CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN DYEING AND PRINTING TURKEY RED AND OTHER COLORS
Year: 1846

page_text: MERCER AND GREENWOOD'S SPECIFICATION
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, Jonx
MERCER, of Oakenshaw, in the County of Lancaster, Chemist, and JOHN
GREENWOOD, of Church, in the same County, Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-second day of
June, in the tenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, IIer heirs and suc-
cessois, give and grant unto us, the said John Mercer and John Greenwood,
oui exors, adiñois, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that we, the said John Mercer and John Greenwood, our exors,
adiñors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Meice and John
Greenwood, our exors, admñňors, 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. our Invention
of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN DYEING AND PRINTING TURKEY RED AND OTHER
COLORS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that we, the
said John Mercer and John Greenwood, should cause a particular description
of the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under
the hand seal of one of us, to be inrolled in Iler said Majesty's High Count
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 appeal

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the sand
John Meice and John Greenwood, do licieby declare that the nature of
our Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are
fully described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
that is to say
--
Our Invention relates, liist, to preparing oil for and applying the same to
fabrics in the processes of dyeing and printing Turkey red.
Secondly, our Invention relates to improvements in applying oil to goods 01
fabrics which aio to be after wards oxidized
Thirdly, our Invention relates to improvements in the means used in
oxidizing goods or fabrics which have been oiled for the process of dyeing or
printing Turkey red, and such means of oxidising fabrics are applicable in the
processes of dyeing and printing other colors where a process of oxidizing is
required.
Fourthly, our Invention relates to the preparation of an oil mixture to be
used with blocks on machines, as licicafter described.
And, fifthly, our Invention relates to- the use of a preparation of silica in
dying and punting, as hereafter explained
And in order that our Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, we will proceed to explain the means pursued by us
Teretofore when dyeing and printing Turkey red, it has been usual to pie-
pare the fabrics or goods with oil, and the goods or fabies have been then
subjected to alkalı and then oxidized, and in other cases the oil has been com-
bined with alkali and then applied to the goods or fabrics, and the same have
then been oxidized, all which processes are well known, and therefore do not
require to be fnithe noticed in this our Specification. The first part of our
Invention, as above stated, relates to preparing oil for and applying the same
to goods or fabrics in dyeing or punting Turkey red The oil we prefer to
use in canying out the first part of our Invention is olive oil, though other
vegetable oils produce (when treated according to our Invention) a similar
effect, but then use is not, so far as we are informed on the subject, so useful
as olive oil.
The first part of our Invention consists in preparing what we call sulphated
oil, and applying the same to the processes herein mentioned. For this pur-
pose, we take at the rate of one part by measure of sulphuric acid of com-
meice for every eight parts of olive oil, and we mix the same and stir them
frequently during ten days, we then add three or four gallons of water and
stn the mixture well, adding three to four pounds o common salt, then allow
the whole to stand, and the oil will separate and may be diawn ofl' as clear

