Improvements in the Treatment of Vegetable Fibrous Matters to Obtain Fibres therefrom.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 13th Aug., 1891-Accented 26th Sent
4004
SIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Treatment of Vegetable Fibrous Matters to
Obtain Fibres therefrom.
We, PHILIP WINTER NICOLLE, of Portland Place in the Island of Jersey,
Gentleman, and JONATHAN SMITH, of 27 Rye Hill Park, in the Parish of
St. Giles, Camberwell, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the method of treating fibre-yielding
vegetable substances; as, for example, the bark of such plants as Bochmeria nivea,
the stems of such plants as flax and hemp, such leaves as those of New Zealand
flax; and, generally, the fibrous parts of any vegetable substance, for the purpose
of obtaining the fibre contained therein.
For this purpose, we make a solution of creosote, of phenol, or of any of the tar-
acids produced by the slow combustion, or distillation, of coal or wood; or we
make a solution of any of these acids in combination with an alkali (as, for example,
the carbolate of soda), of a strength of about half per cent. by weight; and in this
solution we steep the fibrous substance, required to be treated, for a longer or
shorter period, according to the nature of the vegetable substance, & to the
temperature of the solution.
In treating flax, or hemp, the solution may be used cold, & a period of 24 to
48 hours will suffice.
In treating such a refractory vegetable substance as ramic bark, it may be first
steeped in a cold solution of the same strength for 24 hours, when it is passed
between rollers, corrugated or otherwise, to express the solution and the matters
contained in it. The ramic, or similar refractory fibrous substance, is then boiled
in a similar solution, of the same (or greater) strength, as may be preferred, for a
period of three to six hours, or longer if necessary; the boiling may be conducted
under pressure, or otherwise, until the fibre is completely separated from
extraneous matters. It is then passed between rollers, washed, & the process is
complete.
In dealing with such pulpy substances as the leaves of New Zealand flax, we
irst remove the pulpy matter by passing the leaves through corrugated rollers,
or between knives, or in any other desirable way, and then proceed as above.
Dated this 13th day of November 1890.
PHILIP WINTER NICOLLE.
JONATHAN SMITH.
INTER NICOLLE.
JONATHAN SMITH.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Treatment of Vegetable Fibrous Matters to
Obtain Fibres therefrom.
We, PHILIP WINTER NICOLLE, of Portland Place, in the Island of Jersey,
Gentleman, and JONATHAN SMITH, of No. 27 Rye Hill Park, in the Parish of
St. Giles, Camberwell, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
Our invention consists of a process for treating fibrous vegetable substances of
various kinds, such as the bark of Boehmeria nivea, the stems of such plants as
flax and hemp, the leaves of New Zealand flax and, generally, the fibrous parts of
any vegetable substance, for the purpose of obtaining the fibre which they
contain.

page_text: To carry our invention into effect, we make a solution of creosote, of phenol, or
of any suitable tar acids obtained by the slow combustion or the distillation of coal
or wood.
We may also employ these substances in combination with an alkali
(using for instance the soda compound of carbolic acid), the strength of the solution
used being about one half per cent. by weight.
In this solution we steep the fibrous substances to be treated, for a longer or
shorter period, according to the nature of the vegetable material and the temperature
at which the solution is employed.
If, for example, we have to treat flax or hemp, we make use of the solution cold,
and permit it to act for a period of from 24 to 48 hours.
Our process is also applicable to the treatment of the more refractory vegetable
substances such as ramie bark. In treating this material we prefer to proceed as
follows:-
The ramic bark, or other refractory substance, is first of all steeped in the cold
solution, of uniform strength, for a period of 24 hours. It is then passed through
rollers which may be corrugated, or have any other suitable form, for the purpose
of expressing the solution and the various substances which it has dissolved. The
ramie bark, or other refractory substance, is then boiled in a fresh portion of the
same or similar solution (which may sometimes be advantageously employed of
greater strength than above indicated) for a period of from 3 to 6 hours. The
boiling may, if necessary, be conducted under pressure until the extraneous matters
are completely removed, when the fibre is passed through rollers and washed, the
process being then complete.
Where the leaves of New Zealand flax, or other pulpy substances, are to be
treated, we first pass the material through rollers, knives, or any suitable
appliance, for the purpose of removing the pulp, and then proceed as described
above.
It must, of course, be understood that we do not confine ourselves to the use of
solutions of the precise strength mentioned above, nor to the times specified during
which they are allowed to act.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
The employment of a solution of creosote, of phenol, or of any other suitable tar-
acids, or of a solution of any of them, in combination with an alkali, for treating
vegetable substances for the purpose of obtaining fibre therefrom essentially, as set
forth.
Dated this 12th day of A woust 1901
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.