A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS OF OBTAINING FIBROUS MATERIAL FROM A PALM TREE
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Miller Alexander Duguid, of Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, for an Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS
OF OBTAINING FIBROUS MATERIAL FROM A PALM TREE." A communication
from abroad from Samuel S. Herring, of Liberia, in the Continent of Africa.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Miller Alexander
Duguid at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th December
1880.
ROBERT MILLER ALEXANDER DUGUID, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster.
"A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS OF OBTAINING FIBROUS MATERIAL FROM A
PALM TREE." A communication from abroad from Samuel S. Herring, of Liberia,
in the Continent of Africa.
This Invention consists in the obtaining of a valuable fibre from the petioles and
leaf of a palm tree (Elais Guinexnsis) growing plentifully on the oil rivers of
Western Africa.
These leaves with their petioles are boiled or heated; if boiled a little alkali is
preferably added to the water. This treatment with alkali, say, carbonate of or
caustic soda, softens the leaf and whitens the fibre.
After boiling from thirty to forty minutes the leaves are taken out and lightly
beaten or pounded with a pestle in an ordinary mortar; but, of course, in England
stamping mills or more improved pounding machinery or crushing rollers can be
used, the object being to destroy the cellular structure of the fleshy part of the
leaf.
The leaves are then well washed two or three times in clean water and dried;
when dried they are run between fluted rollers or beaten and shaken till all
remaining fleshy matter is extracted.
Two varieties of product are obtained in this way; in the first the leaves are
rolled up into a ball or bundle at starting, and the resulting fibre resembles wool,
or cotton, or tow, being tangled in a similar way; the other variety consists of the
long fibres shipped like jute or hemp. To make this variety the leaves are held
throughout the process by one end, or otherwise treated mechanically like hemp or
jute during the process so as to prevent the fibre getting tangled.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Robert Miller Alexander Duguid in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th June 1881.
"6
ROBERT MILLER ALEXANDER DUGUID, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster.
A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS OF OBTAINING FIBROUS MATERIAL FROM A
PALM-TREE." A communication from abroad by Samuel S. Herring, of Liberia,
in the Continent of Africa,
This Invention consists in the obtaining or preparing of a valuable fibre from
the petioles and leaves of the oil palm tree of Liberia, and the west and south
coasts and other parts of Africa, the "Elais, Guinensis."
The vast utility and quantity of the said palin fibre in Liberia and Africa is such
that any reasonable degree of expenditure of inventive thought, with the super-
addition of money, would be more than reimbursed by the great advantages which
would accrue to commerce as well as to the industry of the African.
It is very soon calculated to be of as vast commercial importance as the
enterprise is new. The forests of Liberia and the fibre producing portions of
Africa well support the hypothesis that the palm fibre utilized will be to Africa
what America's vast cotton fields are to her.
If America exports annually millions of pounds of raw cotton besides what she
keeps at home, by a parity of reason it may be expected that Liberia and Africa
can export millions of pounds of palm fibre from her prolific wild forests. The
palm tree is planted by the hand of nature. In a few years after it is thus planted
it yields fibre; then the palmnuts from which palm oil is made, until scores of years
terminate its hoary existence.
By this mode of taking the fibre from the tree the said tree becomes vastly
improved, and will therefore bear palm nuts sooner; this alone secures a great
public good, though it only follows as a sequence.
The fibre is obtained from the young trees only, though the older trees have
fibre in them. Instead of stripping the leaf from the limb on the tree the limb is
cut off the tree close to the trunk, just as the natives cut them out of their way in
clearing their lands for farming, leaving the centre germ limb; the leaves are then
taken from the limbs. In four months from the time the tree is, thus trimmed an
entire new crop of foliage appears as heavy as before, so that three new crops of
fibre are actually given from each tree annually.
This trimming the tree actually amounts to a cultivation of it in the wild
forests.
The young tree furnishes fibre for about seven consecutive years from the time
it is old enough to yield any; soon after this the tree grows beyond convenient
heighth and is now left to go on bearing palmnuts.
There are vastly more young palm trees than old ones; they are propogated by
birds and other animals carrying off the palmnut to eat (almost all animals like
the palmnut); they drop the seeds or palmnuts about, so that in some sections of
the country there are palm forests for miles together, besides being interspersed
through the entire wild lands as well as partially cultivated lands.
This fact warrants me or any one else to say that in Liberia alone there must be
inillions of young fibre bearing palm-trees. Each tree will yield from two pounds
to three pounds of fibre at a time, or thereabouts.
The leaves, with their petioles, after being stripped from the branches cut from
the trees are preferably rolled up into bundles of convenient size to suit an ordinary
rice mortar, or plaited, as hereafter described, and are then heated or boiled. If
boiled a little alkali is preferably added to the water, say, carbonate or caustic

page_text: soda, which softens the fleshy part of the leaf and whitens or bleaches the fibre.