page_text: oil, which, for convenience of description, we will call sulphated o A. For
cach gallon of this oil we add nine gallons of chloride of soda, which we
prepare in the following manner -Wo take sixteen pounds of the crystallized
carbonate of soda of commerce dissolved in two quarts of water, ten gallons
of chloride of lime at twelve degices of Twaddle's hydiometer, and we mux
these materials well together, and after allowing the same to stand we draw
off the clear liquor, which we employ as above mentioned. We heat the mix-
ture of sulphated oil A and chloride of soda in a vessel, by any convenient
means, prefering a pipe heated by steam, and boil the mixture until the same
ceases to bleach a portion of cotton dyed a pale blue color by indigo, 01, 111
place of applying heat, we use a diluted acid (preferring sulphuric acid),
diluted at the rate of one pait by measure of sulphuric acid to twenty-four
parts of water and we add and stir in the diluted acid in portions at intervals,
allowing time, so as to prevent as much as possible the escape of chlorine, and
when the mature no longer bleaches a portion of cotton dyed light blue by
indigo, the process will be complete O, we treat the sulphated or A
with atmospheric an and steam, for which purpose we mix at the late
of one gallon of the oil with one gallon of water, and we force streams
of heated atmosphene ai though a suitably perforated pipe, or other
suitable apparatus, such as are well understood and have before been used
when applying streams of heated air or steam to fluids for other purposes,
and we prefer that the au should be heated to two hundred and twenty
degrees of Fahrenheit, and keep up the process for ten days, and we find
that the process is quickened by adding one gallon of cow-dung water, and one
gallon of bian water made with two pounds of ban; or, instead the cof, one-
eighth of a gallon of linseed oil; or we use eight ounces of sulphate of coppor
and eight ounces of common salt. And when using cold atmosphene air wo
employ steam by a perforated pipe, and the agitation caused on the surface
will allow the atmosphere to act on the surface of the oil; but this process of
oxydation will be but slow when compared with forcing heated air through the
oil, or when compared with alternately causing streams of steam aud cold ai
alternately to pass through the oil The oil, in place of beng first sulphated as
above explained, may be treated in the same manner; and we find it desirable
to prepare both sulphated oil, and oil without that process, as above explained,
and we use them as liereafter described The first we call sulphated oxidized
ol, and the other we call oxidized oil
Another mode of manufacturing sulphated oxidized oil according to our
Invention is as follows -We mix at the rate of one part by measmic of sul-
phuric acid with eight parts of olive oil, and stu the nature often during

page_text: twenty-four hours; to this mixture we add at intervals twenty ounces of
chlorate of potash dissolved in two quarts of boiling water to each gallon of oil.
and stir till the action ceases, we then wash away the acids and salts with
water by stirring in two gallons of water for each gallon of oil, then allow them
to stand and diaw off the water; and again in like manner we employ two more
gallons of water, allow the whole to stand and draw off the water, or we employ
forty ounces of bichiomate of potash (in place of the chlorate above meu-
tioned) dissolved in five pints of water, and proceed in the same manner as
before descubed, or in place of the above, we employ forty ounces of nitrate of
soda or of potash in powder, and one pint of water, and proceed in the manner
above described, and by either of the above processes we obtain a preparation
of sulphated oxidized oil, and having prepared the oils as above explained, they
are to be used when dyeing and punting Turkey red, and for this purpose wo
tako two quarts of either of the sulphated ocidized oils above described, and two
quarts of oxidized oil, and to these we add twelve gallons of pearlash liquor of
two degrees of Twaddle's hydrometer. The goods or fabrics are to be im-
pregnated with this oil liquor four times, and dried after each time in-a-hot.flue
or stove, the goods or fabrics are then to be impregnated twice with pearlash
liquor of six degrees of Twaddle's hydrometer, and dried in a hot stove or flue
after each time of impregnating, then finishing at a temperature of one
hundied and eighty degrees of Fahrenheit or upwards for three hours, the
goods or fabrics are then to be inced in pearlash liquor of one degree of
Twaddle, then washed, and afterwards dried at about one hundred and forty
degrees Fahrenheit; the goods are now ready for the usual mordants and
after processes, as well understood
We will now proceed to describe the second part of our Invention, which
relates to improvements in applying oil to goods or fabrics, to be afterwards
oxidized for the processes of dyeing and printing Turkey ied We take at the
rate of one pint of either carbonate or caustic potash or soda at seventy degrees
of Twaddle's hydiometer, we prefer the carbonate and caustic in equal parts;
we heat the same till the watery vapours cease to be evolved; to this we add
two gallons of olive oil, and heat the mixture to about three hundred degrees
of Fahrenheit, and keep the same so heated until the oil has dissolved all-the
potash, the watery vapours and carbonic acid being first driven off; this will
be indicated by the subsidence of all froth on the surface, and the mixture
has become clear; the mixture is then allowed to cool below two hundred
and twelve degices Fahrenheit, we then mix two gallons of water therewith
We would here iemark, that we find that time is saved in the above process
by removing the scum at the carly part of the process, and returning it towards

