IMPROVE- MENTS IN 'BATCHING, SOFTENING, OR LUBRICATING JUTE AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank Stewart Sandeman and James McLean, of Dundee,
in the County of Forfar, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN 'BATCHING, SOFTENING, OR LUBRICATING JUTE AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS."
Sealed the 5th August 1879, and dated the 7th February 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frank Stewart Sandeman
and James McLean at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th
February 1879.
"
FRANK STEWART SANDEMAN and JAMES MCLEAN, of Dundee, in the County of
Forfar, North Britain. IMPROVEMENTS IN BATCHING, SOFTENING, OR LUBRICATING
JUTE AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
This Invention relates to the preparation of jute by what is known as the batching
process, the purpose of which is to soften or lubricate the fibres and thereby
facilitate the spinning and other manufacturing operations; and the Invention is
also applicable to other fibrous materials besides jute.
The Invention consists in employing as the batching liquid a decoction formed
by boiling in water seaweed, or fresh-water plants, or soapwort, or a mixture of
two or more of these vegetable matters. The strength of the decoction will depend
on the particular matters employed, but can in all cases be easily determined by
trial. The improved batching liquid may be applied in any of the modes practised
with the batching liquids heretofore in use.

page_text: the-said-Frank Stewart Sandeman and James McLean in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 5th August 1879.
FRANK STEWART SANDEMAN and JAMES MCLEAN, of Dundee, in the County of
"Forfar, North Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS-IN-BATCHING, SOFTENING, OR LUBRICATING
JUTE AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
-Our-said Invention relates to the preparation of jute by what is known as the
batching process, the purpose of which is to soften or lubricate the fibres and
thereby facilitate the spinning and other manufacturing operations; and our Inven-
tion is also applicable to other fibrous imaterials besides jute.
An important object of our said Invention is to diminish the cost of the batching
process whilst improving its effect in various ways, and avoiding objectionable
characteristics of ordinary batching processes. We have found materials treated by
our process to be undiminished in weight and quantity and of a brighter color,
whilst the color is more permanent both in yarns and cloth, and the yarns and
cloth are susceptible of more brilliant and permanent shades both in bleaching and
dyeing than are obtainable by existing processes. The yarns and cloth manu-
factured from jute treated by our improved process are also free, or practically so,
from the disagreeable smell generally caused by the ordinary batching treatment.
Another advantage of our improved batching treatment is that the jute or other
fibrous material subjected to it does not rapidly clog the manufacturing machinery
through which it afterwards passes.
Our said Invention consists in employing as a batching liquid a decoction formed
by boiling in water seaweed, or fresh-water plants, or soapwort, or other analogous
vegetable inatter, such, for example, as horse-chestnuts, or a mixture of two or more
of such matters. A decoction of seaweed may be advantageously used without any
other of the vegetable matters, but it is generally preferable when using vegetable
matters other than seaweed to combine some seaweed therewith. The strength of the
decoction will depend on the particular vegetable matters employed, but can in all
cases be easily determined by trial.
Our improved batching liquid may be applied to the jute in any of the modes
practised with the batching liquids heretofore in use: In general we prefer to
cause the treatment of the jute with the decoction of seaweed to be followed by a
supplementary treatment with oleaginous matter, but the proportion of oleaginous
matter employed in this way is in all cases extremely little as compared with the
quantity of oleaginous matter ordinarily used in batching.
And in order that our said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood we shall now proceed-to particularly-describe by way of
example what we believe to be the best mode of practising the same, premising that
we do not restrict ourselves to the precise proportions or details which we may
mention;
In preparing our improved batching liquid we take fresh seaweed; such as is
obtainable at most parts of the sea shores of this country, and boil it for about four
hours in a quantity of water, which is in the proportion of 100 gallons for every
fifty pounds of the fresh seaweed. If dried seaweed is used a suitable increase
must be made in the quantity of the water. The decoction thus formed is run into
a cistern provided in connection with the ordinary jute softening machine, and is
thence distributed upon the jute at or near the entering end of the machine. The
supply or flow of the decoction from the cistern is regulated so as to increase the
weight of the jute to the extent of about 22 per centum. The decoction is by
preference warm whilst being applied to the jute.
In the subsequent supplementary treatment any suitable oleaginous liquid, such
as has been used for batching jute may be employed; we however prefer to prepare

page_text: the liquid by mixing 8 gallons of water, 8 gallons of an animal or vegetable oil;
and 8 ounces of caustic soda, the mixture being boiled and stirred for about an
hour, after which 26 gallons of water are to be added and the boiling and stirring
continued for another hour. The oil may be saponified, or partially saponified, by
means of potash instead of soda, or the oil may be made into an emulsion in any
suitable way. The oleaginous liquid is run into a second cistern provided in con-
nection with the softening machine, such cistern being furnished with an agitator
to keep the liquid well mixed whilst being used. The oleaginous liquid is
distributed or sprinkled upon the jute at a part of the machine which it passes
shortly after receiving the decoction of seaweed; and the oleaginous liquid is also
by preference warm whilst being applied to the jute.
When employing fresh-water plants, or soapwort, or horse-chestnuts, or analogous
vegetable matters along with or instead of seaweed the decoction should be made
of about the same specific gravity or consistency as that of the decoction made as
hereinbefore described.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same we have to state that what we believe to be novel and original
and claim as the Invention secured to us by and in terms of the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is,
1. The batching, softening, or lubricating of jute and other fibrous materials by
means of a decoction of seaweed applied separately, as hereinbefore described.
2. The batching, softening, or lubricating of jute and other fibrous materials by
means of a separately applied decoction formed with fresh-water plants, or soap-
wort, or horse-chestnuts, or other analogous vegetable matters, or any mixture
thereof, and with or without seaweed, as herein before described.
3. The improved system or mode of batching, softening, or lubricating jute and
other fibrous materials wherein the application of a decoction of seaweed, or fresh-
water plants, or soapwort, or horse-chestnuts, or other analogous vegetable matters,
or a mixture of any one or more of such matters, is followed by the separate applica-
tion of oleaginous liquid, as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Frank Stewart Sandeman and James McLean,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this First day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.