Improvements in the Treatment of Rhea Grass and Fibrous Plants, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Treatment of Rhea Grass and Fibrous Plants,
and in Apparatus therefor.
We, JOHN MALCOLM MACDONALD, Engineer, and HENRY HUNGERFORD BOYLE,
Chemist, both of Victoria Mansions, Westminster, London, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The plant after decortication is boiled in a solution of hydrate of soda and
silicate of soda, it is then removed washed and again boiled in a similar but weaker
solution: it is again removed and washed and steeped in a solution of perman-
ganate of potash after removal from this is again washed, and steeped in a solution
of hyposulphite of soda, again removed and washed and steeped in a solution of
hydrochloric acid, again removed and washed and steeped in a solution of a
saponaceous character to thoroughly cleanse it, after removal it is passed between
squeezing rolls and afterwards dried in any suitable way when it is fit for combing.
The apparatus employed in carrying out the above process is as follows: A
series of tanks over which is a travelling carrier, between the tanks is a rinsing
table, the grass after decortication is put into a cage and let down into the first
of the tanks in which it is boiled, the cage is then lifted out and lowered on to the
rinsing table, and afterwards washed by a douche, the cage is then lowered into
the next tank and so on throughout the whole. The tanks have false perforated
bottoms for the introduction of the solutions from an upper tank the solution
flows over into a lower tank from which it is pumped up to the higher tank, by
this means the circulation is kept up continuously.
101
T
1007
FREDERIC PRINCE,
Agent for Applicants.
CUMI LEIDDI PULTIVATION.
Improvements in the Treatment of Rhea Grass and Fibrous Plants,
and in Apparatus therefor.
We, JOHN MALCOLM MACDONALD, Engineer, and HENRY HUNGERFORD BOYLE,
Chemist, both of Victoria Mansions, Westminster, London, do hereby declare the
CD 077

page_text: 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 plant after decortication is treated to degum the same in the following
manner:-
It is first boiled in a solution of hydrate of soda and silicate of soda, then removed
washed and again boiled in a similar but weaker solution: it is again removed
and washed and steeped in a solution of hyposulphite of soda, again
removed and washed and steeped in a solution of hydrochloric acid, again removed
and washed and steeped in a solution of saponaceous character to thoroughly
cleanse it, after removal it is passed between squeezing rolls and afterwards dried
in any suitable way when it is then fit for combing.
In carrying out our invention we employ special apparatus which we have
invented for the purpose, and we will now proceed to describe the same, reference
being had to the accompanying drawings, and how our invention is carried into
effect in detail.
Figure 1, is a plan view of the apparatus for carrying out the degumming
process, Figure 2 is a side elevation of same, and Figure 3 a partial sectional cross
elevation and shewing means for the circulation of the liquid into and out of the
different tanks, and also showing lifting traveller.
A, (Fig. 3) illustrates a tank to hold solution: from underside of this tank is
a pipe B to convey the solution for use as hereafter stated. C, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, 0º,
C7, C8, Cº, C¹º, C₁, (Fig. 1) are the tanks in which the grass is treated and D, are
rinsing tables, E, E, squeezing rollers. The decorticated grass is first put in a
cage F, which is then lifted by the travelling carrier H, and put into tank C, or (
The cage F, and carrier H, are of any suitable construction. In these tanks is a
solution boiled by steam in any convenient and known way (not shown in drawing,).
The tanks have a false perforated bottom G, under which liquid from tank A, is
introduced by the pipe B, this liquid rises up through the perforated bottom and
overflows at G', and runs down into the tank G2, from whence it is drawn by a
pump G, and forced back into tank A. This arrangement is proposed to be used
only with tanks C, C₁, C², C³, but it may be applied to the whole of the tanks or
to a part of them, for this purpose the drawing showing the tanks all fitted with
overflow gutters G¹. After the grass has been boiled in the first tank the cage F,
is lifted out and placed upon the rinsing table D, and the grass within washed by
a douche of water, the cage is then lifted and lowered into the next tank and so on
throughout the whole. After the last rinsing the grass is removed from the cage
and passed between the squeezing rollers E, and then conveyed to drying tables,
after drying it is fit for combing. The drawing shows a duplicated set of tanks
but this is not essential. The solutions in the different tanks are as follows.
In tanks C, C1, C2, C3 one per cent. of caustic soda and half per cent. of silicate of
soda but rather weaker in tanks, C2, C3; in tanks C4, C5, is a weak one of
manganate of potash, sufficient of the latter only being added to produce a violet
colour to the water; in tanks C6, C7, a weak one of hyposulphite of soda and
hydrochloric acid composed of 1 per cent. of hydrochloric acid and two per cent. of
hyposulphite of soda to ninety seven per cent. of water; in tanks C8, C, a weak one
of hydrochloric acid composed of one per cent. of the latter acid to ninety nine
per cent. of water; and in tanks C, C", a softening and cleansing one of a
saponaceous character, composed one part olive oil and ten parts Castille soap to
one pound of this mixture add two gallons, of water. The approximate time for
the different operations are as follows:
per-
Tanks C, C, about fifteen minutes, tanks C2, C3, about ten minutes, tanks C4, C5,
about twelve minutes, tanks C6, C7, about ten minutes, tanks 08, 0º, about ten
minuts, tanks, C10, C1, about ten minutes. In the tanks in which the solution
are not boiled, the solutions are at the atmospheric temperature but they should
not be allowed to go down below below 55 F.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim
is:-
-
The combinations of solutions and apparatus for degumming the fibres herein-
before described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.. -
Dated this 19th day of March 1898.
FREDERIC PRINCE,
37, Cursitor Street, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for Applicants.