IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING AND WEAVING COTTON
Year: 1851

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, JEAN
BAPTISTE CHALMIN. of Rouen, but temporary of Paris, France, Merchant,
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 Noveniber, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one, in the fifteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Jean Baptiste Chalmin, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, Her
especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Jean
Baptiste Chalmin, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Jean Baptiste Chalmin, my exors, adñiors, and 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, and in the
Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and in all Her Ma-
jesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PREPARING AND WEAVING COTTON;" in which said Letters Patent is contained
a proviso that I, the said Jean Baptiste Chalmin, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be
inrolled in Iler said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar

page_text: months next and immediately after 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
Jean Baptiste Chalmin, do hereby declare that the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had
to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say:-
The improvements composing my Invention consist, firstly, in a node of
preparing cotton yarn, warp, and weft, with a size of a new composition;
secondly, in applying a heating apparatus to looms for dressing and weaving
the tissue simultaneously; and by these processes I obtain a product composed
of cotton yarns equal in quality and in appearance to linen.
Before submitting the warp and weft to the sizing operation which forms
the first part of my Invention, they are bleached in small skeins, such operation
being necessary, as the weaving, according to my system, is performed on
bleached yarn in order to deprive the cotton of the resinous principle contained
in it, and which would prevent the substances herein-after described and
composing the size from being thoroughly incorporated with the thread. The
bleaching process being effected the skeins are wound round on bobbins similar
in every respect to those usually employed, except, however, that small wood or
brass spindles are added to the bobbins, one at top, the other at the bottom.
The cotton yarn being in skeins, in order to bleach it more effectually, it must
be wound off on bobbins. These operations are performed at one time by
means of the small spindles herein-before mentioned, set at the lower extremity
of the bobbins throughout their length, that is to say, that cach bobbin is
provided with two spindles. The cotton being placed upon it is bobbined up
rapidly. The other ordinary preparatory operations, such as warping and
dressing, are performed in the usual mode for all other kinds of weaving,
except that I employ different matters for sizing. I compose the size solution
as follows-For every four hundredweight of warp I take about 32lbs. of
starch, 32lbs. of wheat flour, 23lbs. of potatoc flour, three ounces of bleached
beeswax, two and three quarter pounds of sulphate of zinc, and balf a pound
of sulphate of copper in crystals, which I place in a chaldron; and to reduce
that mixture to a state of solution I add seven hundred pints of water, and stir
up the whole with care to prevent any of the agents from adhering to the
bottom. When the matters have been sufficiently boiled, I pour them into
the sizing machine, and use them in the same manner as for other warps, care

page_text: being taken to preserve them in a hot state, which facilitates greatly the incor-
poration of, the solution with the cotton. The proportion of the size is about
three ounces and a half for every pound of warp. The size for the weft is
composed as follows: For about four hundred pounds weight of weft I employ
sixty-six pounds of starch, sixty-six pounds of potatoe flour in about eight
hundred and forty-five quarts of water. That solution I prepare as I have
herein-before described when speaking of the warp. The proportion of that
size is about two ounces to every pound of weft. To size the weft I place it
in a trough, and pour slowly the warm solution herein-before described upon
it, taking care at intervals to press strongly the weft to insure a perfect and
thorough soaking of the solution into the interior of the skeins. That opera
tion being completed, I spread on lining the weft either in a warm or cold
state, to have it completely dried, and until all appearance of moisture be
entirely disappeared, when it is fit for use. The weft prepared by the above
operation can be preserved a long while without fear of any deterioration. In
that state it has acquired the hardness of wood. To make use of it when
wanted for weaving in that hard state it is necessary to soak it during five
minutes in lukewarm soapy water, which I prepare in the proportion of about
seventeen quarts of water to thirteen ounces of soap. When immersed
in that soapy water tho skeins of weft will dilate in the most perfect
manner without losing in any degree the size with which it is impregnated.
It is then wound up on a tram machine usually employed for flax, and which
does not require any addition but the small spindles herein-before described.
I take care to preserve the weft in a wet state when making use of it in
order to obtain a very close texture, and to secure a perfectly successful result.
It is on that account I call the weft so employed and prepared by my system
wet trams, which are quite different from the wefts now used, which are
wetted by means of forcing pumps.
Invention, which relates to
Until now the manufacturer
The warp and weft being prepared according to the operations. herein-before
described are ready to be employed for weaving.
I will now describe the second part of my
weaving and dressing simultaneously the tissue.
has employed the pumping process, that is to say, they use a tram which is
wetted by means of forcing pumps; but by such means the warp is only wetted
and not thoroughly soaked, which produces a perfectly different result, as by
such process the fabrics are very liable to be worm-caten on the warp roller.
The best made size ferments promptly, decomposes, and acquires a foetid smell,
which renders it unfit for the preparation of linen cloth. To remedy all these
defects I apply to all kinds of looms, either hand or power looms, a heating
!

