A NEW AND IM- PROVED MEANS OF UTILIZING ALL THE PARTS OF ALL SORTS OF FEATHERS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Touaillon, junior, of Paris, in the Empire.
of France, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "A NEW AND IM-
PROVED MEANS OF UTILIZING ALL THE PARTS OF ALL SORTS OF FEATHERS." -A
communication from Jean Louis Frédéric Bardin, residing at No. 72,
Boulevard Sébastopol, in Paris, aforesaid, Manufacturer.
Sealed the 29th October 1867, and dated the 3rd August 1867.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Charles Touaillon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration,
on the 3rd August 1867, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent
Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, CHARLES
TOUAILLON, junior, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "A NEW AND
IMPROVED MEANS OF UTILIZING ALL THE PARTS OF ALL SORTS OF FEATHERS," a
communication from Jean Louis Frédéric Bardiu, a person resident at No. 72,
Boulevard Sébastopol, in Paris, aforesaid, Manufacturer, and have petitioned
Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and made solemn Declaration that
it is a communication.
Chaulas Tamilan iunior do hereby

page_text: fully describes and ascertains the nature of the Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed: -
:-
The Invention communicated to me relates to a special mode of treating all
sorts of feathers so as to turn to account all their parts a thing which has not
yet been realized.
The complete transformation of all the parts of all sorts of feathers as
herein-after fully set forth and explained constitutes the Invention which I.
desire to secure by Letters Patent.
The feathers are first picked by the hand in order to assemble separately
the different sorts which are to be used for different purposes. The feathers
intended to produce the toothpicks are first cut in their whole length into
two parts; the first part furnishes the toothpick, the second is appropriated to
several uses as will hereafter be enumerated. To bisect the feathers a
mechanical pair of scissors may be used, actuated with a movement slow
enough to allow the workman conveniently to place the bundle of feathers to
be cut.
At a certain distance from the blade is a regulating metal plate
intended to limit the length of the quills; this metal plate may be regulated
at will according to the length required. When the quills are separated they
are generally unclean, and in that state unfit for use; to obviate this the
quills are thrown into a large drum animated with a continuous movement of
rotation around its axis, which is horizontal; the quills by rubbing against
each other debarrass themselves of their impurities, and are soon fit for use.
The better to assist the removal of these impurities a certain quantity of little
bits of horn or some such hard body may be mixed up with the quills in the
drum; the quantity of these hard bodies may vary according to the quantity
and the degree of cleanliness of the quills. To render the quills transparent
they are wetted and then subjected to the action of heat, either in a corestove
or on-trays, or in receptacles exposed to a high temperature, which varies
according to the nature of the feather. The cutting of the toothpicks by the
hand may be replaced by mechanical means, which give by far more regular
results. With this view a cutting punch is used which is set in motion by
any sort of motive power and which cuts at the same time both ends of the
toothpicks; an indicator may be fixed to the machine setting forth the number
of toothpicks manufactured in the course of a day.
The manner of whitening the toothpicks when cut, and of giving them an
appropriate clean appearance, is as follows:-The toothpicks are subjected in
a well closed place to the energetic action of sulphuric steam.
fumigation, they are done up into bundles and ready for sale.
After this
Besides

page_text: utilizing the quills as toothpicks, they may also be employed as articles of
ornamentation, for hats, bonnets, pads, trimmings, buttons, flowers, fishing
floats,pens, and such like, and all the forms to be obtained by cutting, stamping,
and colouring may be given to them. The different transformations which the
upper part of the quill, such as the barb, the horny substance, and the
epidermis undergo will now be described. The barb of the feather being
detached from the quill it is made into carpets, but in that state they are
rough and irregular. In order to give them a silky gloss and the requisite
strength in the wear this barb is woven, and after the weaving the tissues
undergo a complete transformation, so that it is at first sight difficult to
ascertain whether the article is manufactured with feathers.
As
The following is the mode of operation:-The epidermis bearing the barb
or down is taken off; then a warp similar to that for ordinary weaving
purposes is established on an ordinary loom; a whole barb on its epidermis
is next taken; it is made to pass horizontally under the warp, and by meau's
of a comb the barb of the feather is redressed vertically outside; the number
of barbs requisite to complete the width of the warp is placed end to end,
after which the shuttle is made to fly along, and the barbs are taken between.
two threads which compose the warp; this operation performed fresh barbs
are placed as before until the width of the warp is complete, the shuttle once
more flies along, and so the work proceeds until the carpet is finished.
the tissue is made it may be rolled up like cloth or other stuff. When
drawings are needed a plank or cardboard, on which is figured the drawing
to be reproduced, is placed below the warp, and instead of indifferently
taking barbs of different colours, those of the tints previously prepared and
corresponding with those indicated on the Drawing are selected. It is
obvious that the most difficult Drawings may be thus reproduced :-On
leaving the loom the carpet is rough and rugged as aforesaid, it may be
sold in that state, but if it is preferred to give it a silky gloss and to smooth
the barbs the surface of the carpet must be subjected to the action of au
energetic friction producing heat, which helps the development of the down
and imparts to it the silky gloss required. Having obtained this result the
carpet may be sheared with an ordinary shearing machine, and on coming out
the work is completely finished.
The various operations above enumerated relate merely to the manufacture
of carpets and of stuffs with a right and a wrong side; but if a stuff with

page_text: The following is the operation :-When a row of feathers has been placed
on the width of the warp, that the barbs have been brought outwards above
the said warp, and that the shuttle has been made to pass to maintain the
barbs against the preceding row, a fresh row is made, the barbs of which are
brought outwards, but underneath the warp, thus alternately one row above
and one below. When the weaving is done, this double right-sided stuff is
subjected to the same treatment as those above described with a right and a
wrong side.
By the various operations above described all sorts of feathers may be
utilized in the manufacture of carpets, coverings, and other thick stuffs; not
only may the stiff and large feathers be used, but one may reap no slight
advantage in turning to account the shorter sort. After having cut away the
barbs of these feathers, and having subjected them to an energetic friction, a
a fibrous material is obtained which may be spun by itself or mixed with
cotton, or wool, or any other such like material used in the making of tissues.
After having utilized the quill and the barb of the feathers the stem remains
which bore the barb, from which several products may be drawn, as herein-
after set forth. Beneath the epidermis which carries the barb or down is a
membranous and horny substance which very much resembles the quill itself.
This substance may be turned to account in the following manner:-After
having cut off this substance by means of a plane it is made to pass between
two fluted cylinders placed one underneath the other. A knife is fixed which
bears on the circumference of the upper cylinder; by introducing this
horny substance between the knife and the cylinder it is carried away by the
rotation movement of this latter, and by rubbing against the knife it is rid of
the marrow which had remained adhering to it. When this horny substance
is thus debarrassed of its marrow it may be used for almost every purpose to
which the quill is employed, and moreover an imitation of wild boars' silks,
which brush makers may use to advantage. To attain this result I introduce
this horny substance between two cylinders formed by whirls placed perpen-
dicularly to the axis and exactly corresponding with each other. On coming
out of these cylinders the horny substance is entirely cut out, and imitates
so well as to make one mistake it for wild boars' silks.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise details above given, as these may obviously be modified
according to the intended applications; but what I claim is the utilizing of
all the parts of all sorts of feathers in manufacturing toothpicks, carpets,

page_text: coverings, or other such like articles, and thick stuffs, substantially as herein_
before set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Touaillon, junior, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
CH. TOUAILLON, FILS. (L.S.)