AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF TREATING COTTON. SEED AND UTILIZING THE REFUSE RESULTING THEREFROM
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Lorberg, of Brunswick Place, City Road,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
PROCESS OF TREATING COTTON. SEED AND UTILIZING THE REFUSE RESULTING
THEREFROM."
Sealed the 16th February 1869, and dated the 14th October 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Lorberg at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on.
the 14th October 1868.
I, WILLIAM LORBERG, of Brunswick Place, City Road, in the County
5 of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF TREATING COTTON SEED AND UTILIZING THE REFUSE
RESULTING THEREFROM," to be as follows:-
The novelty of this Invention consists in treating cotton seed with
sulphuric acid of a strength and in proportions varying according to
circumstances with agitation, by which the cotton is dissolved or assimi-
lated. When the action is complete I add a small quantity of water

page_text: to separate the glutinous matter from the seed, and lastly remove the
acid by an alkaline bath and rapidly dry the seed by any suitable means.
The refuse I employ for manure.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Lorberg in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 13th April 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
LORBERG, of Brunswick Place, City Road, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth 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 suc-
cessors, 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 make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF
TREATING COTTON SEED AND UTILIZING THE REFUSE RESULTING THEREFROM," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Lorberg, my
executors or administrators, 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 samic 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 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, that is to say :-.
This Invention consists in treating cotton seed with sulphuric acid
of a strength and in proportions varying according to circumstances with

page_text: to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same
into practical effect as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCESS.
I take strong sulphuric acid of specific gravity 1,800 or 1,700 in the
proportion of one part more or less of acid to from eight to twelve
parts more or less of seed, and stir the mixture in order to effect
thorough contact. The greater or less quantity of acid and seed must
be regulated according to the quality of the sced and the temperature
in which the process is conducted, for example, if the seed is moderately
dry, and the temperature maintained at about 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit,
the proportion of 1 part of acid to 12 parts of seed acts perfectly well.
When the process is complete, that is to say, when the cotton is changed
into a glutinous mass of a dark brown colour, I add water to remove
both the acid and the glutinous matter; two or three washings will
generally be found sufficient. A weak alkaline bath may also be used,
I prefer one consisting of about one part of ammonia to one hundred
parts of water. This ammoniacal bath tends to improve the colour of
the seed. In order to prevent absorption it is desirable that the seed
should not be kept long in water. The seed is then dried by any
suitable means, and may be finally passed through a polishing machine
to give it a glossy appearance. If it is desired to use a weaker acid than
that above stated, the process or modus operandi must be varied as
follows: I immerse the seed in the acid until the cotton is penetrated
thereby, which may require from five to fifteen minutes, more or less;
I then expose the seed so soaked to a current of dry air at a temperature of
about 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, until the cotton becomes disintegrated
when it may be removed by friction; I do not however recommend the
use of weak acid, as I have found the results more satisfactory with
strong acid. The liquid refuse resulting from the above process deposits
on standing a brown substance, which may be separated from the liquid
by draining or decantation, and will constitute an excellent manure.

page_text: Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my
said Invention for "An Improved Process of Treating Cotton Seed and
Utilizing the Refuse resulting therefrom," I hereby declare that what I
claim as the Invention intended to be secured to me by the hercin-
before in part recited Letters Patent is, treating cotton seed with
sulphuric acid and water in the manner above described for the purpose
of disintegrating the cotton and removing the same from the seed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Lorberg, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.