A NEW COMPOSITION AND PROCESS BAD WATERPROAKTYA ATT GO
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sylvestre Theodore Vanel, of Paris, in the French
Republic, Gentleman, for the Invention of "A NEW COMPOSITION AND
PROCESS BAD WATERPROAKTYA ATT GORR
LETTERS PATENT to Sylvestre Theodore Vanel, of Paris, in the French
Republic, Gentleman, for the Invention of "A NEW COMPOSITION AND
PROCESS POD WATERPROOMING ALL SORTS OF TISSUES, LINEN, PAPER, AND OTHER
MATERIALS."
Sealed the 9th August 1872, and dated the 26th February 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Sylvestre Theodore
Vanel at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 26th February 1872.
I, SYLVESTRE THEODORE VANEL, of Paris, in the French Republic,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A
NEW COMPOSITION AND PROCESS FOR WATERPROOFING ALL SORTS OF TISSUES, LINEN,
PAPER, AND OTHER MATERIALS," to be as follows:―

page_text: solution of all objects such as textile fabrics, paper, wood, leather, and
other articles which require to be protected from humidity.
To prepare the hydrofugal bath I place in a metallic vessel, or even
in a wooden vat (the result being the same), about 22 lbs. (10 kilo-
grammes) of sulphate of potash and of alumina. In another similar
vessel I place about 18 ounces (500 grammes) of a fatty acid, such as
stearic or margaric acid, adding in order to dissolve it about 2 gallons
(10 litres) of water, and when thoroughly mixed I pour it upon the
sulphate of potash and of alumina, and renew the operation of mixing
'these three substances together. I then pass the whole through a filter
made of felt, which I subsequently press to extract from it all the liquid
which it may retain after filtration. I then remove from the felt the
residuum derived from the preceding operations and spread it on a table,
where I submit it to a temperature sufficient for its desiccation. I then
reduce it to powder by any suitable means, such as a wooden or other
roller. By dissolving a part of this powder thus obtained in one
hundred parts of water I form the waterproofing bath. It is into
this bath that I pass the article to be prepared. Its treatment
requires only the use of the ordinary fulling stock combined with
guiding cylinders, which bring the stuff (if a textile fabric) into the
bath, and pressing cylinders, which take it as it leaves the bath to
extract from it all the liquid absorbed. After having thus passed the
stuff several times I withdraw it, and without wringing it expose it
either to the atmosphere or to a fire in order to dry it. The
articles thus prepared are thenceforth waterproof (but not air-proof,
which would be a great defect, especially for clothing, as regards
perspiration).
Wool, silk, cotton or hemp, whether spun or woven before or after
dyeing, cordage, paper, leather, and wood, and generally all hygrometric
substances not mineral, may be submitted to this preparation at any
stage of their manufacture either by employing the bath alone or in
conjunction with some other preparation special to the matter to be pre-
pared. Thus in the manufacture of leather the tannin will very well
ally itself with my waterproofing bath. The same applies to the manu-
facture of blackings and coatings used for oilcloths.

page_text: filed by the said Sylvestre Theodore Vanel in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd August 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SYLVESTRE
THEODORE VANEL, of Paris, in the French Republic, Gentleman, send ♬
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, 1
give and grant unto me, the said Sylvestre Theodore Vanel, Her special
licence that I, the said Sylvestre Theodore Vanel, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Sylvestre Theodore
Vanel, 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, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"A NEW COMPOSITION AND PROCESS FOR WATERPROOFING ALL SORTS OF TISSUES,
LINEN, PAPER, AND OTHER MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Sylvestre Theodore Vanel, 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 Sylvestre Theodore Vanel, 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 :—
This process is based upon the use of mineral and organic substances
composing a waterproofing solution, and on the impregnation by this
solution of all objects such as textile fabrics, paper, wood, leather, and

page_text: To prepare the hydrofugal bath I place in a metallic vessel, or even
in a wooden vat (the result being the same), about 22 lbs. (10 kilo-
grammes) of sulphate of potash and of alumina. In another similar
vessel I place about 18 ounces (500 grammes) of a fatty acid, such as
stearic or margaric acid, adding in order to dissolve it about 2 gallons
(10 litres) of water, and when thoroughly mixed I pour it upon the
sulphate of potash and of alumina, and renew the operation of mixing
these three substances together. I then pass the whole through a filter
made of felt, which I subsequently press to extract from it all the liquid
which it may retain after filtration. I then remove from the felt the
residuum derived from the preceding operations, and spread it on a table,
where I submit it to a temperature sufficient for its desiccation. I then
reduce it to powder by any suitable means, such as a wooden or other
roller. By dissolving a part of this powder thus obtained in one
hundred parts of water I form the waterproofing bath. It is into
this bath that I pass the article to be prepared. Its treatment
requires only the use of the ordinary fulling stock combined with
guiding cylinders, which bring the stuff (if a textile fabric) into the
bath, and pressing cylinders, which take it as it leaves the bath to
extract from it all the liquid absorbed. After having thus passed the
stuff several times I withdraw it, and without wringing it expose it
either to the atmosphere or to a fire in order to dry it. The
articles thus prepared are thenceforth waterproof (but not air-proof,
which would be a great defect, especially for clothing, as regards
perspiration).
Articles thus prepared may be brushed, washed, and cleaned by any of
the usual means, provided always that the use be avoided of lies, of which
the acids or the alkaline salts might be hurtful.
Wool, silk, cotton, or hemp, whether spun or woven before or after
dyeing, cordage, paper, leather, and wood, and generally all hygrometric
substances not mineral, may be submitted to this preparation at any
stage of their manufacture either by employing the bath alone or in
conjunction with some other preparation special to the matter to be pre-
pared. Thus in the manufacture of leather the tannin will very well ally
itself with my waterproofing bath. The same applies to the manufacture
of blackings and coatings used for oilcloths.
Lastly. This preparation leaves no smell, does not injure colors, even
those known as clear tints, and is perfectly wholesome.

page_text: A very important question remained to be solved, namely, that of
salubrity, and it will be evident that in a chemical preparation intended
to be applied to clothing of every material and every kind the hygienio
problem could not be neglected. The result of an official report made
and delivered the 10th November, 1869, to the chief commission of
clothing and encampment of French troops, presided over by General of
Division Hugues, by Monsieur Roucher, principal chemist, and one of
its members, that conclusive experiments carefully made and attentively
followed have conclusively established the perfect innocuousness of my
new process. The residuums, whether in dust of clothing or ashes from
fabrics burnt with a view of testing them, have presented under the most
severe analysis no trace of any substance which might influence the
health of the soldier whether isolated or massed together; and the con-
clusions of the said report have been adopted unanimously by the
commission in its sitting of 13th November 1869.

page_text: cleansed by a sojourn of two hours in water, and are ready for
waterproofing.
If the color should change in consequence of a too great acidity of the
sulphate of alumina or of any other matter, this may be at once remedied
by adding an equal quantity of acetate of lead; and if in its turn the
acetate of lead should engender an acid smell peculiar to it, it can be
made to disappear by adding to the bath one-tenth in volume of chloride
of tin, that is to say, for example, one quart for ten.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sylvestre Theodore Vanel, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.