IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DYEING OR STAINING AND ORNAMENTING OF ARTICLES OF PEARL, BONE, AND VEGETABLE IVORY
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Oglethorpe Wakelin Barratt, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
DYEING OR STAINING AND ORNAMENTING OF ARTICLES OF PEARL, BONE, AND
VEGETABLE IVORY."
Sealed the 3rd April 1857, and dated the 7th October 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Oglethorpe Wakelin Barratt
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th October 1856.
I, OGLETHORPE WAKELIN BARRATT, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Chemist, do hereby declare the. nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DYEING OR STAINING AND ORNAMENTING OF ARTICLES OF
PEARL, BONE, AND VEGETABLE IVORY," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a mode of imparting a permanent dye or color to
articles composed of pearl, bone, or vegetable ivory. To this end, instead of
using vegetable dyes as heretofore generally employed, I obtain the required
tints from solutions of the metals and the salts and oxides of the metals. The
chemical qualities of the metallic solutions I so modify as to ensure the setting
up of a chemical action when the substance to be dyed is immersed in the
liquid, and the displacement of an ingredient of that substance by the metal or
metallic compound. Thus, for example, when I desire to stain pearl of a green
color, I take a solution of sulphate of copper, and (according to the depth of
color required) some bichromate of potash. The presence of this substance in
the solution will set up the requisite chemical action, and ensure the deposit of
the metallic salt in the body of the pearl, thus imparting the green tint.desired
without obscuring the pearly lustre. To obtain a scarlet color, I use iodide of

page_text: mercury; for crimson, chromate of silver; for greens and blues, salts of copper,
and so on, taking care in all cases to provide such chemical affinities as will
ensure the desired chemical action as above indicated.
I also propose to ornament buttons and other articles by applying several
colors thereto. To this end, I first stain them one color, and then cut away
or otherwise remove the color in parts. I then apply another color, and so on,
or I leave the pearl unstained in parts of the button or other article, which
will then shew green and pearl, crimson and pearl, &c.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said. Oglethorpe. Wakelin Barratt in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 7th April 1857..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, OGLETHORPE
WAKELIN BARRATT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Chemist; send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord. One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Oglethorpe Wakelin Barratt, Her special license that I, the said Oglethorpe
Wakelin Barratt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I; the said Oglethorpe Wakelin Barratt, 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, tlie Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DYEING OR STAINING AND ORNAMENTING OF ARTICLES OF
PEARL, BONE, AND VEGETABLE-IVORY," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I; the said Oglethorpe Wakelin Barratt, by an instrument in writing under
niy hand and seal, should 'particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the saine 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 Oglethorpe Wakelin Barratt, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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) :-

page_text: This Invention relates to a mode of imparting a permanent dye or color to
articles composed of pearl, bone, or vegetable ivory. To this end, instead of
using vegetable dyes as heretofore generally employed, I obtain the required
tints from solutions of the metals, and the salts and oxides of the 'metals. The
chemical qualities of the metallic solutions. I so modify as to ensure the setting
up of a chemical action when the substance to be dyed is, immersed in the
liquid, and the displacement of an ingredient of that substance by the metal or
metallic compound. Thus, for example, when I desire to stain pearl of a green
color, I take a solution of sulphate of copper and (according to the depth of
color required) some bichromate of potash. The presence of this substance in-
the solution will set up the requisite chemical action, and ensure the deposit of
the metallic salt in the body of the pearl, thus imparting the green tint desired
without obscuring the pearly lustre.. To obtain a scarlet color, I use iodide of
mercury; for crimson, chromate of silver; for greeens and blues, salts of
copper, and so on, taking care in all cases to provide such chemical affinities as
will ensure the desired chemical action as above indicated. I also propose to
ornament buttons and other articles by applying several colors thereto. To this
end, I first stain them one color, and then cut away or otherwise remove the
color in parts; I then apply another color, and so on, or I leave the pearl
unstained in parts of the button or other article, which will then show green
and pearl, crimson and pearl, or any other combination of colors that may be
desired.
.
In order, however, that my Invention may be clearly understood, I will now
explain in detail the whole process to which the articles to be dyed are.
subjected. Supposing, for example, I desire to dye or stain articles of pearl;
bone, and vegetable ivory of a pale green color, I form the necessary solution
as follows:-I dissolve one hundred ounces of sulphate of copper in four
hundred ounces of water (rain water or distilled water being preferred), in a
suitable vessel; I then prepare the bone, pearl, or vegetable ivory to be.dyed in
the following manner:-Having first made a pickle composed of water con-
taining one per cent. of nitric acid, sulphuric acid, or hydrochloric acid, when
the articles made of pearl or bone contain an excess of lime, I use the pickle
made with sulphuric acid; and when there is an excess of animal matter at the
surface I use the pickle made with hydrochloric acid. The articles to be dyed
are first plunged into the above pickle, and allowed to remain until they are
perfectly clean; they are then to be rinsed in clean water to free them from
any adhering matter, and immediately placed in the coloring bath, and
frequently well stirred, and care must be taken not to obscure the pearly
lustre. As soon as the buttons or other articles have received the desired tint,

