US64058A - andrews - Google Patents

Description

@with tatrs atmt @fgt ALBERT F. ANI) JOHN l H. ANDREWS, OF AVON, CONNECTICUT.

Lczers ,Patent No. 64,058, tit/fed April 23, 1867.

MPROVED MODE 0F TREATING FLAX.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

3c it known that we, ALBERT F. and JOHN li. ANDREWS, ot' Avon, in the county of Hartford, n the State oi'Connecticut, have invented certain new and-useful improvements in the Treatment of Flax.

The object of our invention is to remove the glutinous matters enveloping the primary or` cell fibres of filmx .so that they can be more readily' separa-tcd from each other by picking carding, or other suitable machinery.

We will iirst describe the mechanical devices which can be used to facilitate the chemical treatment. live employ a skeleton cylinder placed within a tank, which -tank holds the chemical solutions, while the cylinder contains the flax and is slowly rotated during the process, thc lower half of said cylinder being immersed in the dill'ercnt solutions while thc upper halt` is'ahove and out of thclsamc. This secures a thorough circula tion of the Isolutions used, as gravity drains oil' the solutions from thc upper halt` of the cylinder, while the slow rotation ot' the cylinder constantly immer-ses the lower half of the same.l The tank may be made open at the top, but a cover can be fitted at the top to exclude the air when desired. The cylinder and tank may be made of a size suitable to hold five hundred or one thousand or two thousand pounds of flax, or more or less, asinay he judged best. The skeleton cylinder can be made of various materials,` but wood is probably the best on account of the chemical action of alkalies and acids on the cheap metals. The cylinder is made skeleton .or open-work in structure so as to admit the solutions and retain the flax. The central shaft can be made of wood, or if oi' iron it should be covered with vulcanized rubber or other protection toprevent its corrosion by acids. Arms can be extended from the shaft to support the main b'ody of the cylinder. There should bc a longitudinal open space in thc centre of the cylinder', immediately around" the shaft, of one foot or eighteen inc-hes in diameter, as an escape for the solutions from thc upper halt' of the cylinder. It will also answer thc purpose for introducing an air-blast through the flax to dry it, andato aid in the disintegration of the fibre at ythe close of the process. This open space should `bc surrounded with longitudinal Slat-work, to kccp the flax in the body of the cylinder from filling it. The heads or ends of the cylinder', except this open space, may

Vbe closed with plank or boards. The outside or circumference of the cylinder may be covered with slats made et' plank, two or three inches ivi-dc, with spaces between a little less than the width of the slats. The cylinder should also be divided into quarter sections of Slat-work, thc same on the outside, to keep the flax in .posid tion. Two or three movable piecesV can be left on each section for filling and emptying the sections.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a cross-section of the cylinder just described.

Figure 2 is a corresponding section, showing an arrangementof double net-work carrying rollers and squeezing devices. Y

A is the open central space in the cylinder, B B are the slattcd partitions.- C is the outside of the skelevton cylinder. D is the central shaft. l i

Another mechanical arrangement, having some advantages over the cylinder just described, is te employ a tank two or three times as long as wide, in which isv placed an endless net-work in which the flax is enclosed. The twine of which the net-work is composed is covered with vulcanized rubber to prevent the action of the 'chemicals upon it. The net-work double and contains thc'lax between the two thicknesses. It is suspended over rollers at the ends of the tanlnand is carried around like an endless belt by motion given to the rollers. On the outside otl the net-work other rollers, nearly in contact with those sustaining the net-work, are placed to act as pressure-rollers to press outthe solutions from the flax. Other sustaining-rollers are'used, in addition to those above described, to aid in sustaining the loaded network, to prevent sagging and undue strain on the netting. The operationcl` lthis arrangement is similar to that of thc skeleton cylinder, with the advantage of being able to use pressure-rollers to press out the different solutions. It also facilitates washing the flax.

E is the interior and F the exterior portion of the ,double net-work. Gr and H are the main rollers over which it passes. I I are the sustaining-rollers. J is a pressure-roller, which is weighted-or provided with springs connected with its bearings so that it may yield.

