IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF VEGETABLE ALBUMINE
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Etienne Joseph Hanon, of Paris, in the Empire of
France, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF VEGETABLE ALBUMINE."
Sealed the 28th December 1860, and dated the 11th October 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Etienne Joseph Hanon at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th October 1860.
I, ETIENNE JOSEPH HANON, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF VEGETABLE ALBUMINE," to be as follows:-
The nature of my Invention consists in an improved mode of manufacturing
vegetable albumine from gluten. It is well known that gluten is obtained by
.kneading wheat flour paste with water; during the operation of kneading the
feculent part of the paste is carried off with the water, and the glutinous parts
are united and form an elastic substance called gluten, which contains about
twice its weight of water; the gluten in this state is converted into vegetable
albumine by the process of fermentation. This process is stopped at the point
when the gluten has undergone such modifications as render it fit for the

page_text: various purposes to which it may be applied, after it has been dried in
moulds or otherwise, as may be found most convenient.
Among other purposes to which this vegetable albumine is applicable I may
especially mention the employment of it as a substitute for glue for the treat-
ment of malt liquors, for sizing and dressing yarns and fabrics, and for pre-
paring them for dyeing and printing; it is also applicable as a substitute for
the albumine made of the whites of eggs and of blood.
In some cases it is necessary to combine my improved vegetable albumine
with certain chemical substances, such as the phosphate of lime, slackened
lime, saccharate of lime, silicate of potash, magnesia, or salts of tin, and
other salts.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Etienne Joseph Hanon in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 11th April 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE. PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ETIENNE
JOSEPH HANON, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Engineer; send
greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself; Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said, Etienne Joseph, Hanon, Her special licence that I, the said Etienne
Joseph Hanon, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Etienne Joseph Hanon, my 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 and 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF VEGETABLE ALBUMINE," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Etienne Joseph Hanon, "my executors or administra-
tors, by an instrument in writing" under my or' their, or one of their 'hand's
and seals, 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.)

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Etienne Joseph Hanon,. do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say) :-
The nature of my Invention consists in an improved mode of manufacturing
what I call vegetable albumine or albumen from gluten. It is well known
that gluten is obtained by kneading wheat flour paste with water; during the
operation of kneading the feculent part of the paste is carried off with the
water, and the glutinous parts unite and form an elastic substance called
gluten, which contains about twice its weight of water; the gluten in this
state is converted into what I call vegetable albumine by the process of
fermentation.
In performing my Invention, gluten of the best quality, free from fecula,
and after having been well washed in warm water, should be placed in vessels,
in which it is left to ferment until it is completely soft, and has lost its
elasticity, and until the greatest portion of the water which it has imbibed or
taken up during the operation of kneading is combined with it; when the
gluten has undergone the requisite fermentation or modification, it offers no
resistance to the finger, or to any other article which may be passed through
the mass, and the modified gluten should also adhere to the object with which
it is brought in contact. The gluten so modified is then ready for use, but as
it has been brought by the process of fermentation into a very thin paste, it is
necessary to place it into moulds for drying or dessicating, as will be hereafter
described.
The process of fermentation may be performed either with or without the
aid of artificial heat; when artificial heat is applied, the process is considerably
expedited, and the heat which I have found most beneficial is about twenty to
thirty degrees of Fahrenheit above the temperature of the surrounding atmo-
sphere. During the fermentation it is requisite to stir the gluten frequently and
to remove the water which rises to the surface. With the above temperature
and in operating upon about fifty or sixty pounds of gluten placed in a vessel,
the fermentation will be sufficiently advanced in three or four days, and the.
fermented gluten, or what I call vegetable albumine, will then be in the.
proper state for being made into thin plates and dried. The greatest care
must be taken that the fermentation is stopped at the proper point, for if it is
allowed to proceed too far, the gluten is .converted into a noxious mass.
When the gluten has fermented to the proper point, or when it is modified,
or converted into what I call vegetable albumine, it is divided, and formed

