New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-11-04


paper LET one visit some large iron establishment
for instance the AlbaBy Iron Works or the Boonson
NiIls-.nd look at the size Of their coaheaps-
small MISUNDERSTANDING only some ~, or
30 OcO uns. and then suppose l25 600 tuns Of paper
"a much lighter article piled up. The aggregated
heap would be curiosity TO look a.
In order that those of our readers-no doubt there
are many-who have not visited paper-niiLi niSy
have some idea OF the ordinary process oi cohVe'ue
rags into paper, We will give bret Description VI
il. In most mills the general process IS as follows;
The rags are first taken into the sorting or rag
room. to be sorted by women and girls VINO 'aAe
cut the coarser dirt buttons, silks, ~oolens &C
Tie rags thus sorted are turned over 10 the rag
cutter strengthening instrument INTO when
rags are fed very much as straw Is mo cutting
machines. The cutting spool has on Il TWO hedVy
knives which are forced round at speed OF some
Geo or oO0 revolutions minute. The rags drop
from this machine upon canvas belt which conveys
them over a roller into the duster. This is hollow
cylinder in the center of which revoyes SHAH
armed with iron teeth which match into teeth IN the
upper part Of the cylinder. These teeth are so
arranged as TO form a spiral passage, 50 that the
rags are carried from one end 10 the other OF the
machine. The teeth tear and beat the rags, knock
ing all the loose dust out of them. The duster
deposits the rags into shute which sends them
into a room by the rag-boiler. This is a very dirty
part OF the process, any one may know by looking
into the room where il is carried on. aud yet
strange 10 say the paper-makers us that the
workmeu suffer no Inconvenience from it.
There are two ways of boiling rags. The CON-
mon way is by an ordinary kettle about two and
half feet in diameter and depth, with dange on
the top which is about eight feet in diameter. On
this fanee is placed woodruff some SIX or eight
feet deep The kettle has a false bottom full of
holes and out of its center rises square spout nearly
TO the top of the tub. Such tub viii hold from
tw 10 four tuns of rags at once. When the liquor,
which il made up of water. barrel of lime and
some fifty pounds of sods-ash is put on, strong
cover is fastened over the tub and the heat is APP
Piled. In boiling the water is forced up the tube IN
the center and spreads itself over the rags soaking
down through them into the kettle to be forced up
again in the same way. Il requires from eighteen
to twenty -four hours 10 boil one batch thoroughly.
This is the old way and is Still generally practlced
The other way is patented. The instrument re-
sembles steam boiler; through It's center runs an
iron shaft This boiler is placed horizontally, and
on the shaft is cog wheel, by which i, is caused
to revolve. The boiler is nearly filed with rags,
and the same kind Of liquor is used as IN the Old
process. 1t is capable of sustaining high pres.
sure Of steam When the rags and liquor areiD, and
the boiler closed, il is thrown into gear, and steam
is admitted. In this way the rags are constantly
stirring while the boiling is going on. THIS pro-
cess is more thorough than the other, but usually
takes from eighteen to twenty four hoKs. By The
boiling in either case the colors, grease, dirt &c,
in the rags are so started as TO make them ready
for the washing operation. The washing engine is
in the shape of an oblong or el!iptical tub, about
six feet WIDE ten or twelve feet long, and two and
a.half or three feet deep. In the center OF this
tub is partition running lengthwise about SIX
feet long. leaving about three feet at each end
without any partition. On one side OF the par
tition in the bottom is heavy plank made
concaye, in which are fastened large number
of knives or teeth which match with similar teeth
in the wheel which revolves immediately above
them Ii will be seen that around the partition 10
clear passage, and that current is formed by the
wheel which Keeps the rags and water in motion,
drawing everything through those teeth just de-
scribed From 200 to 400 pounds of the boiled rags
are now placed in the engine. At one corner
stream of clean water is coming IN, and at the OPP
posite corner stream of dirty water is running out,
through sieyes so constructed as to keep all the
fbrous matter in the engine. The wheel full OF
knives or teeth is then ser in motion, and for about
four hours the rags are revolving i'll regular cur
rent under the teeth, process which washes the
rags and tears them into pulp called half stuff
The next process ia to bleach the - halt stuff
which is done in q similar engine, by means OF
chloride of lime mixed in with the water In this
way it is ground over aud over several hours, when
il is ready for the bleaching watts or draners which
are usually made of brick. From the washing
engines it is let down into these vats by means of
valves. The pulp remains in these watts some
twenty.four hours after which the liquor IS drained
of.
The 'halfstui" is now ready for the beating en-
zines" which operate Ike washing engines, beating
the pulp into minute fbers. This requires some
four hours, after which process Il is run INTO the
pulp chest ready for use in The paper machine. IL
ought here to be stated that when cOOred paper is
to be made the coloriDg matter is introduced when
the pulp is passing through the beating engines.
The pulp is now drawn from the pulp-chest by
faucet into the mixing box, into which stream OF
clear water is constantly flowing. From this box
the liquid pulp passes TO the screens, which are
shaken by machinery and the holes in them 80 fine
as to catch any little knots or hooks and eyes, OF