Improvements in the Process of, and Machinery or Apparatus for, Cleaning and Treating Fibrous Peat.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Oct.. 1894
Complete Specification Left 5th July, 1895-Accepted, 10th Aug. 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in the Process of, and Machinery or Apparatus for,
Cleaning and Treating Fibrous Peat.
We, GUSTAVE ADOLPHE CANNOT, of 20, Bucklersbury, in the City of London,
Manufacturer, and JOHN BURKE, of 32, Queen Victoria Street, in the City of
London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
-
Our present invention has for its object improvements in the processes heretofore
adopted for treating fibrous peat, so as to render its fibres available for the purpose
of spiuning and otherwise manufacturing and using them, and also in machinery
or apparatus for so treating such fibious pent.
By its use. the material is thoroughly cleaned, and the dirt and useless non-fibrous
peat removed, whilst the remainder is brought to a condition in which the fibres
are soft, plant, and well adapted to the purposes to which they are to be applied,
the processes and apparatus used being simple, cheap, and effective
Our present invention consists more especially in further improvements in the
processes, machinery, and apparatus, for which Letters Patent were obtained by
Gustave Adolphe Cannot, dated June 14th, A D. 1888, and numbered 8,742, by
which improvements the fibrous peat is more cheaply, effectively, and easily
tieated, than has heretofore been the case.
Where the raw fibrous peat as it is brought from the places where it is
oblamed, is of such character that it is advisable to clean it mechanically, it is
first treated in a breaking and beating machine, by which the dut and foreign and
objectionable substances are removed. This improved apparatus consists of one or
more breaking rollers or cylinders, after passing under which the material passes
though a sufhcient number of beaters revolving at a considerable speed, by which
the dut is removed and is discharged through suitable metal gratings or screens,
and falls upon an endless travelling band or table passing at a sufficient speed, by
which it is called along and discharged preferably upon another sunilai endless
band at ght angles to the first, by which it is conveyed and delivered at any
requned place.
The breaking cylinders under which the peat first passes as described, are
provided with wooden arins having at their outer edges radial teeth of steel or
other suitable metal, by which the peat, which is fed to the machine by an endless
band, is thrown against the box or case in which the apparatus is contained, which
latter is fitted with a metallic grating or net through which the stones, pieces of
wood, and other impurities contained in the peat pass.
The fibrous pent, thus partially cleaned, then passes forward under the first of a
series of evolving beaters which commence the separation and disintegration of the
fibie, the waste, such as the peat powder or dust, passing through a screen below,
and falling upon the endless travelling band or table, by which it is removed as
already described.
The evolving beater throws the fibre up against a series of suitable breakers
projecting down from the top of the case in which the apparatus is contained,
which breakers may be in the form of pointed metal spikes similar to those upon
the breaking cylinders first described, which aid the disintegrating process, and
from which the fibie is thrown forward, and fulls against a second similar revolving

page_text: beater, and so on through a series of three, four, or any desired number of benters,
by which the separation and cleaning of the fibre is perfectly accomplished, the
dust and impurities passing through screens below and falling upon the endless
band or table described, whilst the cleaned fibre is finally delivered into a receiving
chamber at the further end, whence it is removed as required to the classifying
apparatus or to the carding and spinning apparatus. The peat dust may be
separated by sieves into different sizes, each useful for different purpose.
The chambers below the beater are provided with doors or diawers by means of
which the beaters can be examined on iepaned when necessary
After passing eight or ten or other suitable number of such beaters, the pear
fibie is delivered thoroughly separated from all foreign matter
The fibre leaned in the manner described is then passed to a machine of the
kind described and illustrated in Figures 2 and 7 of the Specification of Letters
Patent, No. 8742, A.D. 1888, in which the fibres are softened and made parallel
by a rough breaking and carding process, the fibre, fed by an endless band, being
drawn by teeth upon a revolving cylinder, between rolleis pressed together by a
weight, and over the edge of a knifeblade, and delivered from the machine into a
moving screen or sifting apparatus supported upon rollers or suspended by links,
or guides. and made to oscillate backward and forward by means of one or more
connecting os actuated by a cam o cams or excentric upon the axle of the
revolving dinm of the machine just described, which, together with the oscillating
screen, may be used as a substitute for the apparatus described, and illustrated
Figmes 8 and 10 of the Specification of the said Letters Patent already above
referred to, in which the fibres are carried along by a current of an and deposit
themselves in the different parts of a chambei, becoming classified according to
their relative degrees of fineness The oscillating screen is made to strike against
a fixed stop at the end of its stroke, so as to more thoroughly shake out the dust.
