AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND SCOURING WOOL, COTTON WASTE, AND OTHER LIKE SUBSTANCES
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward Casper at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th May
1873. A communication from abroad by E. Dezuarte and Jules
Farinaux, both of Lille, France.
I, EDWARD CASPER, of Finsbury Circus, in the City of London,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND SCOURING WOOL, COTTON
WASTE, AND OTHER LIKE SUBSTANCES,” a communication, to be as follows:-
In the washing and scouring of wool, and other fibrous substances,
and the extraction of grease therefrom as hitherto practised, soapy
matter with a base of soda or potash has been employed. These soapy
liquids in a little time become saturated with grease, potash, and organic
matter from the fibrous substance being cleansed, and are thrown away
as worthless.
"
In works of small magnitude it has not been considered advantageous
to treat these liquids for the extraction of the fatty substances, and
caustic bases, while in establishments of sufficient importance to render
the recovery of these residual substances an object, a special treatment

page_text: consisting of a series of evaporations and calcinations has been adopted.
In either case the quantity of soap required for the extraction of greaso
and the cleansing of the fibres is considerable, and the recovery of the
chemical products is difficult and costly.
*
The object of my Invention is the cleansing of the wool or other
fibrous substances by a process in which the necessity for using soap is
entirely obviated, and the greater portion of the substances composing
the animal or other grease is recovered in the form of paste. For this
purpose I make use of the vapour of essential oils, commonly known as
mineral oils, and hydro-carburets. I prefer the vapour of petroleum,
naphtha, or boghead or cannel coal, or I may use sulphuret of carbon,
and the vapour is produced in a vacuum, and at a low temperature, that
is to say, about thirty degrees centigrade. I therefore avoid the use of
fire, and all danger of accidents to which the apparatus and the
operatives would be exposed in heating the said liquids.
In practising my said Invention I proced as follows:-The wool or
other substance to be treated is first washed in tepid water in a suitable
apparatus to free the said wool or other substance from the dust and
other foreign matter held therein. The separation of the dust and other
foreign matters may also be effected by beating the wool or other
materials.
:
·
The next operation is the extraction of the grease. For this purpose
I employ a multiple vacuum apparatus, which has two, three, or any
other convenient number of compartments. The bottom of the first
compartment communicates with the top of the second; the bottom of
the second is in communication with the top of the third, and so on,
that is to say, throughout the entire series of compartments, the bottom
of each compartment is in communication with the top of the next in
the series; but valves are so arranged between the compartments that
the communication between any one compartment, and any of the others
may be stopped when desired. Each compartment contains a set of.
baskets with perforated bottoms, between the baskets I place drainers for
collecting the products obtained in the aforesaid operation. The said
compartments are provided with removable covers, which permit the
ready removal and replacing of the said baskets. Above the said
compartments I arrange tubes provided with valves, whereby any or all
of the said compartments may communicate with the apparatus wherein

page_text: the gas is generated. And by another set of tubes, and valves at the
bottom of the said compartments, the latter are connected with an air
pump, whereby a vacuum may be maintained for any length of time in
any or all of the said compartments.
The wool or other substance to be cleansed is placed in the aforesaid
baskets, and the gas or vapor which is evolved in vacuo very rapidly
from the petroleum or other liquid is drawn downward through the
apparatus, and permeates the contents of the said baskets.
.
The aforesaid air pump is connected with a condensor, whereby the
gas or vapor is condensed or restored to a liquid condition. The
petroleum restored to a liquid condition in the condenser, should be
subjected to agitation in cold water, which dissolves or precipitates the
foreign matter it has taken up. Afterwards it is left at rest; and will
float clear and limpid at the top of the water, from which it may be
readily separated.
The pasty products obtained in the aforesaid drains are easily treated,
and as the whole of the work is performed in a vacuum, there is no
danger of fire or of injurious exhalations.
After the treatment of the wool or other fibrous substance with the
aforesaid vapours, it is necessary to pass the same through a washing
machine, or series of washing machines, it is then again immersed in
tepid water to remove the whole of the matter rendered soluble by the
action of the petroleum, or other vapour. This water may be treated
by the ordinary process for the extraction of any valuable substances.
The wool or other fibrous material after washing is passed through
suitable drying rollers; it will be then found perfectly clean, and will
have a beautiful appearance.
In some instances it may be advantageous to employ for the
preliminary washing of the wool lime water or water containing potash
or caustic soda.