IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WADDING, PAPER, AND FELTED FABRICS, AND IN THE PREPARATION OF VEGETABLE FIBRES TO BE USED IN SUCH MANUFACTURES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Whiffen Ewens, of Sherborne Lodge, Doris
Street East, Kennington Cross, in the County of Surrey, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WADDING, PAPER, AND
FELTED FABRICS, AND IN THE PREPARATION OF VEGETABLE FIBRES TO BE USED
IN SUCH MANUFACTURES."
Sealed the 26th February 1864, and dated the 1st September 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Whiffen Ewens
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 1st September 1863.
I, GEORGE WHIFFEN EWENS, of Sherborne Lodge, Doris Street, East,
Kennington Cross, in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature
of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WADDING, PAPER,
AND FELTED FABRICS, AND IN THE PREPARATION OF VEGETABLE FIBRES TO BE USED
IN SUCH MANUFACTURES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
wadding, paper, and felted fabrics, and in the preparation of vegetable fibres
to be used in such manufactures.
The improvements in the manufacture of wadding, paper, and felted fabrics
consist in the application to such manufactures of the fibres obtained from the
marine plants known to. botanists by the name of Percursa, and other plants
of the family Enteromorpha, also from the plants known as Rivularis, and

page_text: other plants of the family Conferva. These plants are chiefly obtained in
marshy districts, and particularly on lands that are flooded by the sea at high
tide, and from which the water recedes at low tide. In preparing these plants
to be used in the above-mentioned manufactures, I prefer to take them wet
from the shore or stream, place them in suitable tanks, with a good supply of
water, where they are well stirred and cleansed from earthy matters. I then
boil them for from 1 to 4 hours in a solution of quick lime; this is drawn off
and sufficient urine is added to cover the mass, and the mass is left immersed
for about 6 hours; it is then taken out, and allowed to drain, after which a
little chlorine may be used to perfect the bleaching.
The above-described process is also applicable for. the preparation of other
vegetable fibres, to be used in the manufacture of wadding, paper, and felted
fabrics.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Whiffen Ewens in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st March 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
WHIFFEN EWENS, of Sherborne Lodge, Doris Street East, Kennington Cross,
in the County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
George Whiffen, Ewens, Her special licence that I, the said George Whiffen
Ewens, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said George Whiffen Ewens, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an, Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WADDING, PAPER, AND FELTED FABRICS;
AND IN THE PREPARATION OF VEGETABLE FIBRES TO BE USED IN SUCH MANUFACTURES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Whiffen Ewens,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in- what manner the same

page_text: was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Whiffen Ewens, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
.
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
wadding, paper, and felted fabrics, and in the preparation of vegetable fibres*
to be used in such manufactures.
The improvements in the manufacture of waddings, paper, and felted fabrics
consist, first, in the application to, and, secondly, the method of preparation
for such manufactures of the fibres obtained from the marine plants known to
botanists by the name of Percursa, and other plants of the family Enteromorpha,
also from the plants known as Rivularis, and other plants of the family.
Conforva. These plants can be obtained in all shallow streams, stagnant
pools, marshes, bogs, swamps, and more particularly in lagunes or mud banks
flooded by the tide, and which are found more or less on all coasts. The plant
when floating has something the appearance of a cobweb; it grows with
wonderful rapidity from March to November in this country, during which
period it may be collected and dried, and preserved by stacking it in the same-
manner as hay. In preparing these plants to be used in the above-mentioned
manufacture, except in the manufacture of paper, when the material can be-
prepared by the usual machinery,) I prefer a number of sunken pits for:
convenience of removal from one pit to another during the various stages of
preparation, and to economize the required agents, and to avoid waste of
material, each pit to hold about 1000 gallons. I first put into a pit about
600 gallons of water, and one bushel of ground quick lime, well stirring it;
I then add about 5 cwt. of the material to be treated, and allow it to remain
48 hours. But if urine can be obtained, 20 gallons put into the solution will
be a saving of expense in bleaching, and facilitate the decomposition of the
cellular tissues of the plant; with this addition 24 hours will be sufficient.
I then take the mass and place it in the next pit, into which a small stream of
water has free ingress and egress; here it should be most thoroughly cleansed
from all earthy matter; I then remove it to the next pit, into which I put
usual quantity of water and half a hundred weight of chloride of lime or other
bleaching agent, as economy may dictate, allowing it to remain until brought
up to the required color from 6 to 10 hours, according to circumstances;
I then place the mass in a position to drain into the bleaching pit. It should
the

page_text: then be placed in another pit to be again thoroughly rinsed from lime; then
into another pit containing a strong solution of soap and soda, using about
10 lbs. of each; or caustic soda or other alkali might be used to the quantity
above mentioned; -the mass is taken out from the pit, drained, and soaked
about 1 hour in strong salt or sea water, after which it should be pressed
(hydraulic pressure preferred), then dried and run through the ordinary
willowing machine if for any other than the paper manufacture.
The above described process is also applicable for the preparation-of other
vegetable fibres to be used in the manufacture of waddings, paper, and felted.
fabrics.
The fibrous materials after being prepared as above described are, when to
be applied in other than paper manufacturing, then to be carded.
•
In applying such prepared fibres in the manufacture of waddings, such as
are used by dressmakers and others, such prepared fibres are to be made up
in the same manner as like waddings have heretofore been produced when
using cotton or wool or mixtures of those fibres. When the prepared fibres
are to be used in the manufacture of paper, the prepared fibres are to be
reduced to pulp and made into paper in the ordinary manner. When the
prepared fibres are to be employed in the manufacture of felted fabrics, they
are to be mixed with wool or other animal fibres, or with adhesive matters, as
heretofore practised when making felted fabrics.
What I claim is the application of the fibres of the plants known as
Percursa and other plants of the family Enteromorpha, also the fibres of the
plants known as Rivularis, and other plants of the family Conforva, in the
manufacture of wadding, paper, and felted fabrics.
And I also claim the preparation of the above-mentioned fibres, and also
other vegetable fibres, as herein described, in order to render them suitable
for such manufactures.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Whiffen Ewens, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.