Or, the said apparatus may be used for cleaning and classifying the fibres in the
way described.
After having been treated in the manner or manners described, the soft and
properly classified peat fibres may be carded and brought to the form of an endless
band or fleece of considerable width, and having any required thickness, by means
of a machine of the kind described and illustrated in Figure 4 in the Specification
of the said Letters Patent already referred to.
In order to prepare the fibres of peat cleaned and classified in the way described,
To the purpose of spinning on weaving, we use a continuous carding engine to
which a quantity of the prepared fibre is supphed automatically by an endless
travelling band whence it passes between two small revolving rollers, which
deliver it to the surface of a revolving cylinder provided with suitable card teeth,
round which it is passed (in the manner usual in carding engines), being stripped
from the teeth by evolving stripping rollers, which supply it to smaller carding
cylinders, icvolving in close proximity to the mam card cylinder, and so on until,
when thoroughly carded, it is disengaged from the card teeth, and finally stripped
of by a special cylinder.
From this cylinder, the fibrous fleece is removed in the ordinary way by an
Oscillating doffing comb, and the fibrous web is then conducted between two bent
toothed of notched blades so arranged that the teeth upon one are opposite to the
spaces upon the other, and me versa Behind each of these blades is arranged
travelling endless band of somewhat ridged or roughened material one directed
somewhat upward, and the other somewhat downward, the fibrous fleece being
divided by the blades into strips, and one set of alternate strips being carried
away upward by one endless band, whilst the other set of alternate strips is carried
away downward by the other endless band. Parallel endless bands aro also
arranged moving in contact or nearly so, with those first described, and in the same
direction, the bands of fibie passing between them, and the last described endless
bands are caused to oscillate laterally backward and forward whilst they are
travelling forward, so that the fibrous bands are rolled into the form of cords o

page_text: slivers, which are led away and wound upon drums or rollers whence they can be
taken to be spun into threads or otherwise utilized.
Where the peat is better adapted to be treated and cleaned by chemical means
whilst wet, instead of mechanically when dry, we use the following modification of
the process described in the former Letters Patent, alieady referred to
For this purpose, the fibre, instead of being placed in a beating engine, is at once
placed in a double bottomed vessel filled with water, in which it is stured by an
agitator. The bottom upon which the peat rests is of wie gauze or net, or
perforated plate, and this part of the treatment serves more particularly to dissolve
o separate the earthy parts which adhere to the fibre and are precipitated (being
heavier than water) through the openings in the net or perforated plate which
forms the upper bottom of the vessel. Openings provided with suitable doors to
allow these earthy particles to be removed when necessary from the space between
the two bottoms.
The necessary water is constantly supplied through pipes to the upper part of
the vessel.
The fibre cleaned in this way is placed in an alkaline solution, either of caustic
soda in the proportion of two parts by weight of soda to 100 parts of the fibre, or
if potash is used, the proportion is parts to 100 of fibre, or if soda crystals,
10 per cent. of the fibre.
The fibre is steeped and agitated in this solution, if cold, for about eight hours;
o if it is desired to hasten the treatment, the fibre may be boiled in the solutions
described, the boiling being for about two hours in an open vessel, or one hour in a
closed vessel under pressure. After having been thus steeped or boiled, the fibre is
thoroughly washed in a stream of water slightly warmed. It may be afterwards,
to tender the fibies more capable of being reduced to a great degree of fineness,
submitted to treatment with acids. For this purpose, it is sufficient to leave it in a
vessel containing five parts by volume of sulphuric or hydrochloric acid, to
100 parts of water. The fibre is left in this liquid for twelve hours if it is not stirred
o agitated by any convement power, or it so agitated, 6 hours are sufficient
On leaving the acid bath, the fibre must be well washed in several successive
waters until completely neutral, and it is then passed into a drying machine to be
When dued, it is
dried if there is not available room to diy it in the open air.
subjected to the same treatment as the fibre which has been treated diy by the
beating engine as first described.
The great advantages of the chemical mode of treatment are,―
1-The use of the peat in a wet state instead of its having to be first died.
