Improved Means and Apparatus for Ungumming and otherwise treating Flax and other like Fibres, also Leaves and Plants.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 29th July, 1890-Accepted, 4th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means and Apparatus for Ungumming and otherwise
treating Flax and other like Fibres, also Leaves and Plants.
I EDWARD JOHNSON of 2 Victoria Mansions, Westminster, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention which has been
communicated to.me from abroad by Thomas Burrows, of 267, Rue de Poste, Lille,
France, Engineer, to be as follows:-
This invention relates to certain means and apparatus for ungumining and otherwise
preparatory treating all vegetable fibres, either in the straw like flax or in stick
form, hemp or china grass or in the leaf, like pita, agave, pine-apple or banana
leaf etc.
It is well known that water under steam pressure has much more effect than when
the action is open to the air, also the dissolving effect of steam is well known and
appreciated by the bleaching, dyeing and other similar industries.
For several years the use of steam has been applied with advantage but in several
industries where its use is essentially of value there is danger of burning; for if
the steani is dry as at high pressure and the goods not sufficiently damp there is an
injurious action by the steam the goods are weakened, in the textile part and there
is consequently injury which often has serious consequences.
The ordinary autoclaves, either with puffer pipes or a circulating action guaranteed
by a mechanical medium have certain faults, known to all users of them. Either
there is no circulation after the inside pressure is up to a certain point, or, which is
always a drawback, the material inside the apparatus is not uniformly acted upon.
It has been found that where a certain amount of material is superposed on itself
the inner layers do not receive the same action as the outer parts, which are in in
immediate communication with the liquor or steam.
In the puffer pipe autoclave the liquid which ascends from below and falls on the
material finds its way down again through the thinnest layers or by the readiest
channel it can find so that the thick parts of the material receive very little action
and the gum or résinous matter remains almost untouched.
These faults it is proposed to remedy by the improved system or means and by
the apparatus forming the present invention the work of ungumming, creaming or
retting for decortication of all vegetable fibres is rapidly effected without injury to
the textile part.
For the purpose of this invention the material is placed in cages or perforated
receptacles attached to a shaft, which may have a revolving action or only a lifting
and falling motion in a close shell or casing capable of standing a moderate pressure of
steam. This cuter shell or boiler is about half filled with water or other suitable
liquids according to the work to be done and beat applied to obtain steam pressure
at the upper part so that in lifting or moving the material out from the liquor there
is a draining action of dissolved gum or pectose followed by a powerful steam action
in the fibrous parts. The lowering of the material into the boiling liquid produces
a washing action which removes the dissolved gums. By repeating this up and
down or in and out motion a perfect ungumming or retting is effected in a
short time.
Dated this 20th day of October 1880
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the said E. Johnson.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means and Apparatus for Ungumming and otherwise
treating Flax and other like Fibres, also Leaves and Plants.
I, EDWARD JOHNSON, of 2 Victoria Mansions, Westminster, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention which has been
communicated to me from abroad by Thomas Burrows, of 267 Rue de Poste, Lille,
France, Engineer, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to certain means and apparatus for ungumming and otherwise
preparatory treating all vegetable fibres, either in the straw like flax, or in stick
form, hemp or china grass, or in the leaf, like pita, agave, pine-apple, or banana
leaf etc.
It is well known that water under steam pressure has much more effect than
when the action is open to the air, also the dissolving effect of steam is well known
and appreciated by the bleaching, dyeing, and other similar industries.
For several years, the use of steam has been applied with advantage but in
several industries where. its use is essentially of value there is danger of burning;
for if the steam is dry as at high pressure (superheated) and the goods not
sufficiently damp there is an injurious action by the steam the goods are weakened
in the textile part, and there is consequently injury which often has serious
consequences
The ordinary autoclaves, either with puffer pipes, or a circulating action guaranteed
by a mechanical medium have certain faults, known to all users of them. Either
there is no circulation after the inside pressure is up to a certain point, or, which is
always a drawback, the material inside the apparatus is not uniformly acted upon.
It has been found that where a certain amount of material is superposed on itself
the inner layers do not receive the same action as the outer parts, which are in
immediate communication with the liquor or steam.
