CERTAIN. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HEMPEN ROPE OR CORDAGE
Year: 1828

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ROBERTSON, of Limehouse Hole, in the Parish of All Saints, Poplar, in the
County of Middlesex, Rope Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Fourth day of September, in the ninth year of His reign,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Robertson, His especial licence that I, the said John Robertson, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Robinson, my executors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree. with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times hereafter during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England; Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
HEMPEN ROPE OR CORDAGE;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso obliging me, the said John Robertson, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of
my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to.
cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said..

page_text: recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Robertson, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention to consist
in saturating the yarns of which cordage is to be manufactured with tannin,
by steeping them in an infusion of bark, sumacb, catechu, valonia, or nut
galls, previous to such yarns being laid up or twisted into rope, whereby the
use of tar and rosin is rendered unnecessary. And in further compliance
with the said proviso, I, the said John Robinson, do hereby describe the
manner in which my said Invention is to be performed, by the following
description thereof (that is to say):—
Into a large vat, pit, or other convenient vessel, I put any suitable number of
gallons of water, and when oak bark is to be used, I add to every gallon of
water three pounds of ground oak bark, and in that proportion for any other
kind of bark, or any other of the substances herein-before enumerated, according
to the quantity of tannin contained therein. Keep the mixture constantly
stirred for four or five days, then coil in the yarn, care being taken that every
part is completely covered. When every fibre of the yarn is thoroughly
saturated, which can be observed on closely examining it from time to time,
tako it out, drain or strain out the redundant liquor, and dry it well previous
to its being used or laid up into rope, which will be done in the usual way,
with the exception of no tar or rosin being used. For Russian or Italian
hemps, twenty-one days will be requisite for a complete saturation to take
place; and for Manilla, Now Zealand, or hemps of those descriptions, about
fourteen days only will be requisite. If extracts of oak, mimosa, or other
barks are used, the water must be proportioned to the strength of the extract
of oak, nine gallons of water to one pound of extract, and of mimosa eight
gallons to one pound; the others in proportion.
Now whereas I claim as my Invention the saturation of such yarns as are
made or used in the manufacture of cordage with the substance called tannin,
either of the strength herein-before described, which I believe to be the best
as far as my present experience has been able to ascertain, or of a greater or
less degree of strength, previous to such yarns being laid up or twisted into
rope; and such my Invention being, to the best of my knowledge and belief
entirely new, and never before used within that part of His said Majesty's
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, His said
Dominion of Wales, or Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, I do hereby declaro
this to be my Specification of the same, and that I do verily believe this my
caid Specification doth comply in all respects, fully and without reserve or