US600826A - office - Google Patents

Description

morn-inn THOMAS AND EMMANUEL PREvosT, or OREFELD, GERMANY.

PROCESS .OF ME RCERIZING UNDERTENSION.

srncr'rrcnrrorv forming part of Letters Patent No. 00,826, dated March 15, 1898.

Application filed June 4, 1896. SerialNol 594,306. (No specimens.) Patented in Germany March 23, 1895, No. 85,564; in France March 30,1895 No. 246,244, and November. 18, 1895, No. 238,948; inAustrialipri16,1895, No. /3,797, and January 8,1896, No. 46/2360; inEngland September 26, 1895, N0.18,040, andSeptember 18, 1896,110. 20,714, and

in Belgium February 6,1896,No.92,001.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit knownthat we, RICHARD THOMAS and EMMANUEL Pianvosnsubjectsof the Kingof Prussia, Emperor of Germany, and residents of Grefeld, in the Kingdom of Prussia and German Empire,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Mercerizin g Vegetable Fibers, (for which we have obtained patents in Germany,No. 85,564, dated March 23, 1895, and No. 4,653, IV/Sb, dated ,SeptemberS, 1895; in Austria, No. T 45, F 3,797, dated April 6, 1895, and No. T 46, F 2,260, dated January 8, .1896; in France, No. 246,244, dated March 30,1895, and No. 238,948, dated November 13, 1895; in England, No. 18,040, dated September 26, 1895, and No. 20,714, dated September 18, 1896, and in Belgium, No. 92,001, dated February 6, 1 896,) of which the following is a specification.

It is a well-established fact that vegetable fibers exposed to strong acids and strong alkaline lyes are chemically changed. The vegetable fiber acquires a very great. attractive power for all dyes and corrosives and becomes forty per cent. to fifty per cent. stronger. This is attended, however, with the disadvantage that a vegetable fiber shrinks, ac-

cording to the fluid applied, from thirty-six per cent. to fifty per cent.-in hard twisted yarn still more. In many publications mercerizing (so called after the English inventor John Mercer, 1844) is exactly described, as in the Handbook of Coloring and Spinning Fibers, 1895, by 1). Ed. Knecht, Ch. Ransom, and Dr. Ed. Lowenthal. At the top of page 71 is the following: Yet the process has never been used to a considerable extent, probably on account of the great shrinkage of the web, which increases the cost without affording to the manufacturer or tradesman corresponding advantage. (See also Hummel-Knecht, pages 8 and 9, and others.)

Everywhere is attention called to the great injury of shrinking. The Lyons firm, Garnier & Fr. Voland, employs the property of vegetable fiber becoming shorter by mercerizing to produce in webs peculiar embossed original length, is laid in folds.

patented a process of mercerizing.

effects. These webs consist of silk and have (mostly in the chain) single cotton threads at fixed distances. If the webs are now treated with the fluids above named, the cotton becomes. shorter and the silk, which keeps its Thus the most diversified pattern may be produced. This application of mercerizing (takingadvantage of the shrinking of the cotton) has been patented by Messrs. Garnier 6r Fr. Vo land. I-Ieymann, in. Muhlhausen, has also It also employs the peculiarity of shrinking to produce effects in webs entirely of cotton.

After great effort the avoidance of contraction has by my invention been attained either by preventing the shrinking or by stretching according to a peculiar process. The mercerized fiber, as web or yarn, is thus, with its many valuable properties, made useful in industry and to the trade.

First. The vegetable fiber, in a rope form or as web in a tense condition, is exposed to the action of strong lyes or acids and after reaction (which can be detected by its parchment appearance) is washed out, retaining the tension until the interior tensions of the fiber have relaxed. If the web or yarn is then taken from the stretching apparatus, it can be further treated without fear. of shrinkage.

Second. Instead of a special stretching apparatus the fiber may be put on spools or bobbins or similar apparatus. When the threads are stretched in order to expose them to the action of strong alkaline lyes or acids, a special apparatus should be used to cause the preparation liquids and the water for washing to pass through.

Third. The vegetable fiber in web, yarn, or other form may be treated by first subjecting it to a sufficient stretching action to extend the material beyond its original dimensions, then treating the stretched fibrous material with the mercerizing fluid until the material assumes a parchment-like appear ance, next subjecting the material to a further stretching action while it is under the action of the mercerizing fluid and continuing the stretching until a peculiar silky luster appears, and then finally washing or otherwise removing the mercerizing fluid from the fibrous material. The third process is a modification or extension of the process mentioned in No. 1.