Better results can he obtained from unrotted flax than from that which has been rotted. With the cylinder or neework loadcdwith thc flax, cold water, or warm water below the temperature of 110 Fahrenheit, is introduced andallowed to romain ten or fifteen minutes, when it is withdrawn and fresh water introduced. Alternate cold and warm water is used until tive or six changes have been made within the space of two or three hours. The warm water in the last one or two applications can be raised to 120 or 130. After two or 'three hours the warm-water process should be arrested and the flax treated to boiling water for au hour, or it should be treat-ed `with ground beans or pe'a's in cold water, the soluble port-ion onlyvbeing used, for :tf-halt' hour, when the liquid should be withdrawn and the flax rinsed with cold water. T his arresting of'the process should b'e performed as soon as the flax shows any indication of fermentation by turning brown. The flax should next be treated with alkali. To a given quantity of caustic soda :ish or carbonate of soda add twice the amount of lime. This lime in solution in a caustic state aids in dissolving the acid portion of the glutinous matter in the flax. lVhen the alkaline solution has been introduced into the tank the temperature should be gradually raised to the boiling point. The l'lax should be boiled for three or four hours, after which' the alkaline solution should be withdrawn and water let into the tank to wash the tlax thoroughly, after which it may be steeped in a'hot, weak solution of soda, or,its carbonate, or a cold solution of common salt, or chloride of calcium, or muriatic acid; or any two or all three of the last-mentioned ingredients may be usedtogether iu the same solution. The use of these last-mentioned ingredients is not absolutely necessary to the successful disintegration of the fibre, but more delicate results and easier bleaching can usually be obtained by it. After washing from the above solutions the flax is ready for bleaching. To any given quantity of chloride of lime may be added an equal or less quantity of lime which has been previously neutralized with muriatic acid to change it to chloride of calcium. Water can be added to this mixture to obtain any desired degree of strength, and the length of time required in bleaching will depend on the strength and temperature of the solution. The addition of chloride of calcium or other metallic chlorides changes the chloride of lime solution from an alkaline to a neutral or,

acid character, and aids in dissolving the alkaloid portion of the gluten among the fibres not solublein alkalies.v

vAnother mode of bleaching, whether the above solution or ordinary chloride oflimeis used, is to immerse the flax in the solution and .then withdraw the solution and expose the flax to atmospheric air. To facilitate the process air can bc forced through the flax in the cylinder from the opening in theeentre thereof. This can be done by means of a fan-blower or air-pump, and connections, which maybe readily constructed by mechanics. I believe that the oxygen of the atmosphere, in the presence of chlorine, takes the active. form of ozone and attacks the carbon of the gluten. Disintegi'ation is more easily effected in this manner than by chloride alone. After bleaching the ax should be washed clean of the solution, and can then betreated Wit-h good effect by soda, or lime, or the chlorides of sodium or calcium, either separately or combined. TheI solutions can be used hot or cold, but the hot solution produces the best effect. The use of alkali/after bleachl ing is not necessary, but renders the subsequent treatment casier. The flax, after being washed, should receive a weak bath of muriatic acid, diluted with water, to remove all the alkali that may remain in the flax, and should then be treated with a weak solution of urine in water, to remove all the chlorine that may be present in it, and to soften the fibre. The flax should next be treated to a weak boiling solution of soap, then rinsed, and again treated to a weak solution of urine, heated to 1200 or 130, again washed and exposed to the air for a short time, and then treated to a weak solution of cider diluted with water, after which it is ready to' dry without washing out the cider solution. W'arm air from 90 to 110 forced through the flax in the cylinder aids both in drying it and in its disintegration. Vinegar, beer, or any other product of fermentation, can be substituted for cider with good effect, or cider can be used instead of urine with similar results. i

Having now fully described our invention, what wc claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the treatment of flax, to removethe gelatinous matters enveloping the loriginal or cell bres, is as follows:

1. We claim treating it by the aid of the endless double net-work, arranged relatively tothe rollers Gr H, and to the tank,substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

2. We claim, in. connection with the above, subjecting it to the action ofthe pressure-roller J, arranged as represented. v

3. We claim the alternate application of warm and cold water, substantially irr the -manner and for the purpose herein described.

4. We claim the treatment in the soluble protein solution obtained from ground beans, or other equivalent,

substantially as specified. A

5. We claim the treatment with the chloride of sodium, or-its equivalent, after the treatment with the alkali, before the bleaching, substantially as herein specified.

6. We claim the employment of metallic chlorides in the bleaching bath, substantially as and for thepur-- pose herein specified. l I

7. We claim blowing atmospheric air through the interstices after the material'to bc bleached has been emerged in a solution containing chloride of lime, whether this solution is prepared 'rn the ordinary manner or as above described.

l 8. We claim the use'of alkaline solutions after bleaching, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

9. We claim the treatment with urine, in connection with the treatment with soap, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

10. We claim the treatment with cider, or equivalent vegetable acid solution, the termination .of the 11. We claim the use of atmospheric air, forced through the flax, in connection with an alkaline solution,V

lsaturating the flax, as a bleaching and disintegrating agent, substantially as -lierein specified. Y

' ALBERT F. ANDREWS,

JOI-IN H. ANDREWS.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK RIPLEY, M. H. BARTLETT.

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