IMPROVEMENTS IN TREAT- ING THE RHEA PLANT, SO AS BETTER TO PREPARE ITS FIBRES BEFORE BEING SPUN
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Cunliffe Lister, of Bradford, in the County
of York, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREAT-
ING THE RHEA PLANT, SO AS BETTER TO PREPARE ITS FIBRES BEFORE BEING
SPUN."
Sealed the 3rd July 1855, and dated the 20th April 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Cunliffo Lister at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th April 1855.
I, SAMUEL CUNLIFFE LISTER, of Bradford, in the County of York, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TREATING THE RHEA PLANT, SO AS BETTER TO PREPARE ITS FIBRES BEFORE BEING
SPUN," to be as follows:-
Hitherto the use of the rhea fibre has been only on a very limited scale, on
account of the difficulty of cleaning it from its outer bark, which is now done
before being shipped. Now, I have discovered that by simply passing it
through rollers with pressure, in the same manner that flax has been treated,
that good results may be obtained, as it will to some extent remove the bark,

page_text: and at the same time loosen the fibres, and when hackled the remaining
portion of the bark will be removed by the teeth of the hackle. Another plan
which answers well is to steep it or to boil it in water or soap and water, and
then hackle it; or it may be put through rollers as well as steeped, which is
still better; or it may be treated chemically with an alkali and an acid, so as
to separate the fibres. I am aware these are well-known processes, but new
when applied to the rhea fibre, so as to remove the outer skin and prepare it
for spinning.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Cunliffe Lister in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th October 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
CUNLIFFE LISTER, of Bradford, in the County of York, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Samuel Cunliffe Lister, Her special licence, that I, the said Samuel Cunliffe
Lister, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Samuel Cunliffe Lister, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time, and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TREATING THE RHEA PLANT, SO AS BETTER TO PREPARE ITS FIBRES BEFORE BEING
SPUN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Samuel Cunliffe
Lister, 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 J, the said Samuel Cunliffe Lister, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say):
:
Hitherto the use of the rhea fibre has been only on a very limited scale, on
account of the difficulty of cleaning it from its outer back, which is now done
before being shipped. Now, I have discovered that by simply passing it
through rollers with pressure, in the same manner that flax has been treated,
that good results may be obtained, as it will to some extent remove the bark,
and at the same time loosen the fibres, and when hackled the remaining
portion of the bark will be removed by the teeth of the hackle.
Another plan
which answers well is to steep it or to boil it in water or soap and water, and
then hackle it; or it may be put through rollers as well as steeped, which is
still better; or it may be treated chemically with an alkali and an acid, so as
to separate the fibres. I am aware these are well-known processes, but new
when applied to the rhea fibre, so as to remove the outer skin and prepare it
for spinning.
It is singular, but still not the less true, that China grass and rhea have in every
instance until now been treated by a rude and costly process to clear and free
them from the outer skin or bark, and it is the more singular, since many of
the
processes now used for treating flax are equally applicable to them. I can
only account for it by the fact, that in China, where the species of rhea known
as China grass is grown, it is the custom to scrape off the outer bark by a knife
or similar instrument, and this plan has been followed in the East Indies,
where the rhea is now grown to some extent, and where by a more enlightened
system of treatment it is destined to become a most important article of
commerce, the present system being so costly and difficult to accomplish on a
large scale. The kind of machine which I prefer to use for removing the
bark is constructed with a series of rollers mounted on bearings, and having
pressure, as is well understood, each pair of rollers having a slight draft just to
keep the fibre straight. The roller should be about eight inches in diameter,
and may be made of wood or metal; the flutes should be made round and
open, so as to crush and not to cut the fibre. If the bark is not sufficiently
crushed and detached by one operation, the fibrous material may again be
passed through a second time; but if the machine be composed of about ten
pair of rollers, one operation should be enough, particularly if first submitted
to a process of steeping.
Another plan which I have found to answer very well is to soften the bark
by steeping only in warm water for three or four hours, or boiling in a little
soap and water; in fact, any plan will do that softens the bark or crushes it,

page_text: so that the teeth of the hackle can act upon the fibre. Seeing that so many
well-known and simple plans will accomplish all that is requisite, it is indeed
surprising that so little progress has been made.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Cunliffe Lister, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
JAMES HAMILTON, of Manningham,
Bradford, York.
S. C. LISTER. (L.S.)