CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF FLAX AND OTHER VEGETABLE FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Brisco, of Low Mill House, in the
Parish of Saint Bees, in the County of Cumberland, Esquire, and
Peter Swires Horsman, of the Parish of Saint Johns Beckermet,
in the same County, Gentleman, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF FLAX AND OTHER VEGETABLE
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 28th November 1853, and dated the 27th September 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Brisco and
Peter Swires Horsman at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 27th September 1853.
We, ROBERT BRIsco and PETER SWIRES HORSMAN, do hereby de-
clare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PREPARATION OF FLAX AND OTHER VEGETABLE FIBROUS SUBSTANCES" to
be as follows:-
In the preparation of flax and other similar vegetable fibrous sub-
stances for manufacture into thread or yarn it has usually been the
practice to steep the plant in water for some considerable time in order
to facilitate the removal from the useful parts of the plant of the woody,

page_text: brittle, and other useless matters, in order to leave the useful fibres clean
and ready for the subsequent operations of heckling and spinning.
The ordinary mode of conducting this steeping or rotting operation, as
it is called, consists in steeping the stalks in hot or warm water, kept
heated by means of a fire underneath or by the heat of steam. We
have discovered by practical experience that both these plans are open
to serious objection, and that it is not necessary to keep the water at
a high temperature. In fact, we have discovered by experiment that
a very much lower temperature than that usually employed will, if the
process is properly conducted, give very advantageous results.
A
low temperature cannot, however, be kept up to a uniform and
regular heat by means of a naked fire or by steam heat.
The object of our Invention is to effect this object in an economical
and certain manner, and without requiring the personal attention of the
workman, except at long intervals. In place of heating the water by
means of a naked fire or by steam, we place under the steeping vessel gas
burners of any convenient form, and allow the flame therefrom to play
against the bottom of the steeping vessel. By means of the cock to
the burner the height of the flame may be regulated to a nicety, and
when once the water is raised to the proper temperature it may always
be maintained thereat with facility for any length of time. We always
prefer hydrogen gas for the purpose when it can be conveniently
obtained, but the object may also be effected by means of oil or other
lamps, which may be employed in place of gas, if preferred.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 2
filed by the said Robert Briscoe and Peter Swires Horsman in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th March 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
ROBERT BRISCO, of Low Mill House, in the County of Cumberland,
Esquire, and PETER SWIRES HORSMAN, of the Parish of Saint John's, 8
Beckermet, in the same County, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, hearing date the Twenty-seventh day of September, in

page_text: the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in
the seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Robert Brisco and Peter
Swires Horsman, Her special license that we, the said Robert Brisco
and Peter Swires Horsman, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said Robert Brisco and Peter Swires Horsman,
our 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 aud 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
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OF FLAX AND OTHER
VEGETABLE FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said Robert Brisco and Peter Swires Horsman, by an
instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand
and seal of one of us, 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 we, the said Robert Brisco and Peter
Swires Horsman, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say):
In the preparation of flax and other similar vegetable fibrous sub-
stances for manufacture into thread or yarn it has usually been the
practice to steep the plant in water for some considerable time in order
to facilitate the removal from the useful parts of the plant of the
woody, brittle, and other useless matters, in order to leave the useful
fibres clean and ready for the subsequent operations of heckling and
spinning. The ordinary mode of conducting this steeping or "retting"
operation, as it is called, consists in steeping the stalks in hot or warm
water, kept heated by means of a fire underneath, or by the heat of

