US855751A - Method of preparing vegetable fibers. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JUNE 4, 19 07 H. R. BUNNY. METHOD OF PREPARING VEGETABLBPIBERS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27, 1906.

. &e (20006675)- Attest:

ww A? process, and the fibers are 'n'nrrn Israns Parana onto HOWARD ROGERS BUNNY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO REUBEN L. PRITCHARD, OF NEW YORK, N.

METHOD OF PREPARING VEGETABLEFlBERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Q Patented June 4., 1907.

Application filed June 27, 1906. Serial No. 323,719.

America, and a resident of the borough of.

Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Methods of Preparing Vegetable Fibers, of Which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a process for the treatment of vegetable fibers, being intended more particularly for the degumming and decoloring of mechanically decorticated flaxfibers; and for decoloring flax fibers that have been subjected to the usual retting process.

By mechanical decortication the shive or chive is broken up, and the fibers are separated from the shive and from each other in the outer bast. These fibers are, however, incrusted with gum or'a gum resin, by which some of the fibers adhere to each other and remain matted with particles of the broken shive. This incrustation of gum is a hindrance in the spinning of the fibers and in the manufacture of linen fabrics. The removal of the gum from the fibers by the process of retting is the result of fermentation which takes place in the stalks when they are left to soak in Water. This retting process is tedious, occupying from seven to fourteen days, after which the stalks are spread out on the field to be dried. The process of rotting is uncertain in time, as the fermentation upon which it depends is influenced by the outward atmosphere and the temperature oithe water. It is an uncleanly and foul smelling deteriorated by the process of fermentation or rotting going ontor several days all around them.

The improved process of removing the gum from the fibers is accomplished in the short period of a few hours. It is cleanly, the fibers are not subjected to the-injurious eil'ects of fermentation in their midst, and they retain their inherent strength.

' In carrying out said. new process of degumming fibers which decorticated, but which are coated with gum, a mass of the fibers is subjected to movement in, or the movement of, Water of moderate temperature that has been made alkaline and its solvency increased by the addition of a borate salt of a metal of the alkairon or lime, so that When they are present have been mechanically lies. The alkaline Water in conjunctirm with 5 the slight pressure from the movement aforesaid, dissolves the gummy or glut inous matter incrustingthe fibers and removes it from the fibers, leaving them clean and free.

In practice, a mass of fibers that have been mechanically separated as aforesaid, but in Which the gum or glutinous matter is stiil present, is subjected in a thin layer to side- Wise movement in, or the movement of, water of moderate temperature that has been rendered alkaline, as stated, suchsolution. permeating said thin layer of fibers and ,in conjunction with the slight pressure created by movement, dissolving the gummy or glutinous matter, thereby speedily removing- 7 such matter from the fibers. To prevent matting of these fibers while undergoing the degumming process, a mass thereof placed in a foraminous cage or cage composed 'of open Wire netting, the fibers lying horizon- 7 tally in said cage, and mechanical i'neans are provided i or moving said cage to and fro vertically Within the bath aforesaid. The same effect can be obtained by pressure of the alkaline Water forced a ainst the sides and through the mass of the fibers.

It has been found in practice that a solution of a borate of potash of about the strength of one to two grains to the ounce of Water, speedily and el'licaciously dissolves the 8 5 gum about the fibers, the operation being expedited through thepressurc created by the movement reierred to, and occupying not more than several hours.

The Water of the bath should not contain.

the Water should be flax is placed in said be Warm and bland.

boiled, and when the bath, the'watcr shouid This process has been successfully employed With the Water containing the borate at a temperature of about 70 F. lVhile the Warm-or moderate temperature of the water assists in the removal of the gum, I have found it unwise to materially increase the degree of heat for the 10o reason that should the Water'be; for example, at boiling heat, the result would be to render the product harsh endless flexible and yielding.

' A range of temperature of from 70" F. to 105;

F. has no deleterious influence upon the charact'erof the fibers, 1 v I In treating a quantity of fiax, a cage can;

taming a series of closed shallow trays has them to sidewise reciprocating movement in been employed, each tray capable of conor movement of the bath, thus provides 'taining a layer of fibers, the tops and botmoving contact between .the individual 4 toms of the cage and trays being foraminous fibers and the bath, and the foregoing de- 5 or of open work as in the path of the movescription of an apparatus and its direction of 7c ment or pressure applied, and closed at the movement is merely indicative of a practical sides for the purpose of insuring the passage example in the performance of the process. of the solution throu h the fibers, and of pre- If the fibers were bunched and moved side-- venting diversion of uid ressure. In other wise in the bath the fluid wouldnot so read:

words, when such cage containing-the several ily pass between the fibers, as is obvious; 7 layers of fibers is moved vertically in the while, if moved longitudinally, the same 015- 1 bath, the fluid must pass through said layers j ection would obtain, and the gummy matter without being divertedor allowed to escape be forced into the interior of the'bundle.

at the sides of said cage. After undergoing the vaforesaid de um- In illustration of a form of mechanical deming process the fibers are found to still re- 8 vicc'which maybe employed in carrying out tain their coloring matter, the removal my process, I have annexed hereto a sheet of whereof, without resorting to the usuai tedidrawings, wherein ous operation of bleaching, comprises an- Eigure l is a vertical, sectional view of a other step in the present process, In accom- 2o bath containing a cage having trays for the plishing' this objectthe cage containing the fibers, the cage being shown partially degummed fibers is placed in a bath containbrokenaway. Fig. 2 is a top plan view ing saponified water, which may beat a temtaken on the line122 of Fig. 1, and Fig.3 is perature of about F., and the fibers suba perspective View of one of the trays. j ected to sidewise movement in or the move I In said figures the letter aindicates a tank ment of said. bath; whereby,-within a short 90 of any suitable form, and 11 indicates a cagev period of time the coloring matter is removed having a handle b with attaching eyefrom .the fibers. Less than an hour has let 6*, and supporting base flange 6''. The served in the performance of this step.

