AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND PREPARING THE STALKS OF A CERTAIN VEGETABLE FIBROUS SUBSTANCE, KNOWN AND DISTINGUISHED IN FRANCE AS LA FILASSE D'ALFA (SPARTE), TO ADAPT IT FOR MANUFACTURING PURPOSES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Browne, of the Firm of Browne and
Company, Patent Agents, of 85, Gracechurch Street, in the City
of London, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND
APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND PREPARING THE STALKS OF A CERTAIN
VEGETABLE FIBROUS SUBSTANCE, KNOWN AND DISTINGUISHED IN FRANCE AS
LA FILASSE D'ALFA (SPARTE), TO ADAPT IT FOR MANUFACTURING PURPOSES."
A communication from abroad by the Count of Montebello (Charles),
of Paris, in the French Republic.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Browne at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th February 1872.
I, ALEXANDER BROWNE, of the Firm of Browne and Company, Patent
Agents, of 85, Gracechurch Street, in the City of London, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF
AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND PREPARING THE STALKS OF A CERTAIN VEGETABLE

page_text: FIBROUS SUBSTANCE, KNOWN AND DISTINGUISHED IN FRANCE AS LA FILASSE D'ALFA
(SPARTE), TO ADAPT IT FOR MANUFACTURING PURPOSES," a communication
from abroad by the Count of Montebello (Charles), of Paris, in the
French Republic, to be as follows:-

page_text: 0
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
BROWNE, of the Firm of Browne and Company, Patent Agents, of 85,
Gracechurch Street, in the City of London, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Alexander Browne, Her special license that I,
the said Alexander Browne, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Alexander Browne, 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 "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS
FOR TREATING AND PREPARING THE STALKS OF A CERTAIN VEGETABLE FIBROUS
SUBSTANCE, KNOWN AND DISTINGUISHED IN FRANCE AS LA FILASSE D'ALFA (Sparte),
TO ADAPT IT FOR MANUFACTURING PURPOSES," a communication from abroad
by the Count of Montebello (Charles), of Paris, in the French
Republic, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Alexander Browne, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Alexander Browne, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in operating upon la filasse d'alfa by sub-
mitting it to nine successive operations as follows:-
:—
First. Cutting the stalks. For this purpose after having selected the
longest stalks and arranged them in small bundles, I then cut the
ends to any desired length, which may be effected by a chopper or
otherwise.
Second. Burnishing and softening the stalks. This is performed at
three operations as follows:-First soak the aforesaid bundles for about
wenty-four hours, more or less, in strong cold lye liquor or wood ashes.

page_text: Second. Then submit the bundles to the action of the steam from
water during one or two hours, according to the state of the plant,
until the stems are sufficiently softened and have assumed a yellowish
brown color. For this purpose I place the bundles in a tun or vessel,
the bottom of which is perforated; this vessel is to be placed over a
cauldron hereafter described, containing lye liquor. Third. I drain and
dry the bundles until very little moisture is left.
The third part of this Invention relates to the bruising operation which
is performed as follows:-I crush the stalks throughout their entire
length so as not to tear or cut the fibres. This may be effected best by
passing the bundles well exposed between rollers, and to effect the
separation of the fibres perfectly I employ a kind of comb which lowers
down on to an apron containing the alfa, the depth of the teeth
of the said comb being such as not to allow too many stalks to be
thereon at one time. I prefer to grease the cylinders of the rollers with
soap to prevent pulling away of the fibres little by little, and also to
introduce amongst the fibres a certain quantity of soap to facilitate the
maceration, which operation is performed as follows:-
After having
The fourth part of this Invention relates to maceration.
again placed the bundles of alfa, by attaching them by their flexible ends
and enclosing them in a small bag of transparent oiled cloth, I soak
them for about twenty-four hours, or less, in cold lye liquor as above
stated.
The fifth part of this Invention relates to the lye washing, which I
perform as follows:-The bundles attached and enclosed as above stated,
I wash after the same manner as washing linen, care being taken in
drawing off the liquor from time to time not to again use the water
drawn off, but to use fresh lye liquor each time of drawing off, and
continue this operation of washing for eight or ten hours, until the alfa is
completely divested of gummy matters, it will then have assumed a pale
yellow color. The lye liquor may be prepared in a cauldron situated in
the middle of the lye tub. The boiling is conducted without interruption
with good ashes contained in a bag which does not rest immediately
upon the bottom of the cauldron, but is suspended a short distance
therefrom. The bag containing the lye ash must be replenished each
time the ash has lost its strength. The cauldron is furnished with
several cocks for conducting the lye liquor into the several tubs employed,
and the cauldron is fed by a water supply.

