IMPROVEMENTS TREATMENT AND UTILIZATION OF CERTAIN FOREIGN PLANTS. FOR THE OBTAINING OF USEFUL FIBRES THEREFROM
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Goulston Ghislin, of Hatton Garden, in the
City of London, Importer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
TREATMENT AND UTILIZATION OF CERTAIN FOREIGN PLANTS. FOR THE OBTAINING
OF USEFUL FIBRES THEREFROM.":
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said. Thomas Goulston Ghislin
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 25th October 1862.
I THOMAS COULSTON GHISLIN, of Hatton Garden, in the City of London,
Importer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN THE TREATMENT AND UTILIZATION OF CERTAIN FOREIGN PLANTS FOR THE
OBTAINING OF USEFUL FIBRES-THEREFROM-to-be as follows:
This Invention relates to the obtaining from a class of bulbous plants of
the liliaceous and amaryllidaceous orders fibre suitable for spinning into yarn,
and for being converted into paper pulp.

page_text: In order to obtain the fibre suitable for spinning, I take the bulb (if
in a fresh state) and boil it in water or water rendered alkaline; then-by
means of pressure or a centrifugal apparatus I expel the liquid with
whatever has been dissolved, and obtain the fibre in a matted state. I
next wash the fibre, and for the purpose of opening it out, subject it to
the action of steam at a suitable pressure, after which I dry the fibre by
exposure to the air or in a heated atmosphere. The fibre thus obtained
I propose to card, draw, and spin in the usual way. When the bulb is
dry I strip off the outer cuticle, and, by preference, boil the bulb in an
alkaline solution, and I afterwards neutralize the alkali by weak acid. I next
subject the fibre to a bleaching process, using either gaseous chlorine or
chloride of lime, or any other material commonly employed for this purpose;
I then remove the bleaching agent by washing, and I afterwards remove the
moisture from the fibre by means of pressure or centrifugal apparatus; I then
again wash the fibre in water, open it out by steam, and dry by exposure, as
in the former instance.
I sometimes modify the manner of treating the bulbs, commencing by
steeping them in a diluted acetic acid, then steaming, afterwards tearing the
bulb to pieces by some mechanical contrivance so as to separate the fibre; or
I simply damp the bulbs, and then, without previous chemical treatment, I
break up the root mechanically so as to separate the fibre.
The liliaceous plants which I prefer to treat are the following:-Trito-
manthe, sanseviera, asphodeleæ, strelitzia.
The amaryllidaceous plants most suitable for the purpose of this Inven-
tion are the following;-Heranthus, amaryllis, scilla, belladonna. josophina,
mountana. I propose to utilize the leaves of the plants of the class or orders
mentioned as well as the bulbs, as these leaves likewise contain fibre which
can be separated by the means described. When converting the fibre of
these bulbs into paper pulp, I use the whole of the bulb (unstripped,) and
operate upon it, as described with respect to the dry bulb; I also utilize the
waste or strippings from the bulbs employed for spinning purposes by reducing
them into pulp.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Goulston Ghislin in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th April 1863.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
GOULSTON GHISLIN, of Hatton Garden, in the City of London, Importer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her.
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas Goulston Ghislin, Her special license that I, the said Thomas
Goulston Ghislin, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as 1, the said Thomas Goulston Ghislin, 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.
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT AND UTILIZATION OF CERTAIN FOREIGN PLANTS
FOR THE OBTAINING OF USEFUL FIBRES THEREFROM," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Thomas Goulston Ghislin, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascer
tain 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.
KNOW NOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Goulston Ghislin, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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 relates to the obtaining from a class of bulbous plants of the
liliaceous and amaryllidaceous orders fibre suitable for spinning into yarn, and
for being converted into paper pulp.
In order to obtain the fibre suitable for spinning, I take the bulb (if in a
fresh state) and boil it in water, or water rendered slightly alkaline, until the
resinous matter contained in the plant is dissolved and the bulbs have become
soft. The soft pulpy mass thus obtained is then. submitted to pressure in a
press, in order to expel therefrom the liquid together with whatever has been

page_text: dissolved, and I thus obtain the fibre in a matted state. If preferred, the
expulsion of the liquid may be effected by means of centrifugal apparatus, as
is well known; I next wash the fibre, and for the purpose of opening it out
subject it to the action of steam at a suitable pressure, after which I dry the
fibre by exposure to the air or in a heated atmosphere. The fibre thus obtained
I propose to card, draw, and spin in the usual way. When the bulb is dry I
strip off the outer cuticle, and by preference boil the bulk in an alkaline
solution, and 1 afterwards neutralize the alkali by weak acid; I next subject
the fibre to a bleaching process, using either gaseous chlorine, or chloride of
lime, or any other material commonly employed for this purpose; I then
remove the bleaching agent by washing, and afterwards remove the moisture
from the fibre by means of pressure or centrifugal apparatus, I then again
wash the fibre in water, open it out by steam, and dry by exposure as in the
former instance.
I sometimes modify the manner of treating the bulbs, commencing by
steeping them in diluted acetic acid, then steaming, and afterwards tearing the
bulb to pieces by some mechanical contrivance, so as to separate the fibre, or
I simply damp the bulbs, and then without previous chemical treatment I break
up or crush the root mechanically so as to separate the fibre.
The liliaceous plants which I prefer to treat are the following:-Tritomanthe,
sansevieræ, asphodelea, strelitzia, scillæ.
The amaryllidaceous plants most suitable for the purposes of this Invention
are the following:-Heranthus, amaryllis, belladonna, josophina, mountana.
I propose to utilize the leaves of the plants of the class or orders mentioned, as
well as the bulbs, as these leaves likewise contain fibre, which can be separated
by the means described. When converting the fibre of these bulbs into paper
pulp, I use the whole of the bulb (unstripped) and operate upon it in the
manner above described with respect to the dry bulb; by this means I obtain
what is technically called half stuff, which in order to render it fit for the
paper-making machine must be passed through a pulping engine; I also utilize
the waste or strippings from the bulbs employed for spinning purposes by
reducing them into pulp into the same manner.
The fibres obtained by the processes herein set forth may be employed either
alone or in combination with other vegetable fibres for the various purposes to
which fibres of this description are applicable in the arts and manufactures.
Having now described my Invention of improvements in the treatment
and utilization of certain foreign plants for the obtaining of useful fibres
therefrom, and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,

page_text: I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the use
and application for the purposes above mentioned of the foreign plants herein
set forth, and also the mode or modes above described of treating the same in
order to obtain the useful fibres therefrom.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Goulston Ghislin, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fifth day of April, in the year. of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
THOMAS GOULSTON GHISLIN. (L.S.)