A NEW AND IMPROVED CHEMICAL METHOD FOR SEPARATING THE NITROGENOUS MATTER IN HALF. WOOLLEN (CONTAINING CELLULOSE) RAGS INTO AN EASILY DECOMPOSABLE POWDER FROM THE CELLULOSE, RENDERING THEM FIT FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FERTILIZERS AND PAPER, AND ALSO THE PREPARATION OF THE SAME NITROGENOUS POWDER IN A LIKE MANNER OUT OF PURE WOOLLEN RAGS AND HAIR
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank Wirth, of the Firm of Wirth and Company,
Patent Solicitors, at Frankfort-on-the-Main, in the Empire of Germany, for the
Invention of "A NEW AND IMPROVED CHEMICAL METHOD FOR SEPARATING
THE NITROGENOUS MATTER IN HALF. WOOLLEN (CONTAINING CELLULOSE)
RAGS INTO AN EASILY DECOMPOSABLE POWDER FROM THE CELLULOSE,
RENDERING THEM FIT FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FERTILIZERS AND PAPER,
AND ALSO THE PREPARATION OF THE SAME NITROGENOUS POWDER IN A LIKE
MANNER OUT OF PURE WOOLLEN RAGS AND HAIR." A communication from
L. Rissmüller, Doctor of Philosophy, and H. Wiesinger, Doctor of Philosophy,
of Göttingen, in the Empire of Germany.
Sealed the 13th June 1878, and dated the 11th February 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frank Wirth at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th February 1878.
FRANK WIRTH, of the Firm of Wirth and Company, Patent Solicitors, at Frank-
fort-on-the-Main, in the Empire of Germany. "A NEW AND IMPROVED CHEMICAL
METHOD FOR SEPARATING THE NITROGENOUS MATTER IN HALF WOOLLEN (CON-
TAINING CELLULOSE) RAGS INTO AN EASILY DECOMPOSABLE POWDER FROM THE
CELLULOSE, RENDERING THEM FIT FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FERTILIZERS AND
PAPER, AND ALSO THE PREPARATION OF THE SAME NITROGENOUS POWDER IN A
LIKE MANNER OUT OF PURE WOOLLEN RAGS AND HAIR." A communication
from L. Rissmüller, Doctor of Philosophy, and H. Wiesinger, Doctor of Philosophy,
of Göttingen, in the Empire. of Germany.
This Invention consists in the treatment of rags or hair with lime water diluted
and heated up to 100° Cent. 4 kilos. of oxide of lime are diluted with 200 to
300 kilos. of water and heated by steam or otherwise in wooden or iron barrels up
to 100° Cent.; to this mixture is added 50 kilos. of the substance to be treated. By
continual induction of steam or otherwise the contents of the barrel are kept
boiling and in continual mixing movement. After 50 to 60 minutes the operation
I Prine A

page_text: is finished and the rags or hair are taken out of the hot mixture, which is used
immediately again for the same purpose, after having added thereto the specified
quantity of lime. The wet rags are separated from the principal quantity of the
solution by pressing, and afterwards dried in a kiln.
The chemical changes which take place in this process are as follows:-The nitro-
genous substance (woollen stuff and hair) when it is wet can easily be pressed by
hand to a fine paste and then dried to a fine powder. A small part of the substance
remains dissolved in the solution, and a still smaller portion is lost as ammoniacal
gas. The cellulose which the rags contain (linen and cotton) remains fully
unchanged, and is used, after being separated mechanically from the nitrogenous
substance as a valuable material for the manufacture of paper.
The mechanical separation or manufacturing of the prepared substance is as
follows: In the dried mass the nitrogenous substance may be separated from the
cellulose by any known apparatus in suitable manner, for example, by a flax-
dressing machine, or by a stone-grinding machine with a sieve, or by a stamping
mill with a moveable sieve bottom, as used for the powdering of bones.
By any of these apparati we get the nitrogenous substance in a fine powder, and
the cellulose in an unmixed unchanged form.
In treating an unadulterated woollen stuff or hair it is more convenient to use a
stone-grinding machine for powdering.
The nitrogenous powder prepared as described serves, after adding the sulphuric
acid necessary for the neutralization of the lime when combined with the fertilizer,
to give it the necessary quantity of ammonia. The powder contains the whole
quantity of nitrogen which exists in the raw substance. The quantity of nitrogen
which remains in the boiling mixture, and that which escapes as ammoniacal gas, is
too small to be saved. The partial solution and the changing of the woollen sub-
stance into ammonia shows that the decomposition of the woollen substance is
already prepared by the treatment of lime water in the manner necessary for use
with the fertilizer in the soil; also the powder is an excellent and easily decom-
posable nitrogenous fertilizer which is equally as valuable as other important nitro-
genous matter used for fertilizing purposes.