page_text: into plates of about one-quarter to three-eighths of an inch in thickness; this is
effected by spreading the so called vegetable albumine in moulds made of earthen-
ware; metal, or other suitable material, by means of a spatula or otherwise; it
is then left to dry either in the open air or by the aid of a gentle. heat, and the
plates when dry are about one-eighth of an inch in: thickness.. The time
employed in dessication depends upon the thickness of the plates and the
degree of temperature, but if the dessication cannot penetrate through the
plates it is requisite to turn them over into other moulds, or on to pieces
of wire cloth or other fabric; in order that the dessication may penetrate
through the mass. When the plates are thus dried, they are suspended on
trelliswork, or on nets, or they are strung together on a cord, or otherwise
disposed of, so as to expose their surfaces to a gentle and uniform heat.
The process of converting gluten into what I call vegetable albumine may
be accelerated in the following manner :-The gluten is put into a vessel or
boiler, and heated by steam, or in a water bath, but the heat must only be
sufficient to soften the gluten, and should vary from about one hundred and five
to one hundred and forty degrees Fahrenheit. The gluten combines and unites
with the water which became incorporated with it in the operation of kneading;
part of the water is, however, evaporated during the process of fermentation, and
thus the time required for drying the modified gluten in the manner before
described is reduced. The water and gluten when united.form a perfectly homo-
geneous mass of a thin pasty consistency, which is removed from the vessel or
boiler, and is dried in the manner before described, or the drying chamber may
be advantageously heated by steam, care being taken that the heat is very.
moderate. When dry my vegetable albumine takes up the greater part of the
water which it has lost through evaporation during the process of dessication.,
In order to dissolve it, it is put to steep for about forty-eight hours in cold.
water, and by preference in soft water; during this time it should be frequently.
stirred. Before being used the liquid should be diluted with water and well;
stirred or shaken up, so that the whole mass or solution.is. perfectly homo-
geneous; the quantity of water for dilution must be regulated according to
the purpose for which the solution is required. One pound. of the so-called;
vegetable albumine to one pound and a half of water will give a solution, which.
may be used as a substitute for the strongest glue or gelatine, and which resists,
moisture to a great extent, and is not influenced by. heat.
The solution may be used cold, and will retain its properties for from ten.to
fifteen days in summer, and twice as long in winter; that is to say, if it is kept
cool, and if possible in a current of air.

page_text: It is sometimes desirable to dissolve the vegetable albumine more expedi
tiously than by the process above described; to effect this, I pulverise the
plates above referred to, and add the requisite quantity of cold water; the
solution can thus be prepared almost instantaneously.
The foregoing is a description of the mode of manufacturing and preparing
what I call my improved vegetable albumine, and I will now point out some
of the purposes to which it is applicable':―
First, for uniting pieces of wood in lieu of glue or gelatine:
Secondly, for uniting pieces of porcelaine, earthenware, glass, enamel, and.
other similar articles.
Thirdly, for uniting pieces of leather, skin, linen, paper, pasteboard, and
other similar substances.
Fourthly, for rectifying, clarifying, strengthening, preserving, and generally
improving malt liquors.
Fifthly, for sizing paper and warps.
Sixthly, for sizing, dressing, stiffening, and thickening every description of
woven fabrics and silks, instead of or combined with animal gelatine, gum,
dextrine, fecula, or other substances.
Seventhly, for fixing all colours except ultramarine blue in printing fabrics;
it is requisite to add from ten to twenty-five per cent. of acetic acid, of the
strength of seven or eight degrees of Beamé's hydrousmitic to the vegetable
albumine, which is then thickened in the ordinary manner with fine wheat
flour, starch, fecula, or dextrine of wheat, care being taken to boil the same
from ten to thirty minutes, according to the degree of concentration, and the
consistence of the colour required. Before use, the mixture should be allowed
to cool sufficiently to avoid coagulation. For ultramarine blue a little ammonia
is used instead of the acetic acid; the vegetable álbumine must then be
dissolved in or combined with a solution of slaked lime or phosphate of lime
or magnesia.
Eighthly, as a mordant for fixing colours in dyeing.
Ninthly, as a means of fixing gold or other metal leaf on to fabrics, leather,
or other materials; in this case the vegetable albumine in the form of a dry
powder is rubbed or spread on the surface of the fabric or other material; the
gold or other metal leaf is then placed over the part to be figured, and it is
fixed thereon by the pressure of a heated die or roller on which the design is
made in relief. The metal may be applied in any other form instead of in the
leaf, as described.
When the so called vegetable albumine is used for the purposes specified in

page_text: the seventh and eighth paragraphs; it will be found an economical substitute
for the animal albumen now' employed.
Having thus stated' the nature of my Invention, and described the mode of
performing the same, together with various purposes to which it is applicable,
I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself tor the details given, as
the same may be considerably varied or modified without departing from the
peculiar character thereof, which consists in converting gluten by fermentation
into a substance useful in the arts and manufactures, and which I call vegetable
albumine or albumen.
In witness whereof, I, the said Etienne Joseph Hanon, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
E. J. HANON. (L.S.)..