An Improved Process for Removing the Outer Layer from the Wood of the Cane Palm.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 10th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 18th Jan., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by HEINRICH CHRISTIAN MEYER, of 3 Ham-
burgerstrasse, Harburg, on the Elbe, in the Empire of Germany,
Manufacturer.]
An Improved Process for Removing the Outer Layer from the Wood
of the Cane Palm.
I, 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 to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved process of removing the pebbly outer
layer from the cane palm.
The cane material used in the manufacture of chairs and obtained in the tropics.
from the cane palm (calamus rotang) when used for certain purposes as for instance
for producing plaited work, is freed from its outer layer and this work has up to
the present time been done in most cases in the tropics by the natives themselves
by hand, in which manipulation they become skilled through long practice.
This manual treatment carried out in foreign countries is however not practicable
for the home industry, because of the difficulty and expense and because moreover
workmen in this country have not had the necessary practice for obtaining a
product equal in value to that prepared in the foreign countries.
In order to ensure a larger import and the treatment of the raw cane-material in
this country, I have given special attention to the means, by which the removal of
the outer layer of the cane is effected which up to the present time has received
very little attention, because the fact of removing the outer layer of the cane was
heretofore considered sufficient. The attention directed to this point; has resulted
in the substitution of a chemical process for the manual treatment, which latter is
unsuitable for the conditions of the home industry owing to the fact that the outer
layer of the cane substantially constitutes a silicic acid combination, which prevents
the inner core of the cane from being thoroughly bleached.
The process consists in treating the raw cane material with a medium, which
dissolves the silicic acid combination of the outer layer of such material. For this
purpose I preferably use an aqueous solution of about one per cent. of fluor hydric
acid, with which the cane material is digested for several days until its glass-like
covering has completely disappeared. Thereupon the cane is rinsed for several
hours in flowing water, then treated in an alkaline bath for instance with a
soda-solution of one per cent. and again rinsed in water.
The cane material may also be digested with solutions of alkali fluorides in pure
water or may be digested with water acidified by sulphuric acid. For instance the
cane is treated for several days with an aqueous solution of 5 per cent. of potassium
fluoride then for several hours rinsed in flowing water and finally brought into a
bath of a solution of one per cent. of soda. I. may proceed in the same mauner when
sodium and ammonium fluoride is used.
The essential feature of the afore described invention consists in dispensing with
the manual treatment as exercised in foreign countries for removing the outer layer
from the cane as the said treatment has been recognized to be unsuitable and that
the chemical constitution of the cane has been taken into consideration by the
adaptation thereto, of the above described chemical process, which of course with

page_text: regard to the alternate relations of the substances acting upon each other offers
nothing new. The novelty of the invention consists entirely in the employment of
these known chemical alternate effects, in a new sphere of operation, which up to
the present time was, owing to the insufficiency of the working capacity, almost
entirely left to the foreign countries and the natives thereof and was only
rendered accessible to the home industry by this new process, so that the
cane material can be transformed and worked while in its crude and therefore
more durable state, than was previously possible with the cane material already
freed from its outer layer.
Dated this India's of A nuil 1805
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
UUMI LELE
An Improved Process for Removing the Outer Layer from the Wood
of the Cane Palm.
I, 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:-
This invention relates to an improved process for removing the outer layer
from the wood of the cane palin, that is to say the silex or enamel from rattan or
Indian cane.
The cane material used in the manufacture of chairs and obtained in the tropics
from the cane plants (calamus rotang) when used for certain purposes as for
instance for producing plaited work, is freed before splitting from its silex or
enamel and this work has up to the present time been done in most cases in the
tropics by the natives themselves by hand, in which manipulation they become.
skilled through long practice.
Attempts have also been made to remove the silex or, enamel by boiling the
rattan or cane in a suitable soap-lye.
The above mentioned treatments of rattan are however not practicable for home
industry and attention directed to this point, has resulted in the substitution of a
chemical process for the manual treatment.
The improved process consists in treating the raw cane material before splitting
with an aqueous solution of about one per cent. of hydrofluoric acid, with which
the cane material is digested for several days until its glass-like covering has
completely disappeared. Thereupon the rattan or cane is rinsed for several hours
in flowing water, then treated in an alkaline bath for instance with
of one per cent. and again rinsed in water.
soda-solution
The cane material may also be digested with solutions of alkali-fluorides in
For instance the cane is treated for several days with an aqueous
pure water.
solution of five per cent. of potassium fluoride, then for several hours rinsed in
flowing water and finally brought into a bath of a solution of one per cent. of
soda. I may proceed in the same manner when sodium and ammonium fluoride
is used.
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 correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The herein-described process of removing the surface silex from caue, which
consists in subjecting the latter to the action of a solution of hydrofluoric acid
about of the strength set forth.

page_text: 2. The herein-described process of removing the surface silex from cane, which
consists in subjecting the latter to the action of a solution of hydrofluoric acid
of about the strength described, then washing the cane in water, and finally
subjecting it to the action of an alkaline solution.
3. The herein-described process of removing the surface silex from cane, which
consists in subjecting the latter to the action of a solution of an alkali fluorid of
about the strength set forth, then washing the cane in water, and finally exposing
it to the action of an alkaline solution.
Dated this 10th day of December 1895
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.