A NEW TREATMENT OR PREPARATION OF A VEGETABLE PRODUCT AND ITS APPLICATION FIBROUS OR TEXTILE MATERIAL
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer & Patent Agent, for the Invention of "A NEW
TREATMENT OR PREPARATION OF A VEGETABLE PRODUCT AND ITS APPLICATION
FIBROUS OR TEXTILE MATERIAL"-A communication from Auguste
Alexandre de Villeneuve and Camille Georges Beaury, Manufacturers,
rosiding at Paris in the Empire of France
Sealed the 3rd December 1858, and dated the 12th June 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
left by the
left by the said William Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th June 1858.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer & Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "A NEW TREATMENT OR PREPARATION OF A VEGETABLE PRODUCT, AND ITS
APPLICATION AS A FIBROUS OR TEXTILE MATERIAL," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists,-
First, in obtaining a new product from the plant known as the nettle
(boehmeria urtica), and which I term "vegetable wool & silk."
Secondly, in treating this product according as it is wished to obtain from
it silk or wool.
Thirdly, in the use of this product in the manufacture of all-woven fabrics,
or other applications where animal silk or animal wool is made use of,
whatever may be otherwise the preparation adopted.

page_text: METHOD OF PREPARATION.
The method of preparing this plant after having boiled and removed the
ligneous part from it is the following:
First, for softening the plant or completely bruising or breaking the ligneous
parts which may still adhere to it, it is suitable to pass it under an edge
runner rolling on a horizontal stone; any other means may, however, be
employed for obtaining the same result.
Secondly, subsequently I proceed with the operations for obtaining the silk
or wool, which differ according as it is wished to obtain one or other of these
substances. If silk and wool are both to be obtained the plant is divided into
two parts, care being taken in the part for producing the silk to choose the
threads or fibres found in the centre of the plant, viz., in the core or heart, as
being the finest and brightest; this part being chosen is placed on one side
and operated upon as will be herein-after described. The remaining part of
the vegetable after the separation of the part intended for the manufacture
of silk and for the production of vegetable wool is treated in the following
manner:
METHOD OF TREATING THE PART FOR ORTAINING WOOL.
First, the vegetable substance should be combed like hemp.
Secondly, the substance after being well combed is mixed, if required, with
animal wool, and should be cut to the length of the animal wool to be used.
This operation is not effected by means of a cutting instrument, but by an
instrument with teeth which tears the plant.
Thirdly, the plant in this condition is submitted to the action of a caustic
lye composed of salts of soda, about fifteen pounds to every three hundred &
seventy-five pounds of the vegetable, and five pounds of a solution of lime
or one-third of the salt employed (or any other analogous chemical agent,)
which solution is decanted and poured into the boiler containing the vegetable
and lye, which latter should mark two degrees of the lye meter of Beaume;
it should boil during two hours, after which the vegetable is withdrawn and
perfectly washed with running water, if possible, for the purpose of drying it
more promptly it is passed into a hydro-extractor and then spread in the open

