A New or Improved Process for Colouring the Soles of Boots and Shoes and Mixtures or Compositions Employed therefor.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 14th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1888
A New or Improved Process for Colouring the Soles of Boots and
Shoes and Mixtures or Compositions Employed therefor.
I, WILLIAM FAIRBURN HART, of the General Assurance Buildings, No. 1, East
Parade, Leeds, in the County of York, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention, which has been communicated to me from abroad by Charles Smith
Larrabee, of 8, Untermain Anlage, Frankfurt-on-Main, in the Empire of Germany,
to be as follows:
The object of this invention is to finish. the soles of boots and shoes by giving them
a coating of such a nature as will prevent the dust and dirt sticking to them, and at
the same time impart any desired shade of colour to the soles, and especially to colour
the shanks and ball with different colours, thus giving the work a more finished
appearance and thereby increasing its commercial value.
Fron experiments made by the communicator of this invention, it has been found
that by using a suitable basis for holding the chemicals in solution that a bleach, a
mordant, and a colour can be used if a suitable mechanical process or means is or are
employed or united therewith for drying the mixture before it has had time to
penetrate into the leather and combine with the chemicals contained therein.
For the basis a solution of gum tragacanth or of Iceland Moss, or of both is used.
For light colours, to the solution is added bleaches and mordants, such as Phosphoric
acid, Hyposulphate of Soda, Sulphate of Zinc, Chloride of Potash, with colouring
matters such as French Chalk, Ochre, or Anilines combined with nitric or muriatic
acid.
For dark colours requiring no bleach, the same basis of gum tragacanth or Iceland
Moss is used to which is added solutions of Anilines of any shade combined with
picric acid as a mordant.
Any of these mixtures may be applied to or spread upon the sole of a boot or shoe
with an ordinary soft brush, or a revolving brush, after it is buffed, (but they should
highly
not be allowed to dry and penetrate into the sole, else it will present a
disagreeable appearance) and before the mixture has had time to strike in, the sole is
submitted to the action of a brush revolving at a very high speed whereby a consider-
able degree of heat is evolved, which causes the chemicals to dry on the outside of the
sole thereby forming a skin which prevents them mingling or combining with the
chemicals in the leather.
Dated this Sixteenth day of December 1887.

page_text: Shoes and Mixtures or Compositions Employed therefor.
I, WILLIAM FAIRBURN HART, of the General Assurance Buildings, No. 1 East
Parade, Leeds, in the County of York, Patent Agent, (a communication to me from
abread by Charles Smith Larrabee, of 8, Untermain Anlage, Frankfurt-on-Main, in
the Empire of Germany, Engineer,) do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
The object of this invention is to finish the soles of boots and shoes by giving them
a coating of such a nature as will prevent the dust and dirt sticking to them, and at
the same time impart any desired shade of colour to the soles, and especially to colour
the shanks and balls with different colours, thus giving the work a more finished
appearance and thereby increasing its commercial value.
From experiments made by the communicator of this invention it has been found
that by using a suitable basis for holding the chemicals in solution that a bleach, a
mordant, and a colour can be used if suitable mechanical process or means is or are
employed or united therewith for drying the mixture before it has had time to
penetrate into the leather and combine with the chemicals contained therein.
For the basis a solution of gum tragacanth or of Iceland Moss, or of both is used.
For light colours, about five parts each of Water and Iceland Moss, or an equivalent
quantity of gum tragacanth, or of Iceland Moss and gum tragacanth combined, is
taken, and to these are added about ten parts of Hyposulphite or Thiosulphate of Soda,
and one part each of Sulphate of Zinc, Chloride of Potash, with about one part each
of colouring matters, such as Yellow Ochre, French Chalk, or about one ounce
of an aniline dye in say a gallon of Alchol; and one fortieth part of nitric or muriatic
acid.
Whilst for dark colours requiring no bleach, the same basis of gum tragacanth or
Iceland Moss may be used, to which may be added solutions of Anilines (prepared as
above) of any shade.
To the above mixtures may be added sufficient Phosphoric or Picric Acid to act as
a mordant. It will readily be understood that the above quantities are only approxi-
mate and will require to be varied in accordance with the nature of the material to be
operated upon, as well as, the ingredients employed.
In order to prepare the soles for the colouring process:-The bottoms of the soles
are, first, abraded by any suitable sand papering machine-in practice the machine
known as
"The Globe" has been found to answer well-for removing the outside
grain. The sole is then buffed by any suitable machine having a rotary motion, which
smooths the sole after the grain has been removed and gives it a velvet like appearance,
or feeling to the touch. For performing this portion of the process, the machine
known in the trade as "
The Naumkeag Buffer has been found to answer best, on

page_text: which an emery cloth pad has been mounted, and which is made to revolve at about
four thousand revolutions per minute. The sole is then stained with one of the herein
described mixtures, which is spread upon or applied to the sole by any ordinary soft
brush or by a revolving brush. The colouring mixtures should not be allowed to dry
or penetrate into the sole, else it will present a highly disagreeable appearance; but
before the colouring mixture has had time to strike in, the sole is submitted to the
action of a soft brush, say about twelve inches in diameter, revolving at or about a
thousand revolutions per minute. In applying the sole to the revolving brush, it
should be drawn quickly across the brush so that the fibres of the leather will all be
laid in one direction. The shoe may then be laid aside to dry if coloured with one of
the very light shades, and when the stain or colouring mixture is thoroughly dry the
sole is again applied to and held against the periphery of the revolving brush to bring
out a polish. But if a dark shade is used the boot or shoe is held continuously, but
lightly, to the revolving brush until the solution is thoroughly dried. The revolving
brush by contact with the sole evolves a considerable degree of heat which causes all
the chemicals held in solution by the gum to dry on the outside of the sole without
having had time to unite with the chemicals in the leather. Thus forming a continuous
skin upon the sole of any desired colour and having a fine gloss produced by the
action of the heat upon the
When it is desired to obtain a very high gloss the
gum.
sole so coloured and brushed may be burnished either by a heated hand polishing iron,
or by means of a polishing wheel revolving at a very high velocity.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention
(as communicated to me from abroad) and in what manner the same is to be performed,
I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The stains for colouring the soles of hoots or shoes formed by the combination or
mixture of the materials or chemicals herein described.
2. The combination for the purpose of colouring the soles of boots and shoes by
means of a quick revolving brush, of a mixture, composed of a basis of Iceland Moss,
or gum tragacanth, or both, with the ingredients or chemicals forming the bleach and
mordant as described, and any earthy or Aniline colouring matter, all substantially
as herein described and set forth.
3. The process for colouring the soles of boots and shoes which consists in, first,
sandpapering off the outer grain of the leather, then buffing the sole to give it a velvet
like appearance or touch next applying with a soft brush a quick drying colouring
mixture composed of the herein described ingredients or chemicals forming a basis,
bleach, and mordant together with any earthy or Aniline colouring matter, and
immediately after applying the colouring mixture to the sole submitting it to the
action of a quick revolving brush whereby a considerable degree of heat is evolved
which causes the chemicals to dry on the outside of the sole before combining with
those in the leather.
Dated this Thirteenth day of September 1888.
W. FAIRBURN HART.