CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BLEACHING YARNS AND FABRICS
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
SIMPSON, of the Strand, London, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twelfth day of July, in the ninth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Richard Simpson, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Richard Simpson, my executors, administrators, or assigns,
and such others as I, the said Richard Simpson, my executors, administrators,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times during the term of years therein mentioned, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her Majesty's Colonies and Planta-
tions abroad, and in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and
Man, an Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN BLEACHING YARNS AND
FABRICS," being a communication from a Foreigner residing abroad; in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Richard
Simpson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as
in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Richard Simpson, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof (that is to say) :-

page_text: This Invention of Improvements in Bleaching Yarns and Fabrics consists in
the employment of certain solvents, by which the yarns or fabrics of linen are
to be prepared for bleaching before the ordinary means or processes of bleach-
ing are resorted to. These solvents are to be applied to the yarns or fabrics
of linen in a preparatory process of boiling, prior to the goods being
immersed in the ordinary bleaching materials. The solvents to be employed
are either simple acids, followed by solutions of soda ash, or acids combined
with soda ash, in which the yarns or fabrics of linen are to be boiled for a
space of time, to be regulated according to circumstances, and the application
may be varied according to the character or condition of the material to be
acted upon.
A composition of solvents, which has been found to answer for
this purpose, , is made by twenty-two pounds of sulphuric acid, of the first quality
and strength, diluted in fifty gallons of pure water, which are to be boiled
together in a leaden vessel, and whilst boiling, one hundredweight of the best
soda ash is to be introduced into the liquor by small quantities at a time. The
effervescence having ceased the mixture must be continued boiling until the
soda ash is quite dissolved, and then the sediment having been allowed to
subside, the liquor may be drawn off quite clear, in which state it will be fit for
use; but, if desired, the liquor may be evaporated, and its essential properties
crystallized into the state of salt. When the solvent material is prepared for
acting upon cloth or particular kinds of yarns, it may be desirable to render it
caustic, which is done by adding to the above compound about half a hundred-
weight of lime, and an equal quantity of potash.
As the qualities of cloths and yarns vary, I shall describe two or three ways
of applying this material, which I have found successful.
First, for ten hundredweight of yarns take twenty gallons of the prepared
solvent liquor, and boil it in a sufficient quantity of water; when cold, throw
in the yarns and allow them to steep in the liquor for about twelve hours;
then, after washing in clean water and squeezing the yarns, throw them into a
tub of sours, prepared with about two parts of vitriol to ninety-eight of water;
let the yarns remain five or six hours in this solution, and then wash them in
pure water and squeeze them, when the yarns will be ready for the usual
process of bleaching.
Second, for ten hundredweight of yarns take twenty gallons of the prepared
liquor, throw in the yarns and boil them in it for two or three hours, then wash
and squeeze, and proceed with the sours as usual
Third, when the yarn is very inferior in quality, after submitting it to the
first-described process, boil it two hours in a weak solution of soda ash, with a
sufficient quantity of water.
Fourth, instead of using the prepared liquor, steep the yarns for five hours

page_text: in. warm water (at about sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit), in which water
about two parts, by measure, of vitriol, to ninety-eight of water, has been
previously mixed; then wash and squeeze the yarns, and afterwards boil them
for two hours in a weak solution of soda ash.
Fifth, for cloth and other fabrics, the caustic preparation may be desirable
in which lime has been incorporated, as above described.
With these instructions I consider that any experienced bleacher will be
enabled to vary the proportions of materials and the time of boiling according
to circumstances arising out of the quality of the goods to be operated upon.
In the preparation of cloths for bleaching, a mechanical contrivance may be
desirable, by which the cloths shall be conducted by a series of small rollers
set in a pan or trough filled with the caustic liquor above described, kept
constantly boiling. Upon the machine a pair of squeezing rollers should be
mounted, between which the cloth may be made to pass, and then enter a
second pan or vat, and in like manner be conducted by a series of rollers
through a solution of soda ash kept boiling, and after again being squeezed by
rollers the cloth may be wound up upon a portable beam roller, ready to be
taken to the bleaching apparatus.
I do not, however, consider any of these machines to be new, but limit my
claim of invention to the process of preparing yarns and fabrics of linen for
bleaching as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Simpson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-six.