IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN APPARATUS FOR TREATING HIDES, SKINS, WOOL, HAIR, COTTON WASTE, AND SEEDS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George William Bentley and Ralph Frederick
Garth, of London, in the County of Middlesex, Merchants, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN APPARATUS FOR TREATING HIDES,
SKINS, WOOL, HAIR, COTTON WASTE, AND SEEDS."
Sealed the 25th March 1873, and dated the 14th January 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George William
Bentley and Ralph Frederick Garth at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 14th January
1873.
We, GEORGE WILLIAM BENTLEY and RALPH FREDERICK GARTH, of
London, in the County of Middlesex, Merchants, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN APPARATUS
FOR TREATING HIDES, SKINS, WOOL, HAIR, COTTON WASTE, AND SEEDS," to be as
follows:-
·
The improvements consist in the speedy and economical extraction of

page_text: shape and strength for resisting pressure, and be furnished with suitable
inlet and outlet pipes, cocks, guages, and when intended to be used for
hides and skins fitted to receive the trays and sometimes also when used
for wool, hair, cotton waste, and seeds, when the same do not require
agitation be made conveniently in two pieces, an upper and lower; to
one or other piece or to both may be fixed an hydraulic ram or other
convenient contrivance for closing, and opening the said chamber. The
chamber or digester intended to be used for wool, hair, and cotton waste,
may be formed in one piece, and a fixed or movable false perforated
bottom may be fitted in it; the digester should be made shallow and
may be steam jacketted, furnished with suitable man-holes capable of
being open and shut air-tight, and inside the digester is fixed and
worked a fan having toothed blades capable of receiving a partial
backward and forward motion, or other convenient form of apparatus for
The
stirring up and agitating the contents of the digester may be used.
digester may when used for seeds be of the same form as that lastly
described, but the apparatus for agitating the contents should have
smooth shovel-like blades which will assist in discharging the contents
when the man-holes or doors are open.
For the purpose of supplying the chloride of calcium, the carbon
bi-sulphide, and the hydrothianic acid, suitable tarks or reservoirs may be
used furnished with convenient pipes, cocks, guages, and pumps to and
from the digester.
Also boilers for the supply of steam and boiling water, and for working
the pumps or the machinery generally may be used.
:
The distillation, collection, and purification of the chemicals also of the
he nerformed in any of the methods at present in
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George' William Bentley and Ralph Frederick Garth in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th July 1875.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George' William Bentley and Ralph Frederick Garth in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th July 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,
GEORGE
WILLIAM BENTLEY and RALPH FREDERICK GARTH, of London, in the
County of Middlesex, Merchants, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said George William Bentley and Ralph
Frederick Garth, Her special licence that we, the said George William
Bentley and Ralph Frederick Garth, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said George William Bentley and
Ralph Frederick Garth, our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN APPARATUS FOR TREATING HIDES,
SKINS, WOOL, HAIR, COTTON WASTE, AND SEEDS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said George William Bentley and Ralph Frederick
Garth, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, 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 we, the said George William Bentley and
Ralph Frederick Garth, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
-
The improvements consist in the speedy and economical extraction of
oil or fatty matter from hides and skins, together with the cleansing and
preserving same by passing them through rollers to remove the fat,
submitting them in an extended or stretched form on fixed or travelling
perforated trays or gratings within a closed shallow chamber or chambers
to air passed over chloride of calcium; and in the same or other closed
chamber, submitting them to the action of carbon bi-sulphide under
pressure.

page_text: which forms bydrothianic acid, and used for removing the hair or wool
from skins; D is the shaft working in frames aa shown, and passing into
the digester where it is connected with and works an agitator; motion
is communicated from the steam engine as shown. The whole of the
apparatus may be constructed of metal and galvanized, or other suitable
covering or coating to the metal employed may be given to avoid the
action of the bi-sulphide on the metal which would otherwise produce
hydrogen sulphide, and discolor the wool or other contents of the
digester.
The apparatus as above may be worked as follows:-Steam is generated
in the boilers, the digester is then filled with the matter to be treated, all
taps being previously closed; bi-sulphide of carbon is then pumped
from the tank or tanks into the digester, and its contents, the shaft, and
its agitator is put in motion, the grease being being extracted from the
contents of the digester, steam is then to be admitted into the steam
jacket of the digester, and hot air is forced into the digester and its
contents through suitable pipes; the pure bi-sulphide then remaining in
the digester is allowed to return direct to the tank Y, and the residue
thereof is passed to the condenser Z*, whence after condensation it
returns to the tank Y and is ready for use again.
Figures 3 and 4 show section and plan of digester and apparatus for
treating seeds and such like which are first to be bruised or coarsely
ground; the digester is formed preferably as shallow as possible, steam
jacketed as shown, and may be of any diameter, and made of galvanized
metal with upper man-holes B, B, and side man-holes M, M, M, as shown;
it is furnished with a convenient inlet and outlet L; with a 3-way tap
corresponding to the inlet fluid pipe H, hot air pipe J, and exit fluid pipe K;
in addition a discharge pipe E' communicating with still, and a discharge
pipe E communicating with the condensor G is connected with pressure
pump Y1, Figure 1. O is a perforated bottom plate also of galvanized
metal for the purpose of supporting and draining the seeds or such like;
C is a collar or journal formed for the reception of the shaft D which
is furnished with fans or blades N as shown; suitable hydrometers are
fixed in the glass tubes A, A¹. The action is as follows:-Bruised seed is
admitted through the top man-holes B, B, they are then hermetically
shut up, bi-sulphide of carbon is then admitted from the pipe H, and
through the perforated bottom O, and is allowed to pass slowly up till it

