IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF FLAX, HEMP, JUTE, CHINA GRASS, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Robert Hanham Collyer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th
March 1867.
I, ROBERT HANHAM COLLYER, of Seafield Works, Dundee, North Britain,
M.D., do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE TREATMENT OF FLAX, HEMP, JUTE, CHINA GRASS, AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
The improvements relate to subjecting the fibre for the time to be treated
successively to the action of separate solutions in troughs or receivers for the
purpose of facilitating the loosening and separation of the resinous and
gummy matters combined with them, and thereby of softening and opening
out the fibre into minute filaments. For this purpose the fibre to be operated
upon is held by one end of it in suitable holders which have a "jigging" or
short vibratory motion given to them so as to agitate the fibre in the liquid.
The holders may have this motion imparted to them by hand or by suitablo
mechanical means, but I prefer to adopt for the purpose apparatus such as
that for which I have sought Provisional Protection dated the 20th of this
March, No. 801; I also prefer to act upon the fibre by six or more successive
liquids, the first liquid being a strong caustic and hot alkaline solution, whilst
the second is simply hot water, the third a weak acid solution, the fourth a
solution of an alkaline carbonate, the fifth an acid solution, and the sixth an
alkaline solution, with which may be added soap or glycerine or other matters.
Supposing the fibre for the time to be operated upon to be china grass, then
the first solution may be composed of 1 lb. of caustic soda to each gallon of
n.

page_text: water heated to about 220° Fahrenheit, and the fibre may remain in motion
in this liquid for about an hour, when it will be removed into warm water
heated to about the boiling point 212° Fahrenheit, where it remains in motion
for about 15 minutes. Hot water may be continually flowing through the
trough containing this hot water from a suitable reservoir or source of supply;
the fibre is then removed into a weak acid solution obtained by, say, hydro-
chloric acid of ordinary strength, and in proportion of about 1 to 2 per cent.
to the water employed. The fibre after remaining dipped in this solution for
a few minutes is then removed to the fourth, the alkaline carbonate solution,
which may be obtained by the use of soda ash or other alkaline carbonate,
say, to the strength of about 3° or 4° Beaume's hydrometer; the fibre remains
vibrating in this solution for, say, about 15 to 20 minutes, and it is then
removed to the fifth, or a weak solution of acid similar to that before referred
to, and after remaining in this solution for a few minutes the fibre is removed
to the sixth, a weaker alkaline solution, to which may be added soft soap or
glycerine, or both. If desired another solution or other solutions may be
employed formed from chlorine or bleaching agent, so as to effect a further
bleaching process. The time employed in the separate processes when acting
on flax, hemp, or other more delicate fibres will be less than when acting on
china grass, particularly in respect of the stronger alkaline solution; the
strengths of the solutions and times of operation by them may in all cases be
varied.
When operating upon flax having the "boon" or straw still attached to it
in a broken state, it may be first submitted to a water bath, where the "jigging"
or short vibrating movement is continued until the major portion of the
boon is removed, and prior to the water bath the flax should be submitted
to a short vibrating or jigging motion, so as to remove as much as possible of
the broken or crushed "boon" or "cortex" in the dry state. By thus at first
acting upon the fibre energetically by a strong caustic alkaline solution a
comparatively short time is required to effect the desired solution and separation
from the fibre of the gummy and resinous matter it contains.