IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FABRICS APPLICABLE AS SUBSTITUTES FOR PAPER
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
Dowse, of Camden Town, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing
date at Westminster, the Eleventh day of August, One thousand eight hundred
and forty-six, in the tenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Charles Dowse, my exors,
admňors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Charles Dowse, my exors, admors, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Charles Dowse, my exors, adññors, or 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-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FABRICS
APPLICABLE AS SUBSTITUTES FOR PAPER;" in which said Letters Patent is con-
tained a proviso that I, the said Charles Dowse, 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
enrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will
more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Charles Dowse, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists of a mode of preparing woven fabrics so that the
same may be used or employed as substitutes for paper, and in such manner
that persons may write thereon with ordinary inks in use for writing on
paper; and such substitutes for paper may also be used when printing, or for
other purposes where paper would ordinarily be employed. And I would
state, that I am aware that fabrics have before been written on by using what
is called marking ink, the fabrics being at a particular spot first prepared with
a suitable preparation, as is well understood; and fabrics have also been
printed on with type as well as by other printing surfaces; and I mention
these circumstances at the outset in order to state that I do not claim the use
, of woven fabrics as substitutes for paper under such circumstances.
In order that my Invention may be most fully understood, and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
I employ by preference fabrics made of cotton, though other woven fabrics
may be used; and I generally use calico for the purpose, though, when desired,
figured wove fabrics may be employed. The fabrics are to be first singed on
the surfaces to remove the loose fibre, and bleached; and if to be used in
place of colored papers, the fabrics are to be dyed, all which is well understood.
The fabrics are first saturated by being immersed in a solution composed of
one pound of resin dissolved in one gallon of a solution of potash or soda
containing about a quarter of a pound of alkali; or resin or resinous matters
dissolved in spirit with water, may be used in place of the alkaline solution.
The fabrics are next immersed in a solution of one pound of alum dissolved in
one gallon of water, or a solution of alumina may be used, but I prefer alum
for this purpose. The fabrics are next to be passed into a solution of starch,
or of farinaceous matter, or of gum, to give stiffness, and to fill the interstices
of the fabrics. And it should be stated, that in passing from one solution to
the next solution, the fabrics pass between pressing rollers. The fabrics are
then to be dried in stoves, or by steam-heated cylinders, or otherwise. The
fabrics are next to be subjected to pressure of rollers, or, in sheets between
plates, to glaze the surfaces, in a similar manner to what is now resorted to
when glazing the surfaces of paper. I would state, that solutions of barytes,
strontis, lime, or magnesia may be used in place of or in combination with alum,
but I believe the use of alum will in most cases be found preferable. And
solutions of white soap, or tallow fat, or oil, with alkali, may be used in place

page_text: of or in combination with solutions of resin or resinous matters, but I believe
the directions first above given will be found to be the means most generally
applicable for the carrying out my Invention, and gelatine may be used in
place of or in conjunction with starch.
Having thus 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 details herein described, so long as the peculiar character of my Inven-
tion, that of manufacturing fabrics applicable as substitutes for paper, be
retained. And I would state that I do not claim the use of any of these
matters separately nor otherwise when their use is not such as to produce a
substitute for paper.
But what I claim is, the manufacturing of woven fabrics into substitutes
for paper, by treating them as herein described, so as to produce woven
fabrics, which may be written on with inks ordinarily in use for writing on
paper.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Dowse, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.