2. Less loss, as by the beater half the fibre becomes reduced to dust or
fragments.
3. The fibre is more easily spun, as the fibres, not being broken in the beater
are longer and more easily treated.
-
The fibre is more supple and strong, on account of the use of the alkaline
and astringent bathe.
5-It is more perfectly cleaned, as in the baths it is freed from earthy particles
and dust.
When the fibie is treated by acid it may be bleached by bleaching liquid or
chlorine, by being allowed to remain for about twelve hours in a bath containing a
solution of such strength that the fibre floats in it. It is preferable to employ
devices for stiring and agitating it.
On leaving this first bath, the fibre is passed to a bath containing 2 to 5 kilo-
grammes of hypochlorous acid, or, failing this, of hydrochloric acid, to 100 parts of
water, and is left in this bath foi about an hour, and is then removed and thoroughly
washed, care being taken not to expose it to the air in passing.
1004
EDWARDS & Co.,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in the Process of, and Machinery or Apparatus for,
Cleaning and Treating Fibrous Peat.
We, GUSTAVE ADOLPHE CANNOI, of 20, Bucklesbury, in the City of London,
Manufacturer, and JOHN BURKE, of 32, Queen Victoria Street, in the City of
London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the 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, that is to say
-
Our present invention has for its object improvements in the processes heretofore
adopted for treating fibrous peat, so as to render its fibres available for the
purpose of spinning and otherwise manufacturing and using them, and also in
machinery or apparatus for so treating such fibrous peat.
By its use, the material is thoroughly cleaned, and the dirt and useless and non-
fibrous peat removed, whilst the remainder is brought to a condition in which the
fibres aie soft, phant, and well adapted to the purposes to which they are to be
applied, the processes and apparatus used being simple, cheap, and effective.
Our present invention consists moic especially in further improvements in the
processes, machinery, and apparatus, for which Letters Patent were obtained by
Gustave Adolphe Caunot, dated June 14th, A.D. 1888, and numbered 8,742, by
which improvements the fibrous peat 18 more cheaply, effectively, and easily treated,
than has heretofore been the case.
The accompanying drawings are in illustration of our present invention.
Where the raw fibrous peat as it is brought from the places where it is obtained,
is of such character that it is advisable to clean it mechanically, it is first treated
in a breaking and beating machine, as shewn in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, (Figure 1
being a side view, and Figures 2, 3 and 4, transverse sections though the
lines C-D, A-B and E-F, respectively,) by which the dust and foreign
objectionable substances are removed This improved apparatus consists of one
or more breaking rollers or cylinders c', caused to evolve at a sufficiently high
speed by any convenient power. This rollei or cylinder c' is provided with wooden
or metal aims having at their outer edges radial teeth of steel, by which the peat,
which is fed to the machine by an endless band t is thrown against the box or case
in which the apparatus is contained, a netallic grating or screen being arranged
below the beatei at d', through which stones, and other impurities contained in the
peat pass.
The fibrous pent thus partially cleaned then passes forward under the first of a
series of revolving beaters c, c, c, which commences the separation and disinte-
gration of the fibre, the waste (such as peat dust), passing through a screen din a
chamber e below, and falling upon an endless travelling band or table t', by which
it is conveyed foi ward.
The revolving beaters throw the fibre up against a series of suitable breakers p
projecting down from the top of the chambers, which breakers may be m the form
of pointed metal spikes similar to those upon the breaking cylinder cust
descubed, which aid the disintegrating process, and from which the fibre is thrown
forward and falls against a second similar revolving beater, and so on through a
series of three, four, or any desed number of beaters, (eight being shewn in
Figure 1), by which the separation and cleaning of the fibre is perfectly
accomplished, the dust and impunities passing through the scicens d below, and
falling upon the endless travelling table which conveys them if desued to a
similar transverse travelling table ", which conveys them away to any desued
place. The dust may be separated by sieves into different sizes, each useful for
different purposes.

