AN IMPROVED AMYLACEOUS COMPOUND
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Cullen Locke, of the City and State of New
York, United States of America, now of 8, Southampton Buildings, London,
for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED AMYLACEOUS COMPOUND."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Cullen Locko at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd May 1880.
WILLIAM CULLEN LOCKE, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America, now of 8, Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED AMYLACEOUS
COMPOUND."
This Invention relates to an improved amylaceous compound to be used as an
adjunct to ordinary starch for laundry purposes; also for finishing and dressing
silks, linens, and other fabrics requiring a high lustre. The said compound may
also be used for dressing morocco and kid leather; also in preparing wood for
polishing, and for various other purposes. It effectually supersedes such prepara-
tions as wax, spermacetti, paraffine, and other unsuitable adjuncts to starch hitherto
in use, being greatly superior to the best of them, and very economical.
.It imparts a clear, brilliant, white, smooth finish, entirely filling the pores of the
fabric, and gives to the same a high polish if desired. It entirely prevents sticking
and blistering, greatly increases the stiffness of the goods, and prevents their turning
yellow. It materially lessens the labor of ironing, cleans the iron, is economical in
the quantity of starch used, and brightens the colors of colored goods.
In carrying my Invention into practice I proceed as follows, that is to say, to
make thirty three (33) gallons of the said compound. I take four (4) lbs. of flake gum
tragacanth, four (4) lbs. of gum arabic, six (6) lbs. of white Castile soap, four
(4) lbs. powdered borax, one quarter (1/4) Ib. of salt of sorrel, two (2) lbs. of Epsom
salts, two (2) lbs. of alum, six (6) lbs. of common salt.
I use a clean tank of wood or other suitable non-metallic substance of a capacity
to hold about forty (40) gallons, more or less, for convenience of stirring. I then
put the two gums into the tank, and add ten (10) gallons of clean filtered water.
The contents of the tank are allowed to stand 24 hours, being stirred thoroughly at
intervals during this time. I then strain through a strainer cloth, squeezing the
[Price Adl

page_text: lumps through the same. I cut the soap into thin shavings and dissolve it in six
(6) gallons of clean filtered boiling water, let it cool to about blood heat, and add
the same to the gums, stirring well, and allowing the mixture to stand from 2 to 3
hours. I put the borax into six (6) gallons of clean filtered cold water, stir well,
and add the same to the gums and stir thoroughly, leaving the mixture to stand
from 2 to 3 hours. I dissolve the salt of sorrel in one (1) gallon of clean filtered
boiling water, let it cool to about blood heat, then add it to the mixture, allowing
the same to stand 2 or 3 hours. I dissolve the Epsom salts in one (1) gallon of
clean filtered cold water, add it to the mixture, and let the same stand two or
three hours. I dissolve the alum in four (4) gallons of clean filtered cold water,
add the same to the mixture, and stir well. I then dissolve the salt in five (5)
gallons of clean filtered cold water, add it to the mixture, and stir the same
thoroughly.
The compound thus formed should stand about one week from the time the two
gums were put to soak, so as to free the same entirely from grains or lumps; it
should then be strained through cloth as before, and can then be bottled or barreled.
The said compound should be of about the consistency of cream.
For dressing and getting up linen and the like the said compound is added to
the starch, and the same is applied in the ordinary manner.
For dressing silk and for other like purposes the said compound is used alone.
In some instances I may dispense with the salt of sorrel, and sometimes I add
to the compound a small quantity of pure white gelatine, say about 2 ounces.
:

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Cullen Locke in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd
November 1880.
WILLIAM CULLEN LOCKE, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America, now of 8, Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED AMYLACEOUS
COMPOUND."
This Invention relates to an improved amylaceous compound to be used as an
adjunct to ordinary starch for laundry purposes; also for finishing and dressing
silk, linen, and other fabrics requiring a high lustre.
The said compound may also be used for dressing morocco and kid leather; also
in preparing wood for polishing, and for various other purposes. It effectually
supersedes such preparations as wax, spermaceti, paraffine, and other unsuitable
adjuncts to starch hitherto in use, being greatly superior to the best of them, and
very economical.
It imparts a clear, brilliant, white, smooth finish, entirely filling the pores of the
fabric, and gives to the same a high polish if desired. It entirely prevents sticking
and blistering, greatly increases the stiffness of the goods, and prevents their turning
yellow. It materially lessens the labor of ironing, cleans the iron, is economical in
the quantity of starch used, and brightens the colors of colored goods.
In carrying my Invention into practice I proceed as follows, that to say, to
make thirty three (33) gallons of the said compound I take four (4) lbs. of flake
gum-tragacanth, four (4) lbs. of gum arabic, six (6) lbs. of white Castile soap, four
(4) lbs. of powdered borax, one quarter (/) lb. of salt of sorrel, two (2) lbs. of
Epsom salt, two (2) lbs. of alum, six (6) lbs. of common salt (chloride of sodium).
I use a clean tank of wood or other suitable non-metallic substance of a capacity
to hold about forty (40) gallons, more or less, for convenience of stirring. I then
put the two gums into the tank, and add ten (10) gallons of clean filtered water.
The contents of the tank are allowed to stand about 24 hours, being stirred
thoroughly at intervals during this time. I then strain them through a strainer
cloth, squeezing the lumps through the same. I cut the soap into thin shavings and
dissolve it in six (6) gallons of clean filtered boiling water, let it cool to about blood
heat, and add the same to the gums, stirring well, and allowing the mixture to stand
from two to three hours. I put the borax into six (6) gallons of clean filtered cold
water, stir well, and add the same to the gums and stir thoroughly, leaving the
mixture to stand from two to three hours. I dissolve the salt of sorrel in one (1)
gallon of clean filtered boiling water, let it cool to about blood heat, then add the same
to the mixture, allowing the latter to stand two or three hours. I dissolve the Epsom
salt in one (1) gallon of clean filtered cold water, add it to the mixture, and let the same
stand two or three hours. I dissolve the alum in four (4) gallons of clean filtered cold
water, add the saine to the mixture, and stir well. I then dissolve the salt in five
(5) gallons of clean filtered cold water, add it to the mixture, and stir the same
thoroughly.
The compound thus formed should stand about one week from the time the two
gums were put to soak, so as to free the same entirely from grains or lumps; it
should then be strained through cloth as before, and can then be bottled or barrelled.
The said compound should be of about the consistency of cream.
For dressing and getting up linen and the like the said compound is added to
the starch, and the same is applied in the ordinary manner.
For dressing silk and for other like purposes the said compound is used alone.
In some instances I may dispense with the salt of sorrel, and sometimes I add to
the compound a small quantity of pure white gelatine, say about 2 ounces.

page_text: •
Having thus fully described my said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I claim,―
The improved amylaceous compound consisting of the gum-tragacanth, gum-
arabic, Castile soap, borax, Epsom salt, alum, and common salt mixed in or about
in the proportion and in the manner above specified, and either with or without the
salt of sorrel and gelatine, for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Cullen Locke, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
Witness,
HENRY H. LAKE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
WILLIAM CULLEN LOCKE. (L.S.)