CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN RENDERING FABRICS WATERPROOF
Year: 1835

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SIMPSON POTTER, of Verulam Buildings, in the County of Middlesex,
Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Twenty-eighth day of April, in the fifth year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Simpson Potter, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said William Simpson Potter, my exors, admors,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Simpson Potter, my
exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times 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, the Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN RENDERING FABRICS WATERPROOF," communicated
to me by a certain Foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent
there is contained a proviso that I, the said William Simpson Potter,

page_text: shall cause a particular description of the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in
His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part 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
William Simpson Potter, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully
described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof (that is
to say) :-
Take half an ounce of isinglass (Russian is preferred), put it into one
pound of rain or soft water and boil it until it is dissolved; take one ounce of
alum, put it into two pounds of water and boil it till dissolved; take a quarter
of an ounce of soap (white soap is preferred), with one pound of rain or soft
water, and boil it till it is dissolved. After each of these ingredients have
been separately dissolved, strain them separately through a piece of linen,
afterwards mix them together in a pot; put it on the fire again till it simmers,
then take it off, and while thus near boiling dip a brush into it, and apply the
liquid it absords to the wrong or reverse side of the cloth intended to be made
waterproof. The cloth must be spread out upon a table during the operation,
and remain there until it is dry; after it is dry is must be brushed on the
wrong side against the grain, and then dipping the brush in clean water pass it
lightly over and leave it till it is again dry; after that, the gloss caused by the
application of the ingredients can be taken off. Three days after the operation
has been done in the manner just described the cloth will be impervious to
water, but not to air. For light fabrics, as linen, cotton, silk, or other stuffs, a
difference in the relative quantities of the ingredients, and an addition is
necessary, as follows:-Take a quarter of an ounce of isinglass, put it into
half a pound of rain or soft water, and boil it till dissolved. Take three
ounces of alum, put it into three pounds of rain water, and boil it till dis-
solved; take half an ounce of soap or saponaceous compound dissolved by
degrees in an ounce and a half of oil (essence is better) of turpentine, and
add, little by little, one pound and a half of water, until perfect dissolution of
the soap; take one ounce of the finest glue (German glue I have found to
answer best), but it into one pound of rain water, and boil it till dissolved;
take one ounce of Arabian gum, put into half a pound of rain water, and boil
it till dissolved.
After each of these ingredients has been separately dissolved

page_text: strain them separately through a piece of linen, afterwards mix the alum with
the isinglass, glue, and gum, and ten minutes after add the soap or saponaceous
compound. The ingredients must be hot when they are mixed together; when
they have cooled a little (half cold) take the stuff you intend to be made
waterproof and steep it once or twice in the ingredients till you see that it is
well and equally wet or moistened, afterwards wring it and spread it out
horizontally upon a table or on turf, and when it is well dried steep it again in
rain or soft water, or in a tub of rain water lightly soaped or alumned (mixed
with alum), and dry it again in the same manner on table or turf. When all
this is done press the stuff with a hot or cold press. This operation of pressing
stuffs, or of the unglossing of cloth, requires practice in order to obtain know-
ledge of the operation, but no particular description can be given, though
requisite judgment will be obtained by a few trials. The same remark applies
to the steeping the stuffs in alumned or soaped water, which depends upon the
colour and the quality of the stuff. If the stuff is of a colour liable to injure
by heat it must be steeped in cold ingredients, or it would be better that the
application should be in the same manner as applied to cloth.
For paper,
cartridge paper, paste and mill boards, brown paper, and other like fabrics,
the same quantity and qualities of ingredients must be used as that before
given for cloths, and to render the paper waterproof it must be taken sheet by
sheet and steeped in the ingredients, which must be either hot or cold, accord-
ing to the more or less absorbing qualities of the paper; if it is of a less
absorbing quality it must be steeped in hot ingredients, or if it is of a quality
that absorbs much it must be steeped in cold ingredients; after that it is dried
in the air, in the same manner as by the manufacturers.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of the Invention, and the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I would wish it to be understood, that
although I have given precise quantities of the materials used, and the manner
of applying the same, which I conceive best and have found generally to
answer, yet it may be found under some circumstances desirable slightly to
vary the same; I do not, therefore, confine my claim to the quantities or the
exact manner of applying the materials, provided the essential properties of
the Invention be retained.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Simpson Potter, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-five.
WILLIAM SIMPSON (L.S.) POTTER.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-eighth day of October,
in the year of our Lord 1835, the aforesaid William Simpson Potter came
before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped 5
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-five.

