THE APPLICATION AND TREATMENT OF CERTAIN PLANTS, NOT HITHERTO USED, FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FILAMENTS PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jouanem Dupont, of Nimes (Gard), in the
Republic of France, at present residing at Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, for the Invention of "THE APPLICATION AND TREATMENT
OF CERTAIN PLANTS, NOT HITHERTO USED, FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FILAMENTS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said. Jouancm Dupont at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th June 1872.
I, JOUANEM DUPONT, of Nimes (Gard), in the Republic of France, at
present residing at Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "THE APPLICATION AND
TREATMENT OF CERTAIN PLANTS, NOT HITHERTO USED, FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FILA-
MENTS AND FIBRES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in utilizing the leaves, stems, and flowers, but
more especially the leaves of the family of plants known as typha, and
more particularly typha latifolia, so as to obtain therefrom filaments and

page_text: fibres serviceable for many purposes in the arts. The filaments are
obtained by the treatment which I have perfected of great length and
strength, and are suitable for the following amongst other purposes :-
Rope and cord making, and spinning and weaving into textile fabrics,
whilst the shorter fibres are well adapted for use in making paper and
cardboard.
After the plants have been cut and dried they are macerated in water
with lime and sulphur; the proportions by weight being about 500 parts
water, 95 parts quicklime, 5 parts sulphur, for six days, more or less.
They are next washed and beaten so as to free them from resinous,
gummy, and objectionable matter, afterwards boiled in an alkaline solu-
tion, and finally washed with clean water.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Jouanen Dupont in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 12th December 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOUANEM
DUPONT, of Nimes (Gard), in the Republic of France, at present residing
at Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, sond grecting,
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Jouancm Dupont, Her special license that
I, the said Jouanem Dupont, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Jouanem Dupont, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 "THE APPLICATION AND TREATMENT
OF CERTAIN PLANTS, NOT HITHERTO USED, FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FILAMENTS AND
FIBRES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Jouanem
Dupont, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly

page_text: 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 Jouanem Dupont, 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 Invention consists in utilizing the leaves, stems, and flowers, but
more especially the leaves of the family of plants known as typha, and
more particularly typha latifolia (French massette, English bulrush), so
as to obtain therefrom filaments and fibres serviceable for many purposes
in the arts. The filaments are obtained by the treatment which I have
perfected of great length and strength, and are suitable for the following
amongst other purposes:-Rope and cord making, and spinning and
wcaving into textile fabrics before or after bleaching, whilst the shorter
fibres are well adapted for making paper or cardboard.
In nearly every country there are large tracts of marshy uncultivated
land which would answer well for the growth of typha latifolia and
plants of the family of typha, and it has been my endeavour, whilst
introducing a new industry, to make these lands productive.
In carrying my Invention into practice I proceed under one modifica-
tion, as follows:-After the plants have been cut and dried, and it is
preferred that they should be cut immediately upon attaining their full
growth, they are steeped or macerated in water with brine and sulphur
for six days, more or less; the proportions by weight being 500 parts
water, 95 parts quicklime, and 5 parts sulphur. They, the said plants, arc
next washed and beaten so as to free them from resinous, gummy, and
objectionable matter. The beating may be effected by rollers, by hand,
or other means. If it is desired to obtain white silky fibres, they are
boiled in an alkaline solution, bleached, and finally washed in clean
water.
Under another modification I treat the plants immediately after being
cut, by steeping or macerating them for from 1 to 6 days in water to
which quicklime and sulphur have been added in about the proportions
mentioned above. They are next boiled in the same liquor, or in similar

page_text: clean liquor, afterwards passed between pressing rollers, or beaten by
hand, and finally washed and dried. It will be obvious that the fibres
may be bleached.
The short fibres unfit for spinning or like textile purpose are made
into paper or cardboard by any suitable or known. process. The plants 5
may, as a whole, be reduced to pulp and used in the fabrication of
paper.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and particu-
larized the same in such manner that others will be enabled to reap the
advantages of my improvements at the proper time, I claim the applica- 1
tion and treatment of plants of the family of typha, for the production of
filaments and fibres.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jouanem Dupont, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Thirtieth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
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