page_text: The chambers e are provided with doors, and with drawers e' by means of which
the beaters can be examined and repaired when necessary. The cleaned fibre,
after passing a sufficient number of beaters, is finally delivered into a receiving
chamber m, whence it is removed as required to the classifying apparatus, or to
the carding and spinuing machines hereinafter de-cribed
The fibre cleaned in the manner described is then passed to a machine of the
kind described and illustrated in Figures 8 and 10 of the Specification of Letters
Patent, No. 8742, A.D 1888, (but modified as shewn in Figure 5 of the
accompanying drawings)
It consists of a metal dium having steel radial teeth, or saw shaped teeth inclined
at an angle of about 45° The peat is brought to the machine by an endless
travelling band or table t, which feeds it between two rollers, from which the drum
Under the
draws it, the drum making about 2,000 or 2,500 revolutions a minute
dinm and between the sile frames of the machine is arranged a plate or partition s
the upper part of which is perforated, and arranged in such a position that all the
dust and waste from the fibre pass through and fall behind it, whilst the cleaned
fibie remains above. An opening 18 ninde into the plates into which passes the
delivery pipe from a fan (shewn in dotted lines). The current of air from the
fan is discharged above the bottom of the machine with sufficient foice to dive
the cleaned fibre to a sufficient distance from the machine into a chamber about
10 mêtres long, which is divided at about the middle of its height by one or more
dividing plates, extending nearly to its outer end, so that the an taking the fibies
with it, passes through a course of about 20 mêties.
14
A second fan t (also shewn in dotted lines), as well as a suction fan to aid the
action of the first fan t'.
A man-hole 13 indicated at affording access to the chamber, in order to clear
it and remove the fibre deposited in it y is a revolving beater or set of arms by
which the fibres leaving the machine are duiven forward into the chamber u.
Between the delivery pipes from the fans t', t", and in front of the beater y is
arranged an oscillating inclined screen c, worked by an excentric upon the axle ot
the drum which dives the connecting rod b, the last remaining dust being thus
emoved. The screen is carried by wheels, or suspended by iods, and its front
end is made to strike a fixed stop at the end of each stroke, so as to shake out the
dust.
The fibres carmed by the current of air are deposited in the different parts of
the chamber u according to then relative fineness, those carried to the greatest
distance being the finest, like "down," and those deposited nearest to the machine
being the coaisest.
The machine or apparatus just described may be used either with or without the
oscillating or shaking screen.
The machine just descubed, with the oscillating screen, may be used as a
substitute for the apparatus descubed and illustrated in Figures 8 and 10 of the
Specification of the former Letters Patent already above referred to, in which
the hores are carried along by a current of air and deposit themselves in the
different parts of a chamber, becoming classified according to the relative degrees.
of fineness The oscillating screen in the piesent machine is made to strike
agamist a fixed stop at the end of its stroke, so as to more thoroughly shake out
the dust.
After having been treated in the manner or manners described, the soft and
properly classified pent fibres may be carded and brought to the form of an endless
band of fleece of considerable width, and having any required thickness, by means
of a machine of the kind described and illustrated in Figure 4 in the Specification
of the said Letters Patent already referred to.
In order to prepare the fibres of peat cleaned and classified in the way descubed,
for the purpose of spinning or weaving, we use a continuous carding engine
Figure 6 illustrates such an improved continuous carding and dividing engine,

page_text: which may be used for the final carding and division of the fleece into bands, and
Figure 7 is a front view upon a large scale of part of the machine
A sufficient quantity of the prepared fibre is brought to the machine by the
endless travelling band or table t, whence it passes between two small revolving
rollers m, which deliver it to the smface of a revolving cylinder J providel with
suntable card teeth, round which it is passed (in the manner usual in carding
engines), being stripped from the teeth by revolving stipping rollers, which
supply it to smaller caiding cylinders pl, revolving in close proximity to the main
card cylinder, and so on, until, when thoroughly carded, it is disengaged from the
card teeth, and finally stripped off by a special cylinder R.
From this cylinder, the fibrous fleece is removed in the ordinary way by an
oscillating doffing comb 7, and the fibrous web is then conducted between two bent
toothed or notched blades d and d', so arranged that the teeth upon one ate
opposite to the spaces upon the other, and ice versa. Behind each of these blades
is ranged a travelling endless band t,t' of somewhat ridged or roughened material
one directed somewhat upward, and the other somewhat downward, the fibrous
fleece being divided by the blades into strips, and one set of alternate strips being
carried away upward by one endless band t, whilst the other set of alternate strips
Is carried away dowawaid by the other endless band t. Parallel endless bands (", ",
are also arranged moving in contact or nearly so, with those first described, and in
the same direction, the bands of fibre passing between them, and the last described
endless bands t", ", are caused to oscillate laterally backward and forward whilst
they are travelling forward, (by any of the ordinary well-known devices) 50 that
the fibrous bauds are rolled into the form of cords or slivers, which are led away
and wound upon dimo rolleis 0, o', whence they can be taken to be spun into
threads or otherwise utilized
Where the peat is better adapted to be treated and cleaned by chemical means
whilst wel, instead of mechanically when dry, we use the following modification of
the process described in the former Letters Patent, already referred to.
