IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND APPARATUS AND MACHINERY FOR EXTRACTING VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES AND PRESERVING THE COLOUR AND STAPLE OF WOOL, WOOLLEN AND SILK RAGS, AND ANIMAL SUBSTANCES, AND REMOVING DYED COLOURS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Rydill, of No. 6, Maze Pond, Borough,
in the County of Surrey, Merchant, for the Invention of “IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND APPARATUS AND MACHINERY FOR EXTRACTING
VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES AND PRESERVING THE COLOUR AND STAPLE OF WOOL,
WOOLLEN AND SILK RAGS, AND ANIMAL SUBSTANCES, AND REMOVING DYED
COLOURS."
Sealed the 16th April 1872, and dated the 17th October 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Rydill at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th October 1871.
I, GEORGE RYDILL, of No. 6, Maze Pond, Borough, in the County of
5 Surrey, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
* IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND APPARATUS AND MACHINERY FOR
EXTRACTING VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES AND PRESERVING THE COLOUR AND Staple

page_text: OF WOOL, WOOLLEN AND SILK RAGS, AND ANIMAL SUBSTANCES, AND REMOVING
DYED COLOURS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of improvements in apparatus and machinery
and a method or methods for extracting cotton and vegetable substances
from wool, woollen and silk rags, and preserving the colour and staple i
.of burry and shivey wool, mohair, alpaca, noils, woollen waste, cloth
rags, shalloons, flannels, French merinoes, stockings, comforters, woollen
flocks, and animal substances, which are composed partly of animal
and partly of vegetable fibres, which material containing vegetable
substances I saturate and impregnato with diluted sulphuric acid, 1
sulphurous acid gas, muriatic acid, muriatic acid gas, alum, and caustic
soda, at a strength by Twaddle's hydrometer from 2 to 30 degrees,
according to the material to be operated upon.
The present method of extracting cotton and vegetable matter from
wool and animal substances is by steeping in diluted sulphuric acid, 1
muriatic acid, and alum, and then drying the material so saturated in
a stove built of stone, brick, and sometimes wood, which stoves arc
heated by firo or steam pipes, which a current of air passing through the
drying stoves, which are heated to about 200 degrees, and the acid gases
which should be kept amongst the material to destroy the vegetable 2
substances are allowed to escape into the open air along with the moist
acid vapours, which is a source of great nuisance, and fires frequently
occur in those stoves by over heating.
My improvements are to place the material in a jacketed vessel, made
air-tight, and the acid gases which now foul the air from drying stoves 2
aro by my Invention turned to advantage in destroying or separating
vegetable substances, which acid gases I cause to be condensed in cold
water after they have sufficiently tendered or loosened the vegetable
substances in air-tight vessels. The material extracted by my process is
void of the hard harsh handle which is so injurious for manufacturing 8
purposes.
My Invention consists in forming a jacketed cylindrical vessel or
vessels open at the top, made of iron, copper, lead, wood, or any suitable
material, with a well-fitting cover secured with screws, and having an
internal steam space all round the sides and at the bottom, for high 3
pressure steam, and capable of standing internal as well as external
steam pressure, or water is put into the hollow jacketted space, which

page_text: vessel is supplied with a water and steam guage, and heated by fire.
A number of such jacketted vessels may be connected one with another.
An air pump is also attached for exhausting the air out of the
jacketted vessel from amongst the material, or I force in air amongst
the material to become heated and assist to destroy vegetable matter.
I take the wool, woollen rags, and animal substances, after the acid
liquids have been removed as much as possible by a hydro-extractor,
and spread the material out in the open air to dry, or by artificial means,
so that the moisture is evaporated by a gentle heat, and when the
material is about three parts dry I place the same in a jacketted
cylindrical vessel about 12 inches thick, I then take a hollow or solid
perforated iron or copper plate, which I heat in boiling water, and lay
the plate on the first lot of material, I then throw in another lot of
material about 12 inches thick and place upon it another heated plate,
and repeat the same until the jacketed vessel is filled with tiers of
material to be extracted; I then place on the lid, fasten down the same
air-tight, and allow high-pressure steam to act in the hollow jacketted
cylindrical vessel in order to raise the temperature amongst the material,
and the acid or chemical gases being confined assist to destroy the cotton
and vegetable matter by the action of the heated acid gases; I then
remove the lid of the jacketed vessel, take out the material, and remove
cotton or vegetable substances by a shake willey, which cotton or
vegetable matter is suitable for the manufacture of paper or manure;
or I place a jacketed cylindrical or other shaped vessel in a horizontal
position, a line of iron or copper rails lay along its bottom, I then placo
the material to be extracted on a carriage or carriages on wheels and
run the same into the jacketted vessel; I then secure the lid or door on
to the end of the jacketted vessel by means of screws, and then allow
high-pressure steam to act in. the jacketed steam space to raise the
temperature amongst the material to remove the cotton and vegetable
matter, which will take from 10 to 60 minutes, according to the strength
of the acid or alum liquid used; I then remove the lid, draw out the
carriage or carriages containing the material, and place the same in a
willey to remove cotton and vegetable matter from woollen and animal
substances, then wash and dry; or after the material to be extracted
has been acted upon with diluted acid liquids and moisture removed as
much as possible by a hydro-extractor, or pressure, I place the material
in a jacketted vessel heated by water or steam in the jacketed space after
the lid or door is fastened down, which jacketed vessel has an inlet

