Process for conditioning plant fibers for spinning

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS OF PREPARING LINEN YARNS FROM THE HARD AND DRY STRAW OF SEED FLAX WHICH COMPRISES MECHANICALLY BREAKING AND SCUTCHING THE STRAW FOR SEPARATING THE FIBERS AND REMOVING AT LEAST MOST OF THE SHIVES THEREFROM, WORKING THE THUS SEPARATED FIBERS INTO A LOOSE ROVING, SUBMERGING THE ROVING IN AN AQUEOUS TREATING BATH, REMOVING THE ROVING FROM THE TREATING BATH AND RINSING AND NEUTRALIZING THE SAME, AND THEN DRAFTING AND SPINNING THE ROVING, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH CONSISTS IN SUBJECTING THE LOOSE ROVING TO AN AQUEOUS TREATING BATH CONTAINING SODIUM HYDROSULFITE IN AN AMOUNT FROM 0.1 PERCENT TO 10.0 PERCENT AND AN ALKALI IN AN AMOUNT RANGING FROM 0.5 PERCENT TO 10.0 PERCENT, SAID TREATING BATH HAVING A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE FROM 100.*C. TO ABOUT 150* C. FOR A TIME PERIOD NOT SUBSTANTIALLY IN EXCESS OF THAT IN WHICH SHIVES PRESENT IN THE ROVING ARE PULPED.