US931979A - Manufacture of fibrous materials. - Google Patents

Description

UNITE STATES;

mnonn 1. woon, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, assrenon or ONE-THIRD -'ro JOHN W.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILSON, 01* PHILADELPIEHA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MANUFACTURE OF FIBROU' S MATERIALS. I

No Drawing.

p ifi ati n f. Letters Patent. Patented Aug-24:, 1909. Application filed; December 5, 4903. Serial No. 466,068.

To all whom it my concern:

Be it known that I, JEROME-I. WOOD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Fibrous Materials, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. 1

This invention relates to the treatment of fibrous material-such, for example, as. pa-

per-for the manufacture of a hard and tough substance commonly known as vuloainzed fiber.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel process of manufacturing vulcanized fiber whereby .a superior product is obtained, and further, whereby the product will have parchment-like characteristics and-water-resisting tendencies, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In carrying out my invention, the fibrous. materialsuch, for example, as a sheet or sheets of paper-is first passed through or subjected to a bath of chlorid of zinc and oil, such for example as linseed oil, the bath being preferably about nine-tenths chlorid of zinc and one-tenth oil, although thisproportion may be carried within limits. The strength-of the chlorid of zinc of the bath is preferably from 68 to 71 Baum. After the sheet or sheets of paper have beensub- 7 jeoted to the bath, they areremoved therefrom and }placed one upon the other until a mass of t e desired thickness is produced.

This isc'ommonly done by drawing a strip of j paper from a roller through the bath and then rolling it upon another roller and upon itself until t he required thickness is produced. This being done, the superimposed layers of pa er are cut parallel to the axis of the roll an themass thus out is flattened upon a table or any suitable'sup ort. During the assage of the paper t rough the bath it a sorbs and is acted upon by the mixture of chlorid of zinc and oil, and the action of the chlorid of zinc upon the aper pro+ duces heat and has a solvent and is1ntegrat ing action u on the fiber of the paper. Muchof the clilorid of zinc and oil remains in the paper after it has been removed from the bath, and the solvent or disintegrating action upon the fiber of the paper continues after the 1paper has been removed from the bath,

" unt ture reducing the strength of the chlorid of zinc. .Thus the fibers of the mass or super mingle and unite wit each other. This sol- .vent action of chlorid of zinc upon fibrous material causing it to commingle and unite is common and well known. The fiat mass formed of the superimposed la ers of paper is now placed within an inclosed heated chamber, and is uniformly heated, the degree of heat of the chamber being sufiicient thereby increasing the strength of the chlorid of zinccontained within the mass and causingl it to set up a reaction or retreatment u on t e fibers thereof. This reaction of the c orid of zinc is permitted to take place until the mass has been acted upon or the fiber dissolved to the required consistency. The mass is thenremovedfrom the inclosed chamber and is permitted to cool and again absorb moisture from the atmos here, which again interrupts the action of t 'echlorid of zinc therein. The mass is then placed within and subjected to a bath of water, until the chlorid of zinc is thoroughly washed or removed therefrom. The mass is then removed from the bath of water and permitted to dry, and during the drying operation the mass contracts or shrinks into a sheet of strong and tough substance.

The oil'introduced to the mass with the chlorid of zinc remains therein during the various ste s of the process and it also remains in the finished product. The oil is -acted upon by the chlorid of zinc and the cause it to assume a varnish like condition and thoroughly impregnate the mass, causing a more intimate association of the particles of fiber and giving to the finished prod.- uct greater strength and flexibility and wateror moisture-resisting characteristics.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The herein described process of treating fibrous material which consists in subjecting a mass of fibrous material to a bath of chlorid of zinc and oil, permitting the said bath, and then removing the chlorid of zinc from the mass by subjecting the material to a bath of Water.

2. The herein described process of treating v imposed layers of pa er are caused to comto drive oil the moisture from the mass,

. heat of the inclosed chamber in a manner to i mass to cool and set after removing it from fibrous material which consists in subjecting a mass of fibrous material to a bath of chlorid of zinc and oil, permitting the mass to cool and set and absorb moisture from the atmosphere after it has been acted upon by said bath, driving off the moisture from the mass by heating it'in an inclosed chamber after it has set, and then removing the chlorid of zinc from the mass by subjecting the material to a bath ofwater.

3. The herein described process of treating fibrous material which consists in subjecting a mass of fibrous material to a bath of chlorid of zinc, permitting the mass to cool and set and absorb moisture from the atmosphere 15 after it has been acted upon by said bath, driving off the moisture from the mass by heating it in an inclosed chamber after it has set, and then removing the chlorid of zinc from the mass by subjecting the material to a bath of Water.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

JEROME I. WOOD.

Witnesses A. V. GROUPE, WM. H. SMITH.