page_text: air or in the shade for the purpose of completely drying it; further any other
drying system may be applied.
Fourthly, when dry, the vegetable is placed in a vat of wood, the sides of
which are lined with lead, and in which several hours before-hand has been
placed a solution of chloride of lime, which should mark one and a half or two
degrees of Beaume's concentrated acid meter. The bleaching is effected in
about two hours, after which the vegetable is withdrawn from the vat, it is
then perfectly washed several times till the last water used remains clear; the
vegetable is now passed into the drying apparatus and afterwards spread
in the shade or in the open air till it is dry.
Fifthly, in order to give the vegetable when bleached all the suppleness it
can acquire, it is passed into a bath of soap, which completely removes the
residue of the chloride of lime which may remain in it after washing; after
being placed in the bath of soap the vegetable must be carefully washed and
dried in, the air.
Sixthly, after being subjected to the above preparations the vegetable is
ready to be manufactured into wools or silk. For the purpose of well separa-
ting it, it is passed through a deviling machine, and for more complete
separation of the fibres it may be passed into a spiked gig-mill, which latter
operation will render it more or less fine at will. All the methods ordinarily
employed for the manufacture of silk and wool may be used for that of this
vegetable.
Seventhly, all these preliminary operations being complete these vegetable
fibres arc mixed with animal wool in the proportions desired; for instance,
for obtaining a good result the mixture should consist of a layer of animal
wool and a layer of vegetable wool, care being taken to oil the two layers in
the proportion of about eighteen to twenty per cent.; they are left in this
state six or eight hours, care being taken to turn them every hour, so that the
two layers of wool may equally absorb the oil. The layers of wool are in
this state passed once or twice to the deviling or other suitable machine, and.
in this manner the mixture is effected as completely as possible. On leaving
this machine the wool is carded and thence forwarded to the spinning
machine. When to be combed the two layers in combination form but one
substance, and are submitted to the action of a fixed comb, which acts in the
manner of card combs; this operation is indispensable, as this material.
requires for perfecting the mixture to undergo a carding operation before
arriving at the combing machine. The bleaching herein described is not
necessary when the fabric of silk or wool is to be of a dark colour,

page_text: OPERATION FOR OBTAINING VEGETABLE SILK.
The part of the vegetable chosen, & as before described, which is intended
for the production of vegetable silk is treated in the same manner as for
vegetable wool, only before the application of the lye it must be cut into
lengths of about two inches with a like instrument as that used for the wool,
after the bleaching and before passing to the deviling machine the vegetable silk
and animal silk is carded by hand, for the purpose of mixing them completely
together. On its exit from the deviling machine the material is ready to be
treated in exactly the same manner as ordinary silk to be spun.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th December 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM.
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A
NEW TREATMENT OR PREPARATION OF A VEGETABLE PRODUCT, AND ITS APPLICATION
AS A FIBROUS OR TEXTILE MATERIAL," a communication from Auguste Alexandre
de Villeneuve and Camille. Georges Beaury, Manufacturers, residing at
Paris, in the Empire of France, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I the sard William Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
Hent in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the. nature of the said Invention,
and in what, manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to

page_text: be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Clark, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say:-
This Invention consists,―
First, in obtaining a new product from the plant known as the nettle
(boehmeria urtica), and which is termed vegetable silk wool.
Secondly, in treating this product accordingly as it is wished to obtain from
it silk or wool.
Thirdly, in the use of this product in the manufacture of all woven fabrics
or other applications where animal silk or animal wool is made use of, what-
ever may be otherwise the preparation adopted.
The material which I employ, as before mentioned, is a plant known as the
nettle (behmeria urtica); according to this Invention it has been discovered
that this substance may be substituted for animal wool and silks, either by
using it alone or in combination with animal silk or wool, and that it also
may be dyed in all kinds of colours, which it takes perfectly.
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Clark, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :-
This Invention consists,-
First, in obtaining a new product from the plant known as the nettle
(boehmeria urtica), and which is termed vegetable silk wool.
Secondly, in treating this product accordingly as it is wished to obtain from
it silk or wool.
Thirdly, in the use of this product in the manufacture of all woven fabrics
or other applications where animal silk or animal wool is made use of, what-
ever may be otherwise the preparation adopted.
The material which I employ, as before mentioned, is a plant known as the
nettle (belmeria urtica); according to this Invention it has been discovered
that this substance may be substituted for animal wool and silks, either by
using it alone or in combination with animal silk or wool, and that it also
may be dyed in all kinds of colours, which it takes perfectly.
METHOD OF PREPARATION.
The method of preparation, after having boiled and removed the ligneous
part from it, is the following:-
.First, for softening the plant and completely bruising or breaking the
ligneous parts which may still adhere to it, it is suitable to pass it under an
edge runner, rolling on a horizontal stone; any other means may however be
employed for obtaining the same result.
Secondly, subsequently I proceed with the operations for obtaining the silk
or wool, which differ accordingly as it is wished to obtain one or other of these
substances. If silk and wool are both to be obtained, the plant is divided into
two parts, care being taken in the part for producing the silk to select the
threads or fibres found in the centre of the plant, viz., in the core or heart.
as being the finest and brightest. This part being chosen is placed on one.
side and operated upon as will be herein-after described. The remaining part
of the vegetable, after the separation of the part intended for the manufacture
of silk, is to be treated in the following manner in order to produce the
vegetable wool.