page_text: steam pipe with valve communicating direct with the material in the
jacketed vessel from a high-pressure steam boiler, which steam drives
out the air through a tap or valve open for the purpose; I then close
the valvo and allow the steam to give full pressure amongst the material,
which causes the cotton and vegetable substances to be acted upon by
high-pressure steam, and made so that the vegetable substances separate
from the wool, woollen, and animal material; by this process the loose
colouring matter on the material is partly removed; I then shut off the
steam from the steam boiler, and let the steam vapour blow out from
amongst the material into cold water to condense the acid gases; I then
remove the lid or door and take out the material, willey, wash, and dry
the same.
A coiled pipe passing round a vessel, and supplied with heated air or
steam may be used, and answers much similar to a jacketed steam spaced
vessel; or I take a small steam boiler of ordinary make, or a wood cask,
and charge the same with burry or shivey wool, or animal material to be
extracted, previously saturated with acid liquids, and make the same up
air-tight; I then lift the same into a cistern of boiling water to raise
the temperature of the material inside such vessels to destroy cotton or
vegetable matter; I then raise the vessel or vessels, take out the material
and willey, wash, and dry as before.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Rydill in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 17th April 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE ¿
RYDILL, of No. 6, Mazo Pond, Borough, in the County of Surrey,
Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said George Rydill, Her special licence
that I, the said George Rydill, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said George Rydill, my executors,

page_text: administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thercafter 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATI AND MACHINERY AND METHOD OR METHODS FOR EXTRACTING VEGETABLE
SUBSTANCES FROM AND PRESERVING THE COLOUR AND STAPLE OF WOOLLEN CLOTH,
WOOL, WOOLLEN RAGS, SILK RAGS, AND ANIMAL SUBSTANCES, AND REUSING
CERTAIN AGENTS EMPLOYED IN THE PROCESS, AND REMOVING DYED COLOURS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Rydill, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 George Rydill, 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 :—
This Invention consists of improvements in apparatus and machinery
and a method or methods for extracting cotton and vegetable substances
from wool, woollen and silk rags, and preserving the colour and staple of
burry and shivey wool, mohair, alpaca noils, woollen waste, cloth rags,
shalloons, flannels, French merinoes, stockings, comforters, woollen
flocks, and animal substances, which are composed partly of animal and
partly of vegetable fibres, which material containing vegetable substances
I saturate and impregnate with diluted sulphuric acid, sulphurous acid
gas, muriatic acid, muriatic acid gas, alum, and caustic soda at a strength
by Twaddle's hydrometer from 2 to 30 degrees, according to the material
to be operated upon.
The present method of extracting cotton and vegetable matter from
wool and animal substances is by steeping in diluted sulphuric acid,
muriatic acid, and alum, and then drying the material so saturated in a .
stove built of stone, brick, and sometimes wood, which stoves are heated
by fire or steam pipes, with a current of air passing through the drying
stoves which are heated to about 200 degrees, and the acid gases, which
should be kept amongst the material to destroy the vegetable substances,

