IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF TREATING CERTAIN VEGETABLE FIBROUS SUBSTANCES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FIBRES FOR SPINNING, PAPER MAKING, AND OTHER PURPOSES " PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Anthony Graham, of 66 Coleman Street, in the
City of London, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF
TREATING CERTAIN VEGETABLE FIBROUS SUBSTANCES FOR THE PRODUCTION
OF FIBRES FOR SPINNING, PAPER MAKING, AND OTHER PURPOSES
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Anthony Graham
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th November 1882.
JAMES ANTHONY GRAHAM, of 66 Coleman Street, in the City of London,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF TREATING CERTAIN VEGETABLE FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FIBRES FOR SPINNING, PAPER MAKING, AND
OTHER PURPOSES
"
My Invention relates to the method of treating such vegetable fibrous substances
as are capable of producing fibres suitable for spinning, paper making and other
purposes when boiled or steeped in a solution of sulphurous acid, or a sulphite or
bisulphite of soda, potash, magnesia, lime, or other suitable base and water,
preferably in a closed vessel or boiler suitably protected from the action of the
chemicals used, and fitted with a valve which can be opened so as to allow the
gases and volatile hydrocarbons contained naturally within and around the fibres
(either in chemical combination or mechanical adhesion therewith) to escape.
I will now proceed to explain the manner of carrying out my said invention in
a closed vessel or boiler.
In carrying out the process above described there is a constant loss of sulphurous
acid gas going on, and consequently a continual weakening of the solution employed,
in order to avoid which I prefer to employ the monosulphite of potash, soda,
magnesin, lime, or other suitable base and water.
Either of these substances or a suitable combination of them and water are
placed in the boiler with the fibrous substances to be treated, and the temperature

page_text: raised to boiling point, and after the hydrocarbons, air, and gases natural_to the
fibrous substances have been driven out by the heat and allowed to escape, I pump
or inject into the vessel or boiler sulphurous acid either in its gaseous or liquid
state, or in combination with potash, soda, magnesia, lime, or other suitable base
and water, or a solution of sulphurous acid, thus forming in the closed vessel or
boiler a solution containing an excess of sulphurous acid above that required to
form, in combination with the base, a mono-sulphite.
The operation of injecting sulphurous acid or its combinations with potash, soda,
magnesia, lime, or other suitable base, as above described, may be repeated from
time to time during the boiling so as to fully maintain, and if necessary increase
the strength and efficiency of the chemical solution employed.
According to this mode of treatment a saving of the chemical employed is
effected, little or no sulphurous acid gas being lost during the time the gaseous hydro-
carbons, air, and other gaseous or volatile matters are being driven out of the fibrous
materials.
It will be readily understood that in the case where I employ an open vessel or
boiler the operation will naturally be carried on at the temperature of the boiling
point of the solution employed, but the mode of keeping such solution at a fairly
uniform strength, or if necessary increasing the strength of the same will be
substantially the same as that above described when using a closed vessel or boiler,
in which latter case the operation- may be carried on either at or above the boiling
point of the solution.
I prefer to inject the sulphurous acid, or the combinations of the same as above
described, into the vessel or boiler at the bottom, and to cause it to come in contact
with the solution therein-before-reaching the fibrous material, for which purpose I
form a kind of chamber beneath the boiler and separated therefrom by a perforated-
disc or diaphragm of lead, or other-suitable-material capable of resisting the action
of the solution, so as to allow the latter to fill the chamber. To this chamber a
pipe is connected through which the sulphurous acid or a combination of the
same with a suitable base, as described, is forced or injected by any suitable
apparatus.
It will be necessary to coat the interior of the vessel or boiler and the parts with
which the sulphurous acid, or its combinations described, come in contact, with
lead or other suitable metal or material capable of resisting the action of the same.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Anthony Graham in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th May 1888.
JAMES ANTHONY GRAHAM, of 66 Coleman Street, in the City of London,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF TREATING CERTAIN VEGETABLE FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FIBRES FOR SPINNING, PAPER MAKING, AND
OTHER PURPOSES,"
"
My Invention relates to the method of treating such vegetable fibrous substances
as are capable of producing fibres suitable for spinning, paper making, and other
purposes, when treated by any of the known processes in which the fibrous
substances are boiled or steeped in a solution of sulphurous acid, or a sulphite or
bisulphite of soda, potash, magnesia, lime, or other suitable base and water,
preferably in a closed vessel or boiler suitably protected from the action of the
chemicals used (such a process being described in the specifications of English
Patents No 2924 dated 9th November 1866, and No 385 dated 11th February 1867,
taken out by William Edward Newton as a communication from Benjamin Chew
Tilghman), the boiler being fitted with a valve which can be opened so as to allow
the gases and volatile hydrocarbons contained naturally within and around the
fibres (either in chemical combination or mechanical adhesion therewith) to
escape.
་
I will now proceed to explain the manner of carrying out my said invention in
a closed vessel or boiler.
In carrying out the process above described there is a constant loss of sulphurous
acid gas going on, and consequently a continual weakening of the solution
employed, in order to avoid which I employ the mono-sulphite (commonly called
the normal sulphite) of potash, soda, magnesia, lime, or other suitable base and
water.
Either of these substances or a suitable combination of any of them, and water,
are placed in the boiler with the fibrous substances to be treated, and the tem-
perature raised to, or above boiling point, and after the hydrocarbons, air, and
gases natural to the fibrous substances have been driven out by the heat and
allowed to escape through the valve provided in the boiler for this purpose, I
pump or inject into the vessel or boiler sulphurous acid either in its gaseous or
liquid state, or in combination with potash, soda, magnesia, lime, or other suitable
base (or a suitable combination of any of them) and water, in the form of a solution
containing an excess of acid; or a solution of sulphurous acid may be injected in
sufficient quantity to produce a solution containing an excess of sulphurous acid
above that required to form in combination with the base, a mono-sulphite or
normal sulphite. The valve is then closed and the contents of the boiler again
raised to or above the boiling point of the solution, the valve in the boiler being
kept closed during the whole time that it is necessary to continue the operation.
The operation of injecting sulphurous acid or its combinations with potash, soda,
magnesin, lime, or other suitable base and water, as above described, may be
repeated from time to time during the boiling so as to fully maintain, and if
necessary increase the strength and efficiency of the chemical solution employed:
According to this mode of treatment a saving of the chemical employed is
effected, little or no sulphurous acid gas being lost during the time the gaseous
hydrocarbons, air, and other gaseous or volatile matters are being driven out of the
fibrous materials. And further, by first treating the fibrous substances with a
mono-sulphite, the fibres will become impregnated with the same, and thereby