page_text: steam made to enter the water or to circulate through pipes placed in
or in connection with the steeping vessel. We have discovered by
.practical experience that both these plans are open to serious objection,
and that it is not necessary to keep the water at a high temperature.
In fact, we have discovered by experiment that a very much lower ten-
perature than that usually employed will (if the process is properly
conducted) not only answer the purpose, but will give very advantageous
results. A low temperature cannot, however, be kept up to a uniform
and regular heat by means of a naked fire, or by steam heat, as it is
found impracticable to keep the fire at the same intensity for any con-
siderable time, and if steam is employed it will of course condense at
any temperature below two hundred and twelve degrees Fahrenheit.
The object of our Invention is to maintain the water in the steeping
vessel at a low and uniform temperaturo in an economical and certain
manner, and without requiring the personal attention of the workman,
except at long intervals. In place of heating the water by means of
a naked fire or by steam, this object is effected by placing under the
steeping vessel gas or other burners, or lamps of any convenient form,
and allowing the flame therefrom to play against the bottom of the
steeping vessel. By means of the cock on the supply pipes of the
burner, if gas is employed, or by other.analogous or equivalent con-
trivances, the height of the flame may be regulated to a nicety, and
when once the water is raised to the proper temperature it may always
be maintained thereat with facility for any length of time by maintain-
ing the flame from the burners at a given height. We always prefer
to use hydrogen gas for the purpose, when it can be conveniently
obtained; but the object may also be effected by means of oil or other
lamps, which may be employed in place of gas, if preferred.
In order, however, that our Invention may be perfectly understood
we have shewn in the accompanying Drawing two methods of carrying
out our improvements, one by means of gas burners, and the other by
means of lamps in which oil, naphtha, or other combustible liquid or
solid substances may be consumed for the purpose of generating or
obtaining heat.
Fig. 1, in the accompanying Drawing represents a longitudinal

page_text: vertical section of a steeping vessel in which the water is heated by
means of the flames of gas burners. Fig. 2, is a horizontal section or
plan view of the same. a, a, is a wooden or stone vessel, provided with
a perforated false bottom b, b, on which the stalks of flax to be operated
upon are placed. The bottom c, of the vessel is formed of metal (by pre-
ference of copper), and the flames or jets of ignited gas from a series
of burners attached to the supply pipe d, d, are made to act against the
under side of this metallic bottom c. It will be seen on referring to the
plan view, Fig. 2, that the gas supply pipe d, is bent round in order to
enable the jets of gas to act regularly on and as uniformly as possible
over the whole surface of the metallic bottom c. The pipe d, d, is also
provided with a stop cock c, for the purpose of regulating the supply
of gas to the burners, and consequently the height of the flames and
the quantity of heat evolved. A thermometer f, the bulb of which is
secured in a box g, communicating with the vessel a, will indicate the
temperature of the water in the vessel; and should the temperature at
any time rise a little too high it will only be necessary to lessen the
supply of gas by turning the cock e, and then the temperature will
gradually fall to the proper degree. A pipe or flue h, for carrying off
the products of combustion of the gas is adapted, as shewn, to the
metal bottoni c, c. Fig. 3, is a longitudinal vertical section of a steep-
ing vessel in which the water or liquid is heated by the flames of lamps
in which oil, naphtha, or other suitable combustible substance may be
burned. For the convenience of trimming the lamps they are all
placed in a shallow tray, which is mounted on wheels, so that the tray
when required, be run in or out from under the steeping vessel.
The number of lamps and the height of the flame may be varied at the
discretion of the attendant, and the temperature may be thereby main-
tained uniform.
may,
Having now described our Invention, and the best means with which
we are at present acquainted for carrying the same into effect, we would
observe that we do not mean or intend to limit ourselves to the precise
arrangement of parts herein shewn and described, as they may perhaps
be varied without departing from the nature and object of our Inven-
tion; nor do we claim as of our Invention the steeping or retting flax

page_text: or other similar vegetable fibrous substances in hot water or water
heated by steam or a naked fire. But that which we consider to be
new in the above-described improved process, and therefore wish to
claim as the Invention secured to us by Letters Patent as aforesaid, is
heating or warming water for steeping or retting flax or other similar
vegetable fibres, by means of the flames arising from jets of gas, or
from the combustion of oil, grease, tallow, hydro-carbons, or other
combustible matters suitable to be burned or consumed in lamps or
other analogous apparatus or contrivances; the essential feature of
the Invention being the facility with which the heat evolved from
the flame, and consequently the heat of the water, can be regulated
at pleasure, and maintained at a steady or uniform temperature.
In witness whereof, we, the said Robert Brisco and Peter Swires
Horsman, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-
third day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
DANIEL DUNN,
of Egremont,
ROBERT BRISCO.
(L.8.)
PETER SWIRES HORSMAN. (L.S.)
Cumberland.