Improvements in the Manufacture or Production of Cellular Substance suitable for Paper Making and Fibre suitable for Spinning.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 8th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 12th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture or Production of Cellular
Substance suitable for Paper Making and Fibre suitable for
Spinning.
I, GUSTAV HAGEMANN of No. 13 Moltkestrasse, Ludwigshafen on the Rhine,
Germany, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
For the manufacture or production of a pure durable fibre suitable for the
paper-making and textile industries there has been employed the reed, rush or
cane known as Arundo Donax, which for the purpose mentioned has been subjected
to the action of a weak solution of caustic alkali (such as a solution of soda of 4° to
6° Beaume) at ordinary temperature for a considerable time, say from 4 to 6 days
or for a longer period.
Now long continued and exhaustive experiments have shown that a good fibre
suitable for spinning can be obtained in considerably less time from the said Arundo
Donax, when the same is carefully heated or boiled in a dilute solution of an
alkali.
The behaviour of the Arundo Donax towards caustic alkalies when thus treated
is such that the cellular fibre will not be attacked, whilst the incrustations will
be affected sufficiently to admit of the ready cleansing of the cellular fibre.
The
When a solution of soda of 4° to 6° Beaume is employed, the opening of the
reed can be effected in this manner in from about 1 to 1 hours according to
the thickness of wall of the reed. Heating continued for a longer period would
cause the union of the elementary fibres to be more and more weakened and
thus the material would be rendered less suitable for textile purposes.
opening of the fibre can be effected in a still shorter period by boiling the fibre
in a closed vessel under pressure. In this manner by using a pressure of from
say half to one atmosphere above the atmospheric pressure, the opening can be
effectually done in about one hour. But as the Arundo Donax opens so readily
in open vessels, therein excelling all other known raw materials, the use of closed
vessels will in general be dispensed with. The fibrous mass thus opened with
the alkaline solution is washed and then passed through crushing rolls, or under
edge runners, or stamps.
The crushed fibrous mass is then ground in a rag engine, with the requisite
quantity of water, neither chemicals or an increased temperature being required.
By this treatment the spongy incrustations not previously loosened, flow almost
wholly away through the washing drum of the engine. The material is then
bleached in a known manner, and washed or lixiviated in the engine, whereby
such a perfect cleansing is effected that the pure cellular substance thus obtained,
can be converted by the drying machine directly into an article of commerce.
When it is desired to obtain a fibre suitable for spinning purposes, the Arundo
Donax is split into long strips, which can be effectively done by light rolling ;
these strips are then heated or boiled in a dilute solution of caustic alkali in the
same manner as in the treatment for the production of cellular substance, and
are then washed. The material thus treated is for the purpose of separating
the several fibres, then treated as before that is to say it is beaten by hand or
machinery with wooden flails upon a wooden surface, and then converted into
fibre suitable for spinning by subjecting it to a combing, beating or like treatment
in a similar manner to that adopted for the treatment of hemp.
If it be desired to obtain a very delicate fibre, it is advantageous to allow the
fibrous material, after it has been taken out of the solution of caustic alkali

page_text: and beaten, to rot in water in a similar manner to hemp, flax and other fibrous
plants.
The duration of the rotting process is determined by exactly the same conditions
as in the case of the said fibrous plants.
The fibres when taken out of the rotting bath are then, as above described,
converted into an article of commerce by combing, beating or like operations.
The waste of the Arundo Donax which is not suited for the production of fibre
for spinning purposes, is treated as above described for the manufacture of
cellular substance suitable for paper making. The process hereinbefore described
and employing Arundo Donax as raw material, allows of the use of a solution
of caustic alkali in such a manner as to obtain the cellular fibre, without injuring
the same, in such a condition of purity and texture that it can be employed
with very great advantage for textile purposes and also for paper-making. The
process is also advantageous from a technical point of view, because it can be
quickly carried out.
Dated this 9th day of December 1891.
G. HAGEMANN,
By L. W., per F. B.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture or Production of Cellular
Substance suitable for Paper Making and Fibre suitable for
Spinning.