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SIMPSON POTTER, of Verulam Buildings, in the County of Middlesex,
Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Twenty-eighth day of April, in the fifth year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Simpson Potter, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said William Simpson Potter, my exors, admors,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Simpson Potter, my
exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times 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, the Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN RENDERING FABRICS WATERPROOF," communicated
to me by a certain Foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent
there is contained a proviso that I, the said William Simpson Potter,

page_text: shall cause a particular description of the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in
His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part 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
William Simpson Potter, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully
described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof (that is
to say)-
Take half an ounce of isinglass (Russian is preferred), put it into one
pound of rain or soft water and boil it until it is dissolved; take one ounce of
alum, put it into two pounds of water and boil it till dissolved; take a quarter
of an ounce of soap (white soap is preferred), with one pound of rain or soft
water, and boil it till it is dissolved. After each of these ingredients have
been separately dissolved, strain them separately through a piece of linen,
afterwards mix them together in a pot; put it on the fire again till it simmers,
then take it off, and while thus near boiling dip a brush into it, and apply the
liquid it absords to the wrong or reverse side of the cloth intended to be made
waterproof. The cloth must be spread out upon a table during the operation,
and remain there until it is dry; after it is dry is must be brushed on the
wrong side against the grain, and then dipping the brush in clean water pass it
lightly over and leave it till it is again dry; after that, the gloss caused by the
application of the ingredients can be taken off. Three days after the operation
has been done in the manner just described the cloth will be impervious to
water, but not to air. For light fabrics, as linen, cotton, silk, or other stuffs, a
difference in the relative quantities of the ingredients, and an addition is
necessary, as follows:-Take a quarter of an ounce of isinglass, put it into
half a pound of rain or soft water, and boil it till dissolved. Take three
ounces of alum, put it into three pounds of rain water, and boil it till dis-
solved; take half an ounce of soap or saponaceous compound dissolved by
degrees in an ounce and a half of oil (essence is better) of turpentine, and
add, little by little, one pound and a half of water, until perfect dissolution of
the soap; take one ounce of the finest glue (German glue I have found to
answer best), but it into one pound of rain water, and boil it till dissolved;
take one ounce of Arabian gum, put into half a pound of rain water, and boil
it till dissolved. After each of these ingredients has been separately dissolved

page_text: strain them separately through a piece of linen, afterwards mix the alum with
the isinglass, glue, and gum, and ten minutes after add the soap or saponaceous
compound. The ingredients must be hot when they are mixed together; when
they have cooled a little (half cold) take the stuff you intend to be made
waterproof and steep it once or twice in the ingredients till you see that it is
well and equally wet or moistened, afterwards wring it and spread it out
horizontally upon a table or on turf, and when it is well dried steep it again in
rain or soft water, or in a tub of rain water lightly soaped or alumned (mixed
with alum), and dry it again in the same manner on table or turf. When all
this is done press the stuff with a hot or cold press. This operation of pressing
stuffs, or of the unglossing of cloth, requires practice in order to obtain know-
ledge of the operation, but no particular description can be given, though
requisite judgment will be obtained by a few trials. The same remark applies
to the steeping the stuffs in alumned or soaped water, which depends upon the
colour and the quality of the stuff. If the stuff is of a colour liable to injure
by heat it must be steeped in cold ingredients, or it would be better that the
application should be in the same manner as applied to cloth.
For paper,
cartridge paper, paste and mill boards, brown paper, and other like fabrics,
the same quantity and qualities of ingredients must be used as that before
given for cloths, and to render the paper waterproof it must be taken sheet by
sheet and steeped in the ingredients, which must be either hot or cold, accord-
ing to the more or less absorbing qualities of the paper; if it is of a less
absorbing quality it must be steeped in hot ingredients, or if it is of a quality
that absorbs much it must be steeped in cold ingredients; after that it is dried
in the air, in the same manner as by the manufacturers.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of the Invention, and the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I would wish it to be understood, that
although I have given precise quantities of the materials used, and the manner
of applying the same, which I conceive best and have found generally to
answer, yet it may be found under some circumstances desirable slightly to
vary the same; I do not, therefore, confine my claim to the quantities or the
exact manner of applying the materials, provided the essential properties of
the Invention be retained.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Simpson Potter, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-five.
WILLIAM SIMPSON (L.s.) POTTER.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-eighth day of October,
in the year of our Lord 1835, the aforesaid William Simpson Potter came
before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped 5
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-five.