IM- PROVEMENTS IN PREPARING WOOL
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Maurice Sautter, of Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin,
No. 50, Paris, in the Empire of France, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN PREPARING WOOL." -A communication from Louis
Robbins, of New York, United States of America.
Scaled the 6th April 1869, and dated the 23rd October 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Maurice Sautter at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd October 1868.
I, MAURICE SAUTTER, of Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, No. 50, Paris,
in the Empire of France, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING WOOL," to be as follows:-
It is a well-known fact that wool in its natural condition contains or
is pervaded by elements of an alkaline and oily nature in combination
which form a gummy or glutinous substance on the fibre of the wool,
which must be removed before the same is suitable for manufacturing
purposes, and also that the wool requires to be oiled after it has been

page_text: cleansed and before it is manufactured. To remove the alkaline, oily, and
gummy substances from the wool, and to oil it in a suitable manner
previous to its being manufactured, as well as to soften and improve the
fibre of the same, is the object of the present Invention, and this object
is accomplished thereby.
'The method consists, first, in saturating the wool with the light
vapors obtained from a distillation of petroleum, naphtha, or other similar
'substances; and secondly, in supplying oil to the wool in the form of
vapor after it has been properly cleansed and before it has been
converted into fabric.
Many materials and processes have been employed to cleanse wool and
to prepare it for the manufacturer, but the best of these have only been
partially successful, owing to the nature of the materials employed and
the defective methods of their application. One form of apparatus for
using the improved process consists in a retort made of any desirable
form and size in which petroleum, naptha, or other oleaginous sub-
stances or compounds are placed and subjected to the action of heat
from any suitable furnace. The retort communicates with chambers or
receptacles in which the wool is placed; heat being applied to the retort
which contains the petroleum or similar substance vapors are generated
therein, the first or lightest of which are allowed to escape, after which the
vapors pass through the connecting pipe into the chamber or chambers
containing the wool, dissolving the glutinous substances that pervade the
same, so that the subsequent washing removes them completely, leaving
the fibre in a more perfect condition for manufacturing purposes than
can be produced by any other process. After the cleansing process
the wool may be oiled for the manufacturer's use by the same general
method or process already described, using in the retort oleaginous
compounds.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in
the thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Maurice Sautter, Her
special licence that I, the said Maurice Sautter, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Maurice Sautter, 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
PREPARING WOOL," a communication from Louis Robbins, of New York,
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Maurice Sautter, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Maurice Sautter, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
It is a well-known fact that wool in its natural condition contains or
is pervaded by clements of an alkaline and oily nature in combination
which form a gummy or glutinous substance on the fibre of the wool,
which must be removed before the same is suitable for manufacturing
purposes; and also that the wool requires to be oiled after it has been
cleansed and before it is manufactured. To remove the alkaline, oily,
and gummy substances from the wool, and to oil it in a suitable manner
previous to its being manufactured, as well as to soften and improve the
fibre of the same, is the object of the present Invention, and this object
is accomplished thereby.
The method consists, first, in saturating the wool with the light
vapours obtained from a distillation of petroleum, naptha, or other similar
substances; and secondly, in supplying oil to the wool in the form of

page_text: vapour after it has been properly cleansed and before it has been
converted into fabric.
Many materials and processes have been employed to cleanse wool and
to prepare it for the manufacturer, but the best of these have only been
partially successful owing to the nature of the materials employed, and
the defective methods of their application. One form of apparatus for
using the improved process, and that which I prefer, consists in a retort
made of any desirable form and size in which petroleum, naptha, or other
volatile oleaginous substances or compounds are placed and subjected
to the action of heat from any suitable furnace. The retort com-
municates with chambers or receptacles in which the wool is placed.
Heat being applied to the retort which contains the petroleum or similar
substance vapors are generated therein, the first or lightest of which are
allowed to escape, after which the vapors pass through the connecting
pipe into the chamber or chambers containing the wool, dissolving the
glutinous substances that pervade the same, so that the subsequent
washing removes them completely, leaving the fibre in a more perfect
condition for manufacturing purposes than can be produced by any
other process. After the cleansing process the wool may be oiled for tho
manufacturer's use by the same general method or process already
described, using in the retort oleaginous compounds.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that what I
claim is, the preparing wool by submitting it to the vapour of petroleum,
naphtha, or other volatile oleaginous substance, and then washing the
fibre, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the Maurice Sautter, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
MAURICE SAUTTER. (L.S.)