AN IMPROVED COMPOSITION AND PROCESS FOR WATERPROOFING AND INCREASING THE WEIGHT, SUBSTANCE, AND DURABILITY OF FELTED AND OTHER FABRICS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of Chancery Lane, in the
"
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of AN IMPROVED
COMPOSITION AND PROCESS FOR WATERPROOFING AND INCREASING THE
WEIGHT, SUBSTANCE, AND DURABILITY OF FELTED AND OTHER FABRICS." A
communication from abroad by Christophe Muratori and Arséne Landry, both
of Paris France
Sealed the 12th September 1879, and dated the 21st March 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st March 1879.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. "AN IMPROVED COMPOSITION AND PROCESS FOR WATERPROOFING
AND INCREASING THE WEIGHT, SUBSTANCE, AND DURABILITY OF FELTED AND
OTHER FABRICS." [A communication from abroad by Christophe Muratori and
Arsene Landry, both of Paris, France.]
This Invention relates to an improved treatment of felted and other woollen, or
woollen and cotton fabrics, whereby they are improved in substance, durability, and
weight, and also rendered more or less waterproof. These results are obtained by
treating felted and other fabrics with a chemical composition, as hereinafter described.
The ingredients of the composition and the proportions which would be employed
in the majority of cases are as follows:-
Sulphate of alumina and potash
Animal or vegetable size
Tannin
-
Silicate of soda
100 parts by weight.
-
100
"
"
.
-
5
"
"
-
2
"
"
The preparation of the above composition is divided into three distinct operations:
- 1st. The potash alum is dissolved by boiling in an equal weight of water. 2nd.
The size, such as that made from skins, fish, or bones, is soaked in cold water until
it has absorbed double its weight of water, after which the remaining water is
drawn off, and the size boiled until completely melted. To the boiling solution are
then added the 5 parts of tannin and 2 parts of silicate of soda. 3rd. The two
solutions thus separately prepared are then added together, kept at a boiling heat,
and stirred until they are intimately mixed.

page_text: The mixture is then allowed to cool, and forms, when cold, a jelly, which is then
ready for use for dressing felted and other fabrics.
For this purpose a bath is prepared in the following manner :-Take 1 kilogramme,
for example, of the gelatinous compound, and dissolve it in a vessel containing 10
to 12 kilogrammes of water; heat the bath to boiling for about 3 hours, care being
taken to add more water to compensate for evaporation, in order to keep the bath
at the density which is ascertained by means of a densimeter. After this the bath
is let cool down to 80° C., and the felt or other fabric to be treated is then immersed
in it for about half an hour. The fabric, after being thoroughly impregnated, is
spread out flat upon a grating, and allowed to drain for about 6 hours at the
ordinary temperature, this operation being so arranged as to ensure the retention
by all parts of the fabric of a uniform quantity of the composition.
The drainings are collected and returned to the bath to avoid waste. The fabric
is afterwards dried either in the open air or in a stove not heated above 50°, it being
kept in a horizontal position to ensure a uniform distribution of the composition.
The felt or other woollen, or mixed wool and cotton fabric, when thus treated,
acquires a much greater substance both as regards weight and strength or durability,
is also rendered waterproof although freely pervious to perspiration when made into
garments. By varying the proportions of the ingredients of the composition, the
increase in substance may be regulated as desired. The fabrics thus treated are
calendered by means of cylinders heated to from 50° to 60°, or otherwise finished
as in ordinary. If the above treatment be applied subsequent to the dyeing
operation, it serves to fix the colors permanently. In the case of delicate or bright
colors, however, care should be taken to use only the best bleached size and the
sulphate of alumina perfectly pure, that is to say, freed of all traces of iron or other
coloring matters capable of affecting the dye.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by.
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th September 1879.
"
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. AN IMPROVED COMPOSITION AND PROCESS FOR WATERPROOFING
AND INCREASIng the Weight, Substance, AND DURABILITY OF FELTED AND
OTHER FABRICS." A communication from abroad by Christophe Muratori and
Arsene Landry, both of Paris, France.
This Invention relates to an improved treatment of felted and other woollen, or
mixed wool and cotton fabrics, whereby they are improved in substance, durability,
and weight, and also rendered more or less waterproof. These results are obtained
by treating the said fabrics with the chemical composition hereinafter described.
The ingredients of the composition and the proportions which would be employed
in the majority of cases are as follows:-
Sulphate of alumina and potash (potash alum)- 100 parts by weight.
Animal or vegetable size
Tannin
Silicate of soda
-
100
"
"
-
5
"
"
"
"
The preparation of this composition is divided into three distinct operations
1st. The potash alum is dissolved by boiling in an equal weight of water. 2nd.
The size, such as that made from skins, fish, or bones is soaked in cold water until
it has absorbed double its weight of water, after which the remaining water is
drawn off and the size boiled until completely melted. To the boiling solution are
then added the 5 parts of tannin and two parts of silicate of soda. 3rd. The two
solutions thus separately prepared are then added together, kept at a boiling heat,
and stirred until they are intimately mixed.
The mixture is then allowed to cool, and forms when cold a jelly, which is the
composition above referred to, and is then ready for use for dressing felted and other
fabrics. For this purpose a bath is prepared in the following manner :-Take 1
kilogramme, for example, of the gelatinous compound, and dissolve it in a vessel
containing 10 to 12 kilogrammes of water; then heat the bath to boiling for about
hours, care being taken to add more water to compensate for evaporation in order
to keep the bath at the same density, which is ascertained by means of a hygro-
meter. The bath is then allowed to cool down to 80° C., and the felt or other fabric
to be dressed is then immersed in it for about half an hour. The fabric, after being
thoroughly impregnated, is spread out flat upon a grating, and allowed to drain for
about 6 hours at the ordinary temperature, this operation being so arranged as to
ensure the retention by all parts of the fabric of a uniform quantity of the
composition.
The drainings are collected and returned to the bath to avoid waste. The fabric
is afterwards dried either in the open air or in a stove heated to not more than
50° C., and is kept in a horizontal position to ensure a uniform distribution of the
composition.
The felt or other woollen, or mixed wool and cotton fabric, when thus treated,
acquires a much greater substance, both as regards weight and strength or dura-
bility, and is also rendered waterproof, although freely pervious to perspiration when
made up into garments. By varying the proportions of the ingredients of the
composition, the increase in the substance of the fabric may be regulated as desired.
The fabrics thus treated are calendered by means of cylinders heated to from 50° to
60° C., or otherwise finished, as in ordinary. If the above treatment be applied
subsequent to the dyeing operation, it has the effect of permanently fixing the
colors. In the case of delicate or bright colors however care should be taken to
use only the best bleached size, and the alum perfectly pure, that is to say, freed of
all traces of iron or other coloring matters capable of affecting the dye.

page_text: Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would observe that I do not limit myself to the precise
proportions herein stated, as the same may be varied as above mentioned, but that
what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is,-
1st. The composition of ingredients herein specified, prepared substantially in the
manner herein described, for the purpose specified.
2nd. The treatment of felted and other woollen, or mixed wool and cotton
fabrics, by the application thereto of the composition herein specified in order to
increase the substance, durability, and weight of the fabric, and render it relatively
waterproof, yet pervious to perspiration, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.