page_text: the end of the process. This preparation of oil is to be applied to goods o1
fabrics, and oxidized in the ordinary manner, as are well understood; but we
prefer the oxidizing process to be carried on according to either of the processes
hereafter described. When we wish to employ this preparation of oil for
printing, then we use a calico printer's padding pin slash or other engraved
cylinder, and diy the goods in the way usually practised by calico printers
The goods are then to be impiegnated with peailash liquor of six degices of
Twaddle's hydrometer three or four times, drying after each time in a hot stove
o flue They are then to be oxidized, which we prefer to be done by either of
the two processes hereafter described The goods are then to be impregnated
with pearlash liquor of six degrees of Twaddle's hydrometer, and dued in a hot
stove or flue, finishing at a temperature at or above one hundred and eighty
degrees of Fahrenheit for three hours, then rinse the goods out m peailash
liquor of one degree of Twaddle's hydrometer, and wash them in water, and
dry them at about one hundred and forty degrees Fahrenheit, when the goods
will be ready for the usual moidants and after processes And when this oil
Is to be applied to impregnate goods or fabrics in substitution of the old
oiling processes, we take two gallons of this oil mixture and mix therewith
ten gallons of pear lash liquor of one degree of Twaddle's hydrometer, and the
goods are to be impregnated with this liquor three or four times, daying after
each time in a hot stove or flue The goods are then to be oxidized, which
we prefer to be done by either of the processes hereafter described, after
which the further processes are to be pursued, as just above described
Q₁,
we employ the sulphated oil A, and mix one gallon of the same with nine
gallons of peailash liquor of two degrees of Twaddle's hyrometer, and impieg
nate the goods therewith three or four times, drying after each time in a bot
stove or flue, and proceed precisely as last above described; but we prefer to
combine the sulphated oil A, and the prepared oil above described, in equal
quantities
We will now proceed to describe the third part of our Invention. which
relates to a mode of oxidizing goods or fabrics which have been oiled according
to the means heretofore practised, or when prepared with oil according to the
means described as the second part of our Invention One mode of oxidizing
consists of the use of an oxidizing chamber, which we believe may be best
built of stone. We hang or suspend the goods in a chamber which can be
closed, and into this chamber we cause an oxidizing vapour to pervade, and for
which purpose we take one gallon of solution of chloride of lime of nine degrees
of Twaddle's hydrometer for every pint of oil in the goods, and to this solution
for each gallon we add five ounces of muniate of ammonia dissolved in a punt

page_text: of boiling water, we place these matters in a suitable vessel with a suitable
pipe into the chamber, we close the vessel, and heat it to one hundred and fifty
degrees of Falcnheit; the vapours will flow into the chamber and oxidize the
goods; and we have found that the vapours of water and in the process, for
which reason we have the floor of the chamber wet or we admit steam into
the chamber, taking care that the goods are not rendered wet thereby, and this
process of oxidizing will be found to take about six hours
Another mode of oxidizing goods according to this part of our Invention is
to use atmospheric air and steam, either together or forced in contact with the
goods alternately This may be performed in a chamber such as above
described, allowing a vent for the passage off of the air and stoam, or what we
prefe is to employ perforated cylinders or rollers such as those used by calico
painters, and the goods (eight or ten pieces thereof) are to be wound around
such rollers or cylinders, and then by a fan or other blowing apparatus we
cause au to pass into a suitable heating apparatus, so as to heat the same to
one hundred and sixty to two hundred degices of Faluenheit, as is well under-
stood, and then into the interior of such rollers oi cylinders in such manuci as
to pass through the goods thereon, and we keep up such flow of heated air for
ten minutes, then apply steam to the interior of the rollers or cylinders for ten
minutes, then heated air, and so on for two hours. The goods oxidized by
either of these two means are then to be impregnated with peailash liquor of
six degrees of Twaddle's hydrometer, as before explained And we would
remaik in respect to this part of our Invention, that in addition to oxidizing
goods which have been treated with oil for dyeing and printing Turkey 1ed,
the means herein descubed may be applied when oxidizing fabrics in the
processes of dyeing and punting other colors in those cases where the process
of oxidizing is required, such as are called steam colors in cotton and silk
printing
We will now proceed to describe the fourth part of our Invention. which
elates to a preparation of oil for painting fabrics with blocks or machines. For
this
pu pose we take a gallon of the sulphated oil A, or equal parts of such
sulphated oil A and either of the oxidized oils above described, and we take
two gallons of calico punters' red liquor at eighteen degices of Twaddle's
hydrometer, and one quait of pearlash liquor at sixty-four degrees of Twaddle's
hydiometer, we ma one-half of the peailash liquor with the red liquor, and
then mix as much of this red liquor with the oil as it will take, when it will
not take more, add the remainder of the pearlash liquor to the mixture, then
add the remaining red liquor by portions at a time, when it will not take moie,
add one quart of oil of turpentine. This mixture will be of a nice consistency

