IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF MIXED FABRICS, AND IN THE SEPARATION OF WOOL FROM COTTON AND OTHER SUBSTANCES CONTAINED THEREIN
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Buchanan Wollaston, of Chiselhurst, in
the County of Kent, Merchant, and Frederick Stanbridge, of
Llangarron, in the County of Hereford, Farmer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF MIXED FABRICS, AND IN THE
SEPARATION OF WOOL FROM COTTON AND OTHER SUBSTANCES CONTAINED
THEREIN."
Scaled the 18th September 1868, and dated the 25th March 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Buchanan
Wollaston and Frederick Stanbridge at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 25th March.
1868..
We, ALFRED BUCHANAN WOLLASTON, of Chiselhurst, in the County of
Kent,, Merchant, and FREDERICK STANBRIDGE, of Llangarron, in the:
County of Hereford, Farmer, do hereby declare the nature of the. said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS. IN THE TREATMENT OF MIXED FABRICS, AND IN
THE SEPARATION OF WOOL PROM COTTON AND OTHER SUBSTANCES CONTAINED.
THEREIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the destruction of cotton and
other vegetable substances contained in mixed fabrics, and the

page_text: separation and extraction of the wool or animal fibre therefrom.. In
the processes hitherto adopted the rags or materials to be operated
upon have been steeped in diluted acid and afterwards. subjected to
heat for the destruction of the cotton or vegetable fibre by car-
bonization. These processes have however been found to be inadequate
to ensure the certainty of the destruction of all the vegetable matter
except at great risk of injuring the wool or produce; this. difficulty
is overcome by the present Invention. A mixture of sulphuric acid
and water is made of the density of from 8° to 15° Twaddle, to which
is added from 15 to 20 per cent. by weight of rock or common salt,
a small quantity of nitric acid say, one drachm to each gallon of the
mixture, being combined therewith if necessary. The rags or materials
are boiled in the mixture thus formed, care being taken that they
are completely immersed therein. The vessel employed for this purpose
may be formed of any suitable material (except iron) and of any
shape or form adapted to the purpose, the requisite heat being derived
from any convenient and suitable source. During the process of
boiling a piece of iron is immersed in the mixture, or instead of
immersing the iron in the liquid mixture during the operation
of boiling it may, if preferred, be kept therein during the whole
process. The result of this treatment is that the cotton or other
vegetable substance or substances combined with the wool in the rags
or materials is or are completely destroyed, and the wool or animal
fibre obtained in a separate state and ready for various manufacturing
purposes. In some cases the like results may be obtained by using
the mixture or solution as before mentioned at a less temperature than
boiling heat.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Buchanan Wollaston and Frederick
Stanbridge in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th September 3
1000

page_text: and FREDERICK STANBRIDGE, of Llangarron, in the County of Hereford,
Farmer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did; for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Alfred Buchanan Wollaston and
Frederick Stanbridge, Her special licence that we, the said Alfred
Buchanan Wollaston and Frederick Stanbridge, our exccutors, adminis
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Alfred Buchanan
Wollaston and Frederick Stanbridge, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF MIXED
FABRICS, AND IN THE SEPARATION OF WOOL FROM COTTON AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
CONTAINED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Alfred Buchanan Wollaston and Frederick Stanbridge, our executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Alfred Buchanan Wollaston and
Frederick Stanbridge, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to
say:
Our said Invention has for its object the destruction of cotton and
other vegetable substances contained in mixed fabrics, and the separation
and extraction of the wool or animal fibre therefrom. In the processes
hitherto adopted the rags or materials to be operated upon have
been steeped in diluted acid and afterwards subjected to heat for the
destruction of the cotton or vegetable fibre contained therein by car-
bonization. These processes have however been found to be inadequate

page_text: -to insure the certainty of the destruction of all the vegetable matter,
except at great risk of injuring the wool or produce. This difficulty
is overcome by our present Invention. A mixture of sulphuric acid
and water is made of the density of from 8° to 15° Twaddell, to which
is added from fifteen to twenty per cent. by weight of chloride of
sodium in the form of rock or common salt, a small quantity of nitric
acid, say one drachm to each gallon of the mixture, being combined
therewith if necessary. The rags or other materials are boiled in
the mixture thus formed, care being taken that they are completely
immersed therein. The vessel employed for this purpose may be formed
of any suitable material, and of any shape or form adapted to the
purpose, the requisite heat being derived from any convenient and
suitable source. During the process of boiling a mass of iron is
immersed in the mixture, or instead of immersing the iron in the liquid
mixture during the operation of boiling it may if preferred be kept
thercin during the whole process. In some cases it may be preferable
to employ an iron vessel for the purposes of our said Invention,
in which case the insertion of an independent mass of iron is un-
necessary, as the chemical reaction upon the iron which is set up, and
which is essential for the successful working of the Invention, is exerted
upon the vessel itself with an equally beneficial effect, although the
vessel requires to be renewed more frequently than in other cases.
The result of the treatment as before described is that the cotton or
other vegetable substance or substances combined with the wool in
the rags or materials is or are completely destroyed, and the wool or
animal fibre obtained in a separate state and ready for various manu-
facturing purposes. In some cases the like results may be obtained
by using the mixture or solution as before mentioned at a less tempera-
ture than boiling heat, and we should also mention that the pro-
portions herein-before mentioned are approximate only and may be in
some degree varied.
Having thus declared and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we
would observe in conclusion that what we consider novel and
original and therefore claim as constituting the Invention secured to
us by the said herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
treatment and processes herein-before mentioned for the separation

page_text: of wool from cotton and other substances contained in mixed fabrics,
substantially as herein-before declared and set forth, or any mere
modifications thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said Alfred Buchanan Wollaston and
Frederick Stanbridge, have hereunto set our hands and scals,
this Twenty-third day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
ALFRED BUCHANAN WOLLASTON. (L.s.)
FREDERICK STANBRIDGE.
(L.S.)