IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF TEXTILE MATERIALS FOR EXTRACTING FAT OR LIQUIDS; ALSO WASHING, LIXIVIATING, DYEING, IMPREGNATING SAME, AND FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
Year: 1881

page_text: FOR
LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Haddan, of the Firm of Herbert and
Company, Solicitors of Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT
OF TEXTILE MATERIALS FOR EXTRACTING FAT OR LIQUIDS; ALSO
WASHING, LIXIVIATING, DYEING, IMPREGNATING SAME, AND FOR SIMILAR
PURPOSES, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR." A communication from abroad
by Samson Godchaux, of the Firm of Godchaux, Frères, et Compagnie, of
Luxemburg, in the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Herbert John Haddan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th January 1881.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert and Company, Solicitors of
"IMPROVEMENTS
Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer.
FOR
IN THE TREATMENT OF TEXTILE MATERIALS FOR EXTRACTING FAT OR LIQUIDS;
ALSO FOR WASHING, LIXIVIATING, DYEING, IMPREGNATING SAME, AND
SIMILAR PURPOSES, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR." A communication from abroad
by Samson Godchaux, of the Firm of Godchaux, Frères, et Compagnie, of
Luxemburg, in the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg.
This Invention relates to the treatment of textile materials in the shape of wool,
hair, threads, or woven fabrics, with or without folds, for extracting fat, for
washing, drying, impregnating, dyeing, and similar operations by means of vacua,
compressed air, hydraulic pressure, or steam acting either separately or in com-
bination. In describing the Invention I will first refer to the apparatus and its
operation, and subsequently to the various applications.

page_text: either for suction or compression, in order to produce a vacuum or compress air
according to circumstances. A is a vacuum or pressure gauge; B, pipe connecting
with the pump; C, man hole; D, suction tap for the bath; E, discharge tap for
the bath. These taps are connected with flexible india rubber pipes; F, pipe
connecting the vessel with the apparati, Figures 2 and 3; G, emptying tap;
S, S, brackets for the vacuum vessel. Figure 2 represents a perforated cylinder,
upon which the damp material B is wound, and which can be put in communication
with the vessel (Figure 1) by the tap C; Figure 3 shews a receiver A of any
suitable in which the materials B to be treated are placed, the said material
consisting of hairs, threads, or woven fabric, and being compressed between two
sieves or perforated plates D and D¹. The tap C serves to establish communication
with the vessel (Figure 1) either for drawing in or for returning the bath. The
return may also be effected by the pipe F. The bath may be heated by the pipe E.
Figure 4 shews a tank A containing (a hot or cold bath B prepared in any con-
venient manner, and into which is plunged a perforated cylinder C, upon which is
wound the fabric D. The cylinder C is set in communication with the vessel
(Figure 1) by a pipe E and an indiarubber pipe; F is the emptying tap for the
bath. Figure 5 represents a vessel A. open at B, and provided with a movable
bottom; C designates the material to be treated, and which may consist of hairs,
thread, or woven fabric; D, a pipe connected with the pump for producing a
vacuum or compression; E and F are pipes for heating the bath in the vessel A;
G is a pipe connecting the vessel A with the boiler H; P, a pump drawing the
bath from H through the pipe N, and forcing it into the vessel A through the pipe M;
Q is a safety valve placed upon the vessel A. and serving to regulate the pressure in
the latter, the excess of liquid from the bath being made to flow again into the
boiler H through the pipe R; S is a vacuum and pressure gauge. The apparatus
may vary in form and dimensions according to the purpose for which it is intended,
and without departing from the principles of construction and operation which are
embodied therein and form a part of this Invention. Applications of the Apparatus for
the Purpose of Extracting Fat, or Soap, Lixiviating, and Washing, in the Treatment
of Fatty Textile Materials such as Wool, Hair, Thread, or Woven Fabrics.―The
material is placed in the vessel A (Figure 3), and strongly compressed between the
plates D and D'. A suitable grease-extracting liquid is then poured into the vessel
until the latter is full, and if the process is to be carried out hot the bath is heated by
utilizing the steam pipe E. After having prepared the bath as required a vacuum
is produced in the vessel (Figure 1) and then the tap C opened (Figure 3). The
vacuum causes the bath to flow into the vessel, passing on its way through
the material. from which the fat is to be extracted. The bath is subsequently
caused to return on the same way or through the pipe F by letting the force
pump act on the vessel (Fig. 1). The same operation is repeated as many
times as desired, and then the same method applied for rinsing by ordinary or
prepared water, but instead of this the rinsing may be effected by the usual methods.
The lixiviation is carried out in a manner analogous to the process for the extraction
of fat; the same is the case with the extraction of soap and with the washing
process, the difference being only in the nature of the baths or liquids employed.
If it is desired to operate without folds (Figure 4), the fabric is first wound upon a
perforated cylinder, afterwards plunged into the vessel A containing the fat-
extracting bath or liquid either hot or cold. The pipe E joined to a flexible pipe
sets the cylinder in communication with the vessel (Figure 1) through the tap D
or E, according to circumstances. After having closed these taps a vacuum is
produced in the vessel, and when the limit of exhaustion has been reached, the
tap D (Figure 1) is suddenly opened, the whole bath rushes into the vessel (Fig. 1)
and passes on its way through the fabric which is wound upon the cylinder C.
The bath can be caused to return on the same way by simply placing the flexible
pipe from D to E, and by letting the force pump act on the vessel; but it is
preferable to cause the bath to return directly into the tank through the upper part
of the same. The process just described may be repeated several times if desired.

