Improvements in or relating to the Means or Process for Removing " Burrs from Wool.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 27th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 6th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 11th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL DIECIFICATIVA.
Improvements in or relating to the Means or Process for Removing
"
Burrs from Wool.
66
I, HERBERT ROBERTS, of 52 Aughton Road, Birkdale, Southport, in the
County of Lancaster, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
Hitherto great difficulty has been experienced in removing or destroying the
vegetable and other extraneous matter, commonly termed "burrs," that is found in
wool so as to render it fit for manufacturing purposes.
Various processes and means have been employed, which in some cases whilst
successful in destroying or removing the "burrs" have also injured the fibre of the
wool, or else have discoloured it.
Now the object of my invention is to remove the "burrs" by a chemical process
without injuring the fibre or colour of the wool.
According to my invention the wool to be operated upon is saturated with a
warm diluted solution of stannous chloride and pressed to remove the super-
abundant moisture. It is then spread out upon suitable frames in a chamber and
kept by hot air or other convenient means at a temperature of, say about one
hundred and sixty degrees Fahrenheit for about two hours. By these means the
vegetable tissue of the "burrs" is destroyed. The wool is then taken out and
pressed (in order to crush the charred vegetable tissue) and then it is added to a
dilute solution or mixture in water of any alkaline carbonate or bicarbonate or
hydrate, such as for instance potassium bicarbonate, or chalk, or a mixture of two
or more such alkaline carbonates, bicarbonates, or hydrates may be used, such as a
mixture of potassium bicarbonate and chalk which combines with and neutralizes
any remaining tin compound or other product or products of decomposition. When
effervescence has ceased, the wool is then rinsed in warm water and afterwards
washed in the ordinary way.
Dated the Twenty-sixth day of July 1892.
HERBERT ROBERTS,
By W. Fairburn-Hart,
Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Means or Process for Removing
"Burrs" from Wool.
I, HERBERT ROBERTS, of 52 Aughton Road, Birkdale, Southport, in the
County of Lancaster, Chemist, 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 :-
Hitherto great difficulty has been experienced in removing or destroying the
vegetable and other extraneous matter, commonly termed "burrs" that is found in
wool so as to render it fit for manufacturing purposes.
Various processes and means have been employed, which in some cases whilst
successful in destroying or removing the "burrs" have also injured the fibre of the
wool, or else have discoloured it.

page_text: Now the object of my invention is to remove the "burrs" by a chemical process
without injuring the fibre or colour of the wool.
According to my invention the wool to be operated upon is saturated with a
warm diluted solution of stannous chloride for partially destroying the "burrs."
The stannous chloride solution may be prepared as follows:-
Take say nine and a half ounces by weight, solution of stannous chloride of
specific gravity say 1,143 and add to it sufficient warm water to make say forty
ounces by weight.
Into a bath of any dimensions made of the above strength the wool to be treated
is placed and immersed say from five to ten minutes until the wool is thoroughly
saturated with the solution. The wool is then taken out and pressed to remove the
super abundant moisture say until every sixty pounds by weight of wool contains
about forty pounds of solution, that is one hundred pounds by weight of wool and
solution. The wool thus partly operated upon is then spread upon suitable
frames in a chamber or other drying machine heated by hot air
or other
convenient means to a suitable temperature. If the said chamber is heated to say
a temperature of say one hundred and sixty degrees Fahrenheit it will take say
from three quarters of an hour to two hours, usually about an hour, to char and
thereby destroy the vegetable tissue of the "burrs."
The heated wool is then removed from the drying-chamber and pressed (in
order to crush the charred vegetable tissue) and it is then placed in a bath
containing a dilute solution or mixture of chalk suspended in water or any alkaline
carbonate or bicarbonate or hydrate, such as for instance potassium bicarbonate,
or a mixture of two or more such alkaline carbonates, bicarbonates, or hydrates
may be used, such as a mixture of potassium bicarbonate and chalk which
combines with and neutralizes any hydrochloric acid formed in the process or any
stannous chloride left undecomposed or remaining tin compound or other product
or products of decomposition.
A suitable neutralizing bath may be formed as follows, namely for each one
pound of wool I take say one hundred and eighty three grains of chalk (or if
required three hundred and thirty four grains of potassium bicarbonate) or one
hundred and eighty three grains of chalk and say thirty five grains of potassium
bicarbonate. To which is or are added eight pounds by weight of warm water.
The wool is allowed to remain in this alkaline bath until the hydrochloric acid and
any solution of stannous chloride left undecomposed, or any stannous oxychloride
is neutralized, say for about five minutes.
When effervescence has ceased the wool is then rinsed in warm water and after-
wards washed in the ordinary way.
I would have it understood that the various quantities and times herein specified
may be varied or modified as circumstances or the nature of the wool under
treatment require.
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 :-
1st. The process of removing "burrs" from wool which consists first saturating
the wool with a solution of stannous chloride, then pressing the wool to remove
superabundant moisture, afterwards drying the wool by heated air to destroy the
vegetable tissue of the "burrs," and again pressing the wool to crush the charred
"burrs" then placing the wool in an alkaline bath to neutralize the hydrochloric
acid formed in the process or any stannous chloride left undecomposed or any
stannous oxychloride formed and finally rinsing the wool in warm water all sub-
stantially as herein described.
2nd. In the process of removing "burrs" from wool, employment of a solution of
stannous chloride for destroying the burrs in combination with an alkaline

page_text: solution or chalk suspended in water for neutralizing purposes substantially as
herein set forth.
Dated the Fourth day of War 1802
HERBERT KOBERTS,
By W. Fairburn-Hart,
Agent.