CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SILK VELVETS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Watson and George Healey, both of
Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Silk Manufacturers, for the
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SILK
VELVETS."
Sealed the 22nd May 1860, and dated the 26th November 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Watson and
George Healey at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 26th November 1859.
We, THOMAS WATSON and GEORGE HEALEY, both of Rochdale, in the
County of Lancaster, Silk Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SILK
VELVETS," to be as follows:-
Our improvement consists in the novel and particular application of a
certain description of "silk waste" (which has not hitherto been so employed)
to the manufacture of silk velvets, such waste proceeding from and arising in
the manufacture of the better sort of silk, and known as "soft silk waste" and
"hard silk waste," and either in the uncoloured or in the dyed state. These
descriptions of silk waste we prepare and spin in the ordinary manner of
preparing and spinning other kinds of silk waste, and afterwards weave and
manufacture it into velvets in the ordinary way of weaving cotton velvets; or,
if required, we mix the said "soft" or hard silk waste" with a better
description of silk to improve the quality of the velvet.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Watson and George Healey in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd May 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
WATSON and GEORGE HEALEY, both of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster,
Silk Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Thomas Watson and George Healey, Her special license that we, the
said Thomas Watson and George Healey, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Watson and George Healey,
our 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF SILK VELVETS," upon the condition, amongst others, that we,
the said Thomas Watson and George Healey, or one of us, by an instrument
in writing under our hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one
of us, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 we, the said Thomas Watson and George Healey,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention; and in what manner.the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
. Our improvement consists in the novel and particular application of a
certain description of "silk waste" (which has not been hitherto so employed)
to the manufacture of silk velvets. Such silk waste is known in the trade as
"soft silk waste" and "hard silk waste," and is made from the windings of
raw or thrown silk in its dyed or colored state, and from the weaving or
manufacturing of raw silk goods, or by any process in which this class of
waste arises, whether colored or uncolored. These descriptions of silk waste
differ from ordinary kinds of silk waste known and used in the trade, such as
throwsters' waste, "husks and knubbs," and all other sorts generally used for

page_text: spinning purposes, and which forms no part of our Invention, nor do we claim
as of our Invention the method of preparing or spinning such "soft or bard
silk waste," which we prepare and spin in the ordinary manner of preparing
and spinning all other kinds of silk waste, either in the length without cutting
or cut; and we afterwards weave and manufacture the said waste into velvets,
either plain or in fancy patterns; also in the ordinary manner of weaving
cotton velvets, or by any other method of weaving which produces a pile fabric
known as silk velvet or silk plush; and if required we mix in any proportion
the said soft or hard silk waste with the ordinary and before-named silk waste
used for spinning purposes.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, together with the
method of carrying the same into practical effect, we would remark, in con-
clusion, that we claim the novel application of certain description of silk waste
to the manufacture of silk velvets known as "hard silk waste" and "soft silk
waste," which has not been hitherto so employed, and whether in the colored
or uncolored state, as herein-before more particularly described and set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Watson and George Healey,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eighteenth day of May,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.