IM- PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LEATHER FROM THE REFUSE OF TANNED AND UNTANNED HIDES AND SKINS IN COMBINATION WITH WOOLLEN, HEMP, FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Harcourt Brown, of Abbey Mills, Romsey,
*
in the County of Hants, Gentleman, for the Invention of IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LEATHER FROM THE REFUSE OF TANNED
AND UNTANNED HIDES AND SKINS IN COMBINATION WITH WOOLLEN, HEMP,
FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed the 11th April 1871, and dated the 14th October 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Harcourt Brown
at the Office of the. Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 14th October 1870.
I, JOHN HARCOURT BROWN, of Abbey Mills, Romsey, in the County.
of Hants, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LEATHER FROM THE REFUSE
OF TANNED AND UNTANNED HIDES AND SKINS IN COMBINATION WITH WOOLLEN,
HEMP, FLAX, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
In carrying these improvements into effect I take fourteen pounds
weight of calf skin or the refuse cuttings of tawed or oil dressed calf
cuttings (which I prefer), although bark or sumac tanned may be

page_text: employed; to this I add one hundredweight of oil dressed sheep skin
cuttings, and fifty-six pounds of woollen or equal quantities of wool and
hemp fibres, these are all cleaned, picked over, and cut into pieces
suitable for being torn into fibres by suitable machinery. The wool
and hemp materials are first boiled with seven pounds, more or less, of.
soda ash or other alkaline salts to the hundredweight. They are now
all placed in a rag washing machine or suitable contrivance for washing
and reducing them into a coarse pulpy condition, the quantity of water
must be sufficient to allow the materials to move in the machine and
must contain about seven pounds of soda ash, and seven pounds of
unslaked lime (stone lime I prefer). They are now washed clean and
reduced to the required consistency either in the washing machine or
a pulping engine, adding to the materials from one quarter of a pound
to one pound and a half of sulphuric acid of the ordinary strength, and
from half a pound to two pounds of alum, and any pigment or other
colouring matter required to give the leather the colour desired. It is
now conveyed into suitable vats or receptacles and moulded into sheets of
the size and thickness required by means of pressure in wire moulds or in
moulds of perforated metal actuated by a partial vacuum. They are then
placed in woollen felts and the remaining water pressed out. The sheets
are then dried by exposure to the air or upon frames by steam heat, and
are finished by hot pressing in the hydraulic press or by rollers or other
similar means. The principle and process herein set forth must be
observed in the production of the various qualities of leather required,
the only variations being in the proportions and combinations of the
materials which a skilled workman will understand after having followed
the specified process herein contained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Harcourt Brown in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 11th April 1871.
"
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HARCOURT BROWN, of Abbey Mills, Romsey, in the County of Hants,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Lattone Patant hearing date the Fourteenth day of October in the

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Harcourt Brown, Her
special licence, that I, the said John Harcourt Brown, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Harcourt
Brown, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 MANUFACTURE OF LEATHER FROM THE REFUSE OF TANNED
AND UNTANNED HIDES AND SKINS IN COMBINATION WITH WOOLLEN, HEMP, FLAX, AND
OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Harcourt Brown, 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 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 John Harcourt Brown, 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 :—.
In carrying these improvements into effect I take fourteen pounds
weight of calf skin or the refuse cuttings of tawed or oil-dressed calf
cuttings (which I prefer), although bark or sumac, tanned skins, or
hides may be employed; to this I add one hundredweight of oil or
other ordinary dressed sheepskin cuttings and fifty-six pounds of woollen
fibres, or equal quantities of wool or cow or other similar soft hair and
hemp, or any other suitable fibres, these are all cleaned and picked over
and cut into pieces suitable for being torn into fibres by suitable
machinery. The wool, hemp, cow hair, or other materials are first
boiled with seven pounds more or less of soda ash, or other alkaline
salts to the hundredweight. They are now all placed in a rag washing
machine or suitable contrivance for washing and reducing them into
a coarse pulpy condition; the quantity of water must be sufficient to
allow the materials to move in the machine and must contain about

page_text: seven pounds of soda ash, and seven pounds of unslaked lime, stone
lime I prefer. They are now washed clean and reduced to the required
consistency either in the washing machine or a pulping engine, adding
to the materials from one quarter of a pound to one pound and a
half of sulphuric acid of the ordinary strength, and from half a pound
to two pounds of alum, and any pigment or other colouring matter
required to give the leather the colour desired. It is now conveyed into
suitable vats or receptacles and moulded into sheets of the size and
thickness required, by means of pressure in wire moulds, so that the
water may pass away, or by preference in moulds of perforated metal or
wire actuated by a partial vacuum. They are then placed in woollen
felts and the remaining water pressed out. The sheets are then dried
by exposure to the air or upon frames by steam heat and are finished by
hot pressing in the hydraulic or other suitable press or by rollers or
other similar suitable means. The principle and process herein set forth
must be observed in the production of the various qualities of leather
required, the principal variation being in the proportions and combina-
tions of the materials which a skilled workman will understand after
having followed the specified process herein contained.
What I claim is the production of leather according to the method
described, but I do not confine myself to the absolute quantities of
chemicals or the quality, neither do I confine myself to the combinations
herein expressed as other proportions and combinations may be successfully
employed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Harcourt Brown, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of April in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one