AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF SPINNING CERTAIN MIXED FIBRES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED
PROCESS OF SPINNING CERTAIN MIXED FIBRES." A communication from
abroad by Edouard Agache and Jules Joseph Imbs, both of Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd July 1880.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. " AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF SPINNING CERTAIN MIXED
FIBRES." [A communication from abroad by Edouard Agache and Jules Joseph
Imbs, both of Paris, France.]
This Invention relates to a process of spinning a mixture of tow, or flax
combings, and combed silk waste. It has been found that by intimately mixing
combed silk waste with tow or combings of flax or hemp, or other similar vegetable
textiles, excellent yarns or threads may be produced, provided such mixture be as
intimate as possible, and this it is the object of the present Invention to effect by a
particular method of spinning, hereinafter described.
To this end a sliver is first formed of a mixture of the fibres above mentioned by
passing said mixture, by preference, through the series of machines employed for
spinning flax, or through those for spinning floss silk, and from this sliver the yarn
or thread is produced by wet spinning, as practised with flax, that is to say, by
passing the sliver through a trough of hot water immediately before drawing it
between powerful rollers. The gummy matters of the flax and silk waste become
softened by the hot water, and the fibres are split up into exceedingly fine filaments,
which are intermingled, filament with filainent, whereby a much more intimate
mixture is obtained than if whole fibres or bundles of filaments were intermingled.
The mass of filaments thus intermingled becomes coated with the gummy matters
of each, and thus forms a yarn at once smooth, supple, and very strong.
If desired, bleaching or mordanting agents may be added to the trough for
bleaching or mordanting either the silk or flax. The above described process of
spinning may also be applied to silk waste, without any intermixture of vegetable
fibres.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd January 1881.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF SPINNING CERTAIN MIXED
FIBRES." A communication from abroad by Edouard Agache and Jules Joseph
Imbs, both of Paris, France.
This Invention relates to a process of spinning a mixture of tow or flax combings
and combed silk waste. It has been found that by intimately mixing combed silk
waste with tow or combings of flax or hemp, or other similar vegetable textiles,
excellent yarns or threads may be produced, provided such mixture be as intimate
as possible, and this it is the object of the present Invention to effect by a
particular method of spinning, hereinafter described.
To this end a roving is first formed of a mixture of the fibres above mentioned
by passing such mixture through a series of machines, by preference, those employed
for preparing flax for spinning, or through those for spinning floss silk, and from
this roving the yarn or thread is produced by wet spinning, as practised with flax,
that is to say, by passing the roving through a trough of hot water, and immediately
afterwards drawing it between powerful rollers. By this means the gummy
matters of the flax and silk waste being softened by the hot water the fibres are
split up into exceedingly fine filaments or fibrils, and the two materials are thus
reduced to their molecular state, so to speak, and intermingled, fibril with fibril,
whereby a much more intimate mixture is obtained than when whole fibres or
bundles of filaments are mixed. The yarn or thread composed of the filaments
thus intermingled becomes coated with the gummy matters of both materials, and
is at once smooth, supple, and very strong.
If desired, agents capable of eliminating or modifying the gummy matters, or
bleaching or mordanting agents may be added in the trough for acting on either
the silk or flax. The above described process of spinning may also be applied to
silk waste without any intermixture of vegetable fibres.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The operation consisting in passing the rovings of two or flax combings and
silk waste, mixed fibre with fibre, through hot water immediately before drawing
and spinning, for the purpose of opening and dividing or splitting up the fibres
and effecting the intimate intermixture of the two materials, as herein specified.
2nd. In the herein described wet process of spinning mixed fibres of tow or flax
and silk waste, the addition in the trough of agents capable of eliminating or
modifying the gummy matter of the fibres, of rendering their intermixture more
intimate, of increasing their affinity for color and their brilliancy, or of mordanting
or bleaching them, as herein specified.
3rd. The application of the herein described process to mixtures of silk waste
'with flax, or hemp, or jute, or other similar vegetable textile materials.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of January, in the year of our
Lord, One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.