carried out by various mechanical means. I also sometimes place
the fabric, wool, or yarn, in the dyeing liquor first, and apply the mordant
afterwards.
I claim as my Invention the using of the mordants as above mentioned,
and of the dyeing liquor as above mentioned, and the using of these two
liquors or either of them in a cold, lukewarm, or tepid state.
In witness whereof, I, the said Louis Adolphus Durrieu, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
LOUIS ADOLPHUS DURRIEU. (L.S.)