CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF FINISHING FUSTIAN OR BEAVERTEENS, SATIN TOPS,' AND OTHER SIMILAR COTTON FABRICS
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS. SHALL COME, I JOHN
WHITEHEAD, junior, of Elton, near Bury, in the County of Lancaster, Dyer
and Finisher, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Fifteenth day of August, in the eighth year of Her
reign, and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-four,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Whitehead, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said John Whitehead, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
and such others as I, the said John Whitehead, my executors, administrators,
and 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 and Wales and'
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE PROCESS OF FINISHING FUSTIAN OR BEAVERTEENS, SATIN TOPS,' AND OTHER
SIMILAR COTTON FABRICS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that I, the said John Whitehead, shall cause a particular description of the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be enrolled in Her 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, 1, the said John
Whitehead, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following explanation thereof (that is to say) :-
:―
My Improvements in the Process of Finishing Fustians or Beaverteens,
"Satin Tops," and other similar Cotton Fabrics, apply to every description of
cotton goods (known by such general names in the trade) which require to be
raised, or raised and "clothed," whether bleached, dyed, or printed.
In order that the distinct features of novelty in such improved process of
finishing this description of cotton goods may be clearly understood, I will here
describe the ordinary method of finishing them. The method hitherto pursued
has been, to take the piece of goods in the "balk," that is, just as they come
from the loom, and to perch them or raise the fibres on the back of the cloth
commonly called "backing," and to raise the nap or fibres on the face of the
cloth, either by cards worked by hand, or by the ordinary raising machinery,
and, according to the finish required, repeatedly passing them through a stove,
or before a brisk open fire; between the operations of raising, then submitting
them to either the operation of bleaching, dyeing, or printing, as the case may
be; and lastly, when stiffened, they were finished off, commonly called re-
shearing or clothing," which is merely the getting up of the 'fibres previously
raised before dyeing, &c., and cutting the nap or surface to the length required
for the market; whereas the nature of my improved process, and the manner of
performing the same, consists simply, in the first place, of submitting the goods
to the operation of bleaching, dyeing, or printing (as required) in the "balk,"
that is, just in the state as they come from the loom, and afterwards to
raise the fibres or nap upon the back and face of the cloth, thus, as it were;
reversing the ordinary process; and when stiffened the goods are to be re-shorn
or clothed, and finished off as before; by which improved means a much more
even surface and dye is obtained than can possibly be produced by the common
method, as well as retaining more substance in the cloth, as the texture is less
injured, and consequently there is less waste by flocks in the raising process,
and the cloth, when finished, is more durable, and will present much fewer of
any imperfections either of make, dye, or finish, than when finished by the
ordinary process. I would remark, in conclusion, that the only thing-necessary
to observe in this improved process, besides the above-described method of
bleaching, dyeing, or printing the cloth before raising the same, is, that after
the goods have been stoved or dried in the ordinary way, after being dyed, &c.,
they must be sufficiently "conditioned," or damped again, prior to raising, and
which state of the cloth can only be ascertained by experience, according to

page_text: the strength or quality of the cloth, and the nature of the dye or colour, and
may be done by a variety of damping processes. But I have found in ordinary
cases that hanging the cloth in a humid atmosphere, say twelve or fourteen
hours, in a cooling shed, to answer the purpose; but I prefer a damping pit,
that is, a chamber under the surface of the ground, constructed so as to give
out sufficient humidity by having wet sand under the flooring, and arranged
so as to admit or exclude the outward air, according as the state of the atmo-
sphere is dry or humid, by which means more regularity, and a greater certainty,
attends the operation of "conditioning" or damping the cloth than otherwise.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be distinctly understood
that I claim as my Invention the improvements in the process of finishing
Fustians or Beaverteens, "Satin Tops," and other similar Cotton Fabrics only
as above described, namely, submitting such goods to the operation of bleaching,
dyeing, or printing, as required before raising the fibres or nap; and also
damping or "conditioning" the goods (for raising) in that particular state, or
so bleached, dyed, or printed, before raising the fibres or nap.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Whitehead, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of February One thousand eight
hundred and forty-five.
JOHN (L.S.) WHITEHEAD, JUN.