AN IMPROVEMENT IN PACKING AND PRESERVING ANIMAL SIZE
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Cowdery Martin, of High Street, Barnes, in
the County of Surrey, Gelatine Maker, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN PACKING AND PRESERVING ANIMAL SIZE."
Sealed the 30th August 1867, and dated the 5th March 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Cowdery Martin
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 5th March 1867.
I, JOHN COWDERY MARTIN, of High Street, Barnes; in the County of
Surrey, Gelatine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN PACKING AND PRESERVING ANIMAL SIZE," to be as
follows:-
The object of this Invention is to provide a more clean and convenient
method of packing size than has hitherto been in use, and one that by
excluding the air tends to preserve the size and prevent decomposition and
waste, and also to obviate the use of the wooden vessels or tubs in which size is
now sold, the wood of which from use becomes impregnated with decomposed
animal matter, which it is difficult wholly to remove, and which vessels if not
thoroughly cleansed are liable to decompose any size with which they may
afterwards be filled.
My Invention consists, in casting or forming animal size into homogeneous
blocks or lumps having relatively as little superficial surface for the air to act
on as possible, from which surface the air is to be excluded by means of a

page_text: case or bag composed of a flexible material sufficiently waterproof to resist
the moistening effects of the size and afford protection against the decomposing
effects of the atmosphere. The size may be moulded or cast into the blocks
or lumps by being poured directly into the case when sufficiently waterproofed
to resist the action of the size while in a warm or liquid state, or it may be cast
into blocks or lumps in separate moulds slightly smaller than the cases or
bags into which they would be placed, the object being to retard decomposition
of the surface of the size and provide a neat and portable package.
The flexible material used for making the cases may be cloth, or paper, or
other suitable similar material, either sufficiently waterproof in itself or that
may be made so by being coated or impregnated with a waterproof varnish
or other suitable waterproofing material; the edges of the flexible material
for the cases may be cemented together in a manner similar to making
ordinary paper bags, after which, and when dry, the cases may be opened
and the size poured in, care being taken when the case is large and the size
run in in a liquid state to fill it by small quantities poured in at intervals,
giving time for the size to set, or nearly so, between each pouring. When
filled to within a convenient distance of the top, and the size is set hard, the
end of the case, which should be left sufficiently long for this purpose, may
be folded down over it and the end closed up to exclude the air.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Cowdery Martin in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 5th September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
COWDERY MARTIN, of High Street, Barnes, in the County of Surrey, Gelatine
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Cowdery Martin, Her special licence that I, the said John Cowdery Martin,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Cowdery Martin, 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, the Channel

page_text: Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for " AN IMPROVEMENT IN PACKING
AND PRESERVING ANIMAL SIZE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said John Cowdery Martin, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particu-
larly 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 John Cowdery Martin, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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:
My Invention consists in casting or forming animal size into homogeneous
blocks or lumps having relatively as little superficial surface for the air to act
on as possible, from which surface the air is to be excluded by means of a
case or bag composed of a flexible material sufficiently waterproof to resist
the moistening effects of the size and afford protection against the decom-
posing effects of the atmosphere. The size may be moulded or cast into
blocks or lumps by being poured directly into the cases or bags when suffi-
ciently waterproofed to resist the action of the size while.in a warm or liquid
state, or it may be cast into blocks or lumps in separate moulds slightly
smaller than the cases or bags into which it would be placed, the object being
to retard decomposition of the surface of the size, and provide a neat, cleanly,
and portable package, obviating the use of tubs or wooden vessels now used
in the trade as receptacles for size.
The flexible material used for making the cases may be cloth or paper or
other suitable material, either sufficiently waterproof in itself, or that may be
made so by being coated or impregnated with a waterproof varnish or other
suitable waterproof material. The material I find well adapted for the
purpose, and which I prefer to use, is the brown paper manufactured from
rope, such paper being indurated or impregnated with boiled linseed or other
drying oil either by placing the paper in the oil and afterwards draining and
drying it, or by thoroughly coating the surface with the oil by means of a
brush, or in any other convenient manner. When the oiled paper is dried it
will be ready for conversion into the necessary cases or bags, and in forming
the bags the edges or joints of the paper may be conveniently cemented
together with a cement composed of the substance known as marine glue
diluted with as much naptha or spirits of wine as will admit of its being
readily applied to the edges of the paper by means of a brush in a manner

page_text: similar to using paste in ordinary paper bag making. Any other suitable water-
proof cement may be used, but I prefer the marine glue. When the cemented
joints are dried the bags may be opened and the size poured or placed in,
care being taken when the bag is large and the size run in in a liquid state to
fill it by small quantities poured in at intervals, giving time for the size to set,
or nearly so, between each pouring. When filled. to within a distance of the
top and the size is set hard the end of the case or bag, which should be left
sufficiently long for this purpose, may be folded down over it and the end
closed up to exclude the air. The packages so filled and closed should be set
in a cool dry place and turned over occasionally to allow the undermost part
of the package to become in its turn exposed to the air; if this is done the
size may be preserved for some months.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare
that what I claim as secured to me under the said Letters Patent is, excluding
the air, or partially so, from the surface of blocks of size formed as above
mentioned by means of a flexible waterproof case or bag, and the forming of
blocks or packages of size by the filling of the cases or bags with the size
while in a fluid state, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Cowdery Martin, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
JOHN C. MARTIN.
MARTIN. (L.S.)