page_text: protected from any detrimental action that might otherwise occur during their
first boiling for the purpose of driving out the air, volatile hydrocarbons, and other
gaseous or volatile matters by heat.
Instead of boiling the fibrous substances in the mono-sulphite they may be
Boaked in a cold solution of the same, and then steamed and the air, free hydro-
carbons, and other gaseous or volatile matters allowed to escape through the valve
with which the boiler is provided, previous to their treatment with the acid
solution.
'
It will be readily understood that in the case where I employ an open vessel or
boiler the operation will. be naturally carried on at the temperature of the boiling
point of the solution employed, but the process, and also the mode of keeping the
acid solution at a fairly uniform strength, or if necessary increasing the strength
thereof, will be substantially the same as that above described when using a closed
vessel or boiler, in which latter case the operation may be carried on either at or
above the boiling point of the solution. When using an open boiler it is evident
that the excess of sulphurous acid supplied during the boiling will be constantly
given off in a gaseous state from the surface of the liquid, and must consequently
be replaced by further injections, while the acid given off can be led away and
condensed, so as to enable it to be again used if desired.
In cases where the vegetable substances aro boiled with water in conjunction :
with potash, soda, magnesia, lime, or other suitable base in the form of an oxide,
the injection of sulphurous acid or its combinations with potash, soda, magnesia,
lime, or other suitable base and water, during the boiling but after the air and
volatile hydrocarbons have been allowed to escape, will also be beneficial.
I-prefer to inject the sulphurous-acid, or the combinations of the same, as above
described, into the vessel or boiler at the bottom, and-to-cause it to come in-contact-
with the solution therein before reaching-the-fibrous material, for which purpose I
form a kind of chamber beneath the boiler, and separated therefrom by a perforated-
disc or diaphragm of lead or other suitable material capable of resisting the action
of the solution, so as to allow the latter to fill the chamber. To this chamber a
pipe is connected through which the sulphurous acid or a combination of the
same with a suitable base, as described, is forced or injected by any suitablo
apparatus.
It will be necessary to coat the interior of the vessel or boiler, and the parts
with which the sulphurous acid (or its combinations described) come in contact,
with lead or other suitable metal or material capable of resisting the action of the
same..
I desire to state that I am aware of Carl Daniel Ekman's patents N° 3062 dated
13th July 1881 and N° 581 dated 7th February 1882, and that I do not claim as
my invention anything claimed by the said Carl Daniel Ekman as his invention in
the specifications of the said patents.
Having now described the nature of my invention and the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I claim is :-
1st. The treatment of vegetable substances capable of producing fibres suitable
for spinning, paper making, and other purposes, cither in a closed or open vessel
or boiler, first with the normal or mono-sulphite of potash, soda, magnesia, lime, or
other suitable base (or a suitable combination of any of them) and water, and
when the gases contained in the vegetable substances have been driven off by heat
and allowed to escape from the vessel or boiler, injecting into the said vessel or
boiler sulphurous acid in the gaseous or liquid state, either alone or in combination
with potash, soda, magnesia, lime, or other suitable base (or a suitable combination
of any of them) and water, or a solution of sulphurous acid, so as to form in the
boiler a solution containing an excess of sulphurous acid above that required to
form in combination with the base a mono-sulphite, and then subsequently boiling
or heating the same, all substantially as herein described.
2nd The injection of sulphurous acid either alone or in combination with potaslı,
soda, magnesia, lime, or other suitable base (or a suitable combination of any of

page_text: them) and water, in the form of a solution containing an excess of acid, into a
closed or open vessel or boiler, during the operation of boiling vegetable substances
in order to produce fibres suitable for spinning, paper making, and other purposes,
by treating them with water in conjunction with potash, soda, magnesia, lime, or
other suitable base, in the form of an oxide, or a mono-sulphite (called also a
normal sulphite) thereof, such injection being effected after the gases contained in
the vegetable substances have been driven off by heat and allowed to escape from
the vessel or boiler, and subsequently boiling or heating the same, all substantially
as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Anthony Graham have hereunto set
my hand and seal this tenth day of May in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty-three.
Witness.
JAMES ANTHONY GRAHAM. (L.S.)
HERBERT. J. ALLISON. Fel Inst P. A.
41 Southampton Bdgs
Holborn