Improvements in or relating to the Treatment of Cocoons and their Residues to enable them to be Transformed into Thread.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 1st Oct., 1894-Accepted, 3rd Nov., 1894
Improvements in or relating to the Treatment of Cocoons and their
Residues to enable them to be Transformed into Thread.
.
I, JOSEPH LEOPOLD AUGUSTIN PELLERIN, of Candebec-les-Elbenf, Department
of Seine Inférieure, France, Spinner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
:―
This invention relates to a process by means of which the threads constituting
the cocoons of silk-worms and the residues of these cocoons, may be transformed
into a material easy to card, comb, and spin.
According thereto the cocoons or their residues are first submitted to the action
of an atmosphere consisting of a gas or vapour possessing the property of
disintegrating or loosening the threads of which the cocoons or their residues are com-
posed. By this means there is avoided the use of the liquid baths which have hitherto
been employed for this purpose, and which present, amongst other disadvantages,
that of injuring the threads. My process has, morcover the further advantage of
producing a superior yield.
The gaseous or vaporous substances which I prefer to employ for this purpose
are sulphurous acid, gas and gaseous carburets obtained from certain compounds of
carbon or from liquid carbon compounds of which bi-sulphide of carbon, benzine,
and petroleum, are suitable examples, but it is to be understood that my invention
is not limited to the use of these substances only, which are only given as suitable
examples, as any other gases or vapours having a like disintegrating or loosening
action on the cocoons or their residues, may be employed.
According to the nature of the material employed for the generation of the
atmosphere, the vessel or chamber designed for the treatment must necessarily vary
in its arrangements; but only two general cases present themselves, because the
said materials can be divided into two classes, videlicet, those whose decomposition
or volatilization requires a relatively high temperature, and those which decompose
or volatilize at a comparatively low temperature.
In the first case the apparatus employed is analogous to those employed for
chemical burning or carbonizing by means of the vapours of sulphuric acid, that is
to say, it is composed essentially of a retort to hold the liquid to be decomposed
or volatilized and which communicates with a chamber in which the cocoons are
arranged.
In the second case, as for example if bi-sulphide of carbon be used, the apparatus
may advantageously be arranged as shown by way of example only, in the annexed
drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the apparatus ;
Fig. 2 a transverse section thereof on the line 1-2 of Fig. 1 ; and
Fig. 3 a horizontal section on the line 3-4 of Fig. 1.
The apparatus comprises a chamber a of masonry in the lower part of which
there is arranged a steam coil b. This coil, the form of which may vary, is provided
with the valves or cocks necessary for controlling the admission of steam thereto
and the escape of water of condensation; it may however be replaced by any other
suitable arrangement of steam circulating pipe or pipes. Above the steam coil and
mounted on any suitable support, is arranged a vessel c which contains the
bi-sulphide of carbon to be vaporized. Above the vessel c are the shelves d
consisting of perforated sheet-metal, or of gratings, or of wire gauze, on which are
placed the cocoons or residues e to be treated.

page_text: The chamber is closed by a door f in which is a window through which a
thermometer which indicates the internal temperature of the chamber, can be
observed.
The vapour of bi-sulphide of carbon produced by the action of the heating coil b
after passing over the cocoons or their residues, escape by a pipe which conducts
it to a condenser i containing water and provided with a cock for drawing off the
condensed bi-sulphide of carbon.
The pipe is provided with the necessary cocks or valves for regulating the
working of the apparatus but which are not represented in the drawings, their
arrangement and use being similar to that of other industrial apparatus which
allow vapours to escape for condensation.
The action of the bi-sulphide of carbon vapour produced in the apparatus has the
effect of sufficiently decorticating or loosening the threads composing the cocoons
or residues of cocoons placed on the shelves d as to permit them to be separated by
the following mechanical operations which complete their treatment.
The first of these operations consists in submitting the cocoon on coming from the
chamber to the action of a machine such as a devil, which may be like those
employed for the devilling of woollen rags, the object of this operation being to
open the cocoons and to separate the threads of silk from the worm within the
COCOOD. After this operation is completed, the resulting material is submitted to
one or more beating operations which may be effected in any of the machines
usually employed for this purpose in spinning and which are known under the
name of beaters. The material is then passed one or more times into a mixing
willow or opening-machine (loup mélangeur) like those at present employed in
spinning.
After the material has been subjected to the foregoing operations, it is ready to
undergo the carding or combing operation to which it is subjected preparatory to
being submitted to the various operations employed in spinning, according as it is
desired to produce carded or combed silk.
The silk thread obtained by the treatment hereinbefore described, is of a peculiar
nature. As it contains part of the gummy matters of the original threads it is
necessary to submit it to a boiling or scouring process in order to eliminate all
matters foreign to the silk. When this is done the thread possesses a considerable
fluffiness, which continues to exist in the fabrics manufactured from the silk
threads, whilst preserving the brilliant aspect and the suppleness of silk obtained
by the ordinary processes.
Dated this 4th day of Lonna 1904
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Treatment of Cocoons and their
Residues to enable them to be Transformed into Thread.
I, JOSEPH LÉOPOLD AUGUSTIN PELLERIN, of Caudebec-les-Elbeuf Depart-
ment of Seine Inférieure, France, 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 :-
This invention relates to a process by means of which the threads constituting
the cocoons of silk-worms and the residues of these cocoons, may be transformed
into a material easy to card, comb, and spin.
According thereto the cocoons or their residues are first submitted to the action'
of an atmosphere consisting of a gas or vapour possessing the property of
disintegrating or loosening the threads of which the cocoons or their residues are