-,,cage 12 comprises a rectangular receptacle The proportionate quantity'of soap to be i '0 whose base I) is provided with a series of dissolved in the bath for the purpose of de- 9 5 openingsb and whose top If is provided with coloring the fibers varies according to the para series of openings b". One of the sides orticular quality of the flax undergoing treatthe top of the cage may be removable, and I ment, but can be easily ascertained, it being have shdmi the top as provided with a han only necessary to render the bath sapona- 5 dle I)? by which; it may be removed to insert ceous to a suitable degree. we

and withdraw the trays, swinginglugs as b The above noted step ofeffecting decoloriretaining this cover in place when the device zation of the fibers is not limited'to employis in use; The trays to contain the fibers ment with mechanically deccrti'cated fibers, have surrounding walls 0- and a foraminous but may also be used efiicient-ly in the case of 40 base 0. These trays are placed, one on top fibers that have been retted, (but not decol- 1o 5 of another within thevcage b, and the cage ored) in the usual manner. cover b being fitted and secured thereover, In some instances, where it is desiredrto the device is then in readiness for use. i expedite the operations aforesaid, the sepa- A sufficient quantity of the fibers is placed rate steps of degumming and decoloring de- 5 within the trays to fill the latter so that the corticated fibers may be performed in a-sintop of the layer of fibers in each tray comes gle bath.- Tov this end the bath, rendered against the under surface of the bottom of alkaline by the addition of a borate salt of a the next upper tray, or in the case of the top' metal of the alkali'es, and at a temperature of tray the fibers therein come against the cage 95 F., or thereabout, has a quota of soap -;o top By this means the fibers are prevented dissolved therein; and the decorticated fibers, 1 15 i from such individual movement as might in the manner previously described, are subcause them 'to become tangled or matted. jected to movement in or the movement of In other words, the individual fibers of a said bath for a sufficient" length of time. layer the'reol, contained in a tray are main- Less than half an hour has served.

55 tained in parallelism, I this being an im orv The gummy and colorin matter being distant feature as it prevents waste in heck ing solved as described, the'fibers are removed and permits the heckling to be carried out ina from the bath and from theircontainer, then satisfactory manner. being passed through plain rollers, as d e, to

, d .erepresen-t a pair of rollers pivoted in a squeeze out the dissolved gummy and color oof'brecket f, which maybe attached to the ing matter; thereafter, the fibers, which may tank a, said rollers being intended for the be again contained in layers in a foraminous passage therebetween .oi' the treated fibers, ca e, are placed in a bath of clear water, and

' to s uee'ze out therefromextraneous matter. su jected to movement m or the movement T 1e purpose of the cage and trays being to of said bath to cleanse them from all ad- 6 5 support the'fibers in thin layers and submit llerent extraneous matter. The fibers W1 0 sewer.

then be found to be finely sepereted, free from gum and resinous matter, and to present e White or grayish White eppeareiiee. I eiaim:

1. The method of degrumning deeortiezited vegetable fibers which consists-iii L lflCit v a layer of loose fibers in swarm bath '1 alkaline by a Week solirtien of ii beret-e s and creating pressure between said bat-l1 and 2. The method of degunmiing riec'ezti n y l vegetable fibers wlrieh consists in plat Jig iayer of loose fibers in a Warm b alkaline by a Week solution of e :5 and creating Pressure against side of se fibers l t moving them in said bath,

3 The method of degumming and deceloring decortieated vegetable fibers which sists in (1st) placing a layer of loose 20 Warm bath made alkaline by tion of e borate salt, (2nd) (YER-i i between said bath and fibers, (fire) the degumnied. fibers in a seponeceou' I. and (4th) creating pressure betel i said.

25 bath and fibers.

t. The method of deeolori ig separated vegetable fibers which consists in (1st) re' creating pressure between said bath and :l'ibers.

The imatliod degiimining and decolordeeortieeted vegetable fibers Which.00nis in placing ofl loose fibers in a 5 made eilzeiiue by a weak solutin salt and se'ponified; and creating ssiire between said bath and. fibers.

The nietlied of deguinming and decolordeeortiezited vegetable fibers which con- 40 is plaeii g; e layer of loose fibers in a -.Jill btttil made alkaline by a week solution 5 and seponiiied creating presaid bath and fibers; then 202 the dissnlved matter from said545 and finally Washing and drying said d di ,W York, this 22nd day of )(Mi HOWARD ROGERS BUNNY.

Vi'itiiesses: V

FREDERICK BUNNY, T r ii. W.

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