IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPARATUS FOR SCOURING OR CLEANSING WOOLLEN CLOTH, YARNS, AND WASTES, AND IN RECOVERING VALUABLE PRODUCTS FROM THE MATERIALS WHICH BEEN USED IN CONDUCTING THE SAID SCOURING OR CLEANSING." HAVE
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Christopher Webb Smith, of Barnwood, near the City of
Gloucester, Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPARATUS
FOR SCOURING OR CLEANSING WOOLLEN CLOTH, YARNS, AND WASTES, AND
IN RECOVERING VALUABLE PRODUCTS FROM THE MATERIALS WHICH
BEEN USED IN CONDUCTING THE SAID SCOURING OR CLEANSING."
HAVE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by. the said Christopher Webb Smith at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th July 1876.
CHRISTOPHER WEBB SMITH, of Barnwood, near the City of Gloucester, Chemist,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPARATUS FOR SCOURING OR CLEANSING WOOLLEN
CLOTH, YARNS, AND WASTES, AND IN RECOVERING VALUABLE PRODUCTS FROM
THE MATERIALS WHICH HAVE DEEN USED IN CONDUCTING THE SAID SCOURING OR
CLEANSING."
My Invention has for its object to supersede the tedious and uncertain process of
Scouring or cleansing woollen cloth ordinarily employed and substituting therefor a
process which is shorter and more efficient, and which permits of the recovery of a
considerable quantity of the indigo and oil which are removed from the cloth during
the scouring process.
My Invention has the further advantage that the principal material employed
can be purified after use so as to permit of its being used over again instead of
being converted into a waste or refuse material, as is the case with respect to the
material commonly used in conducting the scouring or cleansing process.
My said Invention is practised by the use of the apparatus herein-after described.
In scouring or cleansing woollen cloth, according to my Invention, I proceed as
follows:-
The cloth to be operated upon is spread out on the floor of the room in which the
process is conducted, and a layer of matting or other like coarse and cheap material
is placed upon the cloth. The cloth and matting are rolled into a loose coil, which
is placed in an upright cylindrical vessel of a size and figure proper to receive it.
The said vessel has a removeable head similar to the head of a still, and after the
introduction of the cloth into the vessel the said head is fixed on the vessel.
Through a funnel in the said head I fill the said vessel with amylic alcohol, or
cominon petroleum spirit, such as is commonly burned in lamps. The spirit is
[Price 6d.]

page_text: allowed to remain undisturbed in the vessel from 20 minutes to half an hour, during
which time it dissolves all the oil contained in the cloth, the matting rolled with
the cloth favouring the passage of the spirit to every part of the cloth. A con-
siderable quantity of indigo is also removed from the cloth. After the expiration
of the time indicated the spirit is drawn off from the vessel containing the cloth by
means of a tap at its bottom, and is conducted into a second vessel at a somewhat
lower level than the first. That portion of the spirit which is retained in the pores
of the cloth is removed by volatilization. The still head of the vessel containing
the cloth is connected with a condenser or worm, and steam is passed into the said
vessel. The spirit contained in the cloth is volatilized and condensed in the worm
or condenser and collected in a third vessel. The cloth is now removed from the
vessel, when it will be found to be dry and clean, and ready in most cases for
fulling.
When, however, it is thought desirable the cloth may be passed through the
"washer" machine with fuller's carth in the ordinary way. The spirit drawn off
and that obtained by distillation may be mixed together and used again. After,
however, the spirit has been used two or three times it is desirable to purify it by
separating the suspended indigo and the oil which it has dissolved.
In order to separate the indigo the spirit, when drawn off from the first vessel
into the second, is allowed to rest there for several hours, when the whole of the
indigo subsides, and by decantation and filtration the spirit and indigo may be
obtained separately. The said indigo and spirit are, however, impure. To purify
the spirit, that is, to separate it from the fixed oil which it has dissolved, I subject
it to distillation, whereby the spirit is obtained in a state of sufficient purity for
use again in the cleansing process, and the fixed oil remains in the still. The fixed
oil is purified by being placed in an open vat together with one third its volume of
water. Steam is passed into the said vat and the whole is boiled for about an
hour. After allowing the contents of the vat to rest for a time the oil can be run
off and can be used again in treating the wool.
The impure indigo may be treated by filtration and distillation to remove all the
spirit adhering to it. The indigo thus obtained is sufficiently pure to be used in
dyeing. When, however, it is required still further to purify the indigo the impure
indigo is boiled in an open vat first with lime and then with hydrochloric acid, or
deoxidized by any of the well-known agents, such as orpiment, chloride of tin,
protoxide of zinc, sulphate of iron in the presence of lime and alkalies. After the
deoxidation of the indigo the liquid is allowed to stand at rest to permit of the
solid impurities to precipitate. The supernatant liquor is run off into another
vessel and oxidized by exposure to the action of the air, or by the addition of
sulphate of copper, which hastens the oxidation.
