Improvements in and relating to a New and Useful Fibre Produced from the Leaves or Needles of the Pinus Australis and other Coniferous Trees.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 30th Nov., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to a New and Useful Fibre Produced
from the Leaves or Needles of the Pinus Australis and other
Coniferous Trees.
I, WILLIAM LATIMER, residing at Wilmington, in the County of New Hanover
and State of North Carolina, one of the United States of America, Manufacturer, 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:-
My invention consists of a new and useful vegetable fibre produced from the
leaves, or "pine needles as they are commonly termed, of the "Pinus Australis" or
other coniferous trees, by both chemical and mechanical treatment, whereby I obtain
a new product or article of manufacture, termed by me "pine fibre," a fibre which
will felt or can be spun and woven with substantially the same facility as
ordinary wool.
In order that others may fully understand the nature of my improved product I
will proceed to describe the mode of treatment of the pine needles which I have
adopted, and the pecularities with which it is invested and in order that such
description may be fully understood it becomes necessary to refer generally to the
nature of the vegetable matter from which I produce my new fibre.
The acicular leaves of Pines, Firs, and Conifers in general, occur in the form of
fascicles of from two to five needle-shaped evergreen-leaves enclosed at the base in a
thin scarious bud scale sheathing. These leaves or needles are generally called "Pine
Straw," and it is from such product of nature that I produce my novel article of
manufacture, which I denominate "Pine Fibre," and which I acquire by four
different and distinct operations, whereby the chemical nature and physical structure
and environment of the basis of this product as it exists in nature in the pine straw,
is so radically changed and altered as to enable it to afterwards be spun and woven
upon Flax, Jute and Hemp Machinery.
1 take the natural pine straw and first cook or treat it in suitable tanks with
a solution of caustic soda or potash, and wash in the manner substantially as
described in Letters Patent of the United States of America granted to me
February 5th. 1889, Serial Number 397,240, by which operation or treatment, the
needed chemical change is made in the constituents of the Pine Straw, and a change
is also made in the atomic or structural arrangement of the same, which enables it
to readily yield to the subsequent treatment applied.
The resultant product of the treatment just described, is then passed through a
suitable rubbing or decorticating machine, preferably such as was specially designed
for this purpose, as illustrated in Letters Patent of the United States of America
granted to A. Scott, April 14th. 1885, Serial Number 315,666.
By the rubbing and decorticating a further physical change is made in the structure
of the Pine Straw, which is then carded or combed in a card or combing machine, such
as is used in the treatment of Jute &c., though I prefer to use machinery especially
adapted for this step as illustrated in United States Patent granted to A. Scott
14th April 1885 No. 315,666 for instance but not claimed in this invention the card
or combing machinery produces a still further structural change in the straw, which
applied,
is finally passed in a mass through a drying machine to which artificial heat
the mass being preferably confined and pressed against itself.
My novel product or new fibre which is the result of the several steps named, can
then be spun or woven on Flax, Jute, and Hemp Machinery, but the results pro-
duced by no one of the several steps nained would, separately considered, be such
In other words, in the
as to render the fibre capable of being either spun or woven.

page_text: production of the new article of manufacture to which my invention is directed not
only must the pine needles he subjected to the alkali treatment in such manner as
not to disintegrate, weaken, or deteriorate the ultimate fibre which it is my object to
obtain, but the needles after this treatment must be further treated mechanically in
such manner as to separate the treated fibre from the other constituents, and this fibre
after separation must be dried.
The Pine Straw of the "Pinus Australis " which by preference 1 employ in the
production of my new Fibre, occurs in fascicles of three, their average length is
about twelve inches, though they sometimes grow to the length of twenty-seven
inches, and they are substantially triangular in cross-section, resembling one-third of
a circle. They are composed of cellulose, (which consists of carbon, hydrogen and
oxygen) volatile oil, chlorophyll, succinic acid, tannin, silica, ash, pectose and an
albuminoid. The cellulose in its physical form consists of numerous fine filaments
made up of the elongated primitive cells running the whole length of the leaves,
forming a sort of tube enclosing the sap &c., traversed by the sap filaments in every
direction encased by chlorophyll with the oleo-resin secretions, tannin silica &c., as is
well represented in Figures 1 and 2, on page 103, of the American Journal of
Pharmacy, for February 1885.
