IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT AND PRESERVATION OF SKINS OF ALL KINDS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT AND PRESERVATION OF
SKINS OF ALL KINDS."-A communication from abroad by Leonard Laureau,
of Rue St. Sebastien, Paris, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 17th December 1868, and dated the 3rd July 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION-left by the said William Edward New ton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 3rd July 1868.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT. AND
PRESERVATION OF SKINS OF ALL KINDS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in submitting skins to the action of liquid hydro-
carbons previous to their undergoing the ordinary operation of tanning or
dressing. It has been found that if the skins be steeped in liquid hydro-
carbons previous to being submitted to the action of the chemical ingredients
used in the operations of tanning or dressing, the action of the chemical
agent on the skin is much facilitated, and the operations consequently
considerably shortened. In carrying out the Invention, heavy skins with the
hair on are first to be steeped for about 12 hours in the heavy oil, and then
for about 24 hours in the light oil; smaller skins may be steeped for about

page_text: half the time. When the hair has been removed the skins may be immersed
a second time in the hydrocarbon; after this they may be rinsed in water,
and then submitted to the ordinary processes of tanning or dressing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton, in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd January 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
..
...
WHEREAS IIer most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I,
the said William Edward Newton, my.executors, administrators, and assigns
or such others as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT AND
PRESERVATION OF SKINS OF ALL KINDS," being a communication from Leonard
Laureau, of Rue Saint Sebastien, Paris, in the Empire of France, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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.
.
* ךוּ:
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton,, "do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement (that is to say):-.
This Invention consists in submitting skins to the action of liquid hydro-
carbons (obtained by distillation from mineral or vegetable tar) for the purpose
of tanning or dressing them, or converting them into leather. It has been

page_text: found that if skins be steeped in liquid hydrocarbons previously to being sub-
mitted to the action of the chemical ingredients used in the ordinary operations
of tanning or dressing, the action of the chemical agents on the skins has been
much facilitated, and the tanning or dressing operations consequently con-
siderably shortened; the quality of the product is also much improved. This
result having been obtained, proved the powerful tanning action of this prè-
serving process, and the advantage attending its employment for the purpose of
tanning and dressing skins; this result therefore led to experiments as to whether
the various hydrocarbons which are distilled under one hundred and eighty-five
degrees centigrade, known in commerce under the name of light oils, and
also tar itself, either raw or rectified, might act in the manner of heavy oils
in the above-mentioned processes. The results of the experiments fully
confirmed what had been supposed; it was observed, that in whatever manner
the hydrocarbons were employed, whether heavy oils, light oils, raw or rectified
tar, and whether put into the vats together with the tanning liquor, or whether
the skins be steeped therein before the unhairing process, or after being
scraped and washed, and before being put into the tubs or yats, the action of the
hydrocarbon always produced considerable advantages other processes hitherto
known, and in which no hydrocarbon was employed. An explanation of the
various reactions produced by these hydrocarbons upon the skin itself, and
during the process to which it is submitted, will shew that the result with
them all must be the same. These hydrocarbons coagulate the albumen
(that is to say) curdle the blood, and consequently retain in the pores of the
skin a reddish viscous liquid, which is a deperdition of gelatine, of which"
leather is usually deprived. As the blood which has been retained in the skin
is only partially decomposed under the action of the lime in the depilatory
operation, the fibrin remains, which during the process becomes tanned like '
the fibre of the skin, and thus produces an additional yield by increasing the
weight, as, in fact, practice has always proved. The hydrocarbons have also
the property of combining with the lime and forming an insoluble compound;'
if, therefore, a skin with the hair on be impregnated therewith when put into
the unhairing or depilatory vessel, the lime will only act upon the roots of the"
hair and 'not upon the tissue of the skin, which it has the disadvantage of
corroding; it follows that the skin will be supple, and as it will when
washed contain no more lime, it will when put into the tan pit be tanned
quickly than if it had not been submitted to the action of the hydrocarbons.
These matters have also the important property of precipitating the tannin
from its solutions, and of combining with it, therefore if a skin be impregnated
with the hydrocarbon and immersed in tan liquor, the tanning operation will
more

page_text: .
be accelerated, and will be perfect, for on the liquor coming in contact with
the fibre impregnated with the bydrocarbons, the tannin will be extracted
therefrom, and will become immediately deposited around the fibres until the
pores are stopped up..
The following is the best manner of employing these hydrocarbons in
relation to the operation of tanning, properly so called, for the preparation of
strong leather, calf skin, sheep skin, and other skins:-It consists, firstly,
in steeping the skin with the hair on in the hydrocarbons for twelve
hours in heavy oil, and for twenty-four hours in light oil or tar oil for
large skins, and half that time for small ones. After having been un-
haired and cleansed, the skins are to undergo a second immersion for the
same space of time, as before. They are then well drained and rinsed in
water, after which the operation is continued in the ordinary manner. As
regards skins which are to be unhaired by spontaneous action, they are not to
be submitted to the first treatment, which is very requisite for skins in the
hair, which are to be submitted to the action of lime, as fermentation will not
take place, or at any rate. with great difficulty, in skins impregnated with
hydrocarbons. If it be required to preserve, by means of these substances,
skins intended to be unhaired by spontaneous action, they should only be
coated or brushed over therewith on the fleshy side, and after fleshing or
scraping, the operation of unhairing may be readily performed.
By the above-mentioned process the tanning operation may be performed
in half the ordinary time, and a better result will be produced, and a superior
product and greater weight of leather than that obtained by the ordinary.
process will be the result. It only requires the bark to be renewed every
three months at the most, instead of three times in nine months as is
ordinarily practised. Strong hides are thus tanned in six months, and calf
and sheeps' skins in less than three months. As regards dressing skins
with the fur on, it is only necessary to immerse them with the hair on
in the hydrocarbons in the manner indicated for skins intended to be
tanned with tan; by this means excellent results are obtained, amongst
others those of giving suppleness and consequently great strength to the
leather produced.
•
For tawing or dressing small skins, such as those of goats, kids, and
lambs, the application of the hydrocarbons is effected either by immersing the
skins entirely therein, or by coating or brushing them over on both sides, hair
and flesh, with the liquid hydrocarbon. For dry skins this must be done
until they again become as soft and supple as fresh skins. They must then be
left piled up one upon the other for at least twelve hours before submitting

page_text: them to the depilatory or unhairing process. After being unhaired they must
be submitted to complete immersion in the hydrocarbons for at least four
hours for the heavy oils, and eight for the light oilsand tar oil; they are after-
wards well rinsed and finished or dressed in the usual manner. The skins by
this process acquire such a decree of suppleness that it will be found practi-
cable to use for manufacturing gloves skins which prepared by any of the
ordinary processes could only be used for making boots and shoes, and
consequently their value will be more than quadruple that which it would be
if the skins were prepared in the usual manner. As the heavy oils are at the
present time much cheaper in the market than the lighter oils, or even than
tar oil, the heavy oils are those which should be employed, as far as
practicable, in preference to the others, inasmuch as their action is more
certain, decided, and energetic in the different processes above mentioned.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Thirty-first day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.s.)