IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATING OF WOOD AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE SAME TO PULP
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Annandale, the younger, of Dunbar,
in the County of Haddington, North Britain, for the Invention of
“IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATING OF WOOD AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE SAME TO PULP."
Sealed the 2nd May 1871, and dated the 13th March 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Annandale
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 13th March 1871.
I, ALEXANDER ANNANDALE, the younger, of Dunbar, in the County of
Haddington, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATING OF WOOD AND OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE SAME TO PULP," to be as follows, that is
to say:―
In further experiments made with the view of reducing fibrous sub-
stances to pulp it has been found that nitric acid either pure or diluted

page_text: with water may be employed in place of admixing it with certain
salts.
This Invention then relates to improvements in treating wood, straw,
esparto grass, China grass, and other similar fibrous substances in
order that the said substances may be rendered fit for the ordinary pro-
cesses of washing and bleaching, and it consists in thoroughly soaking,
saturating, or impregnating the wood or other fibrous substances in
nitric acid either pure or diluted with water. The period of soaking
in order to effect the saturation varies from about six to twelve hours, in
proportion to the strength of the nitric acid or its aqueous dilution, and
in accordance with the nature of the fibrous substance or substances
treated. The nitric acid or its dilution may be used either hot or cold,
and after saturation the wood or other fibrous substance treated with
the nitric acid or its dilution is boiled, with or without pressure, from
three to five hours in caustic alkali, having a strength of from 10 lbs.
to 25 lbs. to every hundredweight (cwt.) of the fibrous substance operated
upon. The result is a destruction of the cohesion of the fibres of the
substance or substances treated, so that they are rendered fit for the
subsequent processes of washing and bleaching.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Annandale in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd September 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
ANNANDALE, the younger, of Dunbar, in the County of Haddington,
North Britain, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the 35th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Alexander Annandale, the younger,. Her special
license that I,,the said Alexander Annandale, the younger, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander
Annandale, the younger, 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.

page_text: 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 TREATING OF WOOD AND OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE SAME TO PULP," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Alexander Annandale, the younger,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Annandale the younger,
do hereby declare the nature of my 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 further experiments made with the view of reducing fibrous sub-
stances to pulp it has been found that nitric acid either pure or diluted
with water may be employed in place of admixing it with certain
salts.
My said Invention then relates to improvements in treating wood,
straw, esparto grass, China grass, and other similar fibrous substances,
in order that the said substances may be rendered fit for the ordinary
processes of washing and bleaching, and it consists in thoroughly
soaking, saturating, or impregnating the wood or other fibrous substances
in nitric acid either pure or diluted with water. The period of soaking
in order to effect the saturation varies from about six to twelve hours, in
proportion to the strength of the nitric acid or its aqueous dilution, and
in accordance with the nature of the fibrous substance or substances
treated. The nitric acid or its dilution may be used either hot or
cold, and after saturation the wood or other fibrous substance treated
with the nitric acid or its dilution, having been previously thoroughly
washed with water or neutralized with waste lye, is boiled with or
without pressure from three to five hours in caustic alkali having a
strength of from ten to twenty-five pounds to every hundredweight of
the fibrous substances operated upon. The result is a destruction of the
cohesion of the fibres of the substance or substances treated so
that they are rendered fit for the subsequent processes of washing and
bleaching.

page_text: Third. The utilization of the waste acids and alkalies, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Annandale, the younger,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of August,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
ALEX. ANNANDALE, J. (L.S.)