page_text: they should be removed from the bath and well rinsed in clean water, and
shaken out in sawdust, or wiped out, and then, if required, polished.
If I wish to transform the sub-sulphate of copper obtained by the former
process on the buttons or other articles into bibasic carbonate of copper
(malachite), I plunge them into a dilute solution of bicarbonate of soda for a
short time; and if I wish to stain them of a dark blue color, I put them into
a solution of lime for a short time, and when they are taken out, they must be
well rinsed in clean water, and dried in sawdust, as in the former instance.
I would remark, that by using phosphate of soda in place of bicarbonate of
soda, a blueish green is obtained. I also propose to dye or stain articles of
pearl, bone, or vegetable ivory, by the use of a solution of nitrate of copper
instead of the sulphate, and I form the solution as follows:-I dissolve one
hundred ounces of nitrate of copper in four hundred ounces of water in a
suitable vessel. The articles to be dyed are to be pickled as before described,
and are then to be plunged in the bath of nitrate of copper, and frequently
stirred, care being taken not to carry the dye too far, or to obscure the shade
of the pearl if that is the article operated upon. When the articles in the
bath have taken the proper tint, they shew a pale green color with a blueish
tint; they are then to be removed from the bath and well rinsed in plenty of
water, and shaken out in sawdust. If I wish to transform the sub-nitrate of
copper obtained on the articles into other colors, such as greens, blues,
browns, &c., .I, for the purpose of obtaining a green colour, convert the
nitrate of copper on the articles into bibasic carbonate of copper (malachite),
after which they are plunged into a dilute solution of bicarbonate of soda, until
they have taken the proper tint; they are then to be rinsed in water and dried
.in sawdust. For a light blue colour, I leave the articles for a certain time in
a saturated solution of bicarbonate of soda, when a double carbonate of copper
and soda of a sky blue colour will be obtained; the articles are then to be
removed from the bath and rinsed in water, and shaken dry. For a dark blue,
I plunge the articles dyed in nitrate of copper in a solution of lime, and when
they have acquired the proper tint, they are removed from the solution, rinsed
in water, and shaken out. If the buttons or other articles dyed in the nitrate
of copper are immersed in a dilute solution of common subcarbonate of potash
for a short time, they will appear of a fine blue color; they are then to be
removed from the bath and rinsed in water, and shaken in sawdust. For
browns, I first produce on the articles to be dyed sub-nitrate of copper as
before, or they may be dyed with the acetate or sulphate of copper; and if a
light brown be required, I take the articles first dyed green with a salt of
copper, and plunge them into a solution of iodide of potassium; and let them

page_text: remain in the solution until they assume a brown color; I then remove them
from the bath, rinse them in water, and dry them. For a dark brown, I make
a saturated solution of bichromate of potash, and I take the buttons and other
articles dyed green by the former process, and immerse them in the solution
until they shew the required tint. I then remove them from the solution, and
rinse them in water and dry them; the articles treated in the same manner
with neutral chromate of potash give a bright green. To produce a deep
brownish red colour, I make a saturated solution of ferrocyanuret of potash. I
first dye the articles green by the before-described process, and immerse them
in the solution until the red brown tint is produced. I then remove them from
the bath, and rinse them in water and dry them. For a grey colour, I use
two parts of bydrochlorate of ammonia, and one part of sulphate of copper
dissolved in water. To make a solution to dye a light straw colour, I take
one ounce of bichromate of potash, and fifty ounces of sulphate of copper, and
dissolve them in two hundred and twenty ounces of water in a suitable vessel;
after the work has been pickled, I immerse it in the solution, and stir it
frequently until the light straw tint appears. I then remove the articles from
the solution, and rinse them in water and shake them out. All the
different shades of color between a rich gold tint and a pale straw color are
obtained with this solution by varying the proportion of the bichromate.
In order to dye pearl, bone, and vegetable ivory of a black color, the
following process must be employed.-I first pickle the articles with diluted
nitric acid in the manner already explained. In another vessel I dissolve one
hundred ounces of sulphate of copper in five hundred ounces of water by measure,
and one ounce of nitric acid, and one ounce of bichromate of potash: this forms
the preparatory solution. I then form a silver solution as follows:-Ten ounces
of nitrate of silver are dissolved in one hundred ounces of distilled, or rain
water, and I add thereto one ounce of pure nitric acid and twenty ounces of
pure liquid ammonia. Having stirred the ingredients well together, the
mixture is ready for use; the articles to be dyed black are plunged into the
pickle bath, and in a few minutes they will be cleau. They are then to be
taken from the pickle bath, and well rinsed in water, and then immersed in
the preparatory solution for a short time and stirred. They are then taken from
the bath, and again well rinsed in water, after which they are to be placed in
the silver solution for a short time and stirred therein; they are then to be
taken from the silver bath and drained, and placed on boards to dry; when
dry they are polished and finished in the usual way.
For dyeing pearl, bone, and vegetable ivory of a crimson color, I first
prepare a pickle of nitric acid as before, and I then make a solution to

