IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND PROCESS FOR DRYING PEAT TO BE USED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR HAIR, WOOL, HAY, STRAW, COTTON, OR FLOCKS, IN STUFFING MATTRASSES, BEDS, SEATS, CUSHIONS, CHAIRS, SOFAS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES, FOR PACKING FURNITURE AND GOODS, OF A LIKE KIND, ALSO A PRESERVATIVE COVERING OR PAOKING FOR FISH AND OTHER PERISHABLE FOOD, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Joseph Augustus London and John
Harbottle at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th March
1883.
JOSEPH AUGUSTUS LONDON and JOHN HARBOTTLE, both of Newcastle upon
Tyne, in the County of Northumberland "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF
AND PROCESS FOR DRYING PEAT TO BE USED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR HAIR, WOOL,
HAY, STRAW, COTTON, OR FLOCKS, IN STUFFING MATTRASSES, BEDS, SEATS,
CUSHIONS, CHAIRS, SOFAS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES, FOR PACKING FURNITURE
AND GOODS, OF A LIKE KIND, ALSO A PRESERVATIVE COVERING OR PAOKING FOR
FISH AND OTHER PERISHABLE FOOD, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Our present invention relates to an improved method of treating, drying, and
preparing Peat, preferably of a Fibrous kind, and of utilizing it as a much cheaper
and more convenient substitute for Hair, Wool, Hay, Straw, Cotton or Flocks in
stuffing Mattrasses, Beds, Seats, Cushions, Chairs, Sofas, and other articles of a
like kind, and as a cheap and convenient material for packing Furniture, Glass,
Earthenware, Bottles, and articles of a like kind in order to preserve them from
injury in carriage; or as a packing or covering for Fish or other perishable articles
of food; as a substitute for Straw when prepared in the manner hereinafter
described as a superior litter for Horses or other animals; as a substitute for the
different purposes to which Oakum is ordinarily applied; and for other purposes
where a clean, soft, and cheap fibrous material is required.
We are aware that it has been proposed to use the Fibre of Peat for some of these
purposes, such for instance as litter or Bedding for horses or other animals. We
have found however that in methods hitherto used of so applying Peat Fibre
it has been difficult to render the Fibre sufficiently dry for the desired purposes.
The ordinary method of drying Peat is to dry the same in the open air in blocks
or pieces, this being a long and tedious process and not producing satisfactory
results. By our present invention we take any suitable quality of Peat, and having
first if necessary washed or cleansed the Fibre, by Steam, or Hot or Cold Water

page_text: as may be found most suitable and convenient, we then dip or steep the Fibrous
material so washed in the liquor or juice of the Peat itself which we obtain by
Boiling it with a weak solution of caustic soda, or carbonate of soda, the effect
being to prevent the Fibre when dry from separating into small or dusty particles
which otherwise would occasion loss and would be objectionable when used for
packing and similar purposes.
This particular mode of treatment described gives strength and fineness to the
Fibre which is particularly necessary for some of the purposes to which we
apply it.
We then preferably expel as much moisture as possible by pressure, and we
disintegrate the Peat Fibre by machinery of any of the kinds well known and
ordinarily used for such purpose.
We
And in order to complete the preparation of the disintegrated Fibre we dry it
in Chambers by Currents of Heated air from any suitable Furnace or Fireplace,
or the Fibre may be made to pass over or in contact with pipes through which
Steam or Hot water is made to circulate as may be found most convenient.
take the Fibre so prepared and we utilize it according to its quality for the
different purposes herein before described choosing or selecting preferably the
longer, softer, and more uniform Fibres, as a substitute for Hair, Wool, Hay,
Straw, Cotton, or Flocks, in stuffing mattrasses, Beds, Seats, Cushions, Chairs,
Sofas, as a substitute for Oakum in caulking Ships Decks and Sides, Flooring in
Warehouses, and to other purposes for which Oakum is ordinarily applied.
We either make use of the prepared Fibre altogether as a substitute for Oakum,
or mixed in any suitable proportion with Oakum. Or the softer kinds of the
Fibre prepared in the novel manner described may be used as a cheap and effective
substitute for any of the materials ordinarily used, in packing or wrapping Fish,
Meat, and other Perishable Articles, in this case the Antiseptic and the preservative
properties inherent to the Peat acting as a preventive to decay.
Or the prepared Fibre when less uniform and soft may be used as a cheaper
substitute for Hay or Straw in which to pack Furniture and similar articles
to prevent injury in transport, or for packing for glass, earthenware, and goods of
a like kind.
For any or all of the purposes to which we apply the prepared Fibre as
described in our Invention, we can Press and Bale the same for transport as may
be found desirable.
When the prepared and dried Fibre is to be used as a Substitute for Straw as
litter for Animals, we can use the coarser Fibred kinds of Peats, which being
disintegrated and dried in the novel way described, can be used without further
preparation in the ordinary way, its absorbent properties being great and the
cost of its preparation in the novel way described being very small, so that it
forms a cheap, soft, and suitable Bedding for horses and other animals instead
of Straw.