An Improved Method or Process of Freeing Rhea and other Vegetable Fibres from Cementitious Matter and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 18th May, 1889-Accepted, 22nd June, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method or Process of Freeing Rhea and other Vegetable
Fibres from Cementitious Matter and Apparatus therefor.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the firm of G. F. Redfern & Co., the General
Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agents do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication from abroad
by Edward F. Spence, of Rotterdam, in the Kingdom of Holland) to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a method or process of freeing vegetable fibres, more
particularly those of the Rhea family from cementitious matter and to apparatus
therefor.
Whatever may be the agent employed for freeing such fibres from cementitious
matter, it is indispensable for the success of the operation that the said agent shall
penetrate equally and completely throughout the whole body of the fibrous substance
subjected to its action.
After the pellicule and other matters are detached from the fibre they have a strong
tendency to re-attach themselves when the fibre is withdrawn from the bath.
It is therefore important that as soon as the pellicule and other matters are separated
from the fibres, they should be immediately withdrawn from all possibility of renewed
contact and that the chemical bath which frees the fibres from cementitious matter
should be thus kept always clear and free of all extraneous matter detached from the
fibres in course of treatment.
To obtain these results the liquid must act with a constantly varying pressure:
and a thoroughly effective filtering of the liquid composing the bath must take place
in order to keep it perfectly clear of the insoluble matter which is being constantly
detached from the fibres in course of treatinent.
These results are obtained according to this invention by the following means:-
Two boilers are employed alike in construction closed at their lower ends and having
their upper parts removeable.
When the boilers are in operation, the removeable parts are firmly attached thereto
by means of hinged bolts and by nuts.
A stout iron tube is fixed to each of the moveable parts and extends down inside
the boiler until it reaches the bottom.
By means of a small overhead tram or a crane and of rings on the removeable
parts, the latter, together with the tubes fixed thereto can be withdrawn from the
boilers.
The two boilers communicate with each other and with a filter press by means of a
series of tubes, and a number of cocks allow of communication between the boilers
and the inlet and outlet of the filter-press being opened or closed as desired.
The two boilers are each connected by a tube to a boiler supplying steam, the
said tubes passing through the tubes attached to the hereinbefore described removeable
parts.
The steam inlet tubes may, if desired, be coiled in the lower concavities of the
two boilers.
The fibrous substance to be treated is first divided and put up into separate small
bundles in the following manner :-
A warp is made from ordinary strong yarns of any suitable fibre. Then, by hand
or by the ordinary weaving process or other mechanical means (such as, for instance,
by the action of the chain stitch of a sewing machine or by the action of revolving
bobbins which would fix the bundles of fibres between the net they would form) a
certain quantity of fibres are fixed between each crossing of the warp, these fibres
thus forming a woof. A rough kind of tissue is thus produced.

page_text: For the sake of explanation, I will call the bundles of fibre so fastened tissue. This
tissue is placed on an open frame composed of laths connected by jointed fastenings,
one of such frames with the tissue thereon is rolled round each of the tubes which are
fixed to the moveable parts of the boilers.
By this means the fibres are kept parallel, they cannot become.cntangled, and the
great expense of drying is considerably diminished as it is simply necessary on the
withdrawal of the frames, when the operations in the boilers are completed, to unrol
them and hang them up to dry.
Each bundle of fibres is kept clear of the others not only by being fixed to the
warp but also by the space caused between each coil by the laths: the liquids employed
will consequently have free access to each individual fibre and will be able to circulate
and thus, by means of the pressure employed, permeate the whole contents of the boiler
without the slightest obstruction.
The tissue prepared as above described and rolled round the tubes attached to the
moveable tops of the boilers are let down into the boilers.
a
The boilers are then hermetically closed by means of the moveable tops
which are fastened by the hereinbefore described bolts and nuts; liquid, for freeing
the fibres from cementitious matter, is introduced into one of the boilers through
cock, and steam from the steam boiler is allowed to enter through the steam inlet
tube until the required pressure is reached.
