Process or Processes for Utilizing Waste Loom-heddles and similar Filamentary Material of Vegetable Origin.
Year: 1898

page_text: Process or Processes for Utilizing Waste Loom-heddles and similar
Filamentary Material of Vegetable Origin.
I, BENDIX THEMANS, Manufacturer, of Enochede, in the Kingdom of Holland,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Hitherto loom heddles made from cotton yarn or other vegetable fibres have
been thrown away as waste material, when they had become unfit for serving their
proper purpose.
The present invention has for its object to recover the cotton fibres and oily
matter contained in the said heddles in such a shape, that they can be used for
industrial purposes, the former as a substitute for cotton wool, or as a raw material
for making ropes or paper, and the latter as a varnish.
For this purpose I treat the used-up heddles with a solution of caustic soda,
preferably by using equal weights of heddles and of caustic soda and boiling for
several hours in a suitable receptacle; subsequently I rinse the heddles with water
and then relieve them of water in a centrifugal drying machine.
Subsequently the material is bleached by treating it with a chloride of lime
solution of to 1° Beaumé for 4 to 6 hours, then again rinsed and relieved of water
in the centrifugal machine. Afterwards the material is steeped in a solution of
hydrochloric or sulphuric acid of 1 to 2° Bé. for 4 to 6 hours, thoroughly rinsed and
relieved of water by a centrifugal machine, finally it is boiled in a caustic soda
solution of 2 to 5%, then rinsed, treated in the centrifugal machine, and dried.
In order to make varnish from the solid matter precipitated from the alkaline
solution or from the water, I treat the precipitate with caustic soda, and subse-
quently add an equal quantity of concentrated sulphuric acid, whereby the var-
nish is caused to separate.
The varnish thus obtained is thoroughly washed with water, while constantly
stirring, subsequently relieved of water by kneading or pressure, and then treated
with alcohol, which is finally driven off wholly or partially by distillation.
The caustic soda mentioned in the above description may be replaced by a corres-
ponding quantity of other alkali.
Dated this 26th day of April 1898.

page_text: Process or Processes for Utilizing Waste Loom-heddles and similar
Filamentary Material of Vegetable Origin,
I, BENDIX THEMANS, Manufacturer, of Enochede, in the Kingdom of Holland,
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:-
Hitherto loom heddles made from cotton yarn or other vegetable fibres have
been thrown away as waste material, when they had become unfit for serving their
proper purpose.
The present invention has for its object to recover the cotton fibres and oily
matter contained in the said heddles in such a shape, that they can be used for
industrial purposes, the former as a substitute for cotton wool, or as a raw material
for making ropes or paper, and the latter as a varnish.
For this purpose I treat the used-up heddles with a solution of caustic soda
of 2 to 3º Bé, preferably by using equal weights of heddles and of caustic soda
and boiling for several hours in a suitable receptacle by means of saturated steam
of two atmospheres pressure; subsequently I rinse the heddles with water and
then relieve them of water in a centrifugal drying machine.
Subsequently the material is bleached by treating it for 4 to 6 hours with a
chloride of lime solution of 2 to 1° Beaumé, then again rinsed and relieved of
water in the centrifugal machine. Afterwards the material is steeped in a solution
of hydro-chloric or sulphuric acid of 1 to 20 Bé. for 4 to 6 hours, then thoroughly
rinsed and relieved of water by a centrifugal machine, subsequently it is boiled in
a caustic soda solution of 2 to 5%, then rinsed, treated in the centrifugal machine,
and dried.
In order to make varnish from the alkaline liquor or from the water with which
the heddles have been treated as described above, sulphuric acid is gradually
added to the said liquor while constantly stirring. Thereby a layer of crude
varnish will be formed on the surface of the liquor, which varnish after cooling,
is drawn off and washed with hot water, in order to remove the sodium sulphate
and any free sulphuric acid contained in the same. Subsequently the varnish is
relieved of water by kneading or pressure and dried, and then dissolved in alcohol,
in order to separate it from china-clay and other impurities that may have been
taken up from the healds. Finally the alcohol is driven off wholly or partly by
distillation. For 100 kilogrammes of healds the soda solution used in the first
part of the process, as mentioned above, contains about 10 kilos. of soda, and in
the manufacture of the varnish about 10 kilos. of sulphuric acid of 66% are used
for 100 kilos. of healds.
The caustic soda mentioned in the above description may be replaced by a
corresponding quantity of other alkali.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim
is:-
1. The process for the utilization of waste loom heddles made of cotton or other
vegetable fibre, which consists in boiling the heddles in a caustic soda solution or
similar liquid for several hours, then bleaching them with a chloride of lime
solution, rinsing, soaking in a solution of hydrochloric or sulphuric acid for several

page_text: hours, again rinsing, subsequently boiling in a caustic soda solution, agarn
and drying, substantially as described.
2. The utilisation of the liquor obtained as described, by decomposing it with
sulphuric acid, purifying the crude varnish thus produced by repeated washing
with hot water and stirring, relieving it of water by pressure, and finally treating
it with alcohol, which is subsequently removed wholly or partially by distillation,
substantially as described.