Improvements in the Manufacture of Lace and other Reticulated Fabrics from Wool and other similar Animal Fibres.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Nov., 1888-Accepted, 20th July, 1889
UUMI DMIN DI PULTIVATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Lace and other Reticulated
Fabrics from Wool and other similar Animal Fibres.
I FREDERIO HUNGERFORD BOWMAN of Halifax in the West Riding of the County
of York Cotton Spinner do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
The principal object of this invention is to produce a novel kind of woollen lace,
but the same invention is equally applicable to the production of other analogous
reticulated fabrics.
For the purpose of my invention I take a piece of figured material known as
embroidery such as is produced by embroidering a suitable pattern in wool or
other similar animal fibre (not being silk) upon a plain cotton fabric base or
foundation, either by means of an embroidering machine or by hand care being taken
that the continuity of the pattern shall be such that there are no isolated pieces of
embroidery but that the parts of the pattern shall be so connected together and
supported that they would form a perfect lace or reticulated fabric of wool or other
animal fibre, if the whole of the cotton ground were removed.
I first immerse or soak this compound figured or embroidered fabric in water when
the ground is a thick or strong one, and especially when any size or stiffening has
been used in the manufacture or finishing of the cotton foundation. Whero the
cotton ground is thin, and pure this preliminary soaking may be omitted as its object
is to prepare the cotton to absorb as much of the acid liquid or gas used in the next
process as possible and when the cotton is pure and the material light it is
unnecessary.
I then place the fabric in a bath of dilute sulphuric acid (the ordinary sulphuric
acid of commerce diluted with about times its volume of water I have found to be
the best for the purpose where sulphuric acid is used, but it will do much weaker if
a longer time is taken in the process) until the whole of the cotton base is completely
saturated with the acid solution. The solution is best used cold although when tepid
or about sixty degrees (Fahrenheit) it seems to absorb into the cotton best.
About ten minutes immersion is usually sufficient but the time may be varied with
the texture of the cotton base.
The fabric is then removed from the acid bath and after all superfluous moisture
is removed by wringing passing through rollers or any suitable process the fabric
is slowly dried in a drying temperature not exceeding one hundred degrees
(Fahrenheit).
I then place the fabric in a closed chamber uniformly heated by steam hot air or
any other suitable means care being taken that the temperature is not too high. I
have found that a temperature of two hundred degrees (Fahrenheit) works very well
in ordinary cases.
The heat is to be applied until the whole of the cotton base just changes color in
consequence of the carbonization of the cotton so that the fibre is then reduced to a
disintegrated condition.
The fabric is then removed and subjected to a blast of air, or a jet or spray of
water or dry steam or the fabric may be placed between two pieces of thick cloth or
other material or wrapped up in the cloth so as to preserve the reticulated fabric of
wool or other similar animal fibre and beaten until the whole of the carbonized cotton
base is removed in the form of fine dust leaving the wool or other embroidery in the
form of an open lace or reticulated fabric of wool or other similar animal fibre. This
process when the wrapper is used is materially assisted by frequent removal of the

page_text: fabric from the wrapper and by shaking the fabric either by hand or otherwise which
assists the removal of the dust. Care should be taken to prevent the dust from
coming freely into the place where the operation is carried on.
It should be removed by artificial currents or otherwise so as to prevent it from
being inhaled by any operator.
The woollen lace is next cleansed by washing with water either with or without the
addition of a small quantity of alkali so as to remove all traces of acid after which the
fabric is ready for drying and finishing or it may be dyed or bleached and
strengthened and finished in any suitable manner.
It is obvious that in some cases a stronger or weaker acid may be used, for acting
on the cotton, and a higher or lower temperature may be employed in the above
processes of drying and heating according to the character of the fabric operated
upon and the results which it is desired to produce. These variations will be readily
made as required by an operator of oxperience.
In some cases the operation above referred to for drying and carbonizing may be
carried on in the same chamber the temperature being raised as required.
Where the cotton base is strong and the woollen or other lace or tapestry has to be.
dyed in dark colors I have found the use of sulphuric acid most advantageous but I
do not confine my invention to the use of such acid as other acids which are known
to act upon cotton in a similar manner may be employed.
Again some sults such as aluminium or zinc chloride, or other salts, which as
chemists would know give off acids by decomposition, may be used for acting upon
the cotton. Again mixtures of these agents may in some cases be employed
and where their action is too energetic they should be diluted as required,
to suit the nature of the fabric operated upon, regard being had in all cases, to the
action of the degree of heat which may be used to produce the required results.
Where color is an object and any remains of carbonized cotton would be objection-
able I use hydrochloric acid either in a closed chamber as a dilute gas, or in solution.
For the solution I use the ordinary hydrochloric acid of commerce about thirty-two
degrees (Twaddell) diluted with about ten times its volume of water and proceed
exactly in the same way as described above with the dilute sulphuric acid except that
I withdraw the fabric from the final heating chamber as soon as the cotton base is
sufficiently acted upon to be reduced (when rubbed between the fingers) into a fine
white powder which may be ascertained by removing a small piece of the base from
time to time and testing, or it is usually indicated by a slight change to a greyish
white tinge.
The use of hydrochloric acid in the form of a gas can only be safely employed
where the fabric is thick in the figured part, and in such case the fabric should be
previously soaked in water.
As a rule the solution answers best for all light fabrics such as trimming and other
lace goods.
It will be evident that my invention is not confined to embroidered fabrics but may
be employed in reticulating the whole or portions of tapestry for furnishing purposes
or woven fancy dress goods where wool or other similar animal fibres, and cotton are
combined together in any manner in which the wool or other similar animal fibre
will retain its position or structure when the cotton is removed.
In some cases the base or ground employed may be of flax; or other vegetable
fibre of a cellulose character and capable of being carbonized or disintegrated by the
application of dilute acid followed by heat as hereinbefore mentioned, may be
employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The manufacture of lace and other analogous reticulated fabrics of wool or
other similar animal fibres (not being silk) by embroidering or weaving such wool or
animal fibre in a suitable pattern upon a ground of cotton or other vegetable fibre

page_text: baving a like cellulose basis the ground being removed by treating it with acid or gas
substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein described.
Secondly. I claim as a new product lace or other analogous reticulated fabric of
a new character formed by first embroidering or weaving the required pattern in
wool or similar animal fibre (not being silk) on a ground of cotton or other vegetable
fibre having a cellulose base and then removing the ground substantially in the
manner hereinbefore described.
Dated this 19th day of November 1888.
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agent for the Applicant.