Although I have only described my Invention with reference to the scouring or
cleansing of woollen cloth, to which it is specially applicable, yet my said Invention
is also applicable to the scouring or cleansing of woollen yarns and wastes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Christopher Webb Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
January 1877.
CHRISTOPHER WEBB SMITH, of Barnwood, near the City of Gloucester, Chemist.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPARATUS FOR SCOURING OR CLEANSING WOOLLEN
CLOTH, YARNS, AND WASTES, AND IN RECOVERING VALUABLE PRODUCTS FROM
THE MATERIALS WHICH HAVE BEEN USED IN CONDUCTING THE SAID SCOURING OR
CLEANSING."
My Invention has for its object to supersede the tedious and uncertain process of
scouring or cleansing woollen cloth ordinarily employed, and substituting therefor
a process which is shorter and more efficient, and which permits of the recovery of

page_text: a considerable quantity of the indigo or other dye and oil which are removed from
the cloth during the scouring process.
My Invention has the further advantage that the principal material employed
can be purified after use, so as to permit of its being used over again, instead of
being converted into a waste or refuse material, as is the case with respect to the
material commonly used in conducting the scouring or cleansing process.
My said Invention is practised by the use of the apparatus herein-after described.
In scouring or cleansing woollen cloth of coarse or low quality, according to my
Invention, I proceed as follows:-
:-
The cloth to be operated upon is spread out on the floor of the room in which
the process is conducted, and a layer of matting or other like coarse and cheap
material is placed upon the cloth. The cloth and matting are rolled into a loose
coil, which is placed in an upright cylindrical vessel of a size and figure proper to
receive it. The said vessel has a removeable head similar to the head of a still,
and after the introduction of the cloth into the vessel the said head is fixed on the
vessel. Through a funnel in the said head I fill the said vessel with amylic alcohol,
or common petroleum spirit, such as is commonly burned in lamps. The spirit is
allowed to remain undisturbed in the vessel from twenty minutes to half an hour,
during which time it dissolves all the oil contained in the cloth, the matting rolled
with the cloth favouring the passage of the spirit to every part of the cloth. A con-
siderable quantity of indigo is also removed from the cloth. After the expiration of
the time indicated the spirit is drawn off from the vessel containing the cloth by
means of a tap at its bottom, and is conducted into a second vessel at a somewhat
lower level than the first. That portion of the spirit which is retained in the pores
of the cloth is removed by volatilization or by centrifugal force.
When I employ
volatilization the still head of the vessel containing the cloth is connected with a
condenser or worm, and steam is passed into the said vessel in small jets from a
pipe until the spirit is driven off. The spirit contained in the cloth is volatilized
and condensed in the worm or condenser and collected in a third vessel. The cloth
is now removed from the vessel, when it will be found to be dry and clean, and
ready in most cases for fulling.
When, however, it is thought desirable the cloth may be passed through the
"washer "machine with fuller's earth in the ordinary way. The spirit drawn off
and that obtained by distillation may be mixed together and used again. After,
however, the spirit has been used two or three times it is desirable to purify it by
separating the suspended indigo and the oil which it has dissolved.
In order to separate the indigo or other dyes or impurities the spirit, when drawn
off from the first vessel into the second, is allowed to rest there for several hours,
when the whole of the indigo or other solid subsides, and by decantation and
filtration the spirit and indigo or solid may be obtained separately. The said
indigo and spirit are, however, impure. To purify the spirit, that is, to separate
it from the fixed oil which it has dissolved, I subject it to distillation, whereby the
spirit is obtained in a state of sufficient purity for use again in the cleansing process,
and the fixed oil remains in the still. The fixed oil is purified by being placed in
an open vat together with one third its volume of water. Steam is passed into
the said vat and the whole is boiled for about an hour. After allowing the contents
of the vat to rest for a time the oil can be run off and can be used again in treating
the wool.
The impure indigo may be treated by filtration and distillation to remove all the
spirit adhering to it. The indigo thus obtained is sufficiently pure to be used in
dyeing. When, however, it is required still further to purify the indigo the impure
indigo may be washed once or twice with petroleum spirit and boiled in an open
vat first with lime and then with hydrochloric acid, or deoxidized by any of the
well-known agents, such as orpiment, chloride of tin, protoxide of zinc, sulphate of
iron in the presence of lime and alkalies. After the deoxidation of the indigo the
liquid is allowed to stand at rest to permit of the solid impurities to precipitate.
The supernatant liquor is run off into another vessel and oxidized by exposure to

page_text: the action of the air, or by the addition of sulphate of copper, which hastens the
oxidation.
Although my Invention is especially applicable to the scouring or cleansing of
woollen clothi yet it is also applicable to the scouring or cleansing of woollen and other
yarns and wastes.
Although amylic alcohol is an excellent solvent of fixed oils I only use it in
treating goods where its objectionable odour is of no consequence.
For treating woollen cloths, yarns, wools, and oily cotton waste I prefer to use
petroleum spirit instead of amylic alcohol.
