Iμ- PROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF RAGS AND OBTAINING VALUABLE CHEMICAL PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Lorberg, of Wylds Rents, Bermondsey, in
the County of Surrey, Analytical Chemist, for-the Invention of "Iμ-
PROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF RAGS AND OBTAINING VALUABLE CHEMICAL
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Lorberg at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th
September 1863.
I, WILLIAM LORBERG, of Wylds Rents, Bermondsey, in the County of
Surrey, Analytical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF RAGS AND OBTAINING
VALUABLE CHEMICAL PRODUCTS FROM THE ANIMAL FIBRE THEREIN," to be as
follows:-
My improvements relate to the treatment of, firstly, mixed fabrics con-
taining vegetable fibre and animal fibre known in the trade as lindseys, stuffs,
bodies, challies, and the like, and secondly printed cotton goods known as
chintzes, furnitures, prints, and the like, and have for their object the separa-
tion, or recovery, the cleansing, and bleaching of the vegetable fibre, and
obtaining valuable chemical products from the animal fibre.
For the purpose of separating the vegetable from the animal fibre, I steep
the goods in a solution of caustic alkali, soda, or potash which disintegrates or
dissolves out the animal fibre, such as wool, silk, hair, without sensibly

page_text: attacking the vegetable fibre. This solution also decomposes or breaks up
some of the colors or dyes and removes most of the dirt, grease, or other
impurities contained in the rags. The selection of alkali depends upon the
uses for which the wool, liquor, or solution of wool is to be employed, and
the strength of the alkaline liquor is of course varied according to the quality
of the goods operated upon. The action takes place in the cold, but heat
accelerates it.
⚫ After this process the goods are subjected to strong pressure in order to force
out the disintegrated wool together with the alkaline liquor retained in them,
and are then thoroughly washed in plenty of water, after which they are
immersed in an acid bath containing from one to five per cent. of acid,
generally sulphuric, where they must remain for a. longer or shorter period
until the decomposition of the more refractory colors is complete. They
are again washed and ultimately submitted to the action of one or more of
the well known bleaching agents, such as chloride of lime, chloride of soda
or potash, sulphurous acid, when they will come out white and clean. The
spent liquor from the first process containing the wool and other animal
matters in solution and being therefore very rich in nitrogen, I employ
for the manufacture of manures, ammonia, or cyanogen compounds.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Lorberg in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th March 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
LORBERG, of Wylds Rents, Bermondsey, in the County of Surrey, Analytical
Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said William Lorberg, Her special licence that I, the said
William Lorberg, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or-such others
as I, the said William Lorberg, 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 makė, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention

page_text: for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF RAGS AND OBTAINING VALUABLE
CHEMICAL PRODUCTS FROM THE ANIMAL FIBRE THEREIN," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Lorberg, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument 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 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 Lorberg, 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:-
My improvements relate to the treatment of mixed fabrics containing
vegetable fibre and animal fibre, known in the trade as lindseys, stuffs, bodies,'
shallies, seams, and the like, and have for their object the separation, or
recovery, the cleansing, and bleaching of the vegetable fibre, and obtaining
valuable chemical products from the animal fibre. Also destroying the colors
of, and bleaching coloured and printed cotton goods containing no animal fibre:
The process comprises the following operations :-
First, the seperation of the vegetable fibre.-I steep or digest the rags in a
solution of caustic alkali, soda, or potash of from 2° to 15° Baumé, which
completely dissolves out the animal fibre, whether wool, silk, or hair, and leaves
the vegetable fibre intact. The operation takes place in the cold, but heat
accelerates it, and I prefer a temperature just below the boiling point of the
liquid, using a closed vessel with a condensor, so as to collect the whole of the
ammoniacal vapours evolved. A boiling heat should be as much as possible
avoided in open vessels, since the wool or part of it would be decomposed
evolving ammoniacal fumes, which are not only injurious or inconvenient to
the workmen, but would also constitute a loss in the subsequent treatment of
the animal fibre in solution. The choice of the alkali depends upon circum-
stances; I prefer soda, and a solution which I have found to answer well is
prepared as follows:-Good commercial soda asb, half a pound to the gallon
of water, is brought to the boiling point, and slaked lime of good quality,
either in fine powder, or as a paste, is added by degrees so as not to
interrupt the ebullition. Half the weight in lime of the soda ash employed.
is sufficient, but it is as well to add about 2, as it is essential that the liquid
should be thoroughly caustic. When all the lime has been been added, the
liquid is kept boiling for a few minutes, and a small quantity of it should

