An Improved Process of Extracting Fatty Matters from Wool.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Nov., 1898-Accepted, 4th Feb., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process of Extracting Fatty Matters from Wool.
I, CARL GRUENE, of Muskauer Strasse No. 64, Berlin, in the Empire of Germany
Chemist, 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:.
My invention consists in a method or process of extracting and recovering the
natural grease and fatty matters and analogous materials from wool, feathers and
other fibres.
The following description of the method now employed by me in extracting the
natural grease from wool, will enable those skilled in the art to apply my invention
not only to the cleaning of wool but to the cleansing of other fibres.
Prior to my invention, the practice has been to remove the natural grease from
wool by the use of chemical agents. In some instances, the chemical agent
employed has been an alkali. In other instances the chemical agent employed has
been a solvent, such for example, as naphtha, benzine or benzole. It is well
known, however, that the use of such chemical agents injures the fibre to a greater
or less extent, and that those methods which involve the use of a volatile agent are
dangerous to practice. In my method no chemical agents whatever are or need be
employed, and the natural strength and complete integrity of the fibre is or may be
therefore preserved.
In the practice of my invention, I subject wool under the influence of heat to
the action of a mechanical absorbent. This may be done by placing the wool to
be treated in a suitable apparatus, in which is also placed the absorbing material,
and in which the two are thoroughly agitated or mixed together while being
subjected to heat externally applied. The absorbent material which I now prefer
to employ is diatomeceous earths or kisselguhr, in a finely divided or pulverulent
condition. The effect of the treatment is not only to remove the natural grease
which the wool carries, but also to clean and scour it. The absorbent material is
separated from the cleaned wool subsequently by dusting, or in any other desired
manner.
It is impossible to state, with accuracy, the exact proportion of absorbent re-
quired to be intermingled with the oil-bearing material or the precise temperature
to be employed, since the quantity of treating material and the temperature at
which treatment is effected are both dependent, to a greater or less extent, upon
the character of the material under treatment, and the amount or character of the
oil or analogous material carried therewith. In general terms, however, I may say
that at the present time I generally employ, in the treatment of wool of the
average character, about one ton of absorbent to six tons of wool; but these
proportions may be varied greatly. Since wool is injuriously affected by a tempera-

page_text: ture much exceeding 120° Fahr., I have in practice avoided the use of a higher
temperature than that, which I have found to be efficient for the purpose.
Generally, it may be stated that the proportion of the absorbent should preferably
be controlled by the amount of oil or equivalent matter to be removed, and that
the temperature should be regulated, below the limit where injury will result to
the fibre, by the character of the oil or equivalent matter to be removed.
After the absorbent material containing the removed grease is separated from the
wool, the grease may be reclaimed by any of the known processes, such, for
example, as hydraulic pressure, distillation, or a treatment with naphtha, gasolene,
or other suitable solvents. The grease thus obtained may be filtered, bleached and
clarified to produce a pure quality of wool fat, which is useful in the arts.
My invention is applicable not only to the extracts of natural grease and fatty
matters from animal fibres, but it may be advantageously applied to the extraction
from other fibres of other matters rendered fluid or more fluid by heat, as, for
example, the extraction of resinous matters from vegetable fibres.
In the accompanying drawings, I have shown an apparatus in which my inven-
tion may be produced, in which drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the
machine, Fig. 2 is a top view of the working parts, and Fig. 3 is a detail of the
picker but it will be understood that my invention is not limited to the use
of such a machine, or, indeed, any machine, as it may be practiced by any suitable
contrivance. The description of the machine is introduced here only for the purpose
of showing one apparatus by the agency of which my invention can be practiced
economically on a large scale.
The following is a description of the machine illustrated in the accompanying
drawings:
5 is a box of any suitable material enclosing the working parts. 6 is wool being
fed into the machine over a table 7. 8 is a stationary comb, and 9 is a movable
comb acting together as a picker to separate the wool. The motion of the comb 9
is controlled by a pulley 10 having an eccentrically placed stud 11, operating in
a slot 12 on the comb-carrier 13, which comb-carrier is supported on a pin 14 operating
in a slot 15. 16 is a spring bearing on the upper side of the comb-carrier. It will
be readily understood that the pulley 10 moves the comb 9 backward, then upward,
then forward, then downward into engagement with the fibre, and operates as an
ordinary picker. 17 is a motor or other suitable source of power by which the
various parts are actuated through connecting belts. 18, 19 are endless belts
moving over idlers, as shown, by means of which the wool is agitated and mixed
with the earth. 20 is earth contained in the bottom of the box supplied from a
tank 21, having a valve 22. 23 is an elevator of well known form, the buckets
of which carry the earth upward and discharge it into a receptacle 24, from which
it is by an air-blast 25 blown on to the wool. 26 is a water tank and 27 is
a ball valve for controlling the water level. 28 is a steam pipe for heating the
water and thereby heating the earth and also the interior of the box.
idlers 29 29 29 are carried on a support 30, which vibrates up and down through
the agency of an eccentrically placed pin 31 on pulley 32, which reciprocating
motion aids in the complete admixture of the earth with the wool.
The
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The method of extracting natural grease and analogous materials from wool,
feathers and other fibres, which consists in subjecting said fibres, while in a heated
condition, to the action of a mechanical absorbent.
2. The method of extracting the natural grease and analogous materials from
wool, feathers and other fibres, consisting in subjecting said materials in a heated
condition to the action of diatomaceous earth.
3. The method of manufacturing wool fat or analogous fats, which consists in
subjecting wool, feathers or analogous materials in a heated condition to the action

page_text: of an absorbent material, then separating the absorbent from the same, and finally
extracting the fat from the absorbent, substantially as described.
Dated this 8th day of November 1898.
EDWARDS AND
CO.,
Chartered Patent Agents,
165 and 66, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.