CA2168894A1

CA2168894A1 - Hemp tissue paper

Info

Publication number: CA2168894A1
Application number: CA002168894A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Thomas Edward Fisher
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-02-06
Filing date: 1996-02-06
Publication date: 1997-08-07

Abstract

In a product commonly used and known as toilet: paper or toilet tissue, this invention is an improvement and yet distinctively different from the known product composed from the wood cellulose fibers of trees. This invention is constructed from the easily renewable resource of hemp cellulose fibers. The hemp cellulose fibers are derived mainly from the plants cannabis, cannabis sativa or cannabis sativa indica, however, also may be derived from the plants Abaca or Musa Textilis plant family (Manila hemp), Agava Sisalana (Sisal hemp) or various other hemp fiber producing plants. The hemp cellulose fibers are processed to a particulate pulp. The pulp is then formed into a thin sheet tissue paper product, of randomly oriented short hemp fibers, which is the invention. The invention is usually, but not necessarily, in the form of a long sheet of various widths and various lengths, depending upon the application, and perforated at intervals to ease dispensing. The sheet product may or may not have an added designed texture to the surface. The inventions is usually, but not always, formed into a roll around a hollow central core form of which the roll may be made of a sheet of single lamina (ply) or a sheet of multiple laminations (plies) of the invention. The invention may be in the form of other shapes, also in a single lamina (ply) or multiple laminations (plies) o(~the invention, to facilitate other forms of dispensers. The invention is dispensed from the roll at the user's discretion to assist in one's removal of undesired residues) or fluids) from any portion of one's anatomy, someone else's anatomy, surfaces) or i em(s). A person puts the invention to use by acquiring the desired amount of the invention (product) from whatever form of the product that the product has been shaped into to facilitate the dispenser. Once the desired amount is obtained one can form the product into numerous configurations in one's hand. After the user has configured the product as desired he or she rubs the product over the portion of his/her anatomy, or someone else's anatomy, or surface(s), or items) from which he or she wishes to remove the unwanted or uncomfortable fluids) or residue(s). The dispensed product may .also be placed out flat with items) placed on - or wrapped in - to absorb or remove fluids) or residues) from the item(s).

