An Improved Process of Treating Fibre-bearing Plants and Fibrous Materials.
Year: 1888

page_text: An Improved Process of Treating Fibre-bearing Plants and Fibrous
Materials.
We SIDNEY SMITH BOYCE, of 280 Broadway, New York, in the County and State
of New York (Manufacturer) and PETER BETHUNE STEELE, of 940 Resident Street,
in the County of Kings and State of New York (Merchant), United States of America
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:
This Invention relates to the treatment of various fibre-bearing plants and fibrous
materials such as flax, hemp, ramie and other vegetable products; and it has for its
object the expeditious production of finer, stronger, lighter or better colored, softer and
more valuable fibres than fibres of the same nature oilierwise treated or prepared.
The Invention relates more particularly to the treatment of fibre-bearing or fibrous
plants or materials in lieu of retting and before hackling or otherwise dressing the
fibre; but it is also applicable to fibres which have already been extracted by the
ordinary process of retting, thereby improving their spinning, weaving, and bleaching
qualities.
Heretofore it has been customary in the preparatory treatment of flax, for instance,
to subject the plant to a long, tedious, process of retting by steeping in stagnant or
running water or by exposing to atmospheric moisture, commonly known as dew-
retting, for the purpose of decomposing and rendering soluble the adhesive inatters
which bind the fibres and woody substances together. By these modes of treatment,
which are noxious and offensive, the fibre becomes so discolored that in order to
restore its natural color a tedious, expensive, and destructive process of bleaching must
be resorted to, thereby further weakening the fibre. Moreover, the fibres thus treated
are deprived of so much of their natural oil that, they are not so soft, fine, pliable and
elastic as it is desirable they should be for manufacturing purposes.
The process of this invention does away with these tedious, disagreeable, expensive,
and destructive operations; is a rapid and economical treatment; produces a superior
and lighter or better-colored fibre; and at the same time preserves, and even adds to,
the naturally oily nature of the fibre.

page_text: The following is the preferred mode of procedure, but it should be observed that
although certain of the steps in the process are so far non-essential that they might be
omitted or the menstrua used be varied, yet that part of the treatment which relates to
subjecting the material to a warm greasy solution is essential and is, in all cases, to be
retained.
Preferably, the first step is to thoroughly crush, break, and bruise the fibrous plants
or materials: For this purpose, the plants or materials should have been dried, either
naturally or artificially, and they may, in some cases, have been boiled or steamed and
dried. The breaking operation may be performed by passing them through either
plain or fluted roliers, or it may be done by any other suitable means and serves to
remove the bark and woody matters but more particularly to prepare the material for
the action of the menstrua or solutions to which the plant or material is subsequently
subjected, and which act more readily on it in consequence of such preparation. In
some cases, however, such preliminary proceeding might be dispensed with.
The next step is to macerate, steep, or boil the fibrous plant or material in water as
a menstruum preferably soft water to which may, or may not, be added other
ingredients; but hot or boiling soft water alone will generally suffice. This treatment,
which will usually take from one to five minutes, more or less, according to the nature
of the material, serves to soften the glutinous and mucilaginous matters binding the
fibres and woody substances together but more particularly to extract the coloring
matter and other active vegetable principles and prepare the material for the action of
the greasy menstruum referred to in the next step of the process. The material may
then be rinsed in water and be passed through squeeze rollers to expel the softened or
partially dissolved matters and the moisture, and thereby to further prepare the material
for the subsequent treatment. A more perfect result is generally obtained if the
material be boiled than if it be merely steeped in hot or warm water without being
boiled and while said water might have ingredients added to it, notably such as to make
it very slightly soapy, acidulated or alkalined, soft water alone is preferable especially
when it is desired to obtain the extracts in their natural condition for further use.
Moreover, by using water alone, less injury will be done to the oily nature of the fibre
which it is desirable to preserve.
The next step in the process is to boil the fibrous material from one to five minutes,
more or less, in a greasy solution made by mixing from one to two and a half pounds
of an emulsion, such as that hereafter described, to five gallons of water. These
proportions are suitable for flax. The strength of the solution may be varied according
to the absorptive power of the material. The emulsion above referred to, is preferably
composed of the natural oil produced from plants similar to those under treatment, but
any fixed oil whether animal, vegetable, or mineral, or any fatty substance emulsified
with water by the use of soda, potash, or other medium, will answer the purpose,
although less effectually, the natural oil being the best. By this treatment in the greasy
solution, the gummy and mucilaginous matters in the material are softened or dissolved
and may be removed or recovered by subjecting the fibrous material to the action of
squeezing rolls or otherwise. The soapy or fatty solvent readily combines with the
glutinous or mucilaginous matters while the oily nature of the solvent aids the fibre to
retain its own naturally oily character which is so desirable in fibres intended for
fine work.
The next step consists in thoroughly washing the fibrous material in water for the
purpose of cleansing and purifying the material which is then dried, by natural or
artificial means.
The last step is to loosen separate and soften the fibres after being washed and dried
as above described. This may be done by passing the fibrous material through sets
of plain or fluted rollers for the purpose of removing any remaining extraneous matter
and more thoroughly separating the fibres, thus completing the preparation of the
fibres for mill and other work.
Any or all of the steps above described may be repeated if necessary, according as
the fibres require more or less treatment.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In the treatment of fibrous plants and materials for the purpose of obtaining
textile fibres therefrom, subjecting said plants or materials to a boiling solution of
emulsified oily or fatty matters and water, substantially as specified.
2. In the treatment of fibrous plants and materials for the purpose of obtaining
textile fibres therefrom, first macerating steeping or treating said plants or materials
in a hot or boiling water menstruum for the purpose of extracting the coloring matters
and otherwise preparing them, and subsequently subjecting said fibrous materials to a
boiling solution of emulsified oily or fatty matters, essentially as described.
3. The process herein-described of treating fibrous plants and materials for the
purpose of obtaining textile fibres therefrom, which consists in, first, crushing breaking
and bruising said fibrous materials; secondly, macerating steeping or treating them in
hot or boiling water; thirdly, subjecting said plants or materials to a boiling solution
of emulsified oily or fatty matters and water fourthly, washing said fibrous materials
in water and subsequently drying them; and, fifthly, loosening separating and
softening the fibres by subjecting them to mechanical action or pressure, as set forth.
Dated this inth day of November 1000.
Jated this 6th day of November 1000.
S. S. BOYCE.
P. B. STEELE.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.