In- PROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF YARNS OR THREADS AND TEXTILE FABRICS COMPOSED OF FLAX, HEMP, OR COTTON AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "In-
PROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF YARNS OR THREADS AND TEXTILE FABRICS
COMPOSED OF FLAX, HEMP, OR COTTON AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN."-A communication from abroad by Léon Jarosson, of Paris,
in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 19th April 1865, and dated the 8th November 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th November 1864.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF YARNS OR THREADS AND TEXTILE FABRICS
COMPOSED OF FLAX, HEMP, OR COTTON, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN,"
a communication to me from abroad by Léon Jarosson, of Paris, in the
Empire of France, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel system or mode of and apparatus for
washing and bleaching yarns or threads and textile fabrics, composed of flax,

page_text: hemp, or cotton, whereby a considerable economy in time, labour, and materials
employed is effected.
According to this Invention, the thread or textile fabric to be washed and
bleached is first impregnated with an alkaline solution, such, for example, as
salt of soda or potash, or caustic soda of a strength varying from 1 to 5 degrees
by the hydrometer according to the nature of the thread or fabric. After
being allowed to drain the materials are to be suspended from bars or rollers
inside a close vessel provided with a tight-fitting lid or cover and safety valve,
care being taken to suspend the materials closely together so as to fill up the
vessel. Having closed the lid or cover tightly, steam is introduced into the
vessel through perforated pipe underneath a false bottom, the materials
being left to the action of the steam at a pressure of from one to two
atmospheres for a period varying from one to two hours. On the completion
of this steaming process the goods are removed, rinsed, and subjected to the
action of chloride and acids, as in the usual mode of treatment. In order to
gummy foreign matter from flax, thread, or yarn, before weaving
it into fabrics, it is simply requisite to subject it to the action of steam for
about an hour in the closed vessel, above referred to, when the thread or yarn
will be found to be round, brilliant, and firm.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th May 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,-
the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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

page_text: Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF YARNS, OR THREADS AND TEXTILE FABRICE
COMPOSED OF FLAX, HEMP, OR COTTON, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN,"
a communication to me from abroad by Léon Jarosson, of Paris, in the,
Empire of France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Henry Johnson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to ba
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 John Henry Johnson, 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 fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The said Invention relates to a novel system or mode of and apparatus for
washing and bleaching yarns or threads and textile fabrics composed of flax,
hemp, or cotton, whereby a considerable economy in time, labour, and materials
employed is effected.
According to this Invention the thread or textile fabric to be washed and
bleached is first impregnated with an alkaline solution, such, for example, as
of soda or potash or caustic soda of a strength varying from from 1 to 5 degrees
by the hydrometer according to the nature of the thread or fabric. After
being allowed to drain, the materials are to be suspended from bars or rollers
inside a close vessel provided with a tight-fitting lid or cover and safety valve;
care being taken to suspend the materials closely together so as to fill up the
vessel. Having closed the lid or cover tightly, steam is introduced into the
vessel through a perforated pipe underneath a false bottom, the materials
being left to the action of the steam at a pressure of from one to two
atmospheres for a period varying from one to two hours. On the completion
of this steaming process the goods are removed, rinsed, and subjected to tho
action of chloride and acids, as in the usual mode of treatment. In order to
remove the gumny foreign matter from flax, thread, or yarn before weaving
it into fabrics, it is simply requisite to subject it to the action of steam for about
an hour in the closed vessel, above referred to, when the thread or yarn will
be found to be round, brilliant, and firm.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the Drawing annexed, which represents a sectional elevation of the
L

page_text: general arrangement of apparatus employed, and the mode of using the same
in carrying out the said Invention.
A is a large sheet metal vessel or receiver provided with a hinged lid or
cover F tightly closed by means of screws; any other convenient form of
receiver may be employed, and it may be made of wood, stone, or copper.
The fabrics or yarns of cotton or flax are simply impregnated with an
alkaline solution, such, for example, as a solution of salt of soda or of potash,
or of caustic soda varying from 1 to 5 degrees by the hydrometer, according
to the nature of the particular materials operated upon. When the materials
are well moistened and have been allowed to drain, they are suspended inside
the receiver A, as shewn in the Drawing, from rollers E placed close
together so as to leave as little vacant space as possible inside the receiver.
The cover F is now closed perfectly tight by means of the screws a and the
cock 6 for the introduction of the steam by the pipe B is opened. The steam
enters by the perforated portion C of this pipe situated beneath the wooden
false bottom D of the receiver, and is kept turned on for the space of from
one to two hours, a pressure being maintained inside the receiver during that
period equal to from one to two atmospheres. When the steaming process is
completed it is simply requisite to remove the goods from the receiver to
rinse them well, and then to subject them to the well-known treatment of
chlorides and of acids for the purpose of bleaching them. A safety valve G
is fitted to the lid or cover of the apparatus to prevent any danger of the
pressure becoming increased beyond the desired amount, and a discharge
cock H is fitted to the bottom of the receiver for the purpose of running off
the water of condensation collecting therein.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the system or modo of washing or cleaning yarns and woven
fabrics composed of flax, hemp, or cotton without the aid of liquids, sub-
stantially as herein-before described.
Second, the application and use to, and in the cleansing and bleaching of
yarns or fabrics composed of flax, hemp, or cotton of a closed vessel or
receiver in which the goods to be treated are suspended, and subjected to the
action of steam under pressure, substantially as herein-before described.
Thirdly, the system or mode of treating flax yarns with a view to the
removal therefrom of the gummy foreign matter, and for preparing them for

page_text: the subsequent process of weaving into cloth, substantially in the manner
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Eighth day of May, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-five.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)