IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF FILAMENTOUS MATTER, SUITABLE FOR SPINNING, FROM SUNDRY PLANTS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Arthur Paget, of 1, Seymour Chambers,
York Buildings, Adelphi, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF FILAMENTOUS
MATTER, SUITABLE FOR SPINNING, FROM SUNDRY PLANTS."-A communication
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Arthur Paget
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 1st August 1870.
I, FREDERICK ARTHUR PAGET, of 1, Seymour Chambers, York
Buildings, Adelphi, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PRODUCTION OF FILAMENTOUS MATTER, SUITABLE FOR SPINNING, FROM SUNDRY
PLANTS," (a communication from abroad by August Deininger, of Berlin),
to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention consists in the production of filaments
from plants having a fibrous rind, such as nettles, thistles, lupins, broom

page_text: plants, Canadian hemp, rhea or China grass, esparto grass, and other
similar plants.
The raw materials must be taken in a completely ripe and dry state.
To obtain from them fibre or filaments able to be spun a boiler is
employed, preferably constructed in the shape of a cylinder set vertically,
and which boiler I will afterwards designate under the term of "fibre
boiler." The whole of its internal surface is tinned, and its outer
surface is preferably covered with wooden lagging. It is provided with
a suitable opening or man-hole at its top, and another at its bottom.
side. At a short distance from the bottom there is fitted a perforated
tinned iron false bottom. The fibre bciler is placed by means of a pipe
in communication with any steam generator or boiler. A short distance
outside "the steam supply pipe is fitted with a tap for regulating the
admission of the steam. Inside the fibre boiler the pipe is fitted with a
self acting cut off valve, so arranged that should there be an excess of
pressure inside the boiler, the lye or wash cannot be driven out by the
pressure into the steam boiler. The steam supply pipe is carried down
to the bottom, where it is jointed to a perforated spiral pipe. The top
of the fibre boiler is fitted with a steam gauge and a thermometer, in
order to obtain indications of the internal pressure and temperature.
At the bottom of the fibre boiler is a tap for letting off the lye, which
can be received into a tank below. The lye is fed in from a heater by
means of a pipe, the flow through which can be regulated by another
tap. Two cocks fitted to the boiler at different levels open into a pipe
communicating with the tank or receptacle for the surplus lye, and by
their means the temperature and pressure can be regulated according
to the indications of the thermometer and pressure gauge respectively.
The raw material is supplied through the cover at its top already
mentioned, and is removed through the similar cover at the bottom. A
tap fitted on this upper cover is employed to get rid of any air in the
boiler, and also for determining whether steam has formed itself above
the regulating or gauge taps. It opens into a pipe jointed to that
placed below the gauge cocks.
The vessel in which the lye is previously heated is, by preference, of
the same capacity as the " fibre boiler." It is first filled with water,
to which caustic soda is added in such quantity as to cause the solution
to shew two degrees on the well-known areometer, known under the
name of Beaumé, and then heated by steam or otherwise to 80 degrees

page_text: centigrade. The nettles, China or esparto grass, or other materials_to
be treated, are chopped by means of a chaff cutter or other machine
into pieces from three to four inches long and then supplied into the
boiler. On allowing the heated lye from the tank to flow into the fibre.
boiler and soak itself in, the raw material is thereupon generally found
to contract, and the empty space thus formed is filled up with more
chopped straw or other material and a further quantity of heated lye is
run into the boiler. These alternate operations are continued, until the.
whole boiler is filled.
A current of steam of about four atmospheres pressure from any
ordinary steam boiler is then supplied into the fibre boiler through the
steam pipe already mentioned. The materials are thereupon left for-
eight hours under the influences of this increase of temperature and
pressure. It will be seen that by this plan tlie contents of the closed
fibre boiler are simultaneously submitted to both temperature and
pressure. At this stage the lye is run off through the bottom tap into,
the tank for this purpose. The fibre is now ready to be washed in a
drum for the purpose, through which a current of pure warm water is
kept flowing. The filamentous matter thus obtained is put under a
press, then teazled and dried, and further subjected to the usual
preparatory operations. of spinning.
When treating raw materials in which the fibrous rind occurs grown
together with the woody fibre, such, for example, as the broom plant
(spartium scoparium), a solution of caustic soda, 5 degrees Beaumé
strong, must be put into the fibre boiler for twelve hours, in order to.
separate the fibrous rind from the woody fibre.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,.
filed by the said Frederick Arthur Paget in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 1st February 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK:
ARTHUR PAGET, of 1, Seymour Chambers, York Buildings, Adelphi, in
-the County of Middlesex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of August, in the year of

page_text: our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Frederick Arthur Paget, Her special licence
that I, the said Frederick Arthur Paget, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Frederick Arthur Paget, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PRODUCTION OF FILAMENTOUS MATTER, SUITABLE FOR SPINNING, FROM SUNDRY
PLANTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Frederick
Arthur Paget, 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 Frederick Arthur Paget, 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 :-
The object of this Invention consists in the production of filaments
from plants having a fibrous rind, such as nettles, thistles, lupins, broom
plants, Canadian hemp, rhea, or China grass, esparto grass, and other 1
similar plants.
The raw materials must be taken in a completely ripe and dry state.
To obtain from them fibre or filaments able to be spun a boiler is
employed, preferably constructed in the shape of a cylinder set vertically,
and which boiler I will afterwards designate under the term of "fibre
boiler." The whole of its internal surface is tinned or coppered or other-
wise protected against the chemical action of its contents, and its outer
surface is preferably covered with wooden lagging or with any other
slow conductor of heat such as felt. This boiler is provided with a
suitable opening or man-hole at its top and another at its bottom side.
At a short distance from the bottom there is fitted a perforated tinned
iron bottom. The fibre boiler is placed by means of a pipe in com-
munication with any steam generator or boiler. A short distance outside