By our improved process the very great capacity for expansion of the vegetable fibers while wet with the lye is employed to stretch them to the original length and often beyond. If the fibers were washed with water before stretching, then it would not be possible to stretch them to their original length. They would merely tear after slight stretching. The best alkaline lye is caustic potash or caustic soda in. a solution of 13 to 38 Baum, which, when cold, has no injurious effect on the vegetable and animal fibers. As an acid, strong sulfuric acid of 49.5 to 55.50 Baum is recommended, the application of which, however, must be effected with great care, and especially must it be washed out well after brief action. The reaction takes place in a very short time, especially when the cotton is well cleaned from oil and in a moist condition. By special additions to the preparation bath the material, wet with the specified fluids, may be readily dried. The fabrics so produced show the following valuable qualities: first, splendid silky luster; second, considerably greater coloring power than ordinary vegetable fibers, and, third, forty to fifty per cent. greater strength. The latter two peculiarities have long beenknown, but they were hitherto worthless for industry and trade because the fibers contracted too much. By this invention these advantages are secured and with them an importantand hitherto entirely unknown peculiaritynamely, a fine luster.

The very great attractive power for all coloring materials and mordants is of great value. This property can be utilized in mixed webs to produce on vegetable fibers dark colors or black or to give to silk other desired shades. Hitherto this kind of fabric must be colored in the skein or black cotton must be woven with raw silk and later colored in the piece. If dyeing is done with substantive coloring materials in proportionately weak color-bath, the prepared cotton colors very dark, while the silk, in consequence of the slight mingling of coloring material in the bath, remains quite light and can then be colored in all shades. By the weaving of fast-colored chains or threads manifold effects maybe produced just as in weaving prepared and unprepared cotton into cloths, velvets, plushes, and ribbons.

If the process is applied to narrow strongedged ribbons, velvet ribbons with satin backs, or to velvet with cotton flowers,where the fiber in preparation cannot or only with great difficulty be subjected to stretching, it is prepared before weaving. The same is done in the skein. The third property claimed certain modifications of our process covered by the present case. The novelty claimed in said copending application over our present case consists in subjecting the vegetable fiber to the action of the mercerizing fluid before it is stretched, and while it is being acted upon by the mercerizing fluid subjecting'it to a sufiicient stretching action to elongate the material to produce the silky luster. In our present case the fibrous material is stretched, either partially or wholly, before being subjected to the mercerizing fluid.

lVe are aware that it is common to treat fibrous materials with certain mercerizing fluids and other mordants while such material is held in a more or less stretched condition to prevent wrinkling and to cause the uniform action of the fluid upon the material; but we are not aware that any one prior to our invention has discovered the important fact herein disclosed-namely, that the fibrous material when subjected to a sufficient stretching action throughout the mercerizing process will be given a peculiar silklike luster. It is impossible to define in positive terms the amount of stretching necessary to produce the peculiaraction which we clain' as our discovery; but it is sutficientlydefinitc for a proper understanding by those skilled in the art to say that the material must be st stretched during the mercerizing process that the individual fibers will be elongated an the silk-like luster will be produced. The result is so remarkable that one skilled in the art can readily determine when the desired result has been accomplished.

We claim 1. The herein-described process of treating vegetable fiber for giving it a silky luster and feel, which consists in subjecting the material to stretching, mercerizing it, maintaining the tension during the operation of mercerizing and, when such operation is completed. relaxing the tension, as set forth.

2. The herein-described process of treating tightly-spun long-fibered vegetable fiber f0] giving it a silky luster and feel, which consists in subjecting the material to a stretching action, next subjecting the tightlystretched material to the action of a mercerizing fluid until it assumes a parchment-like appearance, and finally washing or otherwise removing the mercerizing fluid, maintaining the tension upon the whole until the mercerizing fluid is removed, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The herein-described process of treating vegetable fibers, which consists in first stretching, then subjecting the stretched material to the action of a mercerizing fluid until it assumes a parchment-like appearance, next In witness whereof we have hereunto set subjecting the material to a greater tension our hands in presence of two witnesses. while under the action of the mercerizing fluid until a peculiar silky luster appears, g fiii r 5 maintaining the tension while washing 0r otherwise removingthe mercerizing fluid from Witnesses the material, substantiallyas and for the pur- CARL WOLFE,

pose set forth. GEORGE GOMPERTZ.