IMPROVEMENTS IN BLEACHING YARNS, THREADS, AND WOVEN FABRICS
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Bastow at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th June
1869.
I, JOHN BASTOw, of Shepherd's Bush, in the County of Middlesex,.
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BLEACHING YARNS, THREADS, AND WOVEN FABRICS," to be as
follows:-
In bleaching damasks and linens of similar character I first boil the
goods from six to twelve hours in a milk of lime or soda ley of ordinary
character, say, from three degrees to six degrees of Twaddle's hydrometer,
afterwards I wash them, and if boiled in lime I place them in dilute
muriatic acid (from 1° to 2° Twaddle) and allow them to remain therein
for six to twelve hours; I then wash the goods, and after draining I
immerse them by preference in an alkaline solution from 2° to 6°
Twaddle; I then pass the cloth between rollers, or otherwise, allow it
to drain sufficiently so as to reduce it to merely a damp state; I then
submit it to the action of "ozone" for from a few minutes to two or
three hours, according to the nature of the goods; I then place the.
cloth in a pot or boiler containing soda ley (1° to 6° Twaddle) and boil

page_text: it from two to six hours; I then wash the cloth, and if not sufficiently
reduced I again submit it in a damp alkaline state to the action of
"ozone" and again boil it in soda ley (1° to 5° Twaddle) for two to six
hours and again wash the cloth. If still not sufficiently reduced I again
submit it in a damp alkaline state to the action of "ozone," and pursue
the same treatment by boiling and washing as before described until
the cloth is sufficiently reduced and ready for whitening. The time.
for boiling in this as well as the other processes herein described must
be determined by the weight and strength of the cloth under treatment
and according to its requirements. When the cloth is sufficiently reduced
and in the stage known as "boiled out" I submit it again in a damp
alkaline state to the action of "ozone;" I then place the cloth in a keir
containing chlorine liquor of ordinary charater and strength, as is well
known to bleachers. After being immersed from two to twelve hours I
take the cloth, and after allowing it to drain I place it in an "antichlor,"
which I prepare from dilute hyposulphite of soda, a sufficient quantity
of which is to be well mixed with clean water so as to indicate from
one-eighth to one degree (Twaddle) according to the strength required.
I leave the cloth in this solution from one to twelve hours, then take
it out, and after draining a short time I boil it from one. to five hours
in soda ley (say from 2° to 4° Twaddle); I then wash the cloth for thirty
minutes and rehank it, and again wash it for thirty minutes unless the
goods are light, such as light linens, cambrics, and the like, in such
If
cases I find washing once for an hour without rehanking sufficient.
the goods are not sufficiently white I then again submit them in a
damp alkaline state to the action of ozone and pursue the same
treatment as regards the chlorine dip and "antichlor" and washing as,
before described until sufficiently white. I prefer to steep plain linens,
in warm water for twelve hours before any other treatment, and then
to wash them before boiling. I do not find it absolutely necessary to
boil damasks, cambrics, unions, huckabacks, and cloths of similar
character in milk of lime liquor, but I prefer doing so before proceeding
to the treatment before described. In all workings of cloth I am guided
by its weight and quality and give it heavy or light work according to
its requirements.
In treating yarns or threads made from flax or a mixture of flax
and cotton or other vegetable substances I prefer to steep in warm
water for twelve hours or thereabouts; I then boil in soda ley (say
from 2° to 6° Twaddle) for three to eight hours; I then wash the goods

page_text: and afterwards immerse them for a few minutes in an alkaline solution,
as before described, and submit the goods in a damp state to the action
of ozone; I then work them on rollers in chlorine liquor of ordinary
character for a quarter of an hour to six hours; I then place them in an
"antichlor" made up of hyposulphite of soda, as before described, and
leave the goods in it or work them in it on rollers for a few minutes
to three hours; I then "bowk" or scald them in an alkaline liquor
of 1° to 3° Twaddle for one to three hours; I then wash and again
immerse the goods in alkaline liquor and submit them in a damp state
as before described to the action of "ozone;" I then work them in
chlorine liquor an "anticlor" and treat in similar manner until
sufficient color is obtained.
In "whitey brown" or "grey" threads I find it sufficient in most
qualities to treat them first by immersion for a few minutes in an
alkaline liquor from 2° to 6° Twaddle, then submit them in a damp
state to the action of ozone; I then work the thread or yarn on rollers or
otherwise in chlorine liquor from half an hour to six hours, according to
the shade required and the weight or coarseness of the threads or yarns;
1 then place them in an "antichlor" of hyposulphite of soda, as before
described, for a quarter of an hour to three hours, and then wash them.
I treat all descriptions of cotton goods and yarns in the first place in the
ordinary manner as regards boiling and dipping in chlorine liquor. After
each chlorine dip I place them in an antichlor of hyposulphite of soda, as
previously described; I then remove them to boil or whatever the state
of the cloth requires without previous washing, I do not find it necessary
to wash from the chlorine to the "antichlor" nor from "antichlor
boil, but wash in all cases for finish.
to
I treat goods manufactured from hemp and similar vegetable fibres
in the usual manner as regards boiling and dipping in chlorine. In
each work where I use chlorine liquor I place the cloth thread or yarn
under treatment and without washing from the chlorine in an antichlor
of hyposulphite of soda, as heretofore described, and without washing
from the chlorine dip or after the antichlor until the goods are required
for finish.