US623403A

US623403A - Process of tanning

Info

Publication number: US623403A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1899-04-18
Anticipated expiration: 1916-04-18

Description

UNTTEn @TATES PATENT OEETQE,

GEORGE \V. IIOUSTON, OF MARIETTA, FLORIDA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, FRANK C. RAVESIES, OF OIVENSBOROUGII, AND IVILIIIAM N. FERGUSON,

OI DADE CITY, FLORIDA.

PRocEss oF TANNING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent .No. 623,403, dated April 18, 1899.

Application filed July 9,1898. Serial No. 685,565. (Nospecimensd f all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE \V. HOUSTON, of Marietta, in the county of Duval and State of Florida, have invented a new and Improved Process of Tanning, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to employ as a substitute for red-oak bark or any other tanning agents usually employed an ooze made from a shrub commonly known as horse-wickey or stagger-bush and botanically designated as Pieris maricma, which material will not only tan leather in much less time than other material in common use, butis much more plentiful and eco nomic and will produce a superior grade of leather at less expense.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tanning agent through the mediumof which the tanned leather may be given different shades of color, the shading being dependent upon the strength of the ooze and the character of the hide presented for tanning.

The invention consists in the novel steps of the process, to be hereinafter more fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

The hide to be tanned is trimmed to such an extent that it will be in good shape and will be freed from all worthless encumbrances, and the hide is then placed in clear water, so as to thoroughly soften it. A solution is then made, composed, usually, of eight quarts of water and two quarts of lime, or enough water to entirely cover the hides, the water and lime being in about the proportions above mentioned. The hides are then placed in this solution of lime until the hair slips. Usually about four days are necessary to obo tain this result with favorable weather. In

exceedingly cold weather a longer time is required. The hair is removed from the hides after the hides have been taken from the solution of lime, and said hair may be removed by any suitable means-as, for instance, a currying-knife. The hides are then placed in clear water, and this bath is provided in order to soak out the greater portion of the lime from the hides. After the hides have been taken from this water-bath they are passed through powerful rollers or subjected to equivalent pressure for the purpose of partially drying the hides and removing entirely from them all the lime that they may still have retained. The hides are now in condition to be subjected to the improved tanning agent, which is an ooze made from an herb known, respectively, as horsewickey, st-agger-bush,aud Pieris man and. The ooze is made by boiling the shrub, including the bark, wood, and leaves, or otherwise treating the said shrub to extract the strength therefrom in a liquid form. The ooze is made, preferably, very strong. In' fact, it is preferably a saturated solution of the shrub. In treating the hides with the improved tanning agent the hides are first placed in vats and are then soused in the ooze until the hides are covered about four inches. When the ooze is very powerful, the hides should be frequently noticed, and then graded or classed after tanning. When the ooze is strong, ten days will be sufficient for the hides to remain in the ooze. According to the strength of the ooze and the character or nature of the hides the tanned leather will be shaded light or dark, and such shading of the leather can only be accomplished successfully by practice in this particular method of tanning. The shades of the leather, however, may be readily determined by closely watching the hides while in the ooze-bath. If a light-colored leather is desired, the hides are taken out as soon as the desired shade is obtained, and the longer the hides remain in the ooze-bath the deeper and darker will be the shade obtained. 4

The amount of Pieris Mariana used may be about one-half pound for every gallon of water; but it will be understood that the 'proportions may be varied considerably. Further, it will be obvious that the action of the tanning liquor produced from Piem's martcma according to my invention will remain substantially the same even when other substances are added to the tanning liquor as long as such substances do not affect the liquor detrimentally. The appended claims are therefore to be interpreted as covering the extract of Piem's maricma, used either alone or with such other ingredients only that the tanning properties and advantages of such extract will be availed of.

Having thus described my invention, I

7 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The herein-describedmethod of tanning leather,which consists in subjecting the hides, after preliminary treatment, to a bath containing an ooze made from an herb known as horse-wickey, stagger-bush and Pie- M's mcwiana, substantially as described.

A tanning liquor containing an ooze extracted from an herb kn own as horse- 11's GEORGE w. HOUSTON.

mark

Witnesses:

GEORGE WALsER, N. Y. BRYAN.