page_text: The bath may be heated by any suitable means in order to increase its effect and
render the saponification of the fatty matter more rapid. When the extraction of
fat is completed, one can, by transporting the cylinder C with the fabric wound
upon.it, to another tank containing pure water, wash and rinse the fabric in the
same manner; the major portion of the liquid from the bath may however be
previously extracted by a drying process. For this purpose the cylinder C is placed
in the position X, a vacuum is produced in the vessel (Figure 1), and the tap D
opened, whereby the greatest part of the liquid is drawn into the vessel. The
rinsing is afterwards completed by the ordinary means. The lixiviation and the
extraction of soap are effected like the extraction of fat. The numerous advantages
resulting from these processes are chiefly due to the entire abscence of mechanical
friction during the saponification of the fatty matter. This friction has an
appreciable influence. when acting on felt materials, such as wool or fabrics woven
from wool, whether pure or mixed with other materials. By avoiding the friction
a sensible progress is realized in the treatment of textile materials in various
shapes. It may be said that these processes effect in the most complete and
practical manner the extraction of fat from, and the lixiviation of, textile materials
by causing ordinary fat extracting liquids to circulate through the latter, which
liquids or baths dissolve and remove the fatty matter contained in the said materials.
This circulation of fat extracting baths through the materials to be treated would
be approximately obtained by different means, such as centrifugal force after the
material have been charged with liquid, by prolonged dipping, or by pouring the
grease-extracting liquid in the shape of a shower towards the centre of a hydro-
extractor containing the materials to be treated and while it is in motion. Under
the influence of centrifugal force, the liquid or bath passes more or less regularly
through the material to be treated, and realizes in an incomplete manner the
circulation of the bath, which is effected so completely by the application of vacua
as described. All these means, which I indicate in order to avoid any gross
infringement of the processes described, are claimed as forming part of this Invention,
as well as the processes themselves, in as much as they effect the circulation of
grease-extracting baths through the materials from which the grease is to be
removed, for this is the most distinctive and novel feature of the present Invention,
and the processes described have completely realized it by utilizing the qualities of
the vacua and of compressed air for the treatment of textile materials, which is
likewise a new application of known qualities to obtain a useful result. Drying
Process. The process of drying is effected completely and without folds by the
arrangement of Figure 2. The fabric is firmly rolled upon the perforated cylinder A,
which is then placed vertically over the tap C. After having produced a vacuum
in the vessel (Figure 1), the tap C is suddenly opened, thereby causing the water
contained in the fabric B to be drawn into the said vessel, from which it can be
extracted through the tap G. The more compact the fabric operated upon, the
more perfect is the process. For many woven fabrics this process is equivalent to
the drying by centrifugal force. Acidulating and Impregnating Fabrics for Finishing,
Dyeing, and similar Processes. If in Figures 3 and 4 the grease extracting baths,
lyes, or the pure water is replaced by acids, any ordinary finishing bath, mordants,
or liquid dyes prepared for this purpose, these different operations can easily be
carried out by proceeding in a manner analogous to that described for extracting
fat, lixiviating, or washing. The apparatus, Figure 5, effects these different
operations still better in the following manner:-The material to be treated is
introduced into the vessel A through the movable bottom B, which is afterwards
hermetically closed. A vacuum is then produced in the vessel A through the
pipe D, whereupon the pipe D is again closed, the tap attached to the pipe G is
opened, and thereby the vessel set in communication with the boiler H which
contains the bath prepared according to the nature of the process. The bath fills
the vessel A almost completely, and the rest is made up by a pump which draws
from H and forces into A through the pipe M. The liquid in the vessel A can,
during the required time, be held under a pressure regulated by the valve Q, which

page_text: allows the excess of liquid to return into H through the pipe R. During this time
the bath may be heated by the pipes E, F, thereby effecting the most complete
penetration of the materials to be treated by the baths prepared in H. This
penetration is assured by the influence of the vacuum previously produced by the
pump acting through the pipe D, and by the hydraulic, pressure produced by the
pump P. The same operation may be recommenced several times in succession by
causing the whole bath to flow from A into H through the force pump. This may
be necessary if it is required to produce an oxidation by the air, which oxidation
may be caused by the compression of the air in the vessel A.
Having now described the Invention as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent, I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent,-
1. The application of a vacuum and of compressed air, either in combination with
steam and hydraulic pressure, or alone for treating textile materials in any shape,
and more particularly for the purpose of extracting fat, soap, acids, or water,
lixiviating, impregnating for the finishing process, mordanting and dying, by.
causing liquids to pass through the materials to be treated, without subjecting the
latter to mechanical friction, substantially as described, and without limiting
myself to the particular apparatus illustrated, but including also less perfect means,
such as centrifugal force pumps with continuous or intermittent action, &c.
2. The apparatus substantially as illustrated and described, and operating as set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert John Haddan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of January, One thousand eight hundred
and eighty one.
H. J. HADDAN. (L.S.)