page_text: for printing, and we use it with blocks on machines, hang the goods ma
waim 100m two or three days, then dung off in a mature of dung and sumac,
valonia, or quercition baik, at one hundred and eighty degrees of Fahrenheit,
as is well understood, the goods are then to be washed and dyed with
quercition baik, then exposed on the bleach fields three or four days; the
fabrics are then to be diied at about one hundred degrees l'ahrenheit, and
afterwards dyed with madder and quercition bark, the fabrics aic then
to be cleaned after the manner of Turkey ied, except that we use no alkalı
with the soap, we then brighten in a mixture of soap and tin in the usual
mannei
We will now describe the fifth part of our Invention. We take silicate of
potash or soda, made by fluxing, at the rate of thee pounds of penilash and
two pounds of silica or powdered flint, and make a solution in water, as is well
understood We make a solution of silicic acid by one gallon of silicate of
potash, as above, at twelve degrees of Twaddle, and half a pint of sulphuric
acid. sixty-eight degrees Twaddle, mixed with one and a half pints of acetic
acid, eight degices or nine degices Twaddle; this forms a clear solution, and
will keep six or eight days before it become gelatinous And we apply such
silicate by impregnating the goods or fabrics therewith, and diy them; then
un the goods or fabrics through a liquor composed of thee to four ounces of
munate of ammonia to each gallon of water; then wash in water, and died,
the goods are ready for the mordant. Or when the silicic acid is employed,
then the goods or fabins are impregnated therewith and hung up for a day,
and then they will be ready for the mordant or steam colors
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which we perform the same, we would remark that although we have been
particular in describing the exact processes as practised by us, we do not con-
fine ourselves thereto so long as the peculiar character of either part of our
Invention be retained, but what we claim is,-
First, the preparing oils for and applying such oils to cotton goods or fabrics
in the process of dyeing and punting 'lurkey red, as herein described.
Secondly, we claim the preparing oil for and applying the same to cotton
goods or fabrics which are after waids to be oxidized, as heiein explained.
Thirdly, we claim the means herein described of oxidizing cotton goods o
fabies which have been oiled for the process of dyeing or printing Turkey
ed, and also fabrics when dyed or printed with other colors requiring a process
of oxidizing
Fourthly, we claim the preparation and application of an oil mixture to be
used with blocks or machines, as herein described

page_text: And, fifthly, we claim the application of silica in the process of dyeing and
printing, as herein described.
In witness when cof, we, the said John Meice and John Greenwood
have hereunto set their hands and seals, this Twenty-second day of
December, in the year of our Loid One thousand eight hundred and
forty-six.
JOHN (L.S.) MERCER
JOHN (L.S.) GREENWOOD.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-second day of December,
in the year of our Lord 1846, the aforesaid John Mercer and John Greenwood
came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged tho
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing theicin contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-second day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand-eight hundred and forty-six.