The linen and the cotton recovered from the rags can be employed, and is of
equal value for the manufacture of paper as linen and cotton rags..
The advantages of this Invention are as follows:-Formerly we got from rags
only a part of their nitrogen; we now obtain the whole mass of it in a form directly
employable for the manufacturing, of fertilizers.
Formerly we were obliged to destroy that ingredient of rags, the cellulose, in
order to use a part of the nitrogen; we are enabled by our method of chemical
separation to obtain the latter in a form which produces an excellent material for
the manufacture of paper.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Frank Wirth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th August
1878.
FRANK WIRTH, of the Firm of Wirth and Company, Patent Solicitors, at Frank-
fort-on-the-Main, in the Empire of Germany. "A NEW AND IMPROVED CHEMICAL
METHOD FOR SEPARATING THE NITROGENOUS MATTER IN HALF WOOLLEN (CON-
TAINING CELLULOSE) RAGS INTO AN EASILY DECOMPOSABLE POWDER FROM THE
CELLULOSE, RENDERING THEM FIT FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FERTILIZERS AND
PAPER, AND ALSO THE PREPARATION OF THE SAME NITROGENOUS POWDER IN A
LIKE MANNER OUT OF PURE WOOLLEN RAGS AND HAIR." A communication
from L. Rissmüller, Doctor of Philosophy, and H. Wiesinger, Doctor of Philosophy,
of Göttingen, in the Empire of Germany.
This Invention consists in the treatment of rags or hair with lime water diluted
and heated up to 100° Centigrade, or near thereto. In performing the Invention
4 kilogrames of oxide of lime are diluted with 200 to 300 kilogrammes of water and
heated by steam or otherwise in wooden or iron barrels up to 100° Cent. or there-
abouts; to this mixture is added 50 kilogrammes of the substance to be treated. By
continual induction of steam or otherwise the contents of the barrels are kept
boiling and in continual mixing movement. After 50 to 60 minutes the opera-
tion is finished, and rags or hair are taken out of the hot mixture, which is
used immediately again for the same purpose, after having added thereto the
specified quantity of lime. The wet rags are separated from the principal quantity
of the solution by pressing, and afterwards dried in a kiln.
A small
The chemical changes which take place in this process are as follows:-The
nitrogenous substance (woollen stuff and hair) when it is wet can easily be
pressed by hand to a fine paste, and then dried to a fine powder.
part of the substance remains dissolved in the solution, and a still smaller
portion is lost as ammoniacal gas. The cellulose which the rags contain (linen
and cotton) remains fully unchanged, and is used, after being separated mechani-
cally from the nitrogenous substance, as a valuable material for the manufacture of
paper.
The mechanical separation or manufacturing of the prepared substance is as
follows: In the dried mass the nitrogenous substance may be separated from
the cellulose by any known apparatus in suitable manner, for example, by a
flax-dressing machine, or by a stone-grinding machine with a sieve, or by
a stamping mill with a moveable sieve bottom, as used for the powdering of
bones.
By any of these apparati we get the nitrogenous substance in a fine powder,
and the cellulose in an unmixed unchanged form.
In treating an unadulterated woollen stuff or hair it is more convenient to use a
stone-grinding machine for powdering.
The nitrogenous powder, prepared as described, serves, after adding the sulphuric
acid necessary for the neutralization of the lime, when combined with the fertilizer
to give it the necessary quantity of ammonia. The powder contains the whole
quantity of nitrogen which exists in the raw substance. The quantity of nitrogen
which remains in the boiling mixture, and that which escapes as ammoniacal gas, is
too small to be saved. The partial solution and the changing of the woollen sub-
stance into ammonia shows that the decomposition of the woollen substance is
already prepared by the treatment of lime water in the manner necessary for use
with the fertilizer in the soil. Also the powder is an excellent and easily decom-
posable nitrogenous fertilizer, which is equally as valuable as other important nitro-
genous matter used for fertilizing purposes.
The linen and the cotton recovered from the raga can be employed, and is of
equal value for the manufacture of paper as linen and cotton rags.

page_text: The advantages of this Invention are as follows:-Formerly we got from rags
only a part of their nitrogen, we now obtain the whole mass of it in a form directly
employable for the manufacturing of fertilizers.
Formerly we were obliged to destroy that ingredient of rags, the cellulose, in
order to use a part of the nitrogen; we are enabled by our method of chemical
separation to obtain the latter in a form which produces an excellent material for
the manufacture of paper.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frank Wirth, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
FRANK WIRTH. (L.S.)