In the puffer pipe autoclave the liquid which ascends from below and falls on the
material finds its way down again through the thinnest layers or by the readiest
channel it can find, so that the thick parts of the material receive very little action
and the gum or resinous matter remains almost untouched.
These faults it is proposed to remedy by the improved system or means and by
the apparatus forming the present invention, the work of ungumming, creaming,
or retting for decortication of all vegetable fibres is rapidly effected without injury
to the textile part.
For the purpose of this invention, the material is placed in cages or perforated
receptacles attached to a shaft, which may have a revolving action, or only a lifting
and falling motion in a close shell or casing capable of standing a moderate pressure
of steam. This outer shell or boiler is about half filled with water or otlier suit-
able liquids according to the work to be done and heat applied to obtain steam
pressure at the upper part, so that in lifting or moving the material out from the
iquor there is a draining action of dissolved gum or pectose followed by a powerful
steam action in the fibrous parts. The lowering of the material into the boiling
liquid produces a washing action which removes the dissolved gums. By repeating
this up and down, or in and out motion a perfect ungumming or retting is effected
in a short time.
My invention will be understood by the annexed drawings.
Figures 1 and 2 are part sectional elevations of a cage revolving in a close
stationary casing.
Figures 3 and 4 are similar views of a cage and case in one, the whole re-
volving on an axle common to both. The cage is also supported on pivotted rollers
which carry the weight and facilitate the circular travel of the cage.
Figure 5 is a part sectional elevation of a casing, in which cages have an alternate
dip and draining action.

page_text: Referring to Figures 1 and 2, A is an outer casing kept steam tight when the
door B is close fastened by the catch appliance C. D the cage in segments, all
sides and ends being openworked, or of railed grating shape affixed to end
plates E, E, which form bearings for attachment of the cage to the axle F.
The axle passes through glands or boxes G, G, preferably steam tight, and one end
has a worm wheel H on it, in gear with a worm for giving a slow, yet regular,
motion to the cage D by the shaft J and fast pulley K.
The casing A is charged with water chemically treated, or otherwise, up to the
line ab, and after the segments of the cage are charged with fibre, and the door
closed, steam is admitted by the pipe L, and the cage set revolving. This moves the
segments into the water, and by the looseness of the fibres in the segments the fibres
turn, or roll over and become thoroughly saturated.
The action of the steam gradually raises the temperature of the water and effects
the softening of the fibres, also of the resins and gums contained in them, as the cage
revolves, the segments are lifted up out of the water, and the fibre drains.
The free steam which is pocketed in the upper part of the casing A now penetrates
into and acts upon the fibre, to liberate the softened resin and gum, this being
assisted by the turning over, or separation of the fibres due to their change of position
from the rotation of the cage, the softened and liberated resin and gum being washed
out at the next immersion.
M is a draw off tap in the bottom of the casing A.
Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the same action on the fibres takes place by the water
and the steam respectively, the steam being passed into the casing A by the trunnion
pipe L.
I have only shown six cages D in the casing A and the covers B B, are in the form
of screw caps.
According to Figure 5, the cages D, D, are suspended from a rocking beam N
pivotted in the casing A. Its axle F has connected a lever P which is moved to
and fro by the slotted rod Q which is caused to move backwards and forwards by the
pin R on the worm wheel H.
The period that the wheel H takes to travel one fifth of a revolution gives time
for the draining, the resin and gum being washed out at the next immersion.
While the cage on either.end of the beam is out of the water, the other cage is
during that time in the water. This alternate immersion and draining can be carried
on for any length of time until the operations are completed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The process hereinbefore described of subjecting fibres to the alternate action of
steam heated water, and of steam successively, in a close vessel for the purposes and
substantially by the apparatus represented in the annexed drawings.
2. The construction of apparatus shown by the drawings annexed and consisting of
an inner cage or cages actuated from outside a close casing for the alternate
immersion of fibres into liquid and a draining of the same in a steam space, for
softening the fibres, also for softening and liberating the resin and the gum therein
and for washing the softened resin and gum therefrom, as set forth.
The 29th day of July 1890
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the said Edward Johnson.