IMPROVEMENTS IN DAMPING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS AND FABRICS, IN PRESERVING THE SAME FROM MILDEW, AND IN PRESERVING SIZE OR STIFFENING FROM DECOMPOSITION
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Townsend, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Manufacturing Chemist, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN DAMPING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS AND
FABRICS, IN PRESERVING THE SAME FROM MILDEW, AND IN PRESERVING SIZE OR
STIFFENING FROM DECOMPOSITION."
Sealed the 30th January 1868, and dated the 5th August 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Townsend at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the. 5th
August 1862.
1, JOSEPH TOWNSEND, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DAMPING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS AND
FABRICS, IN PRESERVING THE SAME FROM MILDEW, AND IN PRESERVING SIZE OR
STIFFENING FROM DECOMPOSITION," to be as follows, that is to say:
This Invention has for object to prevent the serious injury to cotton or other
goods which has hitherto often arisen from mildew or from the decomposition
of the size or stiffening used in their manufacture.

page_text: The Invention consists in applying chloride of magnesium, chloride of
calcium, or a mixture thereof to the fibrous material, prior or subsequently to
its being woven. In ordinary cases the chloride may be applied in the pro-
portion of about one ounce to every pound of the cotton or other fibrous material
or fabric, whilst in no case will it be desirable to apply more than four ounces
of the chloride to every pound of the material or fabric. The decomposition
of size or stiffening such as is used in the manufacture of cotton or other
fibrous materials is prevented by combining with it chloride of magnesium,
chloride of calcium, or a mixture thereof, in the proportion of about half an
ounce, and in no case exceeding four, ounces of the chloride to every pound of
the size.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Townsend in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th February 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPII
TOWNSEND, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Manufac-
turing Chemist, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord Oue
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Joseph Townsend, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph Townsend, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph
Townsend, 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, exer-
cise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the.
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DAMPING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS AND FABRICS, IN PRESERVING THE
SAME FROM MILDEW, AND IN PRESERVING SIZE OR STIFFENING FROM DECOMPOSITION,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that 1, the said Joseph Townsend, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within

page_text: six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Townsend, 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 in writing, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for object to prevent the inconveniences occurring
when cotton or other fibrous materials or fabrics are damped or stiffened in the
ordinary way.
And my said Invention consists in applying chloride of magnesium, chloride
of calcium, or a mixture of both to the fibrous material, either prior or sub-
sequently to its being woven. When the object is to simply damp the goods,
the chloride may be applied in the proportion of about one ounce to every
pound of the cotton or other fibrous material or fabric, whilst four ounces of
the chloride to every pound of the material or fabric may be considered an
extra proportion, and such as should in general not be exceeded. The precise
proportions will obviously depend upon the nature and condition of the fabric
or material, but will in each case be easily adjusted by the manufacturer.
When stiffening or size is used in the manufacture of cotton or other fibrous
materials, the chloride of magnesium, chloride of calcium, or a mixture of
both is to be added thereto, in the proportion of about half an ounce to every
pound of the stiffening or size, it being 'in general undesirable to exceed the
proportion of four ounces of the chloride to every pound of the stiffening or
size. In the case of woven fabrics, the stiffening or size so prepared is, by
preference, applied to the warps or weft prior to weaving, and the addition of
the chloride has the advantage not only of keeping the material damp, and
thereby facilitating the weaving, but also of preventing the loss of stiffening
and of weight, which generally occurs in weaving yarns sized or stiffened in
the ordinary way. The chloride also entirely prevents or very much retards
the decomposition or fermentation of the size and production of mildew. In
some cases the chloride may be applied to the fibrous material or fabric sepa-
rately from the size, although it is preferred to combine it with the size as
stated.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, I have to state that what I believo to
be novel and original and claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the applying of chloride of magne-
sium, chloride of calcium, or a mixture of both, to cotton and other fibrous

page_text: materials and fabrics, for the purposes and substantially as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Townsend, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
28, St. Enoch Square,
Glasgow.
JOSEPH TOWNSEND. (L.s.)