Instead of employing the apparatus described for cleansing cloths, yarns, and
wastes, according to my Invention, the said cloths, yarns, and wastes may be treated
in a centrifugal machine, the bottom of the outer shell or casing of the said machine
being fitted with a tap for the exit of the spirit. The centrifugal machine should
be fixed at such a level that the spirit can be run into it from a tank above.
The centrifugal machine having been filled three-fourths full of spirit, the goods
are pressed under the liquid by sticks and allowed to remain soaking for half an
hour for the perfect solution of the fixed oils. A large proportion of the spirit can
be run off while the machine is stationary, most of that which remains in the goods
being collected by centrifugal force. This method of treatment I prefer.
For most goods the treatment described will be sufficient and the spirit
sufficiently recovered. When, however, the goods are of such a nature that the
spirit is removed with difficulty, a jet of water may be thrown in at the centre of
the centrifugal machine while in motion, which will secure the collection of all that
remains. When water is employed for this purpose it should afterwards be
conducted into another vessel for the easy separation of the water and oils. Oily
goods which have been soaked in spirit and deprived of the spirit by centrifugal
force, as described, can be further completely cleansed by injecting spirit into the
middle of the centrifugal machine during its action.
I also, in some instances, treat the goods in an upright cylindrical vessel of the
kind herein-after described. The cloth being packed in the upright cylindrical
vessel with coarse canvas intervening, as before explained, spirit is run in at the
bottom, which ascends through the cloth. When the vessel has been filled with the
spirit it should remain from twenty minutes to half an hour to act upon the cloth.
Water is then made slowly to flow into the vessel by the same entrance at bottom
by which the spirit was introduced, which water forcing its way upwards drives
the spirit before it, the said spirit flowing out at a spout or pipe provided for the
purpose. The water by which the spirit is displaced must be admitted slowly into
the vessel. In treating oily cotton waste it should, when very foul, pass twice
through the process described. The said cotton waste after it has been treated will
only require shaking on wire hurdles or dusted by machinery to free it from any
dust or insoluble impurities not removed by the spirit. When very much stained
by iron, the cotton waste can be treated by very dilute hydrochloric acid and
afterwards washed in a centrifugal machine, but this treatment is rarely necessary.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in vertical section the apparatus
which I employ for the scouring or cleansing of woollen cloth according to my
Invention.
a is an upright cylindrical vessel of a size and form proper to receive the loose
coil of cloth and matting. The loose coil is supported on the perforated bottom b.
c is a steam jacket, between which and the cylindrical vessel a steam is introduced
for the purpose of heating the contents of the vessel a. e is a removeable still head a
capable of being readily fixed on and removed from the vessel a. Screw clamps of
the kind represented at f may be used for connecting and disconnecting the still
head c. The said still head e is in communication with a worm g immersed in a
vessel / containing cold water, the said worm and vessel constituting a condensing
apparatus of the ordinary kind. After the cloth has been introduced into the a
vessel a, and the said vessel filled with amylic alcohol or petroleum spirit, the head e is
fixed on the vessel, and after the lapse of the time herein-before indicated the spirit

page_text: is drawn off by the pipe i. The portion of the spirit retained by the cloth is
volatilized by introducing steam by the pipe q in connection with a steam boiler
between the jacket c and vessel a. The vapour of the spirit passing through the
still head e into the worm g is there condensed and is drawn off at the cock j. By
means of the small pipe x steam in small jets may be passed into the vessel a and
the spirit thereby driven off.
Figure 2 represents in vertical section the upright cylindrical vessel herein-before
referred to, in which in some cases I treat the woollen cloth or other goods to be
cleansed.
This vessel is furnished with a tap at bottom for emptying it, and with a
vertical pipe surmounted with a funnel m and opening into the bottom of the
vessel at n. Through this funnel and pipe the spirit to act upon the woollen cloth
or goods is first introduced, and after a sufficient lapse of time is drawn off at the
tap k
The spirit remaining in the pores of the cloth or other goods is displaced
by a stream of water heated to about 80 degrees Fahrenheit, which is slowly intro-
duced through the funnel m and pipe l. This warm water slowly ascending in the
vessel. displaces the spirit contained in the goods under treatment, which spirit
collecting at the top of the vessel passes off by the pipe p.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to
the precise details herein described and illustrated, as the same may be varied with-
out departing from the nature of my Invention, but I claim as my Invention-
First. The improvements in scouring or cleansing woollen cloth, yarns, and wastes,
herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is to say,
treating the said woollen cloth, yarns, and wastes with amylic alcohol or petroleum
spirit, substantially as herein-before described.
Secondly. The apparatus, herein-before described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawing, to be used in scouring or cleansing woollen cloth, yarns, and
wastes, and in recovering valuable products from the materials which have been
used in conducting the said scouring or cleansing.
Thirdly. The methods or processes, herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing, for recovering valuable products from the materials which
have been used in conducting the scouring or cleansing process herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Christopher Webb Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
CHRISTOPHER WEBB SMITH. (L.S.)