Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1904-02-11
MANUFACTURE oE pAPER


Modern Devices Have Completely
RevoIutionlzed the Work.
Improved methods In machinery and
the great change In the character OF
materials used has had an important
bearing upon the printing art, says the
Scientific American. In the earliest
mills established in this country, the
raw fber. after being prepared In the
beating machine, was formed Into a
sheet IN a mold or wire sieve which
was dipped from the pulp vat by hand,
the water drained or and the pulp
left in wet sheet In the mold. The
sheets so made were turned out upon
felt press and then dried by exposing
10 the air in single sheets, Such mills
were small and their output limited.
Strictly hand made paper to-day Is a
rarity, although 1t exists
BY the aid OF the Fourdrinier ma,
chine the transformation OF the tiuid
10 stock or finished paper Is made an
automatic operation The pulp Is
screened from the vat over an apron
to moving endless wire cloth made Of
closely woven fine brass wire and sup
ported by series Of small metal
rolls set close together. yet without
touching each other. In this way an
even surface OF the wire cloth Is main
tained and by preserving an unvarying
fiow OF the pulp and constant for
ward motion OF the wire cloth the
thickness of the layer OF pulp deposited
is kept uniform. By lateral motion of
the supporting rolls the fibers are
caused to interlace in various directions
and give greater transverse strength
to the texture.
As the pulp is carried along on the
wire cloth much of the water drains
through, leaving the iber on the mesh.
eS This first drying is usually hasten
ed by various devices and the moist
web Is carried between rolls which are
covered with wooden felt and then
taken from the wire cloth on endless
woolen felts which paSs II between
rolls and then to drierS These are
large metal cylinders heated by steam.
The paper has now acquired consider
able strength. The water has been
evaporated and the heated cylinders
complete the drying process The pa
per is then given a smooth surface by
the calender rolls. which are smooth
faced, heavy metal rollers. Finally the
finished paper is reeled OF In rolls and
cut into sheets Of the desired size. A
large paper mill viii make $50 tons
Of finished paper a day. The most
modern machinery turns out contin-
nous web of finished paper at the rate
Of 500 feet a minute. The raw ma-
terial Of wood pulp Is spruce, poplar
and in smaller quantities various other
woods are employed. Wood pulp has
to a great extent superseded the use
Of rags and entirely so in the manufac-
ture Of news paper. The blocks Of
wood are pressed hydraulically against
the edge of rapidly revolving grind
stone and by attrition reduced to
mushy consistency.
There is also a chemical process Of
making wood pulp which Is largely
used The merchantable shape Of the
fiber differs somewhat Ground wood
pulp is ordinarily sold In folded sheets
only partially dry, and Is. therefore,
under common conditions. only suitable
for use near the locality Of its manu-
facture, its weight being 50 increased
by the water as to preclude the profit
able transportation Of such a low-priced
product There are 763 paper making
plants in the United States and the
total capital is $167. .507, ,71S. giving en-
ployment to 81, ,1S6 persons. The total
cost of the materials used was $70,-
$50, O,236 in 1900. The total value of the
products was $12T ,326, 1872 and the total
power required for running the plants
was 64,S47-horSe power.