UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. H. McKEN ZIE, OF T ALL AD E G A, A LAB AMA. MPROVEMENT IN TANN NG LEATHER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 32,526, dated June 11, 1861.

To all whom it may concern: , tanning-bark. The infusion or ooze of the root Be it known that I, EENRY McKENZIE, o of said plant, when taken alone, gives to the Talladega, in the county of Talladega and State. leather, a beautiful color, and it prepares the of Alabama, have invented a new and useful hides or skins better than any other material Improvement in Tanning; and I do hereby de heretofore used for tanning; but in the sub clare that the following is a full, clear, and ex sequent part of the tanning process the leaves, act description of the same. . . and, in fact, the entire plant, may be used to ad This invention consists in the employment, vantage. . Even where tan-bark is cheap the or use of the root and other parts of the plant led-root is preferable, first, because it gives to known by the name of “Red-Root,” (Ceanothus the leather a beautiful color; and, second, be Americants,) as a substitute for tanning-bark cause it does not contract the surface of the for the purpose of tanning skins or hides. hide or skin like the tan-bark, and it prepares To enable those skilled in the art to use my the same much better for tanning than - the invention, I will proceed to describe the man common method. The red-root may also be ner in which I apply the above-named plant used in combination with oak-bark or other or its parts. . substances containing tannin, and when thus . The hides or skins after, having been pre applied for tanning heavy sole-leather it pro. pared in the ordinary manner, are put into a duces a heavier and more durable leather than weak ooze of the root or other parts of the red the tain-bark alone. - root plant ahd handled the same asin ordinary The principal advantage of Iny invention, tanning with oak or other bark for the space however, arises from the fact that red-root or of one month, (more or less, according to the Ceanothus Americanus grows in the greatest nature of the hides or skins,) during which time profusion throughout the United States, and new material is added from time to time to it is one of the most hardy and most common strengthen the ooze. After this the hides or plants, which can be cultivated with little or skins are removed from the ooze and laid away no expense in any desired quantity. in vats with the red-root plant ground into a Having thus fully described my invention, coarse powder, and they are turned with fresh what I claim as new, and desire to secure by material three times at proper intervals dur Letters Patent, is ing the next four months, (more or less, ac The employment or use of the root and other cording to the nature of the hides or skins,) parts of the plant known by the name of . and at the expiration of this time they are “Ceanothus Americanus,” either alone or mixed taken out and finished in the ordinary manner. with oak-bark or other tanning materials, as The leather thus produced is equal in every described, for tile pirpose of tanning hides or respect to the leather tanned with the best skills. quality of tan-bark, and, from the above de H. McKENZIE, scription, it will be seen that the treatment or the process is identically the same, the only Witnesses: difference being that I have substituted por G. MILLER, tions of the red-root. plant for the ordinary WM. H., COKER, .