An Improved Process for Mercerising Cotton Previous to Weaving
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process for Mercerising Cotton Previous to Weaving,
I, RICILARD BRANDTS, of München-Gladbach, in the Empire of Germany, Cotton
Spinner, 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:
-
The well known property possessed by cotton fibre of assuming a silky lustre
when treated with concentrated soda lye or zinc chloride and acids and afterwards
subjected to a mechanical stretching or straining operation has hitherto only been
taken advantage of in the case of cotton yarn and cotton when woven in the pieco
these being the only forms in which the cotton can be satisfactorily treated by the
above mentioned stretching process, this operation being carried out either by
special machinery or mechanical devices suitable for the purpose.
Now the present invention has for its object a process of mercerising cotton
under tension after the operation of spinning and previous to weaving. The
separate layers of yarn upon the bobbin, by reason of their being tightly wound
upon each other and densely packed together, resisting and so neutralising the
shrinking action exerted, upon them by the soda lye, there being at every point of the
periphery of each layer of yarn two oppositely opposed forces tending to stretch
the yarn in two opposite directions and thus producing the necessary tension upon
the fibres without the use of or the necessity for special mechanical contrivances.
The most simple method of carrying out the new process is as follows:-
After the spool has been as tightly wound as possible and well boiled it is
mercerised by being saturated with concentrated soda lye. By this saturation
there are two forces set up in the spool. On the one hand, the shrinking of the
cotton fibres by the action of the soda, which tends to reduce the length of the
varn and simultaneously lessen the bulk of the filled bobbin and on the other
hand the natural elasticity of the cotton produced by the tight winding of the
bobbin and which acts in opposition to the shrinking action of the soda, thus
rendering a reduction in the volume or bulk of the bobbin impossible. As both
these forces are in equilibrium there results a uniform tension upon all the cotton
fibres throughout their whole length, and there is thus produced the well known
effect upon the cotton fibres of mercerisation under tension.
After saturating the hobbin with the soda lye the soda is neutralised by a bath
of acid and thorough washing with water.
In order to render the tension on the cotton fibre on the bobbin more effective
the hobbins may after the soda has been neutralised, be subjected to vigorous
The
centrifugal action being preferably caused to rotate upon their own axes.
centrifugal process has the tendency to whirl out the cotton uniformly from the
core of the bobbin and so increases the volume or diameter of the mass of cotton
thereon. When subjecting the cotton to centrifugal action. it is advisable in order
to reap the full benefit of the operation to keep a continuous stream of water
playing upon the cotton, which by reason of its increased weight caused by the
absorption of the water considerably augments the centrifugal action.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
A process for mercerising cotton under tension, consisting in carrying out the
stretching operation (which takes place during mercerisation and is set up by
the winding of the bobbin) automatically upon the bobbin itself and previous
to weaving, without the aid of any special mechanical means, and in such manner
that the various layers of yarn upon the hobbin by being prevented from changing
their position with respect to one another exert a certain resistance equal to the
shrinking action of the soda upon them and so produce a uniform and even tension
over their whole length, as set forth.
Dated this 4th day of October 1899.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc.M.Inst.C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Chartered Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Associate Agent.