IM- PROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING WOOL FROM FABRICS IN A CONDITION TO BE AGAIN USED
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Lee Norton, of 8, Holland Street,
Blackfriars, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING WOOL FROM FABRICS IN A CONDITION TO BE
AGAIN USED"
Sealed the 27th January 1854, and dated the 5th August 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Lee Norton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 5th August 1853.
I, JAMES LEE NORTON, of 8, Holland Street, Blackfriars, in the
Invention
County of Surrey, do hereby declare that the nature of my
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING WOOL FROM FABRICS IN A CONDITION TO
BE AGAIN USED" to be as follows:-
Heretofore it has been usual to obtain fibres from fabrics when in a
dry state, by which much dust is thrown about and the fibres are much
broken and injured, and it has been proposed to submerge them in
water, and to reduce them to the state of fibre by the action of machinery
working in water, as in the manufacture of pulp. The present Inven-

page_text: tion consists in causing fabrics containing wool alone, or combined with
other fibres, to be reduced into the fibrous state when in a moistened
condition, by which the throwing about of dust is avoided, and the fibres
are less injured than when acted on in the dry state. I steep or wash
the fabric to inoisteu, or I steam the fabric, and in one or other of such
states of saturation or moisture I subject the fabrics to the action of
the machine or machinery for, reducing it to fibre.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Lee Norton in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 2nd February 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JAMES LEE NORTON, of 8, Holland Street, Blackfriars, in the County
of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Lee Norton, Her special
licence that I, the said James Lee Norton, my executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Lee Norton, 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 OBTAINING WOOL FROM FABRICS IN A CONDITION TO BE AGAIN USED,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that 1, the said James Lee
Norton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the sail Letters
Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Lee Norton, do hereby
leclare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in andi
by the following statement thereof (that is to say):
Heretofore it has been usual to obtain. fibres from fabrics whon in a
ry state, by which much dust is thrown about and the fibres are inuch
broken and injured, and it has been proposed to submerge them in
water, and to reduce them to the state of fibre by the action of machi-
nery working in water, as in the manufacture of pulp. The present
Invention consists in causing fabrics containing wool alone, or combined
with other fibres, to be reduced into the fibrous state when in a moist-
ened condition, by which the throwing about of dust is avoided, and the
fibres are less injured than when acted on in the dry state. I steep or
wash the fabric to moisten, or I steam the fabric, and in one or other
of such states of saturation or moisture I subject the fabrics to the
action of the machine or machinery for reducing it to fibre.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed
to describe the means pursued by me.
I cause the rags or portions of fabrics to be soaked in water, or for
a few hours, by preference, in lime water, or, in place thereof, with
water having fullers earth mixed therewith, as the use of lime or fullers
earth appears to assist the unravelling of the fibres, and having beaten
the rags or pieces of fabric in a fulling stock, I then cause the rags
or pieces of fabric to be reduced to fibre by machinery, such as has
heretofore been used when acting on the fabric in the dry state. After
the fibre has been obtained it is to have the water separated therefrom,
and the fibres are to be dried.
The separation of the water from the fibre I believe may be most
conveniently done by centrifugal "hydro-extractors." It is not essen-
tial that the rags or pieces of fabrics should be soaked and washed, as
above explained, as the water may be used immediately before the rags
or pieces of fabric are acted on by the machinery which is to reduce
them to fibre; and, in place of using water, the rags or pieces of fabric
may be placed into a box or chamber and well steamed till the whole
is saturated with moisture

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim
is, the opening fibres of wool from rags or pieces of fabrics by subjecting
such rags or pieces of fabric to the action of the machinery in a moist-
ened or saturated condition, in place of a dry state, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Lee Norton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this First day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
JAMES LEE NORTON. (L.S.)