IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF DRESSING AND MANUFACTURING SHAMMY LEATHER
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Narcisse Laurent, of Paris, in the Empire of France,
Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF DRESSING
AND MANUFACTURING SHAMMY LEATHER."
Sealed the 23rd December 1857, and dated the 29th June 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Narcisse Laurent at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th June 1857.
I, NARCISSE LAURENT, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Merchant, do.
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PROCESS OF DRESSING AND MANUFACTURING SHAMMY LEATHER," to be as follows,
and consists in dressing tho skins of animals in a more perfect way than has
hitherto been done, so as to give to the said skins the appearance of fine woolen
cloth or velvet.
The skins are first carefully dressed by the common process, and rubbed out
with pumicestone as usual. All the greasy and putrescent particles are
expelled by a solution of alkaline-earthy salt. The skin is thoroughly washed
at first in lukewarm water, then in cold water, into which a little acetic acid,
and at the last time a few drops of chloridric acid, have been poured, and
is left to dry; then it is bleached by a chlorine solution, and if a pure white-
ness bo required, it is subjected to the action of sulphurous acid; afterwards it.

page_text: is washed, lightly blued, and again dried. When dry it is stretched, again
rubbed with pumicestone, and dyed in any required hue; then it is combed,
sheared out, and finished as fine woolen cloth.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by tho said Narcisse Laurent in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th December 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, NARCISSE
LAURENT, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Narcisse Laurent, Her special licence that I, the said Narcisse
Laurent, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Narcisse Laurent, 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, tho Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF DRESSING AND MANUFACTURING SHAMMY
LEATHER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Narcisse
Laurent, my executors or administrators, by an instrument 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 Narcisse Laurent, do hereby declaro
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement; and consists in preparing and dressing very carefully the skins of
animals, so as to give them the appearance of fine woollen cloth, and even of
velvet. The skins are first dressed by the common shammy process, then they
are rubbed out with pummicestone, so as to remove the remaining fleshy and
raw skinny particles left by the first process, and to open the pores of tho skin.

page_text: The second step consists in clearing the skins of the greasy and putrescent
particles by converting them into soap, by the use of an alkaline-carthy salt;
the skins are then washed, first in lukewarm water, then in cold water, to
remove the soap; they are then soaked in a bath prepared with a little acetic
acid mixed with the water, to dissolve the calcareous or other salts that may
remain in them, and repeatedly washed in cold water. At the last washing
a few drops of chloridric acid must be mixed with the water. The skins are
then to be dried in the shade, and afterwards bleached with an aqueous
solution of chloride. If that bleaching be insufficient, sulphurous acid may
be used, as in bleaching silk; they are then washed, and an azur bluo
tint is given them; they are then allowed to dry, and are again rubbed
very carefully with pummicestone. They may then be dyed by the process
employed in dying silks, but the bath must not exceed 86 degrees of
Fahrenheit.
The skins being thus transformed into stuff by the processes described, aro
combed, napped, and sheared off, prepared, and calendered just as woollen
cloth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Narcisse Laurent, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
NARCISSE LAURENT. (L.B.)
Sigued and sealed in the presence of
L. D'AUBREVILLE, C.E.,
Rue de l'Echiquier, 86.