Then by opening two of the cocks, all the liquid in this boiler is driven by the
pressure of the steam through the filter-press into the other boiler.
These cocks are then closed and steain is allowed to enter the boiler which now
contains the liquid which is thereby driven through the filter-press into the boiler, the
proper cocks being opened for this purpose.
The above operations are constantly repeated and the material treated is thus
continually subjected to varying pressures which enable the liquid to penetrate more
rapidly and effectually than by other known means.
The fibres are also subjected alternately to the action of the liquid under pressure
and to that of steam and this alternate action greatly facilitates the desired object.
The treating liquid is always clear, all matter liberated and held in suspense being
withdrawn and prevented from returning.
The completion of the operation is easily and surely determined by inspecting the
color of the liquids used and drawn off, and when the operation is completed, the liquid
contents of the boilers is allowed to run out, the tops or covers are raised, the treated
material is withdrawn from the boilers, and the tissues are unrolled and hung up
to dry.
If desired, the fibre can be bleached and even 'dyed before drying.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method or Process of Freeing Rhea and other Vegetable
Fibres from Cementitious Matter and Apparatus therefor.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the firm of G. F. Redfern & Co., the
General Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the county of Middlesex,
Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication
from abroad by Edward F. Spence, of Rotterdam, in the Kingdom of Holland)
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 a method or process of freeing vegetable fibres, more
particularly those of the Rhea family from cementitious matter and to apparatus
therefor.
Whatever may be the agent employed for freeing such fibres from cementitious

page_text: matter, it is indispensable for the success of the operation that the sail agent shall
penetrate equally and completely throughout the whole body of the fibrous substance
subjected to its action.
After the pellicle and other matters are detached from the fibre, they have a
strong tendency to re-attach themselves when the fibre is withdrawn from the
bath.
It is therefore important that as soon as the pellicle and other matters are
separated from the fibres they should be immediately withdrawn from all possibility
of renewed contact and that the chemical bath which frees the fibres from cemen-
titious matter should be thus kept always clear and free of all extraneous matter
detached from the fibres in course of treatment.
To obtain these results the liquid must act with a constantly varying pressure
and a thoroughly effective filtering of the liquid composing the bath must take
place, in order to keep it perfectly clear of the insoluble matter which is being
constantly detached from the fibres in course of treatment.
These results are obtained according to this invention by the following means,
reference being had to the accompanying drawing which represents a longitudinal
elevation of a suitable apparatus for carrying out the invention.
are firmly
Two boilers, such for example as a and a are employed; alike in construction,
closed at their lower ends bb and having their upper parts c and c¹ removable.
When the boilers are in operation, the removable parts c and
attached thereto, by means of hinged bolts d and d¹ and by nuts e and e¹.
A stout iron tube is fixed to each of the movable parts c and c¹ and extends down
inside the boiler until it reaches the bottom.
By means of a small overhead tram or a crane and of rings f, on the
removable parts e and c¹, the latter together with the tubes fixed thereto can be
withdrawn from the boilers.
The two boilers a and a communicate with each other and with a filter press g,
by means of a series of tubes h, i, k, l, and a number of cocks n, 0, 1, 9 allow of
communication between the boilers a and a¹ and the inlet and outlets of the filter
press being opened or closed as desired.
The two boilers a and a¹ are connected by tubes t and t¹ respectively to a boiler
supplying steam, the said tubes passing through the tubes attached to the removable
parts c and c¹ of the boilers a and a¹.
The steam inlet tubes t and t¹ may, if desired, be coiled in the lower concavities
of the two boilers a and a¹.
