IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ABSORBENT PADS
Year: 1884

page_text: I JAMES PIM STRANGMAN of Sarno in the Province of Salerno in the Kingdom
of Italy Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ABSORBENT PADS to be as follows:-
The object of the invention is. to provide an improved and economical material
for the manufacture of absorbent pads for women's use for absorbing those
discharges to which they are subject in childbed and otherwise.
These pads are usually employed enclosed in some retaining fabric and held in.
place by passing bands around the person of the wearer and by connections
therefrom to the absorbent pad itself.
The absorbent material of which I form the pad is hemp of that description
known as Italian hemp and particularly I prefer to employ that description of
hemp which is largely grown in the Neapolitan Provinces of Italy and which is
there known as Canape di Napoli" (Naples Hemp), said hemp being treated
according to the process described in the Specification filed by Charles Frederick
Cross in pursuance of Letters Patent bearing date the 30th day of November 1880
having been previously subjected to a process of treatment as follows, viz:
I introduce into a closed chamber a quantity of hemp or the refuse of hemp
known as Hemp Tow and such like and subject it to the action of steam of about
15 lbs to 20 lbs pressure per square inch for a period of say 1 to 2 hours and then
I introduce therein sulphurous acid gas to which I subject the hemp for some 12
to 24 hours more or less, and then the hemp is taken out and is freely exposed to
the air after which it is subjected to a softening process either by passage through
rollers or by beetling in manner as will be well understood.
By such treatment I obtain an improved material highly absorbent and well
adapted for use as an absorbent material for the manufacture of pads for use as
already described, which can be produced at an economical rate.
The operation on the hemp by the sulphurous acid gas should be conducted in a
vessel if of iron, having a lining of lead in order to prevent the iron staining the
hemp treated therein or in a chamber built of concrete lined with an acid proof
cement or chambers of equivalent construction.

page_text: I JAMES PIM STRANGMAN of Sarno in the Province of Salerno in the Kingdom
of Italy Manufacturer do horeby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ABSORBENT PADS, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the.
following statement :—
The object of the invention is to provide an improved and economical material
for the manufacture of absorbent pads for the use of women for absorbing those
discharges to which they are subject in childbed and otherwise for absorbing
discharges generally from the person of either sex and the improved material can
be successfully used as an economical and efficient substitute for the article known
as or under the name of "absorbent cotton ог "absorbent cotton wool" which is
now so extensively used in surgical practice and for such like uses.
"
These pads or absorbent applications are for womens use for childbed and such
discharges usually employed enclosed in some retaining fabric and held in place by
passing bands around the person of the wearer and by connections therefrom to the
absorbent pad itself.
The absorbent material of which I form the pad or absorbent application is hemp
of that description known as Italian hemp and particularly I prefer to employ
that particular description of hemp which is largely grown in the Neapolitan
Provinces of Italy and which is there known as "Canape di Napoli" (Naples Hemp),
said hemp being treated according to the process described in the specification filed
by Charles Frederick Cross in pursuance of Letters Patent bearing date the
30th day of November 1880 N° 4984 such material having been previously
subjected to a process of treatment as follows, viz: I introduce into a closed
chamber a quantity of hemp or the refuse of hemp known as hemp tow and such
like and subject it to the action of steam of about 15 lbs to 20 lbs pressure per
square inch for a period of say 1 to 2 hours and then I introduce therein sulphurous
acid gas to which I subject the hemp for some 12 to 24 hours more or less, and
then the hemp is taken out and is freely exposed to the air after which it is
subjected to a softening process either by passage through rollers or by beetling in
manner as will be well understood.
By experiment I have found that certain descriptions of hemp or hemp tow,
become sufficiently absorbent, after being treated by the first part, or portion of the
process as described i.e. subjecting the fibre to the action of steam and subsequently
sulphurous acid gas in a closed chamber, then softening the same by mechanical
means, (as herein-before described) therefore I do not confine myself to always
using that part or portion of the process known as Cross's patented process
already referred to in combination with the first and second portion of my
described process.
The material thus produced may be rendered antiseptic if so desired by any of
the well known means or processes at present in use, for rendering cotton or
textiles antiseptic, by passing the material through an antiseptic solution by
applying an antiseptic liquid in the form of a spray or otherwise or by submitting
the material to antiseptic gases or vapours produced from antiseptics.

page_text: By such treatment I obtain an improved material highly absorbent and well
adapted for use as an absorbent material for the manufacture of pads in manner as
already described, which can be produced at an economical rate.
The operation on the hemp by the sulphurous acid gas should be conducted in a
vessel, if of iron, having a lining of lead in order to prevent the iron staining the
hemp treated therein or in a chamber built of concrete lined with an acid proof
cement or chamber of equivalent construction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
The manufacture and use as an economical absorbent material of flax or hemp
for absorbing discharges from the person generally and for surgical purposes
substantially as est forth
Dated this 26th day of August 1885.
WM BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the said James Pim Strangman,