page_text: prepare the articles to be stained, for which purpose I dissolve in a suitable
vessel four ounces of bichromate of potash in ninety ounces of water, and I
add twelve ounces of nitrate of copper, and one ounce of nitric acid. Having
stirred these ingredients together they are ready for use. To make the silver
solution I dissolve in a suitable vessel eight ounces of nitrate of silver in one
hundred. ounces of water; I then pour into this solution six drachms of nitric
acid. The articles to be dyed crimson are to be placed in the pickle, and
allowed to remain until they are perfectly clean; they are then to be rinsed in
water, and placed in the preparatory solution, and to be stirred in it for a short
time, after which they are to be rinsed in water, and plunged in the silver
solution for a short time, and when removed from this solution, they are
allowed to drain, and then placed on boards to dry; when dry they are polished
and finished in the usual way.
In order to dye articles of bone and vegetable ivory of a yellow colour, the
buttons or other articles, after they have been pickled, are immersed in a
saturated solution of acetate of lead, and left in the solution for several hours;
when removed from this bath they are to be rinsed in water, and then plunged
in a saturated solution of bichromate of potash and stirred for a short time,
and when removed from the bath they must be rinsed in water and dried.
Various colours may be produced by employing solutions of acetate and
chloride of cobalt in the first place, and then treating the articles with various
chemical agents; according to the colours required. For this purpose I take
a solution of the chloride or acetate of cobalt, and immerse the articles to be
dyed in it for several hours; I then take them out and rinse them in water,
and place them in either of the following solutions to obtain the different
colours. For a blue colour a solution of common potash is employed; to
produce a red colour bicarbonate of potash in solution is used; for a green a
solution of ferrocyanuret of potash, and for a grey a solution of chromate of
potash, may be employed. In order to produce a lilac colour a solution of
phosphate of soda is required; and for a rose colour a solution of dilute
oxalic acid; a pink colour is obtained by means of a solution of the biborate
of soda. In order to stain or dye of a crimson red the solution is made as
follows: I dissolve the perchloride of mercury, in distilled or rain water to
saturation, and after pickling the articles I rinse them in water, and then
plunge them in the bath of perchloride of mercury, where they are left for
three or
four days, taking care to stir them from time to time; when they are
taken out they must be rinsed well in water, and then immersed in a solution
of iodide of potassium, and when the red tint appears they must be removed
from the bath, and rinsed well in water and shaken until dry.

page_text: In order to dye bone or vegetable ivory a black or bronze colour or dark
browns, I find it convenient to make use of certain vegetable dyes in con-
junction with metallic salts, for which purpose I take fifteen ounces of hydro-
chlorate of ammonia, and ten ounces of sulphate of copper, and dissolve
them in one hundred ounces of water, in which 1 place some pieces of
metallic copper for the purpose of reducing the compounds. I then prepare a
colour with Campeachy wood, Lima wood, or catechu. For example, in order
to dye a dark brown I take one hundred ounces of colour made with catechu,
and ten ounces of the reduced copper solution, in a suitable vessel. The
articles to be dyed are to be pickled and rinsed in water as already described,
and then plunged into the colour bath: this gives a dark brown colour. Cam-
peachy wood treated in the same manner gives a black colour.
In order to ornament buttons and other articles made of pearl, bone, or
vegetable ivory, and dyed or stained according to my improvements already
described, I first dye the surface of the article of any desired colour according
to any of the processes above described, after which I cut away in parts
through the surface colour, and I then dye the parts so cut away blue, green,
yellow, red, grey, or any other colour, or if preferred the parts cut away may
be left in the natural and undyed state, so that the button or other article will
present a highly ornamental appearance.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the exact details or quantities herein set forth, as the same may be varied
in some particulars without departing from the nature and object of my
improvements. In conclusion, I claim the use and application of the pro-
cesses herein described, or any mere modification thereof, for dyeing, staining,
or ornamenting articles made of pearl, bone, or vegetable ivory.
In witness whereof, I, the said Oglethorpe Wakelin Barratt, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Seventh day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
OGLE BARRATT. (LS.)