The fibrous substance to be treated is first divided and put up into separate
small bundles in the following manner :-
A warp is made from ordinary strong yarns of any suitable fibre. Then, by hand
or by the ordinary weaving process, or other mechanical means (such as for instance,
by the action of the chain stitch of a sewing machine, or by the action of revolving
bobbins which would fix the bundles of fibres between the net they would form) a
certain quantity of fibres are fixed between each crossing of the warp, these fibres
thus forming a woof. A rough kind of tissue is thus produced.
For the sake of explanation, I will call the bundles of fibre so fastened, tissue.
This tissue is placed on an open frame composed of laths connected by jointed
fastenings; one of such frames with the tissue thereon is rolled round each of the
tubes which are fixed to the movable parts e and c¹ of the boilers a and a.
By this means the fibres are kept parallel, they cannot become entangled, and the
great expense of drying is considerably diminished, as it is simply necessary on
the withdrawal of the frames when the operations in the boilers are completed, to
unroll them and hang them up to dry.
Each bundle of fibres is kept clear of the others, not only by being fixed to the
warp but also by the space caused between each coil by the laths: the liquids
employed will consequently have free access to each individual fibre and will be
able to circulate, and thus, by means of the pressure employed, permeate the whole
contents of the boiler without the slightest obstruction.

page_text: The tissue prepared as above described and rolled round the tubes attached
to the movable tops c and c¹ of the boilers a and a' are let down into the boilers.
The boilers are then hermetically closed by means of the movable tops c and c¹
which are fastened by the bolts dd' and nuts e e liquid, for freeing the fibres
from cementitious matter, is introduced into the boiler a-through a cock, and
steam from the steam boiler is allowed to enter through the steam inlet tube t until
the required pressure is reached.
Then by opening the cocks n and o, (the cocks p and q being closed) all the
liquid in the boiler a is driven by the pressure of the steam through the pipe /
into the filter-press g and thence through the pipe i into the other boiler a'.
The cocks and o are then closed and the cocks p and opened, and steam is
allowed to enter the boiler a¹ through the pipe t', which boiler now contains the
liquid which is thereby driven through the pipe k into the filter press g and thence
through the pipe into the boiler a.
The above operations are constantly repeated and the material treated is thus con-
tinually subjected to varying pressures which enable the liquid to penetrate more
rapidly and effectually than by other known means.
The fibres are also subjected alternately to the action of the liquid under pressure
and to that of steam and this alternate action greatly facilitates the desired object.
The treating liquid is always clear, all matter liberated and held in suspension
being withdrawn and prevented from returning.
The completion of the operation is easily and surely determined by inspecting the
colour of the liquids used and drawn off, and when the operation is completed, the
liquid contents of the boilers a and a¹ is allowed to run out, the tops or covers c
and care raised, the treated material withdrawn from the said boilers, and the tissues
are unrolled and hung up to dry.
If desired, the fibre can be bleached and even dyed before drying.
By my invention it will be obvious that a great saving is effected in the quantity of
the chemical treating-liquid employed, as only sufficient of the said liquid is required
to fill one of the vessels containing the bundled fibres, and the same liquid is used
alternately and continuously in the two vessels.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is —
1. The herein described method or process of freeing Rhea and other vegetable
fibres from cementitious matter, the said method consisting in subjecting the fibres
to a chemical bath, the liquid of which is caused to act upon the fibres with a con-
stantly varying pressure alternately with an injection of steam, so as to penetrate
equally and completely throughout the whole body of the fibres, and in constantly
filtering the said liquid to free it from the insoluble matter detached from the fibres
thereby preventing such matters from becoming re-attached to the fibres.
2. The use for freeing Rhea and other vegetable fibres from cementitious matter,
of a pair of vessels in which the fibres are treated, the said liquid being alternately
and continuously transferred from one vessel to the other and filtered in its passage
substantially as, and for the purpose herein before described.
3. The improved apparatus for freeing Rhea and other vegetable fibres from
cementitious matter substantially as herein before described with reference to the
accompanying drawing.
Dated the 18th day of Mov 1880
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.