AN IMPROVED METHOD OF TANNING LEATHER
Year: 1814

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SPARKS MOLINE, of Leadenhall Street, London, Leather Merchant, send
greeting.
:
WHEREAS His present Majesty, in and by. His certain Letters Patent
under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-eighth day of March, in the fifty-
fourth year of His reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give
and grant. unto me, the said John Sparks Moline, my exors, adññors, and
assigns, His special licence, full power, sole priviledge and authority, that I,
the said John Sparks Moline, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, and every of
them, by myself and themselves, or by my and their deputy, or deputies,
servants or agents, or such others. as I, the said John Sparks Moline, my
exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might use, exercise, and vend, my Invention
of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF TANNING LEATHER," therein mentioned, within
that part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England,
the Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in all
the Colonies and Plantations abroad, in such manner as to me, the said John
Sparks Moline, my exors, adññors, and assigns, or any of them, should seem
meet, and that I, the said John Sparks Moline, my exors, adññiors, and assigns,
should and lawfully might have and enjoy the whole profit, benefit, commodity,
and advantage from time to time coming, growing, accruing, and arising by

page_text: reason of the said Invention, for and during the term of years therein men-
tioned, to hold, exercise, and enjoy the said licence, powers, priviledges, and
advantages therein-before granted or mentioned to be granted unto me, the
said John Sparks Moline, my exors, admors, and assigns, for and during and
unto the full end and term of fourteen years from the date of the said Letters
Patent next and immediately ensuing, and fully to be complete and ended,
according to the Statue in such case made and provided; in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso that the same should be void, unless I, the said
John Sparks Moline, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and scal, and cause the same to be
inrolled in the High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Sparks Moline, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and manner of performing the same, are particularly described and ascer-
tained in manner following, that is to say:-
I make a solution or infusion by means of water (either hot or cold, but in
preference cold) of oak bark, or any other vegetable matter or substance
which possesses the power or quality of tanning the hides and skins of animals,
according to the usual mode of tanning (excepting such vegetable matters as
are used for producing the substance known and employed in medicine by the
name of catechu or terra japonica, and also excepting mangrove bark), and
I filter the said solution through a close filter of canvas or fine particles of
sand, or of such other articles, materials, and construction as are known in
common to be suitable for performing the act of filtering. with good practice
effect; I do then inspissate or concentrate the said solution or infusion by
means of heat, or by means of the exposure of a large surface of the said
fluid to the atmosphere, in the manner denominated graduation in some salt
works, or by other well known means; whereby the water may be more or
less evaporated, after which I complete the inspissation or concentration by
the use of heat, with stirring, until the mass becomes very stiff, and upon
cooling acquires the solid state, and is then capable of being conveniently
packed and carried to any, place or places at which the same may be applied
to use. And I do further declare, that although the said inspissation, concen-
tration, and reduction to the solid state may be effectually performed by the
heat of a fire, so carefully applied as not to burn, scorch, or alter the nature
of the product, yet I greatly prefer and generally use the application of heat
by means of a bath of heated water, or more especially of steam, because in

page_text: such baths the heat may with facility be kept permanent, or may be measured
and regulated as to the intensity thereof, which is such as that the heat of
the solution or infusion is generally below that of boiling water; and it is
proper that no vessel of iron should be used nor any iron be brought in con-
tact with the said solution or infusion in any part of the process. And I
further declare, that I apply and use the said inspissated and solidified mass
for the tanning of hides and skins by dissolving the said mass in water, and
filtering the solution, if required, through a close filter, as herein-before men-
tioned or described, and then using the same by immersing the hides and
skins therein in the customary manner, making such solutions weaker or
stronger as the several stages of the process may require, which will be well
understood by those who are accustomed to the business without any further
or more precise instructions on this head. Or I use the said solidified mass, or
the solution of it above described, by adding it to any or all of the ouzes or
infusions of oak bark or other materials used in the ordinary mode of tanning.
And lastly, in case it be required that the leather should possess that aspect
or appearance which is called the bloom, the same may be given by finishing
the process with oak bark in the manner heretofore practised in the common
process of tanning.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourth
day of May. One thousand eight hundred and fourteen.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fourth day of May, in the
year of our Lord 1814, the aforesaid John Sparks Moline came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
O aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stampt according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fourteen.