page_text: DIETHOD
TREATING THE TART FOR OBTAINING
WOOL.
First, the vegetable substance should be combed like hemp.
Secondly, the substance, after being well combed, is mixed, if required, with
animal wool, and should be cut to the length of the animal wool to be used
with it; this operation is not effected by means of a cutting instrument, but
by an instrument with teeth, which tears the plant.
Thirdly, the plant, in this condition is submitted to the action of a caustic
lye composed of salts of soda about fifteen pounds to every three hundred and
seventy-five pounds of vegetable, and five pounds of a solution of lime, or one-
third of the salt employed (or any other analogous chemical agent); which
solution of lime is decanted and poured into the boiler containing the vegetable
and lye, which latter should mark two degrees of the lye meter of Beaume; it
should boil during two hours, after which the vegetable is withdrawn and
perfectly washed with running water, if possible; for the purpose of drying it
promptly it is poured into a hydro-extractor and then spread in the open air
or in the shade for the purpose of completely drying it. Any other system of
drying may be employed.
Fourthly, when dry, the vegetable is placed in a vat of wood, the inside of
which is lined with lead, and in which several hours beforehand has been
placed a solution of chloride of lime, which should mark one and a half or two
degrees of Beaume's concentrated acid meter. The bleaching is effected in
about two hours, after which the vegetable is withdrawn from the vat; it is
then perfectly washed several times, till the last water used remains clear.
The vegetable is now placed into the drying apparatus, and afterwards spread
in the shade or in the open air till it is dry.
Fifthly, in order to give the vegetable, when bleached, all the suppleness it
can acquire, it is passed into a bath of soap, which completely removes the
I residue of the chloride of lime which may remain in it after washing. After
being placed in the bath of soap the vegetable must be carefully washed and
dried in the air..
Sixthly, after being subjecting to the above preparations, the vegetable is
ready to be manufactured into wool or silk. For the purpose of well
separating it, it is passed through a deviling machine, and for more complete
separation of the fibres it may be passed into a (spiked gig-mill) which latter
operation will render it. more or less .fine at will. All the methods ordinarily
employed for the manufacture of silk and wool may be used for that of this
vegetable.
Seventhly, all the preliminary operations being complete, these vegetable

page_text: fibres are mixed with animal wool in the proportions desired; for instance, to
obtain a good result the mixture should consist of animal wool and a layer of
vegetable wool, care being taken to oil the two layers in the proportion of
about eighteen to twenty per cent. They are left in this state about six or eight
hours, care being taken to turn them every hour, so that the two layers may
equally absorb the oil. The layers of wool are in this state passed once or
twice to the deviling or other suitable machine, and in this manner the
mixture is effected as completely as possible; on leaving this machine the
wool is carded and thence forwarded to the spinning machine. When to be
combed, the two layers in combination form but one substance, and are
submitted to the action of a fixed comb which acts in the manner of card
combs; this operation is indispensable. As the material requires for perfecting,
the mixture to undergo a carding operation before arriving at the combing
machine, the bleaching herein described is not necessary when the fabric of
silk or wool is to be of a dark colour.
OPERATION FOR OBTAINING VEGETABLE SILK.
The part of the vegetable chosen, and as before described, which is intended
for the production of vegetable silk is treated in the same manner as for
vegetable wool, only, before the application of the lye, it must be cut in
lengths of about two inches with a like instrument as that used for the wool
after the bleaching and before passing to the deviling machine, the vegetable
silk and animal silk is carded by hand for the purpose of mixing them com-
pletely together. On its exit from the deviling machine, the material is ready
to be treated in exactly the same manner as ordinary silk to be spun.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
WILLIAM G. E. SWINNOCK,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
WILLIAM CLARK. (L.S.)