IMPROVE- MENTS IN TREATING RHEA, FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER SUCH LIKE VEGETABLE FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Hill Dickson at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th April 1879.
JAMES HILL DICKSON, of the Rhea Fibre Works, Godalming, in the County of
Surrey, and of 178, Gresham House, in the City of London, Engineer. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN TREATING RHEA, FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER SUCH LIKE VEGETABLE FIBROUS
MATERIALS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in treating rhea fibre, flax,
hemp, plantain, New Zealand flax (phormium tenax), and other such like vegetable
fibres. For these purposes I employ a bruising or crushing machine, which consists
mainly of a long corrugated or grated table or series of tables, round which an
endless band may be passed, rigidly connected in the same horizontal plane, encli
table being about one yard in length, and separated from the adjoining ones by a
space without corrugations of about nine inches, and having rollers with corruga-
tions or teeth corresponding to and gearing in with the grated table, which rollers
are provided with suitable bearings in a frame standing above the table, but not
attached to it. A reciprocating motion may be given to this long table by means
of a continuous rack (running its whole length) and pinion to be turned by hand
or other power. In action the fibrous stalks are fed onto the table at one end and
carried with it under the whole series of fluted rollers, when the fibres are turned
over end for end (still laid longitudinally) on the tables for the return traverse, at
the end of which all the superfluous woody matter is crushed out without injuring
the fibre, and falls through the open grate like tables, the fibre being left free.
The space between each table and the next is to facilitate the lifting or removal
of the fibre from the tables, between the rollers of which there is one for each
table.
The fibrous stalks to be operated on are cut when necessary to a maximum
length of one yard, which is the natural length of flax, the rhea, hemp, New
Zealand flax, and jute stalks being about two yards, and flax about one yard.
The next operation is that of softening.
The softening process consists in suspending the fibre in a specially prepared hot
liquid contained in a cauldron or other suitable vessel, which is fitted into an outer
vessel containing water heated by steam passing through it, causing it to boil,
thereby maintaining the liquid in the inner vessel at an equable and easily regulated
temperature.
A suitable outlet or tap provided for drawing off the prepared liquid. Besides
softening this process effects the dissolution and removal from the fibre of all the
gummy film or cuticle which is found between the fibrous bark and the wood of
the rods or stalks.
The "softening liquid" is made by dissolving a specially made soap in water by
boiling and stirring, which soap is prepared as follows:-
To eight gallons of boiling water, twelve pounds of common soda or borax, six

page_text: pounds of unslaked lime are added and well stirred in, and when quite dissolved
allowed to settle for 24 hours.
At the end of this time the liquid is drawn off clear of the sediment, and again
boiled; at the boiling point fourteen pounds of animal fat are added, and when
quite dissolved the previous sediment of soda or borax and lime is again stirred
into it. The whole is kept boiling for about two hours, and continually stirred.
At this stage fourteen pounds of clean sliced potatoes are added, and boiled and
stirred until quite dissolved, thus forming a starch. Then eight gallons of crude
petroleum and one gallon of liquid ammonia, a refuse from gas works, are stirred in.
This compound is now run into a greased tub or other mould, and when cold forms
about 100. lbs. of a fine soap, having the required special properties, viz., of
softening and of imparting the yellow colour and glossy appearance of the finest
Courtrai flax to the fibre treated, which treatment is as follows:-
Fourteen pounds of this soap is dissolved in about sixteen gallons of boiling water;
when quite dissolved about one hundredweight of the fibre is suspended in it. The
liquid is allowed to gradually cool down for one hour to about 80° Fahrenheit,
when the fire is withdrawn for the washing operation.
The washing process is next effected as follows :-
The washing machine consists principally in an annular grate like table with
corresponding corrugated or toothed rollers engaging with it, similarly to the first
or crushing machine, except that the rollers are coned, and the axes radiate from
the centre of the annular table. Each roller is supplied by means of a suitable
pipe and tap with water or other fluid, which completely washes away all
extraneous matter as the fibre passes under the rollers. The table is caused to
revolve under the rollers by means of a circular rack and pinion or by other suitable
means, or the rollers may be arranged to roll round the table, which would in that
case be stationary. With a revolving table friction rollers would be used to sustain
it, and also with the breaking or crushing machine with the longitudinal table first
mentioned. The water or other liquid for washing is supplied to the several rollers
from a central tank or cistern.
In this machine the table and rollers are made of brass or gun metal to avoid
rust. In the breaking machine they may be of cast iron.
The bleaching This is effected by immersing the fibre for a short given time in
another specially prepared and non-injurious liquid, used more particularly for pro-
ducing a snow white in the rhea fibre when to be spun or woven in combination
with silk in the same thread or yarn from a mixed sliver.
The bleaching liquid is thus prepared :-To about sixteen gallons of boiling water
is added six pounds of the best ordinary soap, and when dissolved fourteen pounds
of chloride of lime. This is well stirred and allowed to cool down to about 80°
Fahrenheit, when an operator immerses the fibre in it, one handful at a time, and
carefully washes it, withdrawing it directly it reaches a snow white, which occupies
about 2 minutes.
He then plunges it into clean cold water, which stops at once further and injurious
action. When dry the fibre is ready for spinning.
The bleaching operator may use india rubber gloves to protect the hands from
the fluid.
By these several processes the usual operations of hackling and combing, and the
injurious and wasteful process of "retting" or steeping are disponsed with, and
moreover the fibre (rhea) can be prepared for spinning and weaving on four distinct
kinds of machinery, viz., silk, flax, alpacca, and cotton.