For this purpose, the fibre, instead of being placed in a beating engine, is at
once placed in a double bottomed vessel filled with water, in which it is stirred
by an agitator. The bottom upon which the peat rests is of wire gauze or net, or
perforated plate, and this part of the treatment serves more particularly to dissolve
or separate the earthy parts which adhere to the fibie and are precipitated
(being heavier than water) through the openings in the net or perforated plate
which forms the upper bottom of the vessel. Openings provided with suitable
doors allow these earthy particles to be removed when necessary from the space
between the two bottoms.
The necessary water is constantly supplied through pipes to the upper part of
the vessel.
The fibre cleaned in this way is placed in an alkaline solution, either of caustic
soda in the proportion of two parts by weight of soda to 100 parts of the fibre ;
or if potash is used, the proportion 18 5 parts to 100 of fibre, or if soda crystals,
10 per cent. of the fibre
The fibre is steeped and agitated in this solution, if cold, for about eight hours;
or if it is desued to hasten the treatment, the fibic may be boiled in the solutions
described, the boiling being for about two hours in an open vessel, or one hour 10
a closed vessel under pressure. After having been thus steeped or boiled, the fibre
is thoroughly washed in a stream of water slightly warmed. It may be afterwards,
to render the fibres more capable of being reduced to a great degree of fineness,
submitted to treatment with acids. For this purpose, it is sufficient to leave it in
a vessel containing five parts by volume of sulphuric acid or hydrochloric acid, to
100 parts of water. The fibre is left in this liquid for twelve houts if it is
not stirred or agitated by any convement power, oi if it is so agitated, six hours
are sufficient.
Ou leaving the acid bath, the fibre must be well washed in several successive

page_text: waters until completely neutral, and it is then passed to a diving machine to be
dried if there is not available room to dry it in the open air
When dried, it 13
subjected to the same treatment na the fibre which has boen treated diy by the
beating engine as first described
The great advantages of the chemical mode of treatment are,
1. The use of the peat in a wet state instead of its having to be first dried
2 Less loss, as by the beater half the fibie becomes reduced to dust or
fragments
3. The fibre is more easily spun, as the fibres, not being broken in the boater
are longer and more easily treated.
4. The fibre is more supple and strong, on account of the use of the alkaline
and astringent baths.
5. It is more perfectly cleaned, as in the baths it is freed from earthy particles
and dust
When the fibre is treated by acid it may be bleached by bleaching liquid or
chlone, by being allowed to remain for about twelve hours in a bath containing
a solution of such strength that the fibre floats in it
It is preferable to employ devices for sturing and agitating it.
On leaving the bath just described the fibre is passed to a bath containing
2 to 5 kilogrammes of hypochlorous acid, or, failing this, of hydrochloric acid, to
100 kilogrammes of water, and 18 left this bath for about an hour, and is
then removed and thoroughly washod, care being taken not to expose it to the
au in passing
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
-
For the purpose of ticating fibrous peat
-
1 The beating engine, consisting of a succession of breaking and beating
cylinders and arms, in combination with screens and endless travelling tables,
substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4.
2. The machine for finishing and classifying the peat fibre, consisting of a
rovolving drum having radial or saw-shaped teeth, and rollers for feeding in
the fibre, dividing and perforated plates below, in combination with an oscillating
screen and a fan or fans and beaters for blowing the fibre to a chamber divided
by plates, and having a man-hole and an exhausting fan, substantially as described,
and illustrated in Figure 5
3. The finishing carding engine, consisting of card cylinders, doffing cylinder,
dofing comb, in combination with toothed curved blades, rollers, and endless
moving bauds having a lateral oscillating movement, and winding rollers,
substantially as described, and illustrated in Figures 6 and 7
4. The process of chemically treating the fibrous peat, substantially as
described.
Dh... ooch daw nf L….-- 100%
EDWARDS & Co.,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicants.