Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-06-17
IN MACHINERY HALL.
Paper Making by Machincry...An Interes
Ing Description.

Paper Making by Machlncry...An Interest
Ing Description.
A correspondent OF the Times says !:
Almost at the extreme end OF Machinery
hall is large space devoted to the prac-
tical process OF paper making from be-
ginning to end. Every day sufficient
quantity of what is known as "half
stuff "-disintegrated and bleached rags
for the succeeding days work, is
brought in, ground, made into paper,
super calendered and cut into sheets.
To do this, and show the process OF
paper making to advantage, an engine Is
in operation. In the case of linen and
cotton rags, much has to be done before
they are ready for the engine. They
have to be busted and then cleaned by
girls, who take off the buttons, hooks
and eyes, ETC., turn the pockets inside
out, rip the seams and take out all dirt.
The rags are next cut into pieces by ma
chinery, and are then boiled with caus-
tic lime in rotating boiler, under from
twenty to fifty pounds pressure to the
square inch. When sufficiently boiled
to draw the color and loosen the dirt,
they are washed with a constant stream
of pure water running in large tub, the
rags all the while being secured and
drawn apart by revolving drivers.
When clean enough they are bleached
and put to drain. They are now in the
condition called "half stuff" and, in
this form, somewhat resemble cotton;
and it is in this state that they are
thrown into the engine in order to be
ground into pulp for paper making.
When the pulp is ready it passes from
the engine to reservoir, in which it is
constantly stirred to prevent it settling.
From the reservoir it is pumped into the
screen, which has an alternate suction
and jarring motion. The screen frees
the pulp from any knots, dirt or metal
which may be still left in it. The pulp
flows from the screen on to the endless
wire-an endless sheet of annealed brass
wire gauze, seventy meshes to the square
inch, on which the endless deckle straps
regulate the width Of the embryo sheet,
which is now from one-quarter of an
inch to one inch OF fluid pulp, accord
ing to the intended thickness of the
paper, somewhat resembling thin mush
in appearance.
In order to felt the fiber of the paper
with the necessary evenness of texture,
the frame, over which the endless wire
runs, has what is technically termed
"the shake" very rapid backward
aud forward movement. Near the turn
OF the endless wire are two section
boxes, placed underneath the wire,
which suck the water down through the
wire from the wet pulp. Immediately
between these two boxes is what is call
ed the "dandy" roll, which puts the
water, trade and other marks upon the
face of the paper. Before leaving the
endless wire, the pulp passes between
two brass cylinders, called couchers,
euch of which is covered with jacket of
fine blanket, in order to press out any
excess of moisture left by the suction
boxes, and also to help "close" the
paper. Thence the still wet paper
passes on to the felt, and between the
first and second press rolls. from which
it again passes to the steam drying
cylinders, six in number, four feet in
diameter. and seventy inches across. On
leaving tho last cylinder the paper is
dry and ready to go at once through the
calender, and to be reeled. The super
calenders form large stack of chilled
iron and paper rolls. They are driven
by gear and friction. The stop cutter,
by simple adjustment of screw,
causes the sheet to lengthen or shorten
at will to the fraction of an inch. As
its name indicates, the paper moment
arily stops while the cut is being made.
This display of tho process of paper
making, thus carried out in ertenso, is a
very attractive feature of the Exhibi-
ton, and will interest vast number of
people who know nothing whatever
about machinery.