Improvements in the Treatment of Vegetable Fibrous Matters to Obtain Fibres therefrom
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 6th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 10th Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Treatment of Vegetable Fibrous Matters to
Obtain Fibres therefrom.
We, JONATHAN SMITH of 146 Disraeli Road, Putney, Merchant, and PHILIP
WINTER NICOLLE of 46 Bridge Road West, Battersea, Merchant, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
We have found that by mixing sulphate of soda and bicarbonate of soda together,
in the proportion of two molecules of the former and one molecule of the latter, in
aqueous solution; and by boiling this aqueous solution and crystallizing it, a new
body is formed, whose crystals have the composition :
This new body is feebly alkaline, & has the property of readily dissolving the
gummy or resinous matters which bind together the vegetable fibres of fibre-
yielding substances, such as Ramie bark, the stems of flax and hemp, & the
leaves of New Zealand flax. Owing to its feeble alkalinity, it has the further
valuable property of doing this without in any way injuring the fibre obtained.
For the purpose of obtaining fibre from fibre-yielding vegetable substances, we
proceed as described in our previous Patent No. 18,284 of A.D. 1890, simply
replacing the carbolate of soda (or other chemicals there named) by the new body
above described but we increase the strength of the solution from per cent.
to 2 per cent.
Dated this Seventeenth day of January 1894.
COMELMIN DI DUIFICATIVA.
Improvements in the Treatment of Vegetable Fibrous Matters to
Obtain Fibres therefrom.
'
We, JONATHAN SMITH of 146 Disraeli Road, Putney, Merchant, and PHILIP
WINTER NICOLLE of 46 Bridge Road West, Battersea, Merchant, 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 :-
We have found that by mixing sulphate of soda and bicarbonate of soda
together, in the proportion of two molecules of the former and one molecule of

page_text: the latter, in aqueous solution; and by boiling this aqueous solution and crystallizing
it, a new body is formed, whose crystals have the composition:
This new body may conveniently be called "a basic carbonated sulphate of
soda." It is very feebly alkaline, & has the property of readily dissolving the
gummy or resinous matters which bind together the vegetable fibres of fibre-
yielding substances, such as Ramie bark, the stems of flax and hemp, & the leaves
of New Zealand flax. Owing to its feeble alkalinity, it has the further valuable.
property of doing this without in any way injuring the fibre obtained.
For the purpose of obtaining fibre from fibre-yielding vegetable substances,
we proceed as described in our previous Patent, No. 18,284 of A.D. 1890, simply
replacing the carbolate of soda (or other chemicals there named) by this basic
carbonated sulphate of soda, above described; but we increase the strength of
the solution from per cent. to 21 per cent.
When the fibre is treated with boiling solutions, it may be more convenient &
economical to use the above described mixture of sulphate and bicarbonate of
soda in the form of powder-without first dissolving and crystallizing it-seeing
that, when this powder is dissolved in water & boiled, the basic carbonated sulphate
of soda is formed without further trouble.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-.
(1.) The use of the said new body above described, and called "a basic
carbonated sulphate of soda," for the purpose of treating vegetable substances to
obtain fibre therefrom, essentially as set forth.
(2.) The use for the same purpose-of such a mixture of sulphate of soda and
bicarbonate of soda (either alone or with other substances) which, when boiled in
aqueous solution, will form the aforesaid basic carbonated sulphate of soda.
Dated this Fifth day of October 1894.
JONATHAN SMITH.
PHILIP WINTER NICOLLE.