The Manufacture of a Substitute for Horsehair.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Dec., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Apr., 1897-Accepted, 15th May, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
The Manufacture of a Substitute for Horsehair.
I, HUGO WALDEMAR LANGBECK, of 2, Claremont Villas, Loughton, in the
County of Essex, Analytical and Consulting Chemist, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of a substitute for horse hair.
In carrying out my invention I boil suitable vegetable fibres, such for example
as cocoa nut fibres or Mexican fibres with a solution of either a carbonate, silicate
or borate of an alkali, or caustic alkali for about one hour. I then wash the fibres
with water, dye them the required color by known methods and when dry I varnish
them with a solution of a resin, such as shellac in spirit in which a sufficient
quantity of the required color, has been dissolved. The fibres thus treated are
then drained and, when intended for upholstering, dried at a temperature of
about 220-240° F., by which means they are curled, or when intended for
weaving etc. they are dried at the ordinary temperature.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1896
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
The Manufacture of a Substitute for Horsehair.
I, HUGO WALDEMAR LANG BECK, of 2, Claremont Villas, Loughton, in the
County of Essex, Analytical and Consulting 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 :-
This invention relates to the manufacture of a substitute for horsehair.
Raw fibres such as cocoa nut fibres have been employed for upholstering and
other purposes but owing to their becoming flat and hard in use they have only
been employed where cheapness was the first desideratum.
Now my invention has for object to so treat suitable raw vegetable fibres that
the above described disadvantage is obviated and a fibre is obtained which is
elastic, comparatively cheap, not affected by humidity and free from smell.
In carrying out my invention vegetable fibres such for example as cocoa nut
fibres or Mexican fibres, are boiled or heated nearly to the boiling point for about
one hour with about ten times their quantity of water contained in solution an
alkali for instance caustic soda in the proportion of one half to one per cent.
if cocoa nut fibres are used and of from 2 to 4 per cent. if Mexican fibres are
employed.
After this boiling or steaming I wash the fibres first with warm and then with
cold water and if required I dye them any colour by a known method, for instance,
I can dye them black by mordanting with an iron solution and then treating with
D
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page_text: a tanning material such as sumac or logwood or both. The fibres are then dried
and soaked in a solution of resin in spirit. In practice the solution which
I advantageously employ I obtain by dissolving about one part of shellac in from
4 to 5 parts of methylated spirit (64, O.P). Suitable colouring matter may be
added to the solution, nigrosine for instance where a black colour is required.
The greater part of the solution adhering to the fibres is then recovered by
draining and by a centrifugal machine and the fibres are dried.
When the fibres are to be spun or woven they are dried at the ordinary
temperature in which case they remain straight, but when they are required for
upholstery purposes they are dried at a temperature of about 200°-220° F. in
which case they become curled and elastic.
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 :-
1. The described manufacture of a substitute for horsehair, such manufacture
consisting in heating suitable vegetable fibres (such as cocoa nut fibres or Mexican
fibres) at about boiling point in an alkaline solution for about an hour and in
then washing, dyeing, varnishing, draining and drying the fibres all substantially
as herein before described.
2. Vegetable fibres treated substantially in the manner hereinbefore described.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.