page_text: apparatus for converting the sizing of the yarn into a dressing for the stuff,
and by means of which the weaving and dressing of the warp and weft
prepared as herein-before described are. carried on simultaneously.
Figure 1 of the Drawing represents a front elevation of a loom drawn to a
scale of one thirtieth of the natural size, having the heating apparatus com-
bined. A, A, is the polished copper or other metal pipe of the same length as
the front or support of the loom B, B, on which it is set. The pipe A, A, is
brought forward and beated by steam in order that the tissue, when passing
over it during the weaving, may be made to press it according to the discretion
of the workman. The pipe A can be made permanent or receive a rotary
motion. It can also be constructed so as to replace the bar or support
B, B. The steam is introduced at one end of the pipe A, A, by means of the
tube C, provided with the top D in connection with the conduit pipe E circu-
lating in the room to feed several other pipes, being for that purpose. in com-
munication with a boiler. The condensed water egresses from the pipe A, A,
through the discharge pipe F, set on the other side of the induct pipe E, and
on the prolongation outside (the loom) of the pipe A, A.
Figure 2 is a plan drawn on the scale of one hundredth of the natural size,
and shows the circulation of the steam and condensed water in the pipes A and
F. The different numbers of cotton yarn, either warp or weft, may all be
treated with equal advantage by my process of weaving herein-before described,
with this difference, that the tram requires to have the greatest possible tortion;
and care must also be taken to make use of two different numbers between the
warp and the weft, that is to say: If, for instance, I make use of No. 20 for
the warp, the weft to be wove with that last number must be No. 18; there-
fore it follows invariably for the applications of my system that whatever may
be the kind of fabric to be manufactured the warp is always finer than the
tram by two numbers. The several preparations herein-before described, to
which the warp and weft are submitted, do not in any way whatever hinder
their perfect weaving, which is performed in the loom exactly in the usual
manner, the quantity produced in a day is exactly similar to the weaving of
warp and weft prepared according to the usual process. The tissue being woven
and dressed by the heating apparatus, as before described, I submit it to
washing in a similar manner to that employed by bleachers; the only difference
in the machine is the rotative or alternate motion given to the fuller. By that
means the tissue is well brushed so as to give up all the superfluous dressing
it may contain.
It acquires at the same time the necessary suppleness and
flexibility. The washing being performed, I place the tissue in an epurator,
acted upon by compressed air, which draws off all the water and expedites the

page_text: drying. Then, although the drying operation may be effected by putting the
tissue in a drying room, I prefer to pass it over heated metal cylinders, care
being taken to let it only dry three fourths; then carry it to the drying room to
complete the drying. This being done, the piece of tissue is folded, then
pressed, and has the appearance of linen. To weave a tissue thirty-two inches
wide it is necessary, first, to increase the number of threads forming the width
two inches more, that is to say, a width of about thirty-four inches which
would contract by the weaving to about thirty-two inches. To obtain about
thirty-four inches it would be necessary to have the warp thirty-six inches wide.
By my process the tissue has all the appearance of flax fabric, and can be
applied to similar purposes, either in a white state or printed by the ordinary
processes; and thus an immense saving in price is effected.
And having now described my Invention, and the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the
precise details or proportions herein-before described, so long as the several
features of the arrangements be retained for carrying out the said improve-
ments.
But what I claim as my Invention, and intend to be protected by the said
Letters Patent, is,
Firstly, the preparation of a solution for sizing cotton, warp, and weft, as
herein-before described.
Secondly, the application of a heating apparatus to hand and power looms
for dressing and weaving simultaneously the said cotton warp and weft so
prepared, thereby forming a fabric having the qualities and appearance of
linen, as herein-before described, reference being had to Figures 1 and 2 of the
Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jean Baptiste Chalmin, have. hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.
Taken and acknowledged by. Jean
Baptiste Chalmin (party hereto), at
Paris, in the Republic of France, this
20th day of May, 1852, before me,
J. B. (L.s.) CHALMIN.

page_text: This is the Specification marked A. referred to in the Affidavit of Peter
Armand Lecomte de Fontaine Moreau, sworn before me this 22 day of
May, 1852.
J. JEFFERSON.
Peter Armand Lecomte de Fontaine Moreau, of 4, South Street, Finsbury,
in the County of Middlesex, and of 39. Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Patent Agent, maketh oath and saith, that he is acquainted
with the manner and character of the handwriting of Thomas Pickford, Her
Brittanic Majesty's Acting Consul at Paris, in the said Republic of France;
and this Deponent further saith, that the signature of Thomas "Pickford," set,
subscribed, or taken in the margin of the Specification hereunto annexed
marked "A," and dated the Twentieth day of May instant, and purporting to
be executed by Jean Baptiste Chalmin, of Rouen, but temporary of Paris,
France, Merchant, whereby it is stated that the Specification was acknow-
ledged by him, the said Jean Baptiste Chalmin, before the said Thomas
Pickford, on the said Twentieth day of May, at Paris aforesaid, is of the
proper handwriting of the said Thomas Pickford.
Enrolled the Twenty-second day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.