IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE DISINTEGRATION AND BLEACHING OF TEXTILE MATERIALS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER
Year: 1862

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE DISINTEGRATION AND BLEACHING OF TEXTILE MATERIALS FOR
THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER."-A communication from abroad by Mr.
Je Baptiste Michel Auguste Siry, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris,
Jeweller.
Sealed the 18th July 1862, and dated the 29th January 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th January
.1862.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DISINTEGRATION AND BLEACHING OF TEXTILE
MATERIALS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improved processes for the disintegration and
bleaching of textile materials such as straw, rags, alpha, and other matters to
render them suitable for the manufacture of white paper.

page_text: The processes hitherto in use for utilizing said products have been unsuc-
cessful owing, 1st, to the filaments or fibres being destroyed, thus preventing
the paper from possessing the cohesion and substance desired; 2ndly, the
expense of apparatus and ingredients necessary for the bleaching increases
considerably the cost of the pulp, and therefore creates an obstacle to the
introduction of the article in the market.
The improved process of this Invention requires but an almost inappreciable
extra expense of working, as all existing manufactories may be employed for
the production of a white paper from all kinds of straw. I employ straw
prepared as in ordinary in the manufacture of wrapping or brown paper from
straw which consists in steeping the straw in a bath of lime water, after this is
withdrawn it is allowed to ferment, or better still is heated by a jet of steam.
I then take the straw after treatment in the lime bath and disintegrate it by
passing it between crushing cylinders. After this I place it in a vat furnished
at the lower part with a false bottom of wood covered with a layer of straw or
broom which allows of the filtration of the bleaching waters. One or more
cocks are placed at the bottom of the vat of different sizes for regulating the
flow of the liquids. The vat being filled I allow the matters to drip on to the
straw, and I then superficially spinkle it from the top with water acidulated
with sulphuric acid, marking about one degree. The quantity of acidulated
water employed is equal to about half the capacity of the vat. After this first
washing I pour on the straw a clear solution of chloride of lime which expels
the acidulated solution before contained.
This method of operation which may be termed "by displacement," effects
a great saving of material, and as the chemical action takes place in the
interior of the mass scarcely any noxious gases are evolved. As it sometimes
happens that an escape takes place through the contents of the vat I obviate
this by providing it with a moveable rake, which, in turning, descends pro-
gressively with the liquids in accordance with the chemical action, and thus
prevents the leakage taking place. The vat is surrounded at its base with a
circular pipe having two channels, one for discharging the waste washing
water, and the other for receiving it in case a running through occurs, in order
to reintroduce it into the mass, which operation is very easily effected. This
double filtration and passage of the bleaching liquids being effected I pour
clear water into the vat and allow it to run through until it leaves the
bottom quite limpid. The first washing water may be slightly acidulated with
hydrochloric acid, but this is not indispensable.
For superior kinds of paper the straw, before being disintegrated and treated

page_text: with lime or steam, should be cut up by the ordinary straw-cutting machine,
and then passed through a winnowing machine to remove the knots. The
latter may be employed with advantage for feeding cattle, who are very fond
of them, or for making common wrapping paper.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd
July 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William Clark, my
executors, administrators,, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE DIS-
INTEGRATION AND BLEACHING OF TEXTILE MATERIALS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF
PAPER," a communication from abroad by Mr. Jean Baptiste Michel Auguste
Siry, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, Jeweller, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Clark, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and.
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Clark, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
(that is to say):-

page_text: This Invention relates to improved processes for the disintegration and
bleaching of textile materials such as straw, rags, alpha, and other matters to
render them-suitable for the manufacture of white paper.
The processes hitherto in use for utilizing said products have been-un
successful owing, 1st, to the filaments or fibres being destroyed, thus preventing
the paper from possessing the cohesion and substance desired; 2ndly, the
expense of apparatus and ingredients necessary for the bleaching increases
considerably the cost of the pulp, and therefore creates an obstacle to the
introduction of the article in the market.
The improved process of this Invention requires but an almost inappreciable
extra expense of working, as all existing manufacturers may be employed for the
production of a white paper from all kinds of straw. I employ straw prepared
as in ordinary in the manufacture of wrapping or brown paper from straw,
which consists in steeping the straw in a bath of lime water; after this is
withdrawn it is allowed to ferment, or better still is heated by a jet of steam.
I then take the straw after treatment in the lime bath and disintegrate it by
passing it between crushing cylinders. After this I place it in a vat furnished
at the lower part with a false bottom of wood covered with a layer of straw or
broom, which will allow of the filtration of the bleaching waters. One or more
cocks are placed at the bottom of the vat of different sizes for regulating the
flow of the liquids. The vat being filled I allow the matters to drip, and I then
water it superficially on the top by a rose or other distributer with water
acidulated with sulphuric acid, marking about one degree. The quantity of
acidulated water employed is equal to about half the capacity of the vat.
After this first washing I pour on the straw a clear solution of chloride of lime,
which expels the acidulated solution before contained.
This mode of operation which may be termed "by displacement," affords a
great saving of material, and as the chemical action takes place in the interior
of the mass scarcely any noxious gases are evolved. As it sometimes happens
that an escape takes place in the vat, I obviate this by providing it with a
movable rake, which, in turning, descends progressively with the liquids in
accordance with the chemical action, and thus prevents the escape taking
place. The vat is surrounded at its base with a circular pipe having two
channels one for discharging the waste washing water, and the other for
receiving it in case a running through occurs, and in order to reintroduce it
into the mass, which operation is very easily effected. This double filtration
and passage of the bleaching liquids being effected, I pour clear water into
the vat and allow it to run through until it leaves at the bottom quite limpid.

page_text: The first washing water may be slightly acidulated with hydrochoric acid, but
this is not indispensable.
For superior kinds of paper, the straw, before being disintegrated and
treated with lime or steam, should be cut up by the ordinary straw-cutting
machine, and then passed through a winnowing machine to remove the knots.
The latter may be employed with advantage for feeding cattle, who are very
fond of them, or for making common wrapping paper.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
W. G. E. SWINNOCK,
53, Chancery Lane, W. C.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)