Year: 1855

page_text: led into experimenting on different kinds of oils and mixtures of oils, or
mixtures of oils and saponacious compounds; the general requirement. I have
found to be the presence of aqueous moisture through all the steps of the
mechanical operations. Purely oiled wool has a strong tendency to lose even
the naturally combined water of its fibres, the different kinds of oil showing in
this connection different characters in inducing this loss. Hence, in order that
water might be retained entangled by the oil, manufacturers have used oil and
ammonia water in the form of an emulsion; gelatinous bodies like common
glue have been used, which, aside from putrifying, often render impossible the
cleansing of the fabricated articles in cold fluids. My own experiments, con-
tinued through many years, have led me to the use of peculiar mucilaginous
substances, combined or mixed with oil, either naturally or artificially; as an
instance, the mucilage of flax seed and similar seeds contains much entangled
oil, and with a small addition of oil will answer as a substitute for oil within
certain limits of time; but most of these oils having a drying nature, wool on
which the mucilage has been used cannot be safely stored, on account of the
danger there is of spontaneous combustion. I have resorted to the use of those
kinds of mucilage which retaining water do not become dry or adhesive when
used alone or mixed with oil.
And my Invéntion, discovery, or improvement has as its principle the use
of such mucilage from plants and seeds as is of a kind that retains moisture,
does not readily dry, and yet can be mixed uniformly with oils. In forming
the mixture, I also keep in view the nature of the oil, and, avoiding the use of
siccative oils, prefer the purified oleic acid, or so called "elaine," which is to a
small extent soluble in water, and is an article of great importance in the
treatment of wool; its application thereto I do not claim to have been the first
to make.
:
In applying my Invention, the first step is the preparation of a clear
mucilage, by boiling in water the substance affording mucilage, such as
carrigeen, "Irish moss," or other marine plants of allied species yielding
mucilage freely. These I prefer for the qualities of the matter extracted, as
well as for the abundance and cheapness of the material, it being an almost
worthless product on most parts of our sea coast. One pound (avoirdupois)
of "Irish moss," or similar plants affording mucilage, after having been care-
fully washed in cold water, so as entirely to remove the sea salt, may be
dissolved in eight or ten gallons (wine measure) of water, by steeping for six
or twelve hours while the water is tepid, and afterwards boiling by a "dry"
steam pipe or coil until solution takes place.
Seeds and mosses may be treated in the same way, or by boiling over the

page_text: fire and constant stirring. The clear mucilage may then be used to impregnate
the wool, using from one to two and a half gallons for every one hundred pounds
of wool, and afterwards adding from one to one and a half gallons of oil to the
moistened wool; or in most cases it is preferable to form an uniform emul-
sion by agitating ten gallons of the mucilage with one or one and a half
gallons of oil.
Having thus obtained the mixture of mucilage and oil, I apply it to ordinary
grades of wool, using it in the proportion of eleven or twelve gallons to one
hundred pounds of wool, and which afterwards may be submitted to the usual
operations of carding and spinning. At each step of these operations the wool
is found to be better adapted than when oiled with oil solely, and all tendency
to become electrically excited is destroyed; but the advantage attending the
use of this mixture is more fully realized when the yarn or flannel is to be
cleansed. It is then found that the moisture of the mucilage has loosened the
dressing and other adhering matter of the fibres, so that a weak solution of
carbonate of soda or "prepared soda ash" will at once remove oil, mucilage,
and dressing, leaving the fibres clean and of unusual whiteness.
When the flannel in the process of manufacture is to be fulled, I add to it,
while it is still imbued with oil and mucilage, so much of a solution made in
the proportions of and from one pound of carbonate of soda, or prepared soda
ash, to eight gallons water, as may be required to produce a consistent soapy
mixture on the cloth. This done, the flannel is to be placed directly in the
mill, when the fulling proceeds in an even and expeditious manner. After this
operation has been performed; the goods may be washed in the usual manner,
no addition of soap being required. It will be observed that the volume of
mucilage is large in comparison with that of the oil, the intention being to
preserve a due degree of moisture in the fibre through the successive steps of
the manufacture. The oil is used in connection with the mucilage for the
purpose of forming a soap with the alkaline base of the prepared soda ash
among the fibres when the yarn or cloth is to be cleansed, or for lubricating
and softening the imbrications on the fibres, so that they will readily felt in
the fulling mill when the flannels are to be "milled." The risk and expense
attending the use of soap in the ordinary mode of fulling cloth is thus avoided.
I use and prefer the "elaine" instead of ordinary oil for forming the emulsion,
as the latter do not so easily make soaps in uniting with the base of the car-
bonated alkali unless after several weeks' exposure to air.
In the subsequent steps the manufacture of the goods is carried on as
usual, the effect of the mucilage and oil in more perfectly cleansing the cloths
being apparent in the "finish" obtained. Gummy substances have been used

page_text: for imparting a fugitive gloss to the finished surfaces of goods, but my im-
provement renders, such a, resort unnecessary, and it has no connection with
such means of finishing;,;.
In basing my claim of Invention or improvement on the use of mucilaginous
matter, I do not include albuminous, or gelatinous matter of animal origin,, nor
ammoniacal or other alkaline emulsions, which have been before used, but
restrict myself to the use of those water solutions of mucilage from plants and
seeds whose muculent character is distinguished from the gum or glue-like
character of substances heretofore used, by not drying out from the mixture
with oil when on the fibres of the wool. I use any of the oils adapted to
oiling wool in mixture. with smucilage, although such..mixture by rest. for a
longer or a shorter. time will become separated into oil, which floats, and
mucilage, which subsides, but prefer the prepared oleic acid,; or "elaine".
mixture, as it often remains uniform several days...
I, however, lay.no claim to the application and use of oleic acid as described;
but what I claim as my Invention or discovery for the treatment and imbuing
of wool, during or previous to its manufacture into yarn or cloth, is, the appli-
cation thereto of mucilage possessing an attraction for water, such being found
in sea mosses and allied vegetable productions, or in various seeds, such as flax
seed or quince. seed, it. being used either alone or in mixture with an oil or
some other material.
LONDON:
2. J
Printed by GEORGE EDWARD EYRE and WILLIAM SPOTTISWOODE,
Printers to the Queen's most Excellent Majesty. 1855.
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