page_text: The sixth part of of this Invention relates to rincing. The washing
being completed I proceed to rince with ordinary water.
The seventh part of this Invention relates to drying. Any suitable
apparatus may be used for this purpose, but I prefer drying gradually
in the shade or by the wind.
The eighth part of this Invention relates to combing. Any combing
machine may be used.
The ninth part of this Invention relates to rendering the fibres pliable.
This may be effected by a system of rollers. Fibres prepared as above
stated are suitable for manufacturing into tissues, and as pulp for
manufacturing into paper and otherwise.
And in order to explain my said Invention more fully I now proceed
to describe the means by which it may be effected, as follows:-
The processes of steeping and lye washing, before described under the
fourth and fifth heads, to obtain the filasse or tow might also be employed
to prepare the fibres intended for the manufacture of paper pulp, card-
board, and the like. For this purpose I slightly modify the preparation
of the fibres of the alfa to adapt them to the manufacture of the said
pulps.
The following is the modified preparation above mentioned. The
matter in the first instance after having been cut and crushed in any
convenient manner, so as to make the blades or filaments as fine as
possible, is put in a heap and left to rot. These heaps should remain
exposed to the air, a meadow for example, for a longer or shorter time
according to the seasons, until sufficient fermentation takes place. The
heaps are watered occasionally more or less, so as to retain constantly a
certain amount of moisture. It will be found advantageous for watering
to use the lye waters that have previously been used for the lye washings,
as herein-after described.
The operation of lixiviation follows immediately after the rotting and
should continue for about thirty-six hours. It consists of a series of
progressive lye washings and rincings. The lye water as concentrated as
possible should run into the pulp that is spatuled from time to time, and
be renewed as often as possible. It should be lukewarm at the outset
and boiling during the latter part of the operation. The aforesaid water
is prepared in boilers in which good ashes are boiled, which should be.

page_text: frequently changed (instead of ashes soda or ordinary potash may be sub-
stituted), and a small quantity of lime added thereto will be found
advantageous.
The foregoing operations may be conducted in the open air in a series
of basins or pots suitably disposed and conveniently heated. After the
last rincing the pulp is pressed and then dried. It is then treated in the
manufacture of paper as half-stuff. It is submitted to the action of the
ordinary rag beater and then bleached by any of the known processes.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my
said Invention for "An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Treating
and Preparing the Stalks of a certain Vegetable Fibrous Substance known
and distinguished in France as La Filasse d'Alfa (Sparte), to Adapt it for
Manufacturing Purposes," together with the best means I am acquainted
with for carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark in
conclusion that my Invention consists in the manufacture of the "filasse,"
or tow and paper pulp, cardboard, and such like, with sparte, properly
called le senagh (ligeum spartum), l'alfa (stipa tenacissima) and other
plants of like nature, and I hereby declare my Invention to consist in
and I claim the whole or any of the operations above specified for the
preparation of "la filasse d'alfa" (stipa tenacissima) of sparte, properly
called "senagh" (legeum spartum) and other plants of like nature,
destined for the manufacture of thread, string tissues, and the like, and
for the preparation of the fibres of such said plants to render them
suitable for the manufacture of paper pulp, cardboard, and such like
substances.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Browne, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of August, in the year
ALEXR. BROWNE. (L.S.)