page_text: reaches the exit pipe E' which communicates with the still, and when the
lighter portion of the bi-sulphide containing oil or grease has run off
through pipe E¹ which may be seen by the hydrometer in A, the pipe E¹
is closed, and the digester is filled with fresh bi-sulphide of carbon
forced into the contents of the digester through G by means of the
pump Y¹, Figure 1; more oil or grease is thus extracted from the contents
of the digester as indicated by the hydrometer, and we continue to force
in bi-sulphide as long as any oil or grease remain to be extracted; this
may be readily found out by the hydrometer which will indicate the
presence of any foreign matter with the carbon bi-sulphide. The oil
being extracted we open the pipe K and allow the remaining liquid
bi-sulphide to run back into the supply tank, or a special tank for
receiving it, and we open the communication E to allow of the evapo-
ration of the bi-sulphide and its subsequent condensation in the con-
denser; the fan is now set in motion, hot air admitted into the contents
through pipe J, care being taken that the temperature does not exceed
250 degrees, and steam admitted into the steam jacket; the bi-sulphide
absorbed by the seed now passes off rapidly in the shape of gas through
the outlet E to the condenser ZX, Figure 1, and thence to supply tank Y
to ascertain that there are no fumes of bi-sulphide remaining, and that
the whole has been entirely removed. We insert a wet and dry bulb
thermometer through a convenient aperture into the digester which
will indicate that the atmosphere therein contains no bi-sulphide of
carbon, the man-holes M, M, M, Figure 4, are then removed, and the fan
revolving discharges the whole of the contents of the digester.
Figures 6 and 6 show sectional elevation and plan of digester and
apparatus for treating wool, hair, and cotton waste, which much resembled
the digester lastly described, excepting that the agitator 0 consists of
toothed blades; B, B, are top man-holes for filling; N, N, N, side man-
holes for extracting contents; E, shaft; D, collar or journal; F, outlet
to condenser; G, outlet to still; C, inlet hot water pipe; L, inlet
bi-sulphide fluid pipe; M, discharge bi-sulphide fluid pipe; H, outlet
water, said water being allowed to run to suitable tanks for preserving
the sediment from the water which comprises valuable manure; K, hot
air inlet; O, toothed blades; P, perforated bottom. The action resembles
that lastly described, excepting that the contents of the digester viz.,
wool, hair, or cotton waste are first treated therein, with hot air passed

page_text: over chloride of calcium for the purposes of removing moisture, and hot,
air and boiling water are finally admitted for washing and scouring.
purposes, and when desired the scoured contents can be a second time
subjected to action of hot air passed over chloride of calcium, and so
rapidly dry the contents; the chloride of calcium may be stored in any
suitable tank and be connected in any convenient way with the hot air
pipe K.
Figures 7 and 8 show elevation and plan of, digester and apparatus
intended for the treatment of hides and skins; the digester in this case is
made in two pieces K, the upper fixed and the lower L moveable by
means of an hydraulic rain M through which the fluids and hot air are
passed by pipes as shown. S is the fluid pipe; Q, hot air pipe; B, C, D,
are rollers through which the skins are passed before and after reatment
in the digester for the purpose of removing moisture and crushing fat and
such like; these rollers are put in motion by machinery as shown; V is
a travelling band to carry the skins. The action is as follows:-The
digester is opened, the skins to be treated are placed on the travelling
band and with it passed through the rollers, and into the interior of the
hydraulic digester; the digester is then closed, bi-sulphide of carbon is
forced in, and the skins are thereby treated as in the processes before
described; care must be taken to keep the temperature at such a degree of
heat so as to allow of the free evaporation of the bi-sulphide of carbon; the
skins are then removed, passed through rollers and dried, when they are
fit for tauning.
Figures 9 and 10 show section and plan of a modification of digester and
apparatus in and by which the whole of the processes above described
can be performed. The digester is in two parts, K upper, E lower,
and in this case the top is moveable and actuated by a double acting
hydraulic ram; G is a suspended tramway, J, J, being suspenders
thereof attached to the moveable top K. S, S, is continuation of
tramway; R is a travelling perforated car arranged to receive two or more
perforated trays one above the other, and so as to leave a space between
each tray, the said car is shown in position in the lower part of the
digester by dotted lines F; H is discharge pipe to still and condenser ;
E is general inlet; B, a three-way cock; A, fluid pipe; B, fluid
discharge; and C hot air pipe fitted with a thermometer, though not
shown; gauge pipes with hydrometers are used. The action is the same

page_text: according to the material treated as that above described; we sometimes
however use instead of the trays perforated boxes or receptacles for
holding seeds, waste, or wool; the car being loaded it is then run on
to the tram G, and it and the train G together with upper part of the
digester K is lowered and brought into hermetical contact with the lower
chamber E.
In witness whereof, we, the said George William Bentley and Ralph
Frederick Garth, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Twelfth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-three.
GEORGE WILLIAM BENTLEY. (L.S.)
RALPH FREDERICK GARTH. (L.S.)