Viscous or Pasty Matters.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 21st Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1887
Viscous or Pasty Matters.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention a communication to me from
abroad by Marie Paul Emile Gérard of 11 Rue Louis le Grand, Paris, France
Gentleman, to be as follows:-
"
Gelatine and other viscous pasty or glutinous matters are susceptible under certain
conditions of liquidity and temperature of being drawn out from the mass in the form
of threads. Glass has been drawn or spun "into threads, but the objection to the
application of this method to organic matters, such as gelatine or other pasty,
viscous or glutinous matters is that the thread being drawn not from the entire mass,
but from a single drop necessarily becomes more attenuated the longer it is drawn
out until it ultimately breaks, thus forming a short thread.
The only practical method of producing threads of any considerable length is by
expulsion of the material through a small orifice by a piston or its equivalent. This
process, however, cannot be carried on in the air, owing to the formation at the orifice
through which the material is to be expelled and at the commencement of the operation
of a pellicle to which the succeeding material adheres, and which prevents the material
issuing in the form of a thread. Moreover, the thread even if it could be produced in
this manner would remain viscid like the mass of material from which it was produced,
until completely desicated.
The object of the present invention is to obviate this twofold difficulty and it
consists broadly in effecting the expulsion of the material not in the ordinary air, but
in a medium capable of producing the two effects following viz.―
(a) prevent the agglomeration of the material around the orifice, and―
(b) coagulate the material of which the thread is formed as fast as it is expelled.
The medium would be composed of a gas, vapour or liquid of a nature depending
on that of the material under operation, either at the ordinary or any higher temperature.

page_text: In the majority of cases, water or other liquid would be tho agent employed, water being
especially suitable for the viscous niaterial of the special composition described in another
application for Letters Patent of even date herewith. Under these conditions, the
thread is expelled in a continuous form, its length being only limited by the capacity
of the apparatus.
The material constituting the thread becomes coagulated as it is expressed and
enters the coagulating medium after traversing which it is wound on a roller or its
equivalent whence it is rewound on bobbins or into balls or skeins or by any suitable
means which it is unnecessary to describe.
The process is applicable to all kinds of viscous, pasty or glutinous matters capable
of producing threads, and more especially to compositions having a base of gelatine
and gun cotton described in another application for Letters Patent of an even date
herewith before referred to.
Dated this 21st of the 1007
A. MELVILLE CLARK.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process of Manufacturing Textile Threads from
Viscous or Pasty Matters.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of 53,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents,
do hereby declare the nature of this Invention communication to me from abroad
by Marie Paul Emile Gerard of 11, Rue Louis le Grand, Paris, France, Gentleman,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Threads or filaments of gelatine and other viscous, pasty, or glutinous matters may
under certain conditions of liquidity and temperature, be formed by drawing the
material composing them, out from the mass by means of a brush for example. Glass
has been drawn or << spun "into threads, but the objection to the application of this
method to organic matters such as gelatine is that the thread being drawn not from
the entire mass but from a single drop, necessarily becomes more attenuated the
longer it is drawn out until it ultimately breaks, thus forming a short thread.
The only practical method of producing threads of any considerable length is by
expulsion of the the matter through a small orifice, by a piston or its equivalent. This
process however, cannot be carried on in the ordinary atmosphere owing to the immediate
formation at the orifice, of a film of the material to which the succeeding material
adheres in such a way as to prevent it issuing in the form of a thread. Moreover,
the thread even if it could be produced in this manner, would remain viscid like the
mass from which it was produced, until completely dessicated.
The object of the present invention is to obviate this two-fold difficulty; and the
invention consists broadly in effecting the expulsion of the matter in a special medium
capable of ;-
(a) preventing the agglomeration of the matter around the orifice,-and-
(b) coagulating the matter of which the thread is formed, as fast as it is expelled.
The medium would be composed of a gas, vapor, or liquid, of a nature depending
on that of the matter to be formed into threads or filaments; and this medium may
be at the ordinary or any higher temperature. In the majority of cases, water or
other liquid would be the agent employed, water being especially suitable for the
viscous matter of the special composition dercribed in another application for Letters
Patent of even date herewith. But any gases or vapors may be employed which
will chemically combine with the element which it may be necessary to eliminate from
the thread in order to cause it to coagulate, and in the case of threads of the composition
described in my other application for Letters Patent aforesaid and of which acetic acid
is an ingredient, either superheated steam or ammonia may be used as follows ;-The
steam produced by boiling a sufficient quantity of water in the ordinary way, would be
passed through a worm placed in a furnace, whereby it is superheated to a temperature
of about 500 C. and forms dry steam in which condition it is admitted at the lower

page_text: part of a receiver where it is maintained at a minimum temperature of 200° C. The
receiver would have a steam-tight cover fitted with the tubes through which the
viscous matter to be formed into threads is expelled, the threads or filaments so formed
descending into the midst of and meeting the ascending current of superheated steam
whereby the material is almost immediately deprived of the acetic acid, which is
carried off with the escaping steam by a goose neck at the top of the receiver
communicating with a condenser wherein the steam and acid are condensed together.
The threads by the time they reach the bottom of the receiver will be almost dry, the
last traces of acetic acid being there eliminated by the fresh superheated steam there
entering. The threads are then ready for reeling by the ordinary means.
If gaseous ammonia be employed in lieu of superheated steam, water saturated
with ammonia would be heated in a retort to a constant temperature of from 50° to
69° C. whereby the ammonia is distilled off and passes through a worm which is
maintained by a water bath, at a constant temperature of 100° C. and is then led into
the chamber where it is brought in contact with the threads of viscous matter. The
ammonia at this temperature immediately combines with the acetic acid forming the
solvent of the other constituents-vizt. trinitrocellulose and gelatine, and forms acetate
of ammonia. The solidified threads or filaments fall to the bottom of the receiver,
the acetate of ammonia being afterwards eliminated by washing the threads with cold
water before drying.
Under the conditions above described, the matter is expelled in the form of a
continuous thread whose length is only limited by the capacity of the apparatus.
The thread or filament coagulated as above described, after traversing the coagu-
lating medium is drawn out by its extremity and wound on a roller or reel whence it
is rewound on bobbins or into balls or skeins or by any suitable means, which it is
unnecessary to describe.
The process is applicable to all kinds of viscous, pasty, or glutinous matters capable
of producing threads, and more especially to compositions having a base of gelatine
and gun cotton described in my other application for Letters Patent aforesaid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is ;-
1st. The herein described process for the manufacture of threads or filaments from
viscous, pasty, or glutinous matters, which process consists essentially in expelling said
matters through a small orifice into the midst of a gas, vapor, or liquid, of such a nature
as to prevent clogging of the orifice and cause the coagulation of the material to be
effected concurrently with its expulsion, as and for the purpose specified.
2nd. In the herein described process, the employment of superheated steam for
effecting the coagulation of threads or filaments composed of viscous, pasty, or glutinous
matters, as specified.
3rd. In the herein described process, the employment of gaseous ammonia as a
coagulating medium for threads or filaments composed of viscous, pasty, or glutinous
matters, as herein specified.
Dated this 91st day of November 1887
A. MELVILLE CLARK.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.