Iм- PROVEMENTS IN PREPARING OR TREATING VEGETABLE FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN PREPARING OR TREATING VEGETABLE FIBROUS MATERIALS."-
A communication from abroad by Hubert Dupré, Gentleman, of 29,
Boulevart St. Martin, Paris.
Sealed the 24th March 1865, and dated the 7th October 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th October 1864.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING OR TREATING VEGETABLE FIBROUS
MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the treatment of vegetable textile materials, and
especially of flax and hemp, with a view to obtain products analogous to silk,
wool, and cotton.
The Invention comprises a peculiar method of retting the above matters
especially flax and hemp, and also the further transformation of said matters,
including the waste, into silk, wool, and cotton. By the aid of this improved
retting process I obtain in a quarter of an hour the complet dissolution of

page_text: the mucilaginous and resinous gummy substances uniting the fibres together,
which are not injured by the agents employed for this purpose. The matters
are steeped in a bath of muriatic or sulphuric acid marking two degrees,
which is allowed to boil for a quarter of an hour, and are then exposed for
about an hour in a running stream of water, which effectually separates the
textile fibres from all foreign matters, at same time retaining all the strength,
suppleness, and elasticity of the fibre.
The method of converting the fibres and waste into wool and cotton consists
in steeping them in a caustic lye marking eight degrees, which is kept in
ebullition for about forty-five minutes, after which the matters under treat-
ment are washed and again boiled in a soapy liquid for about a quarter of an
hour, being lastly rinsed in running water. By this simple and inexpensive
method hemp and flax after being retted, as described, on being carded in
any suitable manner present the appearance of the rarest qualities of
wool and cotton suitable for the manufacture of the best and finest fabrics.
The separation of the fibres may be effected whether they are in a wet or
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th April 1865.
+
MI
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 Seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth 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 there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PREPARING OR TREATING VEGETABLE FIBROUS MATERIALS," a communi- a

page_text: cation to me from abroad by Hubert Dupré, Gentleman, of 29, Boulevart St.
Martin, Paris, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their bands 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 be filed in the Great Seal, Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters, Patent.
77
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 per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say)
This Invention relates to the treatment of
of vegetable textile materials, and
especially of flax and hemp, with a view to obtain products.analogous to silk,
wool, and cotton.
The Invention comprises a peculiar method of retting the above matters,
especially flax and hemp, and also the further transformation of said matters,
including the waste, into silk, wool, and cotton. By the aid of this improved
retting process I obtain in a quarter of an hour the complete dissolution
of the mucilaginous and resinous gummy substances uniting the fibres
together, which are not injured by the agents employed for this purpose. The
matters are steeped in a bath of muriatic or sulphuric acid marking two
degrees, which is allowed to boil for a quarter of an hour, and are then
exposed for about an hour in a running stream of water, which effectually
separates the textile fibres from all foreign matters, and at same time re-
taining all the strength, suppleness, and elasticity of the fibres.
The method of converting the fibres and waste into wool and cotton
consists in steeping them in a caustic lye marking eight degrees, which is
kept in ebullition for about forty-five minutes, after which the matters under
treatment are washed and again boiled in a soapy liquid for about a quarter
of an hour, being lastly rinced in running water. By this simple and inex-
pensive method hemp and flax after being retted, as described, on being
carded in any suitable manner present the appearance of the rarest qualities
of wool and cotton suitable for the manufacture of the best and finest fabrics.
The separation of the fibres may be effected whether they are in a wet or a
dry state.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be

page_text: protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the improved
methods of treating vegetable textile products in the manner and for the
purposes herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of March, in the year our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
W. CLARK. (L.B.).