IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF FABRICS MADE WHOLLY OR PARTLY OF JUTE, FLAX, COTTON, OR VEGETABLE FIBRES SO AS TO PREPARE THEM FOR DYEING OR PRINTING, AND RENDERING THEM APPLICABLE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS OR OTHER PRINTED GOODS
Year: 1867

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF FABRICS MADE WHOLLY
OR PARTLY OF JUTE, FLAX, COTTON, OR VEGETABLE FIBRES SO AS TO PREPARE
THEM FOR DYEING OR PRINTING, AND RENDERING THEM APPLICABLE FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS OR OTHER PRINTED GOODS."-A communication
from abroad by Thomas Crossley, of Bridgeport, in the State of
Connecticut, United States of America.
Sealed the 19th November 1867, and dated the 30th May 1867..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th May 1867.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF FABRICS MADE
WHOLLY OR PARTLY OF JUTE, FLAX, COTTON, OR VEGETABLE FIBRES SO AS TO PRE-
PARE THEM FOR DYEING OR PRINTING, AND RENDERING THEM APPLICABLE FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS OR OTHER PRINTED GOODS," to be as follows:-
The goods or fabrics having been made in the ordinary manner are
immersed in a bath of hot water, to which is added a quantity of bran and
carbonate or bicarbonate of soda, so as to form an alkaline solution, which

page_text: will act upon and dissolve the gluten and gummy matter in the flax or other
vegetable fibres, and also the tannin in the jute or cotton. When this is
effected the fabric is to be well washed in clean water, and then immersed in
a solution of crystallized tin and muriatic acid or strong muriate of tin with 20
per cent. of sulphuric acid at a strength of from one to two. degrees of
Twaddell. When the fabric has been thoroughly impregnated with this bath
it must be again washed, and then bleached by immersion in a weak solution
of chloride of lime. After washing and drying the fabric will be ready for
printing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 30th November 1867
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Edward Newton, my Her special licence, that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Edward Newton, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF FABRICS MADE WHOLLY. OR PARTLY OF
JUTE, FLAX, COTTON, OR VEGETABLE FIBRES SO AS TO PREPARE THEM FOR DYEING
OR PRINTING, AND RENDERING THEM APPLICABLE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS
OR OTHER PRINTED GOODS," being a communication from Thomas Crossley, of
Bridgeport, in the State of Connecticut, and United States of America, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their bands 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
'

page_text: Office, within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton; do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say) :-
-
In the manufacture heretofore of carpets composed of jute of flax the yarns
have been dyed in the several colors intended to appear on the surface of the
fabric, and the designs or pattern have been confined to the production of
stripes or checks or plaids, because the expense of producing an elaborate
design or pattern upon such material by the aid of jacquard machinery would
be too expensive, thereby rendering it impracticable to manufacture, a low
priced carpet from such material. It is also well known that the treatment
required in producing certain colors upon jute or flax by the process of dyeing
has had a tendency to make the fibre brittle, and to destroy its strength and
elasticity, and to reduce it even to a dust or powder when exposed to wear;
this is particularly the case with red, scarlet, dark green, orange, or other
high or full colors when acids or compounds of acids and mineral substances
are used at a high degree of heat in dyeing to produce a full and brilliant
shade of color. In experiments that have been made in the coloring of
jute, flax, or cotton it has always been found that the strength of the fibre is
weakened in proportion to the degree of heat and the strength of the dye
liquor employed and the length of time required to obtain the desired color,
hence in producing such colors as are generally known as high or full shades
(requiring great heat and strength of dye liquor) the result has always been to
weaken the fibre in proportion to the time required to produce the desired
shade. After experimenting for several years in the manufacture of jute, flax,
and cotton, and especially in coloring the same for carpets or other goods, my
correspondent has discovered that elaborate designs in colors may be produced
upon fabrics woven of a light or heavy character, and either plain or uncolored,
by submitting the same to a process which will prepare it to receive any desired
color in any design, however elaborate, and that the colors when applied will
be very durable and will not cause the least injury to the fabric. The
following is the process by which this result may be produced:-The cloth
after being woven from the raw jute, flax, or cotton in the ordinary manner
is immersed in a bath of water at, say, from ninety to one hundred and twenty
degrees Fahrenheit, in which has been mixed a quantity of either wheat or
corn bran, together with sub or bi-carbonate of soda. After remaining in this
bath for a sufficient length of time to thoroughly dissolve the tannin in the

page_text: jute or cotton, or the gluten or gum in the flax, the cloth must be removed
and washed thoroughly in clean water; it is then to be immersed in a bath of
cold water mixed with a solution of crystallized tin and muriatic acid or strong
muriate of tin with twenty per cent. of oil of vitriol or sulphuric acid at a
strength of from one to two degrees Twaddel. When the cloth has been
impregnated with this bath it is to be again washed in clean water and then sub-
mitted to a bath of a weak solution of chloride of lime, after, which the cloth is
to be washed clean and dried, and it will then be ready for printing or dyeing.
I do not intend by the foregoing described method of preparing the cloth
to confine myself rigidly to the process herein set forth, nor to the use of the
Fingredients especially named, or to the exact proportions stated, as I have
merely described the above process as being the most thorough and practicable
method for most colors; but for preparing the fabric to receive Prussian blue
or other prussiates a different proportion or strength of preparation to that
above mentioned should be employed.
Fot Turkey reds or crimsons any other alkali than that above mentioned,
or another bath, may be used to dissolve and clean out the tannin or gum
from the fibre, and other chemical combinations or mordants, such as are well
known, may be employed to prepare the fibres or fabric to receive the color;
and other-suitable baths or treatment may be employed to bleach or whiten
the fabric in lieu of chloride of lime; thus, instead of chloride of lime sul-
phurous acid, or the fumes produced by the combustion of sulphur and
saltpetre, may be employed, and a similar or better effect may be obtained.
The essential feature of novelty in the present Invention or discovery is that
by the before-named process, or when modified by the use of equivalent chemical
preparations, the tannin or gluten may be removed from the fibres without the
least injury thereto, and the fibres or fabric may be impregnated or mordanted
so as to prepare it to receive the colors, and it may be bleached in order to
obtain a good white.
Carpets or other fabrics dyed or colored in any colors, or pattern, or design
may thus be produced by the process of dyeing or printing without weakening
or injuring the strength of the fibres, and at the same time a carpet or other
fabric having all the richness and style of woollen or worsted goods with equally
durable colors may be produced. This result has never been obtained before
by dyeing or printing cloths composed of jute, flax, or cotton, and by the
present Invention or discovery carpets or other fabrics may be produced from
flax or jute, or cotton, or other vegetable fibre at a price very much less than
when made of wool or any other animal fibre, the result of which will be a
great benefit to the public.

page_text: What I claim as new in the present Invention, and desire to secure by
Letters Patent is, treating fabrics composed wholly or partly of jute, flax,
cotton, or other suitable vegetable fibre, substantially in the manner above
described, so as to prepare the same for dyeing or printing, for the purposes
above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-seventh day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
W. E. NEWTON. (LS.)