The boiling process occupies from 30 to 40 minutes, after which the material is
treated as hereafter described.
Or instead of heating or boiling, the leaves may be treated in substantially the
same manner in which flax and jute is prepared, that is, they may be soaked in
fresh water for 3 or 4 days, which causes a fermentation and consequent softening
of the fleshy matter of the leaf.
By allowing the leaf to remain longer in the water the fibre appears to be
bleached without sustaining any injury, even if allowed to remain for weeks in the
water.
In this respect it is somewhat similar to flax and hemp, the stalk of which lies
on the ground, under snow and in the wet, for five or six weeks or more. The
nature of the palm tree seems to require moisture, for its trunk and limbs are
always full of water.
They thrive alike by the side of water and on highlands. The roots are often
submerged in water and low muddy places.
This may be one reason why this fibre stands exposure more than any other
fibre under fair circumstances, water does not affect it.
The soaking process reduces the labor and gives a larger yield of fibre than the
process of boiling or heating first mentioned.
Before boiling or soaking, the leaves are preferably steamed and plaited. Each
plait consists of about forty or fifty leaves, which leaves make a bulk of about the
size of the wrist. A number of these plaits, about enough to make a ton of fibre, is
now bundled and tied together and thrown into a creek or rivulet, river, or any
quantity of fresh water sufficient to cover the bulk.
At the expiration of three days or more, as aforesaid, the bundle or bundles of
plaits, whether one or hundreds or thousands in number, are taken out in order.
The plaits or bundles then that have been prepared by soaking, boiling, or heating,
are laid in a trough mortar singly, just enough to cover the bottom, and very
lightly pounded with a fluted pestle. Water is occasionally thrown upon it, when
the soft refuse vegetable matter runs out at the ends of the trough mortar; this is
all done in a very short time.
When done the said plaits present fibre cleansed from the vegetable matter and
are still plaited like the green leaf was; they are now taken out and washed, then
opened and dried. This beating process is continued until the whole bulk of
prepared leaves are exhausted.
The putting in soak may be so regulated that the cleansing may go on from day
to day.
After the fibre is dried it shows a kind of sub-stem or tissue which is not the
real pure fibre; these are easily taken out at the larger end by using the thumb and
fingers, or by using a knife, the blade of which is laid immediately across. the end
of the hank which rests on the knee or anywhere firm, holding the extreme
smallest end with the left hand and giving it a sudden jerk, et cetera.
After this the fibre is scutched with a scutching knife. When tow or knots
appear in the parcel thus held in the hand, the toothed end of the scutching knife
is used, which strikes it out. After the bank is sufficiently scutched or scraped
with a knife it is ready for packing. The scutching or scraping produces an offal,
in which however there is considerable fibre, which is as long as any when
straightened out. This fibre so scutched out in which the said sub-stems or
tissues are found may be exported in the tangled state.
After the plaited fibre is cleansed it has a fine appearance, and is from ten
to thirty six inches long. In rich high lands, back a few miles from sea board, the
leaf is commonly found thirty six inches long.
The introduction of the trough mortar and fluted pestle differs and is superior to
the ordinary rice mortar beating "with a smooth stick,” etcetera, still there may be
those who for want of said mortar may have to continue the use of the "stick,"

page_text: which will answer the purpose, but not so quickly or efficiently as the mortar and
pestle I have described."
If the process is conducted in England stamping mill, or more improved
pounding machinery, or crushing rollers may be used, the object being to destroy
the cellular structure of the fleshy part of the leaf.
The natural excellence of the palm fibre is extraordinary; for instance, its
strength is great, its durability when exposed to wet or exposure is wonderful, and
its fineness and glossy silky appearance when properly cleaned is remarkable.
It will make good thread, it will make strong and durable canvas, and ought to
make something like fine linen.
Having now described the Invention, and the best modes communicated to me
for carrying it into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I believe to be
new and desire to protect under the herein before in part recited Letters Patent
is,-
'
First. The manufacture of fibre from the leaves and petioles of the oil palm tree
(Elais Guinenses) by softening and removing the fleshy matter of the leaf,
substantially as described.
Second. The new article of manufacture herein described, consisting of the fibre
of the leaf or petiole of the oil palm tree freed from the sap cuticles and fleshy
matter without decomposition of the ligneous or celulose substance of the fibre.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Miller Alexander Duguid, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty third day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
J. OWDEN O'BRIEN,
Clerk to W. P. Thompson & Co.,
Patent Agents,
Liverpool & London.
KOBERT M. A. DUGUID. (L.S.)