Improvements in the Manufacture of Artificial Horse-hair from Vegetable Fibre.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 6th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 7th Feb., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by KARL MÜLLER, Engineer, JULIUS SCHWARZ,
Merchant, and Dr. Max SCHEID, Chemist, all of Freiburg, Baden, in the
Empire of Germany.]
Improvements in the Manufacture of Artificial Horse-hair from
Vegetable Fibre.
1. HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of artificial horse-hair from vegetable
fibre.
The so-called Mexican fibre which is obtained from plants belonging to the genus
of agaves, or a similar vegetable fibre, is boiled in an alkaline liquor with or
without pressure, whereby the incrustation is partly dissolved. After this
operation all the impurities and the adhering short, fibre are removed by washing
and combing the fibre, which then assumes a hair-like character in which it differs
only from natural horse-hair, by not being transparent. The artificial hair thus
prepared is next passed through sulphuric acid, which may be nitrated or not, or
through a solution of chloride of zinc, and washed, after which the artificial hair
when held to the light, will appear to be slightly transparent.
Dated this 8th day of March 1890.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Artificial Horse-hair from
Vegetable Fibre.
1. HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
My invention relates to the manufacture of artificial horse-hair from vegetable
fibre.
The fibre of Mexican grass or a similar vegetable fibre suitable for the said
purpose is boiled in an alkaline liquor of about one or two per cent. for about two
hours with or without pressure, according to the thickness of the fibre.
This liquor is prepared from soda as being the cheapest alkali but any other
alkali can be employed for the purpose as may be desired.
By this boiling the incrustation of the fibre is dissolved so that in the washing
and combing operations all the adhering impurities, filaments and incrustations will
be removed from the fibre which thus obtains an approximately uniform thickness
and a hair-like character.
After the boiling the fibre is washed out and placed in a mixture of from
two to three parts of sulphuric acid and one part of water for fifteen or twenty
minutes whereby it is parchmented.
Only very little nitric acid can be added to the sulphuric acid without
deteriorating the material; moreover the sulphuric acid can hardly be used
without water, as the fibre is liable to be burnt and the operation is more difficult
when water is dispensed with.

page_text: This is also the case in the parchmenting of the fibre by means of chloride of
zine wherein the fibre becomes more fragile.
When the parchmenting has been effected the fibre is again washed out, combed
and dyed.
After this the finished material is spun like horse-hair. The tresses of this
material present a greater elasticity than those of natural horse-hair whereas the
fibre which is treated only by mechanical means, dyed and spun, as heretofore put
in the market scarcely possesses any elasticity.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is
The improved process of manufacturing an imitation of horse-hair by boiling
agave or similar fibre with an alkaline liquor and subsequently parchmenting.
Dated this 6th day of December 1890.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.