CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF SEPARATING OR RECOVERING ANIMAL WOOL OR SILK FROM COTTON AND WOOLLEN, OR FROM COTTON AND SILK, OR OTHER MIXED FABRICS, WHEREBY THE ANIMAL WOOL OR SILK IS RENDERED CAPABLE OF BEING AGAIN EMPLOYED, WHICH SAID IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO WOOL IN ITS UNMANUFACTURED STATE
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lord, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster,
Flannel Manufacturer, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PROCESS OF SEPARATING OR RECOVERING ANIMAL WOOL OR SILK FROM
COTTON AND WOOLLEN, OR FROM COTTON AND SILK, OR OTHER MIXED FABRICS,
WHEREBY THE ANIMAL WOOL OR SILK IS RENDERED CAPABLE OF BEING AGAIN
EMPLOYED, WHICH SAID IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO WOOL IN ITS
UNMANUFACTURED STATE."
Sealed the 27th March 1857, and dated the 29th September 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lord at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th
September 1856.
I, JOHN LORD, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Flannel Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF SEPARATING OR RECOVERING ANIMAL WOOL OR
SILK FROM COTTON AND WOOLLEN, OR FROM COTTON AND SILK, OR OTHER MIXED
FABRICS, WHEREBY THE ANIMAL WOOL OR SILK IS RENDERED CAPABLE OF BEING AGAIN
EMPLOYED, WHICH BAID IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO WOOL IN ITS
UNMANUFACTURED STATE," to be as follows:-

page_text: These improvements consist, first, in testing the acids employed in such
process by the use of alkali, instead of the ordinary means of testing by
hydrometers.
Secondly, in neutralizing the acids during the working of the process
without the immersion, and the consequent second drying of the rags, &c., as
hitherto.
.
The method of testing the acid is as follows:-If the acid be required 4
degrees Twaddle's hydrometer No. 1 strong, take a quantity of such acid and
ascertain what strength of soda or other alkali it will require to neutralize the
acid in equal quantities; then, if the diluté acid stands at any given strength
in the vessel by the hydrometer, I can by alkali test detect any errors. For
instance, if the dilute acid stands at four when the goods are immersed, and
when taken out if the glass indicates five, it is then obvious the glass does not
indicate correctly; should it require eight strong of soda to neutralize four
strong of acid in equal quantities, it then becomes necessary to test the acids
by the alkali tests in the following way :---Take any given quantity of dilute
acid from the vessel, then take the same quantity of soda water alkali of
cight strong and mix the same in a glass graduated to the hydrometer pre-
ferred; the liquids will effervesce; should the effervescence cease, or the acid
become neutralized, then the acid is so much too weak; on the other side, if
it takes more alkali than equal quantities, the acid is too strong. If the glass
to contain the two liquids be graduated to the hydrometers, then, as much as
the said glass indicates too strong or too weak, the acid must be set accord-
ingly. In all cases of fresh acid it will be necessary to ascertain by trial
what strength of alkali it requires to neutralize equal quantities of acid. In
testing the acids by alkali to be accurate, care must be taken the two
liquids be mixed together well, and litmus or test paper must be used to
ascertain when the acid is destroyed, or otherwise, as, when there is any acid
in the glass graduated to the hydrometer, the litmus paper will become red;
when the alkali is strongest the litmus paper will become bluer than pre-
viously; when the acid is neutralized, litmus paper 'retains its original
blue.
The improvement. in neutralizing the acid is by means of mixing soda
water with olive or other vegetable oil; the alkali will neutralize the acid,
thereby saving the immersing of the materials under operation in lime water,
&c., as heretofore done, and also saving the consequent second drying of tho
same. The oil must have sufficient strength of alkali to neutralize the acid,
and will by this means of neutralizing be a considerable saving of oil, as the

page_text: soda water or alkali mixes with the oil and becomes a greasy quality, and will
not corrode or be otherwise injurious to the machinery employed in the requisite
subsequent processes of carding, &c.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
.
by the said John Lord in the. Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th March 1857.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
LORD, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Flannel Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Lord, Her especial license that I, the said John Lord, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Lord, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF
SEPARATING OR RECOVERING ANIMAL WOOL OR SILK FROM COTTON- AND WOOLLEN, OR
FROM COTTON AND SILK, OR OTHER MIXED FABRICS, WHEREBY THE ANIMAL WOOL
OR SILK IS RENDERED CAPABLE OF BEING AGAIN EMPLOYED, WHICH SAID IMPROVE-
MENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE TREATMENT OF WOOL IN ITS MANUFACTURED:
STATE," upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the said John Lord, 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
said Letters Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Lord, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:
These improvements consist, first, in testing the acids employed in such

page_text: process by the use of alkali, instead of the ordinary means of testing by
hydrometers..
Secondly, in neutaralizing the acid during the working of the procéss
without the immersion, and the consequent second drying of the rags, &c., as
hitherto.
The method of testing the acid is as follows:-If the acid be required four
degrees Twaddle's hyd. No. 1 strong, take a quantity of such acid and ascertain
what strength of soda or other alkali it will require to neutralize the acid in
equal quantities; then, if the dilute acid stands at at any given strength in the
.vessel by the hydrometer, I can by alkali test detect any errors. For instance,
if the dilute stands at four when the goods are immersed, and when taken out
if the glass indicates five, it is then obvious the glass does not indicate cor-
rectly; should it require, say, for example, eight strong of soda to neutralize
four strong of acids by the alkali test in the following way, take any given
quantity of dilute acid from the vessel, then take the same quantity of soda
water alkali of eight strong and mix the same in a glass graduated to the
hydrometer preferred; the liquids will effervesce; should the effervescence cease,
or the acid become neutralized before equal quantities of acid and alkali are
in the glass so graduated, then the acid is so much too weak; on the other
side, if it takes more alkali than equal quantities the acid is too strong. If
the glass to contain the two liquids be graduated to the hydrometers, then, as
much as the said glass indicates too strong or too weak, the acid must be set
accordingly. In all cases of fresh acid it will be necessary to ascertain by
trial what strength of alkali it requires to neutralize equal quantities of acid.
In testing the acids by alkali to be accurate, care must be taken the two
liquids be mixed together well, and litmus or test paper must be used to
ascertain when the acid is destroyed, or otherwise, as, when there is any acid
in the glass graduated to the hydrometer the litmus paper will become red;
when the alkali is strongest the litmus paper will become bluer than pre-
viously; when the acid is neutralized litmus paper retains its original blue.
The improvement in neutralizing the acid is by means of mixing soda water
with olive or other vegetable oil; the alkali will neutralize the acid, thereby
saving the immersing of the materials under operation in lime water, &c., as
heretofore done, and also saving the consequent second drying of the same.
The oil. must have sufficient strength of alkali to neutralize the acid, and will
by this means of neutralizing be a considerable saving of oil, and becomes a
greasy quality, and will not corrode or be otherwise injurious to the machinery
employed in the requisite subsequent processes of carding, &c., the proportions

page_text: I prefer for the above purpose being about as follows:-To three pounds of
soda add twelve quarts of water, to stand from four to eight Twaddle byd.
No. 1, then mix the above with eight to twelve quarts of oil; or may also use
eight quarts of soda water with four quarts of lime water the same strength,
then mix with oil the same as before; but any alkali of the same strength will
neutralize the acid in the course of working.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Lord, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
JOHN LORD. (L.S.)