IMPROVEMENTS IN THE OPERATION OF TANNING
Year: 1841

page_text: WARINGTON'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
WARINGTON, of South Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, send
greeting:
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Sixteenth of March, in the fourth year of Her' reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Robert
Warington, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege, and autho-
rity, that I, the said Robert Warington, my exors, admors, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Robert Warington, 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, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE OPERATION OF
TANNING;" in which said Letters, Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said
Robert Warington, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
inrolled in Her 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
Robert Warington, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and

page_text: 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):-
My improvements are applicable to all kinds of hides or skins, whether dry,
salted, or fresh.
First, for soaking or preparing the hides or skins for unhairing; this I
do by the means of the carbonates of potass or soda. The latter from its
cheapness is to be preferred, and dissolved in water in the proportion of from
one to two pounds of the carbonate to ten gallons of water.
Second, for the preparing the hides and skins for unhairing and swelling
them at the same time, or for swelling them only; and this I do by various
agents, which for simplicity of explanation I will divide into three classes.
First, baryta, potass, soda. Second, muriatic acid, nitric acid, oxalic acid,
and all other acids (except the sulphuric). And thirdly, vegetable matters,
as the culinary rhubarbs, sorrel, apple, marc, vine cuttings, and many
others, which from locality and other circumstances may be economically
employed. Of the first class, I prefer the use of soda in the proportion
of half a pound to one pound of dry carbonate of soda to ten gallons of
water, and rendered caustic by about half its weight of fresh burnt lime.
Of the second class, I prefer from its cheapness the muriatic acid which
I use in the proportion of from half a pound to two pounds of the acid
of commerce, of specific gravity 1.17, mixed with ten gallons of water.
the third class, I prefer the culinary rhubarbs bruised and mixod with water in
the proportion of from one to ten pounds of the rhubarb per gallon of water.
As the details of the method of unhairing and fleshing the hides or skins when
ready is the same exactly as that usually followed, and is well known to all
practical men, it would be useless to state them here.
Of
Third, for the use of the carbonates of ammonia in the operation of grain-
ing; and this I employ in the proportion of from half a pound to four pounds
dissolved in ten gallons of water.
Fourth, for the use of green vegetable matter, bruised, as culinary
rhubarb, bruised potatoes, &c., or chemical agents capable of deoxidizing or
preventing oxidation, as gum, starch, certain compounds of sulphur, &c.,
which are to be mixed in small proportions with the tanning material, as
barks, divi divi, or extracts as kino, catechu, &c. The proportion in which
these agents may be employed are so various, and dependent on the tanning
agent used, that it is impossible to give an accurate proportion, but from Too
part to supposing oak bark to be employed.
Fifth, for the use of bichromate of potass in solution, or diluted sulphuric
acid, for the preservation of animal matter, so as to prevent putrefaction :-

page_text: When the bichromate of potass is used I employ from one-eighth to half a
pound to oue hundred gallons of water, and in the case of sulphuric acid from
one-fourth to one pound to ten gallons of water. Into either of these solu-
tions the skins, or any other animal substances in their moist state, is to be
immersed and kept from the dust.
I do not claim the use of any of the proportions herein-before given, as
these must be regulated by the nature of the material operated upon, and the
temperature of the air and season when it is employed. But what I claim is,-
First, the use of carbonates of soda or potass for soaking the hides or
skins, so as to enable the hair being readily removed.
Secondly, the employment of baryta, potass, soda, muriatic acid, nitric acid,
oxalic acid, and any other acid (except the sulphuric), as also vegetable
matters, as culinary rhubarb, sorrel, apple, marc, &c., for the purpose of faci-
litating the removal of the air, and at the same time swelling the hide or skin,
or for swelling them only.
Thirdly, the use of the carbonates of ammonia as a grainer, for the purpose
of graining hides or skins.
Fourthly, the employment of vegetable matters and chemical agents capable
of retarding oxidation, such matters or agents to be used with the tanning
agent employed.
Fifthly and lastly, the use of bichromate of potass in solution, or diluted
sulphuric acid, for preserving skins or other animal substances.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Warington, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-one.
ROBERT (L.S.) WARINGTON.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixteenth day of September, in
the year of our Lord 1841, the aforesaid Robert Warington came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her 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 according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Sixteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-one.