page_text: the steam supply pipe is fitted with a tap for regulating the admission of
the steam. Inside the fibre boiler the pipe is fitted with a self-acting
cut off valve, so arranged that should there be an excess of pressure
inside the boiler, the lye or wash cannot be driven out by the pressure
into the steam boiler. The steam supply pipe is carried down to the
bottom, where it is jointed to a perforated spiral pipe. The top of the
fibre boiler is fitted with a steam gauge and a thermometer in order to
obtain indications of the internal pressure and temperature. At the
bottom of the fibre boiler is a tap for letting off the lye which can be
received into a tank below. The lye is fed in from a heater by means of
a pipe, the flow through which can be regulated by another tap. Two
or more cocks fitted to the boiler at different levels open into a pipe
communicating with the tank or receptacle for the surplus lye, and by
their means the temperature and pressure can be regulated according to
the indications of the thermometer and pressure gauge respectively.
The raw material is supplied through the man-hole cover at its top
already mentioned, and is removed through the similar man-hole cover
at the bottom. A tap fitted on this upper cover is employed to get rid
of any air in the boiler, and also for determining whether steam has
formed itself above the regulating or gauge taps. It opens into a pipe
jointed to that placed below the gauge cocks.
The vessel in which the lye is previously heated is by preference of
the same capacity as the "fibre boiler." It is first filled with water, to
which caustic soda is added in such quantity as to cause the solution to
shew two degrees on the well-known arcometer known under the name of:
Beaumé, and then heated by steam or otherwise to 80 degrees centigrade.
The nettles, China or esparto grasses or other materials to be treated are.
chopped by means of a chaff cutter or other machine into pieces from three.
to four inches long, and then supplied into the boiler. On allowing the
heated lye from the tank to flow into the fibre boiler and soak itself in,
the raw material is thereupon generally found to contract, and the empty,
space thus formed is filled up with more chopped straw or other material,
and a further quantity of heated lye is run into the boiler. These
alternate operations are continued until the whole boiler is filled.
A current of steam of about four atmospheres pressure from any.
ordinary steam boiler is then supplied into the fibre boiler through the
steam pipe already mentioned. The materials are thereupon left for
about eight hours, more or less, as may be found necessary under the-

page_text: influences of this increase of temperature and pressure. It will be seen
that by this plan the contents of the closed fibre boiler are simul-
taneously submitted to both temperature and pressure. At this stage
the lye is run off through the bottom tap into the tank for this
purpose.
The fibre is now ready to be washed in a drum for the purpose, through
which a current of pure warm water is kept flowing. The filamentous
matter thus obtained is put under a press, then teazled, and dried, and
further subjected to the usual preparatory operations of spinning:
When treating raw materials in which the fibrous rind occurs grown.
together with the woody fibre, such for example, as the broom plant,
(spartium scoparium), a solution of caustic soda, 5 degrees Beaumé
strong must be put into the fibre boiler for twelve hours in order to
separate the fibrous rind from the woody fibre.
It is found that the spent lye run out of the apparatus though it
contains large proportions of the colouring matter and other residuary.
constituents of the straw, grass, and other raw materials employed, can.
yet be rendered capable of being used over again. One hundred cubic.
feet of lye contain about three litres of soda, which can be precipitated.
by about three quarters of a litre of sulphuric acid of about 66° Baumé,
more or less; Glauber salts are formed, and all the foreign matters are.
precipitated; the lye is then passed over fresh burnt lime, by which
gypsum is produced and caustic sotla lye is again formed; this lye on
being brought to a consistency of 1° Baumé can be used for fresh
operations; the residues left in the lime can also be separated by roasting
the same, so that the lime thus treated can be used over again.
And in order to render the arrangement employed still more fully
understood, reference is made to the Drawing hereunto annexed, in
which the different parts of the apparatus are denoted by letters.
A is the vertical fibre boiler shewn in sectional elevation, and in cross
sections through horizontal planes denoted by F, G, and H, I, respectively...
The inner sides of its iron plates are tinned or otherwise protected from
corrosion, and its outside is lagged or otherwise protected from thermal.
loss. a is a perforated iron false bottom, similarly protected against.
corrosion. The cock or other valve B regulates the admission of steam
from any steam generator into a pipe b. At d is the self-acting cut off
valve for preventing the lye being driven back by internal pressure;
below this valve there is jointed the spiral perforated tube e, e. On
the top of the fibre boiler are a steam gauge fand a thermometer g, and

page_text: at the bottom is a tap h for letting off the lye into the tank c below.
The lye is supplied from the upper tank D, through a pipe regulated
by a tap i; the taps k and 7 open over the funnelled tops of a pipe
communicating with the tank c. The raw material is supplied in by
temporarily removing the man-hole cover m, and is removed through
the hinged cover or door n below. A tap p screwed on the upper cover
and opening into a branch pipe leading to the tank c, is opened when
it is wished to get rid of any air in the fibre boiler, or for determining
whether any steam has formed itself above the gauge cocks k and l.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Arthur Paget, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this First day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.