An Improved Process of and Apparatus for Retting or Degumming and subsequently Cleaning and Drying Fibrous Materials Preparatory to Obtaining the Fibre therefrom.

摘要

18,127. Rogers, C. R. Aug. 13. Washing.-Relates to a process and apparatus for retting or degumming and subsequently cleaning and drying linum, phormium, ramie, sisal, hemp, &c., preparatory to obtaining fibres therefrom. The plants, stalks, leaves, straws, and the like are boiled with water containing an emulsion of linseed oil, passed through squeezing-rollers 16,18,19, Fig. 3, the first pair of which is sprayed with water containing an emulsion of linseed oil, while the others are sprayed by water only, and delivered on to a drying-table. The dry material is ready for breaking and scutching or may be bleached in the open air. One or more crates containing the material may be lowered into compartments in a boiler containing water and emulsion heated by steam-pipes. The emulsion is made preferably by dissolving 13À5 lb. of caustic soda in 22 lb. of water, adding 100 lb. of linseed oil, heating to 70‹ C., thoroughly mixing, and allowing the mixture to stand for from two to seven days, after which it is boiled with three times its weight of water. The sets of squeezing-rollers 16, 18, 19 are mounted over separate compartments formed in a tank 12 by partitions 13, 14. The first and largest compartment, which contains emulsion and water, is heated by means of a perforated steam-pipe 36, and is provided with a lid 15 on which the boiled material is placed. The other compartments contain water. Injectors operated by steam from the steam - pipe 35 aspirate liquid from the several compartments along pipes 39 to be sprayed on the material passing through the several sets of rollers. The liquid after use runs back into the tank to be used again. Conveyer rollers 22, 24 support the material during its passage between the different sets of rollers. The drying-table consists of a number of longitudinal pipes supplied with steam from the pipe 35. Over the table passes a travelling apron built up of two endless chains connected together at regular intervals by straps or laths for supporting the material. When it is desired to bleach the material before breaking and scutching, it is collected in movable trays placed on the apron, and these are removed from the end of the drying-table and stacked in the open air.