IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING RAGS AND WASTE FABRICS, CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF MIXED ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE FIBRES FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING VALUABLE PRODUCTS THEREFROM, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO IN PART BE APplied to the TREATMENT OF WASTE WOOL, HORN, HAIR, AND OTHER ANALOGOUS SUBSTANCES FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING VALUABLE PRODUCTS THEREFROM
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Christopher Webb Smith, of the Firm of Cooper and
Smith, of Aston, near Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturing
Chemists, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING RAGS AND
WASTE FABRICS, CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF MIXED ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE
FIBRES FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING VALUABLE PRODUCTS THEREFROM,
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO IN PART BE APplied to the TREATMENT OF
WASTE WOOL, HORN, HAIR, AND OTHER ANALOGOUS SUBSTANCES FOR THE
PURPOSE OF OBTAINING VALUABLE PRODUCTS THEREFROM."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Christopher Webb Smith
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th May 1879.
CHRISTOPHER WEBB SMITH, of the Firm of Cooper and Smith, of Aston, near
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturing Chemists. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN TREATING RAGS AND WASTE FABRICS, CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF MIXED
ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE FIBRES FOR THE PURPOSE OF ОBTAINING VALUABLE
PRODUCTS THEREFROM, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO IN PART BE APPLLIED TO
THE TREATMENT OF WASTE WOOL, HORN, HAIR, AND OTHER ANALOGOUS SUB-
STANCES FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING VALUABLE PRODUCTS THEREFROM."
My Invention relates principally to rags and waste fabrics consisting essentially
of mixed animal and vegetable fibres; and my said Invention consists principally
of the improvements herein-after described in treating the same, whereby the
animal fibres are dissolved and separated from the vegetable fibres, leaving the said
vegetable fibres in a state of comparative purity; the products of the decomposition
of the animal fibres yielding valuable products, as hereinafter explained. I intro-
duce the rags or waste fabrics to be operated upon into a rotatory steam boiler
together with sulphide of sodium in the proportion of from two and a half to five
parts by weight of the said sulphide of sodium to every one hundred parts by
weight of the said materials to be operated upon, the sulphide of sodium being
dissolved in as small a quantity of water as suffices to dissolve it. The rotatory
boiler being set in motion steam under pressure is introduced into the said boiler
77751

page_text: and maintained at a pressure of from two to three atmospheres. In from one to
two hours the woollen fibres will have been dissolved. The liquid may be used to
treat more than one charge of rags. After the liquid has been exhausted it is
forced by steam out of the boiler into a tank, where it is mixed with gypsum or
sulphate of lime; the mixture being dried by heat forms a valuable manure.
Or
instead of sulphide of sodium I employ quicklime in powder in the same proportion,
the said quicklime being introduced into the boiler in a dry state, and steam under
a pressure of from one to two atmospheres being introduced into the boiler as
herein before described.
In
When I use quicklime the syrupy liquid obtained should be diluted with water
before its removal from the boiler in order to give it a more liquid consistence.
this case the nitrogen of the animal fibre is in part converted into ammonia, and
sufficient sulphuric acid is added to form therewith sulphate of ammonia, and also
to neutralize the lime. There is thus produced a mixture of sulphate of ammonia
and sulphate of lime, which by being dried forms a valuable manure.
Although I prefer to act on the rags by means of steam under pressure in con-
junction with sulphide of sodium or quicklime, yet the same or nearly the same
effect may be produced by the action of steam alone. When hower steam alone
is used it is desirable to employ a pressure of from three to four atmospheres. The
dissolved animal fibres forn a valuable manure.
The cotton fibres from which the woollen fibres have been removed are washed
in water either by the use of a centrifugal machine or otherwise, so as to remove
therefrom all traces of the liquid by which they have been operated upon. Or the
cotton fibres may be washed in the boiler by water being passed through them,
the boiler being in motion. The cotton fibres thus obtained may be used as cotton
waste, or after having been bleached in the ordinary way may be used for other
purposes.
The process herein described in which sulphide of sodium is employed, as well
as the process in which steam alone is employed, are suitable for the treatment of
wool, horn, hair, and other analogous substances, that is, substances of animal
origin and containing nitrogen. The said substances when so treated yield a
valuable manure, either alone or mixed with sulphate of lime.
The ammonia obtained in the process herein before described, although especially
applicable for the manufacture of manure, may also be applied to the manufacture
of other ammoniacal compounds.
The rotatory steam boiler I prefer to employ is that commonly known as Donkin's
rotatory rag boiler, but I do not limit myself to the use of any particular apparatus.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Christopher Webb Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th November 1879.
"
CHRISTOPHER WEBB SMITH, of the Firm of Cooper and Smith, of Aston, near
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturing Chemists.