page_text: are allowed to escape into the open air along with the moist acid vapours,
which is a source of great nuisance, and fires frequently occur in those
stoves by overheating.
My improvements are to place the material in a jacketed vessel made
air-tight, and the acid gases which now foul the air from drying stoves
are by my Invention turned to advantage in destroying or separating
vegetable substances, which acid gases I cause to be condensed in cold
water after they have sufficiently tendered or loosened the vegetable
substances in air-tight vessels. The material extracted by my process is
void of the hard, harsh handle which is so injurious for manufacturing
purposes.
My Invention consists in forming a jacketed cylindrical vessel or
vessels with an opening at the top, made of iron, copper, lead, wood,
or any suitable material, with a well-fitting cover secured with scrows,
and having an internal steam space all round the sides and at the bottom
for high-pressure stoam, and capable of standing internal as well as
external steam pressure; or water is put into the hollow jacketed space,
which vessel is supplied with a water and steam gauge and heated by
fire. A number. of such jacketed vessels may be connected one with
another. An air pump is also attached when found desirable for
exhausting the air out of the jacketed vessel from amongst the material,
or I force in air amongst the material to become heated and assist to
destroy vegetable matter. I take the wool, woollen rags, and animal
substances, after the acid liquids have been removed as much as possible
by a hydro-extractor, and spread the material out in the open air to dry, a
or by artificial means, so that the moisture is evaporated by a gentle
heat, and when the material is about three parts dry I place the same in
a jacketed cylindrical vessel about 12 inches thick; I then take a hollow
or solid perforated iron or copper plate, which I heat in boiling water
and lay the plate on the first lot of material; I then throw in another a
lot of material about 12 inches thick and place upon it another heated
plate, and repeat the same until the jacketed vessel is filled with tiers
of material to be extracted; I then place on the lid, fasten down the
⚫ same air-tight, and allow high-pressure steam to act in the hollow
jacketed cylindrical vessel in order to raise the temperature amongst the a
material, and the acid or chemical gases being confined assist to destroy
the cotton and vegetable matter by the action of the heated acid gases; I
then remove the lid of the jacketed vessel, take out the material, and

page_text: remove cotton or vegetable substances by a shake willey, which cotton
or vegetable matter is suitable for the manufacture of paper or manure;
or I place a jacketed cylindrical or other shaped vessel in a horizontal
position, a line of iron or copper rails lay along its bottom; I then.place
the material to be extracted on a carriage or carriages, on wheels, and
run the same into the jacketed vessel; I then secure the lid or door on to
the end of the jacketed vessel by means of screws, and then allow high-
pressure steam to act in the jacketed steam space to raise the temperaturo
amongst the material to remove the cotton and vegetable matter, which
will take from 10 to 60 minutes, according to the strength of the acid or
alum liquid used; I then remove the lid, draw out the carriage or
carriages containing the material, and place the same in a willey to
remove cotton and vegetable, matter from woollen and animal sub-
stances; then wash and dry.
A coiled pipe passing round a vessel and supplied with heated air or
steam may be used, and answers much similar to a jacketed steam spaced
vessel; or I take a small steam boiler of ordinary make or a wood cask
and charge the same with burry or shivey wool or animal material to be
extracted, previously saturated with acid liquids, and make the same up
air-tight; I then lift the same into a cistern of boiling water to raise
the temperature of the material inside such vessels, to destroy or
vegetable matter. I then raise the vessel or vessels, tako out the
material and willey, wash, and dry as before.
Fig. 1 on Sheet 1, is a section of a steam jacketed cylindrical vessel,
marked A, for the purpose of extracting vegetable substances which aro.
mixed with wool and woollen material and woollen rags, which said
material after being treated with acid liquids as named in my Specifi-
cation, dated October 17th, 1871, No. 2753, or in an open vessel in acid
liquid, and allowed to drain, or the same may be hydro-extracted and
afterwards partly dried to remove excess of moisture. I then place the
woollen material to be extracted, which contains vegetable substances,
into cylindrical vessel A through openings fixed in the centre of the
cylindrical vessel with moveable lids, marked B, B; after placing on the-
lid or lids B, B, and securing the same with bolts and nuts attached to the
rim of cylindrical vessel A, I connect a steam pipe from a steam boiler
to a hollow shaft marked C, which is riveted to cylindrical vessel,
markod A, resting on frame D; the steam from a steam boiler is let into
the jacketed steam space E, E, E, E, in order to raise the acid gases