page_text: "
be tested as to its causticity. If there is still an evolution of carbonic acid,
the liquid must be boiled a little longer, and, if necessary, more lime added,
if not it is run out of the pan, and either filtered or allowed to stand until the
clear liquor can be decanted from the sediment, it will then shew
between 8° to 10° Baumé and is ready for use. A liquor prepared in the
same manner, and in the same proportions, substituting pearl ash for soda
ash, answers equally well, but it is of course more expensive, except
when it is desired in the subsequent process to produce the, cyanogen
compounds of potassium. It must be understood that I do not confine myself
to this particular strength of liquor, which may be varied considerably, accord-
ing to circumstances. For instance a liquor of 3° Baumé answers well with
light goods, and may under certain circumstances be preferable, but its action
upon heavy goods is slow, and these being moreover much more impregnated
with dirt, grease, or other impurities, and the object of this part of the process
being also to remove or loosen these impurities, and decompose or "break up
refractory colors, it is desirable to use a much stronger liquor. Generally
speaking a weak lye acts slowly, and a strong lye rapidly. Care should
however be taken, not to employ too strong a liquor, as that would be apt to
attack the vegetable fibre also. The time required for the steep or digestion
may vary from a few minutes to possibly several hours, and depends of
course upon the strength of the liquor, the goods operated upon, and the
degree of heat employed. An ordinary workman after a little experience
will be able to judge when all the wool or other animal fibre is destroyed.
The goods are then lifted out of the "steep" and should be subjected to
pressure in order to express as much of the caustic liquid as possible, not
only for the purpose of saving the liquor together with the wool dissolved
in it, but also to render the subsequent treatinent, washing and rinsing,
less irksome to the workmen, whose hands would be seriously attacked if
much caustic liquor were allowed to enter into the washing tank or machine.
The same caustic liquor will do for several lots, generally speaking. one
part of soda will dissolve three to four parts of wool, an approximate idea
of the liquor being exhausted may therefore be formed from the quantity
of wool contained in the goods under treatment. When the liquor is
exhausted or
"spent
it is run either into a reservoir for future treatment
or at once into the evaporating pans. Various mechanical contrivances will
easily suggest themselves to assist the operation. Cast iron pans will do,
but where steam can be had for heating, even wooden tubs or troughs
might be used.
Second, the cleaning and bleaching of the wocntable Chro