page_text: composed. By this means there is avoided the use of the liquid baths which have
hitherto been employed for this purpose, and which present, amongst other dis-
advantages, that of injuring the threads. My process has, moreover the further
advantage of producing a superior yield.
The gaseous or vaporous substances which I prefer to employ for this purpose
are sulphurous acid gas, and gaseous carburets obtained from certain compounds
of carbon, of which bi-sulphide of carbon, benzine, and petroleum are suitable
examples, but it is to be understood that my invention is not limited to the use of
these substances alone, which are only given as suitable examples, as any other
gases or vapours having a like disintegrating or loosening action on the cocoons or
their residues, may be employed.
According to the nature of the material employed for the generation of the
atmosphere, the vessel or chamber designed for the treatment must necessarily
vary in its arrangements; but only two general cases present themselves, because
the said materials can be divided into two classes, videlicet, those whose decom-
position or volatilization requires a relatively high temperature, and those which
decompose or volatilize at a comparatively low temperature.
In the first case the apparatus employed is analogous to those employed for
chemical burning or carbonising by means of the vapours of sulphuric acid, that
is to say it is composed essentially of a retort which is designed to hold the liquid
to be decomposed or volatilized, and which communicates with a chamber in which
the cocoons, or the residues of cocoons, are arranged.
In the second case as for example if bi-sulphide of carbon be used, the apparatus
may advantageously be arranged as shown, by way of example only, in the drawings
filed with my Provisional Specification. In the said drawings,
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the apparatus ;
Fig. 2 a transverse section thereof on the line 1-2 of Fig. 1; and
Fig. 3 a sectional plan on the line 3-4 of Fig. 1.
The apparatus shown in these figures, comprises chambers a of masonry in the
lower part of which there is arranged a steam coil b, which is provided with the
valves or cocks necessary for controlling the admission of steam thereto and
the escape of water of condensation. The steam coil shown may however be
replaced by any other suitable arrangement of steam-circulating pipe or pipes.
Above the steam coil and mounted on any suitable support, is arranged a vessel e
which contains the bi-sulphide of carbon to be vaporized. Above the vessel c are
shelves d, consisting of perforated sheet-metal, or of gratings, or of wire-gauze, on
which are placed the cocoons or residues e that are to be treated. The chamber is
closed by a door f in which is a window through which a thermometer g, which
indicates the internal temperature of the chamber, can be observed.
The vapour of bi-sulphide of carbon produced by the action of the heating
coil b, after passing over the cocoons, or their residues, escapes by a pipe h which
conducts it to a condenser i which contains water and is provided with a cock j for
drawing off condensed bi-sulphide of carbon.
The pipe is provided with the necessary cocks or valves for regulating the
working of the apparatus; but these cocks are not represented in the drawings,
their arrangement and use being similar to that of other industrial apparatus which
allows vapours to escape for condensation.
The action of the bi-sulphide of carbon vapour produced in the apparatus, has
the effect of sufficiently decorticating or loosening the threads composing the
cocoons, or the residues of cocoons placed on the shelves d, to permit them to
be separated by the following mechanical operations, which complete their
treatment.
The first of these operations consists in submitting the cocoons, or the residues,
on coming from the chamber, to the action of a machine such as a devil which
may be like those employed for the devilling of woollen ags, the object of
this operation being to open the cocoons, or the residues thereof, and to separate
the threads of silk from the worm within the cocoon. After this operation is

page_text: completed, the resulting material is submitted to one or more beating operations,
which may be effected in a machine of any of the kinds which are usually
employed for this purpose in spinning and which are known under the name of
beaters. In order to render it more uniform, the material is then passed one or
more times through a mixing willow or opening-machine like those at present
employed in spinning.
After the material has been subjected to the foregoing operations, it is ready to
undergo the carding or combing operation to which it is to be subjected prepara-
tively to being submitted to the various operations employed in spinning, according
as it is desired to produce carded or combed silk.
The silk thread obtained by the treatment herein before described, is of a
peculiar nature. As it contains part of the gummy matters of the original threads,
it is necessary to submit it to a boiling or scouring process in order to eliminate all
matters foreign to the silk. When finished, the thread, besides preserving the
brilliant aspect and the suppleness of silk obtained by the ordinary processes,
possesses a considerable fluffiness, which continues to exist in the fabrics
manufactured from the silk threads.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is
1. Subjecting cocoons or their residues to the action of a gas or a vapour
such for example as sulphurous acid gas, or of carburets obtained by the
vaporization or the decomposition of carbon bi-sulphide, of benzine, or of
petroleum, for the purpose of disintegrating them or of loosening their thread-
as set forth.
2. Subjecting the material resulting from the process specified in the preceding
claim to the mechanical treatment herein before described for the purpose of
preparing it for carding or combing as set forth.
3. The arrangement of the apparatus herein before described with reference to
the drawings for producing vapour and applying it to the disintegration or
loosening of the threads of cocoons or their residues.
4. Combed or carded silk thread produced substantially as herein before
described.
Dated this 1st day of October 1894