Description

SPECIFICATION
This invention relates to an article commonly known as toilet tissue paper that is generally used to extract the residues) or fluids) from one's anatomy; however, the invention may be used to facilitate one's removal of undesired residues) or fluids from surface(s;) cpr itern(s) generally found in the household or workplace. The invention may be formed into another shape commonly known as facial tissue paper to be put to uses such as to blow one's nose., wipe makeup offone's face, clean ears as well as many other uses. The use of the article is generally to facilitate one's removal of undesired residues) o:r fL.uid(s) from portions of one's anatomy or someone else's anatomy. The invention may also be formed into another shape commonly known as absorbent paper towel to facilitates one's removal of undesired residues) ar fluid(s) from anatomies or surfaces) or itern(s) generally i;n the workplace ar household.
It is common in an article of this type to use c;ellulase fibers derived from the composition of trees. This fiber source presents several unsatisfactory results. These cellulose fibers are difficult to transform from the raw nnaterial into the useful particulate fiber pulp furnish from which the commonly used anic;le can be: formed. T'he presently available article that is fashioned from tree cellulose fibers is by requiring inefficient processes to finish the product requiring sophisticated chemical processes to break down the raw material form and extract unwanted substances that are part of the raw material. As well large quantities of energy are required along with 'the chemical processes into the environment. Moreover, the extraction of the raw material fr~~m the global environment for the presently common article produces an unsatisfactory result and requires nurneraus years to be renewed.
I postulate that these disadvantages and unsatisfactory results may be overcome by replacing the base material with hemp cellulose fibers. The hemp cellulose fibers are derived mainly from the plants cannabis, cannabis sativa, cannabis sativa indica; however, also may be derived from the plants Abaca' or Musa Tex:tilis plant family (manila hemp), Agava Sisalana (Sisal hemp), or various other hemp cellulose fiber producing plants. Such replacement provides a lenient raw material. The process of breaking down the hemp cellulose fibers from the naturally occurring form to the particulate fiber pulp furnish from which to fashion the new article i4; easier requiring less chemicals, less consumption of energy in the form of petroleum as well as reduction in production mill furnace emissions would improve global integrity by reducing ;greenhouse gas emissions and saving forest resources that clean and recycle the atmospheric gases and provides the required required life cycle qualities of the plant earth Moreover, the source of the hemp cellulose fibers is more accessible for harvesting and c;asily renewable within one year for most sources. The detriment to the global environment from which the new source of raw material is extracted is less harmful to animals species than that of the commonly used source for tree cellulose fibers.
The object of the invention is to produce a dry tissue paper of superior characteristics from the wet paperrnaking technique by employing different fiber utilization.
Superior characteristics are achieved in the an~ea of a more environmentally friendly product reducing detriment to the global environment. As well an implied condition of the term toilet tissue paper, facial tissue paper and absorbent paper towel sets out another object of the invention. This is to achieve the same if not superior qualities in the areas of dry and wet strength, softness to touch (ta.cti,le propertiesj, weight and density factors, and most importaxitly absorbency then that of the presently commonly used article with little or no chemical treatment and less energy consumption, the later being requirements of a more environmentally friendly product.
As indicated there are implied characteristics to be achieved or enhanced due to the natural qualities of hemp cellulose fibers. Wet and dry strength of the new article is naturally improved due to the superior tensile strength of hemp cellulose fibers compared to that of tree cellulose fibers. With the higher strength fiber a lower density product can be produced with the same strength characteristics of the; presently commonly used product made from tree cellulose lribers. Hence, the structure of the new product has variations depending on the producer's aim and the end use of the product. One variation is a higher strength article fashioned with the same density characteristics of a tree cellulose fiber article. Another variation is a same strength article as that of a tree cellulose fiber product with a resultant lower density than that of a tree cellulose fiber article and yet others are higher strength and higher density article and lower strength with lower density. These are desired manufacturing variants depending on end use of the article and economical constraints.
Another inherent quality of hemp cellulase fibers is the ability of producing the same if not better softness properties than that c>f a product from tree cellulose fibers with little or no chemical treatment. All tree cellulose fibers are natural stiff and ruff. In order to acquire the desired qualities of toilet tissue paper, facial tissue paper and absorbent paper towel a vast amount of chemical reaction inhanced with heat energy or mechanical manipulation or a combination of the two are required to break down the naturally occurnng formation of the tree cellulose fibers into a suitable fiber fiirnish to be supplied to the papermaking machinery. The naturally occurring formation of hemp cellulose fibers supplies a more lenient base material than that of t:he tree cellulose fibers. A naturally soft article can be produced from hemp cellulose fibers with tittle to no chemical reaction or heat energy.
With simple mechanical manipulation alone a. suitable hemp cellulose fiber fi~rnish can be supplied to the wet-laid papermalsng machinery. Mild treatments to the hemp cellulose fibers with chemicals and heat enc;r~,y can be used to produce a more luxurious product if desired.
The use of the hemp cellulose fibers also provides the ability to manufacture a nonwoven web material that has the same or improved absorbency/strength ratio due to the naturally higher strength of hemp cellulose fibers. A lower density article can be produced with the same strength and higher absorbency than that of a tree cellulose fiber product. As well a higher strength same absorbency article can be produced or other variants depending on end use characteristics required and economical constraints. These are desirable qualities of absorbent towel.
With the tree cellulose fiber article the production starts with the acquisition of the base material from the greatly distributed and diminishing forest resource base.
More and more energy in the form of petroleum is required to access and harvest the forest resource.