page_text: amongst the material in cylindrical vessel A to destroy vegetable sub-
stances; the condensed steam water formed in the jacketed steam
space E passes off through hollow shaft F, containing a valve resting on
frame G; on this shaft is fixed a large cog wheel, marked H, and small
cog wheel, marked I, rests on a short length of shaft with split drum
resting on frame G and J which is made to rotate, causing the material
to turn over, and causing the heated acid gases to destroy the vegetable
substances in the heated cylindrical vessel A in from 10 to 30 minutes,
according to the strength of the acid liquid used.
Fig. 2 is an end section of Fig. 1, shewing steam space E and
moveable lids, marked B, B.
Fig. 3 is a cylindrical vessel resting on a frame, marked A, and
working in all respects as Fig. 1, but instead of it being a steam
jacketed vessel the cylindrical vessel is made of boiler plates, or wood,
or any other suitable material supported on hollow shaft, marked B,
leading to a steam boiler; this hollow shaft, marked B, is connected to
a steam pipe, marked O, made to pass round the sides of this vessel,
which steam pipes are supported by hooked bolts passing round the pipes
and through the outer casing of the cylindrical vessel which is held by
a-nut screwed to the bolt from the outside, the steam from the steam
boiler enters the coiled steam pipe, marked ○ through the hollow
shaft B, which steam passes through the coiled pipe, round the interior of
the cylindrical vessel, and passes off the condensed steam water through
hollow shaft D.
Fig. 4 is an end section of Fig. 3, showing how the steam pipes are
placed round the cylindrical vessel, Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a steam jacketed cylindrical vessel, marked A, which is
supported by two hollow shafts, marked B, B, resting on two frames,
marked C, C, which cylindrical vessel A. is made to rotate by a large
cog wheel, marked E, supported on shaft connected to frame, marked C
and F, which shaft wheels and cylindrical vessel are made to revolve
by a strap working on split drum, marked G. I place in the cylindrical
vessel A material previously saturated with acid liquids and partly dry,
the same to remove excess of moisture. I then place in the cylindrical
vessel A material about 12 inches thick, to be extracted. I then raise a
perforated or solid plate, marked H, out of boiling water and place the
plate H on the top of material in cylindrical vessel A. I then throw in

page_text: another lot of material into cylindrical vessel A about 12 inches in
thickness, and place on the top another heated plate, and so continue
until the vessel is charged with material and heated plates. I then
lower the lid of this vessel, marked I, which is raised by a balanced
weight resting on crane, marked J, and screw down the lid to the top
of cylindrical vessel A with bolts and nuts, marked K, which are
supported by the rim of cylindrical vessel A. I then cause the steam
from a steam boiler to enter on one side of cylindrical vessel A through
hollow shaft, marked B, into steam jacketed space, marked L, when the
condensed water passes out on the opposite side through hollow shaft B,
and in this manner I raise the temperature amongst the material in
cylindrical vessel A to destroy vegetable substances amongst woollen
material.
Fig. 6 is a section of a large steam jacketed vessel, marked A, with
steam space, marked B, B, B, B, with inlet steam pipe from a steam
boiler, marked C, and condensed water outlet, marked D. This vessel
is for the purpose of receiving a carriage resting on rails; the material to
be extracted is placed on a large screen of wirework, stretched from one
side of the carriage framework to the other and also the length of the
carriage; the screens are marked E, É, E, E, E, E, E, E, E. The door
of this jacketed vessel forms the end of the carriage, which is made to
fit the end of the jacketed vessel and screwed up to jacketed vessel A
by means of bolts and nuts, marked F, F. The jacketed steam space
may be partly filled with water supplied through the condensed water
pipe, marked D, into jacketed space, marked B, and heat the same with
fire, as shewn in Fig. 6, marked G.
Fig. 7, jacketed vessel, marked A, is an end section of Fig. 6,
shewing the carriage and air inlets and outlets, marked B, B, B, and
valve O.
Fig. 8, marked A, is a side elevation of Fig. 6, shewing the exterior
of the vessel.
The improvements which I claim are for extracting burrs from wool
and cotton, and vegetable substances from animal fibres. I place the
material requiring to be extracted, after first saturating the same in acid
liquids as named in my Specification, dated October 17th, 1871,
No. 2573, in steam jacketed cylindrical or other shaped vessels and
making the said vessels air-tight. I then raise the temperature of the

page_text: acid gases amongst the material by the application of steam in the
jacketed steam space, or the jacketed space may contain water and
be heated by fire; the heated jacketed vessels prevents any moisture from
condensing on the heated jacketed space, and prevent a dry harsh handle
in the material when extracted, and in preserving the colour of the said
material by not allowing the same to be exposed to the action of dry,
heated air, and by which means tho strength of the staple is preserved.
What I consider novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me, is the use of jacketed vessels, heated by steam or water,
made to rotate or stationary, as shown in this Specification, or any mero 1
modification of this my Invention, described and shown in the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Rydill, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
1