'IMPROVE-
MENTS IN TREATING RAGS AND WASTE FABRICS, CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF MIXED
ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE FIBRES FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING VALUABLE PRO-
DUCTS THEREFROM, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO IN PART BE APPLIED TO THE
TREATMENT OF WASTE WOOL, HORN, HAIR, AND OTHER ANALOGOUS SUBSTANCES
FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING VALUABLE PRODUCTS THEREFROM.”
My Invention relates principally to rags and waste fabrics consisting essentially
of mixed animal and vegetable fibres; and my said Invention consists principally
of the improvements herein after described in treating the same, whereby the
animal fibres are dissolved and separated from the vegetable fibres, leaving the said
vegetable fibres in a state of comparative purity; the products of the decomposition
of the animal fibres yielding valuable products, as herein after explained.
In carrying my Invention into effect I introduce the rags or waste fabrics to be
operated upon into a rotatory steam boiler together with sulphide of sodium in the
proportion of from two and a half to five parts by weight of the said sulphide of
sodium to every one hundred parts by weight of the said materials to be operated
upon, the sulphide of sodium being dissolved in as small a quantity of water as
suffices to dissolve it. The rotatory boiler being set in motion, steam under pressure
is introduced into the said boiler and maintained at a pressure of from two to three
atinospheres, that is, a pressure of from thirty to forty five pounds on the square
inch. Although in practice I have found steam of a pressure between these
extremes answers well I do not limit myself to those pressures. In from one to two
hours the woollen fibres will have been dissolved. The liquid may be used to
treat more than one charge of rags. After the liquid has been exhausted it is
forced by steam out of the boiler into a tank, where it is mixed with gypsum or
sulphate of lime; the mixture being dried by heat forms a valuable manure.
instead of sulphide of sodium I employ quicklime in powder in the same proportion,
the said quicklime being introduced into the boiler in a dry state, and steain under
pressure of by preference from one to two atmospheres, that is, from fifteen to
thirty pounds on the square inch, being introduced into the boiler, as herein before
described. The treatment with quicklime occupies from two to three hours.
Or
When I use quicklime the syrupy liquid obtained should be diluted with water
before its removal from the boiler in order to give it a more liquid consistence.
In this case the nitrogen of the animal fibre is in part converted into ammonia, and
sufficient sulphuric acid is added to form therewith sulphate of ammonia, and also
to neutralize the lime. There is thus produced a mixture of sulphate of ammonia
and sulphate of lime, which by being dried forms a valuable manure.
Although I prefer to act on the rags by means of steam under pressure in con-
junction with sulphide of sodium or quicklime, yet the same or nearly the same
effect may be produced by the action of steam alone. When however steam alone
is used it is desirable to employ a pressure of from three to four atmospheres. The
treatment by steam alone occupies from three to four hours.
The dissolved animal fibres form a valuable manure, either used in the liquid
form or mixed with sulphate of lime.
The cotton fibres from which the woollen fibres have been removed are washed
in water either by the use of a centrifugal machine or otherwise, so as to remove
therefrom all traces of the liquid by which they have been operated upon. Or the
cotton fibres may be washed in the boiler by water being passed through them, the
boiler being in motion. The cotton fibres thus obtained may be used as cotton

page_text: waste, or, after having been bleached in the ordinary way may be used for other
purposes.
The process herein described in which sulphide of sodium is employed, as well
as the process in which steam alone is employed, are suitable for the treatment of
wool, horn, hair, and other analogous substances, that is, substances of animal origin
and containing nitrogen. The said substances when so treated yield a valuable
manure, either alone or mixed with sulphate of lime.
The ammonia obtained in the process herein before described, although especially
applicable for the manufacture of manure, may also be applied to the manufacture
of other ammoniacal compounds.
The rotatory steam boiler I prefer to employ is that commonly known as
Donkin's rotatory rag boiler, but I do not limit myself to the use of any particular
apparatus.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to
the precise details herein described, as the same may be varied without departing
from the nature of my Invention,
But I claim as my Invention of improvements in treating rags and waste fabrics
consisting essentially of mixed animal and vegetable fibres, and also treating waste
wool, horn, hair, and other analogous substances, for the purpose of obtaining valu-
able products therefrom.
Treating the said rags and waste fabrics consisting of mixed animal and vegetable
fibres with sulphide of sodium and steam under pressure, or with quick lime and steam
under pressure, or by steam alone under pressure; and treating wool, horn, hair,
and other substances of animal origin, and containing nitrogen, with sulphide of
sodium and steam under pressure, or by steam alone under pressure, substantially
as and for the purposes described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Christopher Webb Smith, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
Witness,
JAMES MAWSON.
CHRISTOPHER WEBB SMITH. (LS.)