Large amounts of petroleum are usc;d to build roads and transport the base material to the production mills specially as the resource diminishes and the allowable harvest areas become further and further from the production mills. As'. well more energy is required to manipulate the naturally occurring consolidated tree cellulose fiber formation into wood chips to be heat treated or mechariic;ally manipulated or a, combination of the two as well as chemically reacted into a fiber furnish for the papermaking machinery.
In comparision much less energy consumption is required to achieve the fiber furnish for the hemp cellulose fiber article. The hemp producing plants can be grown in much higher fiber per acre density than that of treys in a forest. As well a more centrally located fiber supply to production mill arrangement can be. established to reduce energy consumption for transportation of base material.. '? ogether with easier harvesting due to agriculturally farm base fiber supply and six morrtle to one year fiber source replacement generally reduces the amount of petroleum energy used and a reduction in the greenhouse gas production providing the postulated improvements in decreasing impact on the global environment. As well the consalid.at~ed hemp cellulose fiber formation easily breaks dawn with the use of the ratting process to supply fibers for the pulping process.
All in all the desired qualities of supply of fiber base material as well as structural and hysical characteristics can be improved with the use of hemp cellulose fibers with a benefit to the environment when c:ompar-ed to the presently used tree cellulose fiber supply.
The papermaking process is that of the wet-laid nonwoven webs. The fiber utilized for the invention consists of hemp cellulose fibers mechanically emanipulated - the process may also utilize some chemical or heat treatments or a combination of the two - to achieve the desired fiber pulp furnish to produce the article. 'The fiber pulp fizrnish for the article can be 100% cannabis, cannabis sativa, or cannatais sativa indica hemp fibers;
however ,other plant hemp cellulose fibers may be utilized at any percentage ratios depending upon supply of fibers. The preferred amount is that, of 100% cannabis, cannabis sativa, or cannabis sativa indica fibers. The article with the previously mentioned desirable characteristics is produced with the wet papermaking process usually associated with wet-Iaid nonwoven webs. In specific the use of water suspended hemp cellulose fiber particulates in a predetermined finer density aqueous solution, depending on the quality of the article to be produced, being dispensed fi~om a head box onto a continuous fiber collecting wire screen. The fibers collected on the wire form into randomly oriented three dimensional fiber maze that is a continuous nonwoven short fiber thin sheet material. The dispersant water passes through the screen and is easily ~;,ollected and recycled or treated and discharged. The density of the article can be varied depending on the density of suspended hemp cellulose fibers, lla~w rates from the head box, and wire screen velocities.
This technique is generally knowru as a Fourdr-inier wire machine employment;
however, there are other commercial papermaking machines that can be employed to manufacture the article. The sheet material farmed as mentioned above can be, but not necessarily, textured during, before, or after the drying process that removes residual retained fiber dispersant. The resulting sheet material is the invented article. This article may be used as is to manufacture the packaged products of toilet tissue paper, facial tissue paper or absorbent paper towel or there may be furthc;r processing to form these packaged products from the article with larrrinated plies of the; initial article.
Illustrated in figure 1 and 2 the rail I is the most usefizl form of the invention; however, not the only form. The roll 1 is made up of a long sheet of the article 4 wound around, as depicted 5, the central hollow core form 2. This form of the article is best utilized by being placed in a dispenser near the source; of use so as the article 4 may be used when required.
In order to use the article 4 one unr<ivels the article 4 from the roll 1 to an amount of the article 4 that is required, usually to ec perforated location :3 on the article 4. A portion of the long sheet article 4 making up the roll 1 is torn off, usually at one of the many perforated locations 3 along the le;nl,~th of the long sheet article, to give a dispensed amount of the article 4. Once the desired amount of the article 4 has been dispensed one can place the article 4 in one's hand in any number of configurations in order to be utilized to remove undesired residues) or fluid{s) from one's or anyone's anatomy or items) generally found in the workplace or household.
The article 4 may be formed into other shapes to facilitate other types of dispensing;
however, the main objective of use remains the same as described in the previous paragraph. Illustrations 3 and 4 depict another common form of the article 4.
In figures 3 and 4 the article 4 is formed into .z bundle 1 of any number of singular interlocking folded sheets of the article 4. Each sheet of the article 4 is folded at two locations 2. As the preceding sheet of the article 4 is ;pu.lled from the dispenser, to provide the dispensed portion of the article 4, the interlacl;:ed proceeding sheet of the article 4 is drawn into dispensing location. As well the article 4 may take on the form as illustrated in figure 1 and 2 or figures 3 and 4 so as to Ise used as an absorbent paper towel to clean residues}
or fluids) from anatomies, window', counters, vegetables, kitchen or household appliances, floors, tools, cars, or ~rm,~ other type of surface( s) or items) generally in the household or the workplace. The dispensed article 4 may also be placed out flat with item (s) placed on - or wrapped in - to at'sarb or e:move fliud(s) ar residue(s) from the item(s).

Claims

1 )An absorbent soft tissue paper consisting of 100% hemp cellulose fibers.

2)An absorbent soft tissue paper as defined in claim 1 wherein the hemp cellulose fibers are randomly oriented.

3)An absorbent soft tissue paper as defined in claim 1 or claim 2 that is porous, flat (or slightly textured) and thin sheet to be packaged and dispensed in a dry form exhibiting dry, soft, and flexible consistency as well as high absorbent tendency that is less 1 mm thickness.

4.)A roll or sheet of absorbent soft tissue paper as defined in claim 1 or claim 2 or claim 3 and hereafter called hemp tissue paper.

5)Hemp tissue paper as defined in claims 1 to 4 in the form of a facial tissue.

6)Hemp tissue paper as defined in claims 1 to 4 in the form of a toilet tissue.

7)Hemp tissue paper as defined in claims 1 to 4 in the form of an absorbent paper towel.

8)Hemp tissue paper as defined in claim. 1 to claim 7 wherein the hemp cellulose fibers are derived from one or more of the plant sources cannabis, cannabis sativa, cannabis sativa indica, Agava Sisalana, abaca, musa textilis plant families.