IMPROVEMENTS IN RECOVERING THE WOOL FROM FABRICS COMPOSED OF WOOL, OR WOOL IN CONNECTION WITH COTTON OR OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCE
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Lee Norton, of Holland Street, Blackfriars, in
the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RECOVERING
THE WOOL FROM FABRICS COMPOSED OF WOOL, OR WOOL IN CONNECTION WITH
COTTON OR OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCE."
Sealed the 5th June 1855, and dated the 16th January 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Lee Norton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th January 1855.
I, JAMES LEE NORTON, of Holland Street, Blackfriars, in the County of
Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RECOVERING THE WOOL FROM FABRICS COMPOSED OF WOOL, OR WOOL IN CONNECTION
WITH COTTON OR OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCE," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of subjecting such fabrics to dilute acid, then drying
them at a high temperature, and then opening the same out, as heretofore, and
also subjecting the fibres to ammoniacal vapour or volatile gas capable of
neutralizing the acid; or after subjecting the fabrics to dilute acid, and having
dried them, either by the aid of artificial heat or at ordinary temperatures, the
fabrics are steamed or exposed to a high temperature of dry heat, and the acid
is neutralized, as before mentioned, either before or after opening out the fibre.
In some cases the fabrics are washed before the fibres thereof are opened out,
and then the fibres are separated while in a wet or moist condition, and
then dried.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Lec Norton in the Great Seal Patent Oflice on the
16th July 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
LEE NORTON, of Holland Street, Blackfriars, in the County of Surrey, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of January, 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 James Lee Norton, Iler special licence that I, the said James Lec
Norton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said James Lee Norton, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RECOVERING THE WOOL FROM FABRICS COMPOSED OF WOOL, OR WOOL IN
CONNECTION WITH COTTON OR OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCE," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James Lee Norton, 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 I, the said James Lee Norton, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say) :-
:-
The fabrics are steeped in dilute mineral acid (by preference sulphuric),
the strength of the dilute acid to be varied according to the material to be
operated upon, say, from two to twelve degrees on "Twaddle's" hydrometer,
but if the fabrics are greasy they are previously cleansed before being steeped.
When the fabrics have become thoroughly saturated with the dilute acid
liquor, they are removed therefrom, and the superfluous liquor is extracted
from them by a hydro extractor," or centrifugal machine; they are then
gradually dried, either at ordinary temperature or by artificial heat, then
exposed to a high temperature of dry heat, -varying from one hundred and

page_text: eighty to two hundred and twenty degrees of Fahrenheit, according to the
strength of the dilute acid, until the vegetable matter is destroyed, the higher
températures of dry heat being used to the weaker solutions of acid; and it is
preferred for this purpose to use atmospheric air heated up to the degree of
temperature desired; or the dry fabrics may be put into a close vessel, and
steam admitted till the vegetable is destroyed under pressure, for the purpose
of raising the temperature to, say, two hundred and twenty to two hundred and
fifty degrees Fahrenheit. After the fabrics have been exposed to a high tem-
perature of dry heat, or steamed a sufficient time, so that the vegetable matter
will fall away or separate from the fabrics as, dust, the fibres are then opened
out and the dust or vegetable matter separated therefrom; by machinery, as
lieretofore, when opening out worsted or woollen waste; or the fabrics may be
washed, which causes the vegetable matter to separate from the fabrics, and
leaves the woollen fibres of the fabrics unbroken, and at the same time
cleanses the fibres and neutralizes the acid. When washing is resorted to, the
water is extracted from the fibres by means of a "hydro extractor," or centri-
fugal machine, and whilst in a moist state I separate the fibres of wool by
machinery as above stated, and then dry them; or, in place of the process
above described, the fabrics are steeped in dilute acid, and the liquor removed
as above explained, then gradually dried, either at ordinary temperature or by
artificial heat, then either steamed or exposed to a high temperature of dry
heated air, as before mentioned, until the vegetable matter is destroyed; the
fabrics are then shaken or opened out as above described, and thereby the dust
or vegetable matter is separated from the wool; and then in order to neutralize
the acid I subject the fibres of wool to ammonical vapour, or volatile gas, and
thus save the labour of washing and second drying. The mode I adopt for sub-
jecting the fibres of wool to the action of the gas or vapour is as follows:
I spread the fibres of wool lightly upon shelves of open lath work, or I hang
the fibres upon rods, and then place the shelves or rods suitable distances apart
with the fibres of wool upon them in a close chamber; I then dissolve sal-
ammoniac in water in a vessel, and add to it an equal weight of slacked lime,
and stir them together; heat is then applied to the vessel to cause the gas
to ascend from the vessel containing the sal-ammoniac solution and lime into
the chamber, into which it is conveyed by a suitable conducting pipe. The
chamber has a small opening at the top, to allow the atmospheric air in the
chamber to escape, which opening is closed so soon as the gas has forced out
the air. The quantity of gas to be used is regulated by the size of the closed
chamber, and the quantity of wool to be operated upon, and when the fibres
of wool are thoroughly impregnated with the gas, they are removed from the

page_text: chamber and exposed to the air, after which the wool is ready for being
manufactured.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to the
use of acids; but what I claim is,
First, extracting the dilute acid liquor from the fabrics and then gra-
dually drying them before they are exposed to a high temperature of heated
atmospheric air or steam to destroy the vegetable matters, as described.
Secondly, the application of ammoniacal vapour or volatile gas for neutral-
izing the acid, as herein described.
And, thirdly, the washing the fabrics for the purpose of separating the
vegetable matter from the wool, after the same have been subjected to high
temperatures, whereby the length of staple is improved and the acid is
neutralized.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Lee Norton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
H. W. CARPMAEL.
JAMES LEE NORTON. (L.S.)