THE MEANS OR PRINCIPLE OF EXTRACTING SPIRITS AND OTHER SOLVENTS USED IN DISSOLVING OR RENDERING MALLEABLE GUMS OF VARIOUS KINDS, AND OTHER ARTICLES EMPLOYED FOR STIFFENING HATS, HAT BODIES, BONNETS, CAPS, AND DIVERS ARTI- CLES OF MERCHANDIZES, AND CONVERTING SUCH SPIRITS (AFTER RECTIFICATION) INTO USE
Year: 1827

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WILSON, of Martin's Lane, Cannon Street, in the City of London, Hat
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Gracious Majesty King George the Fourth, by His
Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Fourth day of July, in the eighth year of His reign, did; for
Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said William
Wilson, His special licence that I; the said William Wilson; my executors,
administrators, and assigns; or such others as I, the said William Wilson,
my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein specified and expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"THE MEANS OR PRINCIPLE OF EXTRACTING SPIRITS AND OTHER SOLVENTS USED IN
DISSOLVING OR RENDERING MALLEABLE GUMS OF VARIOUS KINDS, AND OTHER ARTICLES
EMPLOYED FOR STIFFENING HATS, HAT BODIES, BONNETS, CAPS, AND DIVERS ARTI-
CLES OF MERCHANDIZES, AND CONVERTING SUCH SPIRITS (AFTER RECTIFICATION) INTO
USE;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging me,
the said William Wilson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to
be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two calendar

page_text: months next and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Wilson, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is described and ascer-
tained in the Plan drawn in the margin of these presents and the following
explanation thereof (that is to say):-
The reference to the Drawing in the margin: A, the boiler, containing
twenty gallons of water, contracted at the top to about seven inches, which is
fitted by an iron or copper plate, and fastened with four screws or flanges with
two stop-cocks in it, D and E, set in brickwork, and under which is a fire-place.
B, a pipe from the boiler A, with a stop-cock in it, fixed about three inches
from the top of the boiler, to which the boiler should be filled with water;
C, a pipe with a stop-cock in it, placed at the bottom of the boiler to draw off
the water; D, one, of the stop-cocks at the top of the boiler A, with a pipe
leading into the steaming box F, for conveying the steam into the box; E, the
other stop-cock or safety valve at the top of the boiler, for allowing the steam
to escape when not wanted, and for filling the boiler with water; F, a box
made as nearly steam-tight as possible, 3 feet 8 inches long, and 1 foot 9 inches
wide, 1 foot 8 inches deep, with a framework of wood at the bottom, and also
a small stop-cock for letting off any water which may be in the box after the
completion of the process herein-after described. G, the door in the end of
the box F, for putting in and taking out the hats and hat bodies, size about
16 inches by 4; H, a stool on which the steaming box stands; I, a pipe
connecting the box F with the worm L in the tub K, about 6 inches wide at
the end next the box, and fitted to the worm at the other end; K, a tub to be
filled with water, containing a sufficient quantity to condense the steam brought
from the box F by the pipe I, whilst passing through the worm L (the space
left shews the worm); L, a worm running through the tub K, through which
the steam is to pass from the box F.
The description of the process for extracting, saving, and retaining the
spirits and other solvents used, in the dissolving or rendering malleable
the gums and other articles used in the stiffening of hats, hat bodies,
bonnets, caps, and divers articles of merchandize, and for converting such
spirits after rectification into use:-Fill the boiler A with water up to
the cock B; whilst the water is heating by the fire underneath, keep the
cock E open to ascertain when it comes to boiling heat; when the water
is at boiling heat, take a number of hats or hat bodies ready stiffened,

page_text: sufficient to fill the box F, each hat or hat body being previously put upon a
separate block or small wooden frame, made in the form of a cross, with a peg
in the centre, in order that the hats may be kept distended; the hats are then
by means of the peg in the centre of the block or cross frame stuck in the
framework lying at the bottom of the box, each hat or hat body standing free
from touching the others or any part of the box; then shut the door G (which
should be nearly steam-tight as possible), open the cock in the pipe D, and
shut the cock E, so that all the steam from the boiler A may be thrown into
the box F; when the hats or hat bodies have remained in the box F ten or
twelve minutes, the spirit and other solvents used in the dissolving the gums
with which the hats and hat bodies have been stiffened, will be extracted and
drawn off in vapour, and the gums will remain in the hats or hat bodies; the
hats or hat bodies are then to be taken from the box F. The vapour thus
extracted from them, and containing a great portion of spirit, by passing
through the worm L, becomes condensed into liquor, and may be collected in a
vessel placed at the end of the worm. N.B. When the liquor which thus
comes over has stood a short time, the different spirits separate themselves
each according to its specific gravity. N.B. The spirits will require rectifying
before being again fit for use.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Wilson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-seventh day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven.
WILLIAM (L.S.) WILSON.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Twenty-seventh day of
August, in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid William Wilson came
before our Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Twenty-seventh day of August in the year above written.