SOFTENING, DISINTEGRATING, AND BLEACHING VEGETABLE FIBRES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Montague Mellor, of No. 145, Broadway,
in the City of New York, U. S. of America, Chemist, for the Inven-
tion of "SOFTENING, DISINTEGRATING, AND BLEACHING VEGETABLE FIBRES."
Sealed the 26th February 1867, and dated the 30th August 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Montague Mellor
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th August 1866.
I, JAMES MONTAGUE MELLOR, of No. 145, Broadway, in the City of New
York, U. S. of America, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "SOFTENING, DISINTEGRATING, AND BLEACHING VEGETABLE FIBRES,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in using a solution of carbonate of soda or sal-soda
or other alkali, at from one to ten degrees Baumé, and about an equal quantity
of lime water, mixed together, which I call my softening and disintegrating
solution. I also use in combination with my softening and disintegrating
solution a current of electricity, which I cause to pass through the softening
and disintegrating solution and the fibre which acts upon the fibre, and becomes
a softening and disintegrating agent, and also increases the power and action
of my softening and disintegrating solution upon the fibre; when I do not
use electricity I use in place thereof ozone, which I force through the fibre

page_text: and the softening and disintegrating solution, which has a similar effect to
electricity. The fibre is immersed in the softening and disintegrating solution,
with or without the action or application of electricity or ozone, and according
to the nature of the fibre is subjected to the action of the softening and dis-
integrating solution in combination with or without the action of electricity
or ozone, the use thereof depending upon the nature of the fibre to be acted
upon for a period of from one to sixty hours, which softens, disintegrates, and
extracts from the fibre a large portion of its gum, silex, and coloring matter.
After the fibre has been exposed to the action of any of the above combi-
nations for softening and disintegrating it is then washed, after which I prefer
to pass it between heavy iron rollers in order to deprive it of the remaining
gum, silex, and coloring matter. The said combination of carbonate of soda
or sal-soda, or other alkali, and lime water is my softening and disintegrating
solution, to be used in combination with electricity or ozone, or without
electricity or ozone, as the nature of the fibre- indicates. The above is my
process for depriving vegetable fibres, such as wood, straw, flax, bamboo,
and others of their gum, silex, and coloring matter, and for softening and
disintegrating them.
I use for my bleaching solution a combination of about equal quantities of
solution of chloride of lime, at from one to five degrees Baumé, and solution
of carbonate of soda, or sal-soda, or other alkali at about the same strength.
I use in combination with my bleaching solution currents of electricity or
ozone; the electricity and ozone act as disintegrating and bleaching agents,
and are passed through the bleaching solution and fibre; and when the nature
of the fibre indicates it I use the bleaching solution without electricity or
ozone.
:
The combined solutions of chloride of lime and carbonate of soda, or sal-
soda, or other alkali, as above mentioned, is my bleaching solution, which I.
use in combination with or without electricity or ozone, according to the
nature of the fibre to be acted upon.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Montague Mellor in the Great Seal' Patent Office on
the 27th February 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MONTAGUE MELLOR, of No. 145, Broadway, in the City of New York,
United States of America, Chemist, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of August, in' the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors; give and grant unto me,
the said James Montague Mellor, Her special licence that I, the said James
Montague Mellor, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said James Montague Mellor, 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 Inven- :
tion for "SOFTENING, DISINTEGRATING, AND BLEACHING VEGETABLE FIBRES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Montague Mellor, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under ny, or their,
or one of their hands 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Montague Mellor, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in using a solution of carbonate of soda, or sal-soda,
or other alkali, at from one to ten degrees Baumé, and about an equal quantity
of lime water, mixed together, which I call my softening and disintegrating
solution. I also use in combination with my softening and disintegrating
solution a current of electricity, which I cause to pass through the softening
and disintegrating solution and the fibre, which acts upon the fibre and becomes
a softening and disintegrating agent, and also increases the power and, action
of my softening and disintegrating solution upon the fibre. When I do not
use electricity I use in place thereof ozone, which I force through the fibre
and the softening and disintegrating solution, which has a similar effect to
electricity. The fibre is immersed in the softening and disintegrating solution
with or without the action or application of electricity or ozone, and according
to the nature of the fibre is subjected to the action of the softening and dis-
integrating solution in combination with or without the action of electricity or
ozone (the use thereof depending upon the nature of the fibre to be acted
upon) for a period of from one to sixty hours, which softens, disintegrates, and

page_text: extracts from the fibre a large portion of its gum, silex, and coloring
matter. After the fibre has been exposed to the action of any of the above,
combinations for softening and disintegrating it is then washed, after which.
I prefer to pass it between heavy iron rollers in order to deprive it of the
remaining gum; silex, and coloring matter. The said combination of carbonate
of soda, or sal-soda, or other alkali and lime water is my softening and
disintegrating solution to be used in combination with electricity or ozone, or
without electricity or ozone, as the nature of the fibre indicates. The above
is my process for depriving vegetable fibres, such as wood, straw, flax,
bamboo, and others of their gum, silex, and coloring matter, and for softening.
and disintegrating them to fit them for the manufacture of pulp for paper and
other uses.
I use for my bleaching solution a combination of about equal quantities of
solution of chloride of lime at from one to five degrees Baumé, and solution
of carbonate of soda, or sal-soda, or other alkali at about the same strength..
I use in combination with my bleaching solution currents of electricity or.
ozone; the electricity and ozone act as disintegrating and bleaching agents,
and are passed through the bleaching solution and the fibre, and when the
nature of the fibre indicates it I use the bleaching solution without electricity
or ozone. The combined solutions of chloride of lime and carbonate of soda,
or sal-soda, or other alkali as above mentioned is my bleaching solution, which
I use in combination with or without electricity or ozone according to the
nature of the fibre to be acted upon. The above is my process for bleaching
vegetable fibres, such as wood, straw, flax, bamboo, and others.
Electricity and ozone may also be employed separately or in combination
with any suitable substance other than the solutions herein-before described
for softening, disintegrating, and bleaching vegetable fibres,
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the use and application of the softening and disintegrating solution
herein-before described, viz., the combined solutions of carbonate of soda, or
sal-soda, or other alkali and lime water, with and without the combined use of
electricity or ozone, for the purpose of softening and disintegrating vegetable
fibres, substantially as herein-before described.
Second, the use and application of the bleaching solution herein-before
described, viz., the combined solutions of chloride of lime and carbonate of
soda, or sal-soda, or other alkali with and without the combined use of
electricity or ozone for the purpose of bleaching vegetable fibres, substantially
as herein-before described,

page_text: Third, the use and application of electricity separately or in combination
with any suitable substance for softening, disintegrating, and bleaching
vegetable fibres.
Fourth, the use and application of ozone separately or in combination with
any suitable substance for softening, disintegrating, and bleaching vegetable
fibres.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Montague Mellor, have hereunto
set my band and seal, this Twentieth day of November, One thousand.
eight hundred and sixty-six.
JAMES MONTAGUE MELLOR. (L.B.)