page_text: (a.) The Cleaning. After the goods have passed through the process
described under No. One, they are thrown into a spacious tank, trough, or
washing machine, and must be thoroughly washed and rinsed with plenty
of water, for now the object is to remove all the dirt, dust, or other impurities
loosened as it were, by the action of the alkali, and also the last traces of wool
or rather solution of wool adhering to the threads or fibres of the fabric,
particularly in the seams and knots or collars and gathers. It will then be
seen that some of the goods have become nearly white, and others are of a
greyish hue, while others still retain their original color or nearly so." It is
advisable to sort them, and. treat the latter seperately. The grey and nearly
white rags I immerse in an acid bath composed of one part of acid to 300 to
500 parts of water, or even weaker still, say one part of acid to 1000 parts of
water. It is not a matter of indifference whether sulphuric, hydrochloric, or
nitric acid be employed. Under ordinary conditions sulphuric acid answers
the purpose, but the goods steeped in this should be well rinsed in water before
they pass into the bleaching vat, otherwise they will contain some sulphate of
lime (if chloride of lime be employed) and present a kind of "limy❞ appear-
If the goods are rather grey, or I wish to assist the action of the.
bleaching agent, I use hydrochloric acid, wring or press the goods without
rinsing in water, and pass them into the bleaching vat. Nitric acid I have
found useful in removing or breaking up certain refractory colors.
ance.
The goods that have retained all or some of their original colors, and
printed goods containing no wool, such as chintzes, prints, muslins, and. the
like, that do not require to be treated as under No. One, I treat as follows:-
I prepare a weak alkaline bath by diluting the liquor described under
No. One to about 2° or 3° Baumé, add a very small quantity of red prussiate
of potash, and immerse the goods in it with or without the assistance of heat.
The addition of the prussiate is not absolutely necessary, but some colors that
resist the action of the plain bath will give way under the influence of this
reagent. The goods must remain in this bath for some time, from half an
hour to two or three hours, after which they are wrung or pressed, and passed
into the acid bath, and are then treated alike with the grey and nearly white.
Should it be found that the action has not been complete, the immersion into
the acid or alkaline bath, or both, must be repeated.
(b.) The Bleaching.-As the bleaching agent, I employ a weak solution of
chloride of lime (bleaching powder) prepared so that no particles of un-
dissolved chloride float about in it, which answers all ordinary purposes, but
may of course be made stronger, or assisted with acid, according to circum-
stances. In some cases the chloride of soda or potash (eau de javelle) might

page_text: be used with advantage. The goods must remain immersed in the bleaching
liquid for a period varying according to the quality of the goods under treat-
ment; it may even be necessary to take them out, wring them, and re-immerse
them in the acid or alkaline bath, or both, before some of the colors or the
yellowish tint of others will give way. If the goods are very bad I boil them
in a weak solution of soap, and wash them, and, in fact, treat them as
goods are ordinarily treated in the process of washing and bleaching. It
is desirable to protect them as much as possible against the action of the
bleaching agent-in other words, to keep them exposed to it as short a time
as can conveniently be done. When the bleaching is considered complete or
sufficient, the goods must be thoroughly washed or rinsed to remove every
trace of the bleaching agent, which would otherwise in course of time attack
the fibre itself, and ultimately destroy it; it may even be necessary to have
recourse to reducing agents, such as "antichlor." The goods are now dried,
and are finished.
Third, the Treatment of the Animal Fibre.-The alkaline liquid run into
the reservoir after process No. One of course contains soda (or potash) in com-
bination with the component parts of the wool; silk; hair, or other animal
fibre that may have been contained in the fabrics operated upon, and being
consequently very rich in nitrogen, is applicable to all the purposes for which
nitrogenous substances are employed in the arts, such as manure, and the
manufacture of ammonia and cyanogen compounds. For manure, it may be
used in the liquid state, or, for the sake of convenience, boiled down to
dryness. For the manufacture of ammonia and cyanogen compounds, I
evaporate the liquid to a thick syrupy consistence, and then subject it to
destructive distillation. As during the evaporation small quantities of ammonia
are evolved, it may be desirable to perform the operation in an ordinary still
or boiler with a condensor, in order to collect the ammonia. If my object is
to obtain as much ammonia as possible, I mix the syrupy mass with lime
previous to distillation. The residium in the retorts contains charcoal with
carbonate of lime and soda (or potash) and other compounds, together with
considerable quantities of cyanide of sodium (or potassium) which I extract
in the usual manner, and convert into ferrocyanide, if desirable. If my object
be to produce cyanogen compounds in preference to ammonia, I add to tho
syrupy mass soda ash (or pearl ash) in proportion to the quality or strength
of the liquid, and subject it to distillation in the usual manner, taking care to
collect the ammonia as well, which is necessarily or usually evolved. The
illuminating gas evolved during the process, and which is of very good quality,
may be utilized for lighting purposes, or burnt'in the furnace. The apparatus

page_text: is the ordinary apparatus used for such manufactures, but may be varied con-
siderably to suit the requirements of the case.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Lorberg, have hercunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight bundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
J. W. Cuff.
WILLIAM LORBERG. (L.s.)