An Improved Fibre applicable to all Sorts of Weaving and Spinning, and Processes for the Treatment or Separation of Same.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Aug., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 16th May, 1900-Accepted, 17th Nov., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Fibre applicable to all Sorts of Weaving and Spinning,
and Processes for the Treatment or Separation of Same.
A communication by LUIS CRUZ-PASQUAL-DE-BONANZA, Gentleman, José SELVA-
JAVALOYES, Gentleman, DIEGO QUILEZ-QUILEZ, Gentleman, MANUEL GOMEZ-
VALDIVIA, Lawyer, and AGUSTIN ALONSO-BLASCO, Manufacturer, all of Elche,
Alicante, in the Kingdom of Spain.
I, GEORGE CECIL DYMOND, M.I.M.E., of the Firm of W. P. Thompson & Co.,
British & Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank
Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
No one has hitherto obtained from palm limbs, fibres suitable both for
spinning and weaving, and the present invention relates to a method of producing
this new article which must be of very much use in said industries.
The process for extracting the fibre, varies according to the way of carrying
it into effect whether by machinery, chemical treatment or through combing.
In the first case, that is by means of a machine or apparatus, the process con-
sists in causing the palm limbs to ferment during a regular period, either using
common or boiled water, steam, lye or some other suitable agent, and then
passing the limbs, when fermented, through a suitable machine in which they
are intermittently pressed upon flat tables by means of cylinders; thus, the
gummy parts are completely separated from the fibres, and the latter remain
in a colour more or less light, according to the duration of the fermentation,
but always in excellent condition for rendering them useful to industries.
In case no machine is at disposal, and therefore, the fibre has to be extracted
by chemical treatment, the process that ought to be used is the following:
Once the palm is cut from the palm tree, it is dried immediately. After the
limbs are sufficiently dry, they are caused to ferment, by means of a lye, and
when it is found that the fermentation has reached the desired point, which is
found by trying to take out the fibres of a small part of the limbs, they are
washed treated with a mixture of oil and colophony, submitted to a bath of
sulphuric acid with water, until the fibres, entirely white and clean are separated,
and finally, washed again with common water.
The last process or that of the combing, consists in taking the fibres out of
the limbs in their natural state, by means of bruising or combing; in fermenting
this rough fibre, and submitting it, after fermentation, to bruising either by
alternate pressures of cylinders between themselves, or of cylinders upon planes,

page_text: so that the only difference between this process and the two previous ones, con-
sists in fermenting the fibre instead of the palm-limbs.
Dated this 17th day of August 1899
An Improved Fibre Applicable to all Sorts of Weaving and Spinning,
and Processes for the Treatment or Separation of Same.
A communication by LUIS CRUZ-PASQUAL-DE-BONANZA, Gentleman, José SELVA-
JAVALOYES, Gentleman, DIEGO QUILEZ-QUILEZ, Gentleman, MANUEL GOMEZ-
VALDIVIA, Lawyer, and AGUSTIN ALONSO-BLASCO, Manufacturer, all of Elche,
Alicante, in the Kingdom of Spain.
I, GEORGE CECIL DYMOND, M.I.M.E., of the Firm of W. P. Thompson & Co.,
British and Foreign Patent Solicitors, G, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank
Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
No one has hitherto obtained from palm limbs, fibres suitable both for
spinning and weaving, and the present invention relates to a method of producing
this new article which must be of very. much use in said industries.
The process for extracting the fibre varies according to whether it is carried
out by (1) machinery, (2) chemical treatment or (3) through combing.
In the first case, that is where a machine or apparatus is available, the process
consists in causing the palm limbs to ferment for five hours, using boiling water,
steam, lye or some other suitable agent the lye being at a temperature of 90° C.,
and a specific gravity of about 1.045, and then passing the limbs, when dried
and fermented, through a suitable machine in which they are intermittently
pressed upon flat tables by means of cylinders; thus, the gummy parts are com-
pletely separated from the fibres and the latter remain more or less light in
colour, according to the duration of the fermentation, but always in excellent
condition for rendering them useful to industries.
In the second case that is where no machine is at disposal, and the fibre
has to be extracted by chemical treatment, the process employed is the follow-
ing: Once the palm is cut from the palm tree, it is dried immediately. After
the limbs are sufficiently dry, they are caused to ferment by means of a caustic
soda lye of 8° B. for 48 hours and when it is found that the fermentation has
reached the point at which the fibres are found to have become readily separable
(which is found by trying from time to time to take out the fibres of a small
part of the limbs), they are washed in water for 24 hours, treated with a
mixture of equal proportions of cocoanut oil and colophony, submitted for four
hours to a bath of sulphuric acid and water of 5° B., and finally, washed again
with common water until the fibres are separated entirely white and clean.
In the third case that is where the process is to be carried out by combing or
hackling the process consists in removing the fibres from the limbs in their.
natural state by combing or hackling them with a toothed roller of any suitable
or known construction; in fermenting this rough fibre in the manner heretofore
described, and submitting it after fermentation, to bruising by intermittent

page_text: pressure between suitable cylinders, or by means of cylinders bearing upon flat
surfaces, so that the only difference between this process and the two previous
ones, consists in fermenting the fibre instead of the palm-limbs.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:
1. As a new article of manufacture, fibre obtained from palm-limbs in general.
2. The application of the herein before described new fibre to all sorts of
spinning and weaving industries.
3. The process for extracting fibre from palm limbs by bruising or pressing,
which consists in causing the limbs after being dried to ferment through the
action of boiling water, steam, lye or some other suitable agent, and in sub-
mitting the limbs when fermented (after being dried) to intermittent pressure,
substantially as set forth.
4. The process for extracting fibre from palm limbs by a chemical treatment,
which consists in fermenting the limbs by means of lyes; in washing the fer-
mented limbs; in treating them at once with a mixture of oil and colophony,
in submitting them to a bath of sulphuric acid with water; and finally in
washing them again with common water; substantially as set forth.
5. The process for extracting fibre from palm limbs by combing, which con-
sists in taking the fibres out of the limbs in their natural condition by combing
or hackling in fermenting the fibre thus obtained; and in submitting it after
fermentation to a bruising by intermittent pressure, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 15th day of May 1900.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Patent Agents,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, & London.