It will be understood by those familiar with pine-straw, that there exists in
nature a certain regular order in the physical structure or atomic arrangement of
the leaf, and it is well known that when thoroughly protected from the weather it
will grow brown in color and becomes very dry and brittle, but may be kept for
a long time; while if exposed to the weather or buried in the earth it will soon
ferment and decay and be resolved into the original elements taken by the tree
in its growth.
The fibrous constituent of "Pine Straw" in its natural state (that is to say in the
condition in which it naturally exists and finds place in the "straw ") is not in any
sense fitted or adapted to be spun or woven because the long filaments are cemented
with sap filaments in one mass and are encased in a silicious covering of insoluble gum
or resins, the consequence being that it is impossible to separate them into pine
filaments sufficiently strong to bear the necessary strain of manufacturing with-
out disintegrating the whole into primitive cells about of an inch long; while in
any event constituents of the natural filament (even supposing the latter would be
obtained in a state of nature) which render that filament brittle and fragile must be
removed, in order to render it sufficiently pliable and strong to be spun and woven.
The new product which forms the subject matter of my invention is readily
distinguishable from the natural fibre existing in the needles or straw.
My improved product is composed of long, fine twisted filaments, having serrated
or rough surfaces, intertwined and clasping each other, dry and practically devoid of
moisture, and sufficiently strong, soft, and pliable, to withstand the unavoidable and
necessary strain incident to the manipulation in spinning and weaving; and unlike
the natural fibre it will withstand exposure to the weather without fermentation or
decay. It not only looks unlike the natural fibre, but, can be readily distinguished
from the latter by chemical analysis, or by micro-chemical analysis, or microscopic
examination.
It must also be observed that my new product cannot be obtained by the process
of "Retting" the natural pine straw, in the manner of retting Flax, Hemp and other
vegetable fibres, because the process will inevitably destroy such basis as exists in
its natural state for the production of such new fibre, nor can it be produced by
merely steaming the pine straw, since such steaming practically leaves its chemical
and physical structure unchanged, and it is still hard, brittle and weak as ever,
more so.
if not
The "Mercerising" process to which I subject the needles or pine straw has the
effect of dissecting the fibre vascular bundles, but the contour of the fibrils are also
altered.
By the constant circulation of the alkaline solution and subsequent washings with
water, as described in the process patented to me as hereinbefore recited, the pores or

page_text: cells are thoroughly permeated, a great deal of foreign matter is driven out, and the
place of the old natural constituents is taken by the new chemical compounds.
By the decorticating process a great deal of organic matter is rubbed out, and the
teeth of the cards are enabled to readily take hold of the mass to finally remove
all foreign and objectionable matter, and to effect the shreading of the leaves, which
may be done to a greater or less degree to produce a fibre of fine or coarser grade
as desired.
The drying step of the process described, drives out the moisture, and causes the
mass to curl and intertwine upon itself, the serrated projections along the filaments
catching and clinging to each other and practically forming a sort of slightly felted
mass from which a long unbroken sliver compound of these intertwining filaments
can be casily and readily drawn for spinning and weaving.
I am aware that it has been suggested that filaments may be produced "from pine
leaves for hygienic and other purposes," by "boiling the leaves in a bath of caustic
alkaline lye, the caustic alkali and the pine leaves being taken in equal parts, and
the boiling being continued for from ten to twelve hours, the leaves or needles being
stirred from time to time during the operation, and being afterward removed from
the caustic lye, and washed one or more times in hot water, and finally passed through
cold water and dried.
The product of the operation or process is wholly unlike mine in external appearance
and otherwise.
It is not a fibre or filament, but is comparatively thick and brittle, and unfitted to
be spun or woven. Moreover, it is liable to rot, it is materially deficient in tensile
strength, and is not applicable to the purposes for which my new product is particularly
adapted and suited.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
"Pine Fibre,"
"As a new manufacture, the herein described product termed by me
composed of long, fine, twisted filaments, having serrated or rough edges or surfaces
intertwined and clasping each other, dry and practically devoid of moisture and
sufficiently strong, soft and pliable to withstand the unavoidable and necessary
strain incident to its manipulation in spinning and weaving, as hereinbefore set
forth."
Dated this 20th day of Aust 1880
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.