I, GUSTAV HAGEMANN, of No. 13 Moltkestrasse, Ludwigshafen on the Rhine,
Germany, Engineer, 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 :-
In the Specification of another application for Letters Patent filed by me dated
27th Oct. 1891 No. 18470 I have described the manufacture or production of a
pure cellular substance suitable for the paper-making and textile industries by
subjecting the reed, rush or cane known as Arundo Donax, to the action of a
weak solution of caustic alkali (such as a solution of soda of 4° to 6° Beaume)
at ordinary temperature for a considerable time, say from 4 to 6 days or for a
longer period.
Now long continued and exhaustive experiments have shown that a good fibre
suitable for spinning can be obtained in considerably less time from the said
Arundo Donax, when the same is carefully heated or boiled in a dilute solution of
an alkali.
The behaviour of the Arundo Donax towards caustic alkalies when thus treated is
such that the cellular fibre will not be attacked, whilst the incrustations will be
effected sufficiently to admit of the ready cleansing of the cellular fibre.
When a solution of soda of 4° to 8° Beaume is employed, heated to a tempera-
ture of Bay 100° C. the opening of the reed can be effected in from about
1 to 1 hours according to the thickness of the wall of the reed. Heating con-
tinued for a longer period would cause the union of the elementary fibres to be
more and more weakened and thus the material would be rendered less suitable for
textile purposes. The opening of the fibre can be effected in a still shorter period
by heating or boiling the fibre in a closed vessel under pressure. In this manner
by using a pressure of from say half to one atmosphere above the atmospheric
pressure, the opening can be effectually done in about one hour. But as the
Arundo Donax opens so readily in open vessels, therein excelling all other known
raw materials, the use of closed vessels will usually be unnecessary. The fibrous
mass thus opened with the alkaline solution is washed and then passed through
crushing rolls, or under edge runners, or stamps.
The crushed fibrous mass is then ground in a rag engine, with the requisite

page_text: quantity of water, neither chemicals or an increased temperature being required.
By this treatment the spongy incrustations not previously loosened, flow almost
wholly away through the washing drum of the engine. The material is then
bleached in a known manner, and washed or lixiviated in the engine, whereby such
a perfect cleansing is effected that the pure cellular substance thus obtained, can
be converted by the drying machine directly into an article of commerce.
When it is desired to obtain a fibre suitable for spinning purposes, the Arundo
Donax is split into long strips, which can be effectively done by light rolling ;
these strips are then boiled in a dilute solution of caustic alkali in the same manner
as in the treatment for the production of cellular substance, and are then washed.
The material thus treated is for the purpose of separating the several fibres, then
treated in the ordinary manner, that is to say, it is beaten by hand or machinery
with wooden flails upon a wooden surface, and then converted into fibre suitable for
spinning by subjecting it to a combing, beating or like treatment in a similar
manner to that adopted for the treatment of hemp.
If it be desired to obtain a very delicate fibre, it is advantageous to allow
the fibrous material, after it has been taken out of the solution of caustic
alkali and beaten, to rot in water in a similar manner to hemp, flax and other like
fibrous plants.
The duration of the rotting process is determined by exactly the same conditions
as in the case of the said fibrous plants.
The fibres when taken out of the rotting bath are then, as above described, con-
verted into an article of commerce by combing, beating or like operations. The
waste of the Arundo Donax which is not suited for the production of fibre
for spinning purposes, is treated as above described for the manufacture of
cellular substance suitable for paper making. The process hereinbefore described,
employing Arundo Donax as raw material, allows of the use of a solution of
caustic alkali in such a manner as to obtain the cellular fibre, without injuring the
same, in such a condition of purity and texture that it can be employed with very
great advantage for textile purposes and also for paper-making. The process is
also advantageous from a technical or industrial point of view, because it can be
quickly carried out.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
The herein described improvement in the manufacture or production of cellular
substance suitable for paper-making and fibre for spinning, from rush (Arundo
Donax), according to which the said rush (Arundo Donax) is subjected to the
action of a dilute solution of caustic alkali that is in a heated or boiling condition
as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Dated this 8th day of September 1892.
G. HAGEMANN,
By L. W., per F. B.