IM- PROVEMENTS IN EXTRACTING RESINOUS AND GUMMY MATTERS FROM WOOD, APPLICABLE TO THE CONVERSION OF WOOD AND OTHER LIKE FIBRE-BEARING SUBSTANCES INTO PAPER STOCK
Year: 1871

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN EXTRACTING RESINOUS AND GUMMY MATTERS FROM WOOD,
APPLICABLE TO THE CONVERSION OF WOOD AND OTHER LIKE FIBRE-BEARING
SUBSTANCES INTO PAPER STOCK."-A communication from abroad by
William Adamson, of Philadelphia, in the United States of America,
Manufacturer.
Scaled the 7th October 1871, and dated the 15th July 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 15th July 1871.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
5 of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN EXTRACTING RESINOUS AND GUMMY MATTERS
FROM WOOD, APPLICABLE TO THE CONVERSION OF WOOD AND OTHER LIKE FIBRE-
BEARING SUBSTANCES INTO PAPER STOCK," a communication to me from abroad

page_text: by William Adamson, of Philadelphia, in the United States of America,
to be as follows :-
This Invention consists in extracting resinous and gummy matters
from wood and other fibre-bearing vegetable substance into paper stock
by subjecting it substantially in the manner herein-after described to
the action of hydro-carbons, by preference naphtha, benzine, benzole,
gasoline, or other equivalent volatile product of the distillation of
petroleum, coal, or schiste; the object of the Invention being to obtain
from wood or other fibrous vegetable matter at a cheap rate paper stock
of a superior quality.
The apparatus, which has been found to answer well in carrying
out this Invention, but which separately forms no part thereof, con-
sists of a closed vessel of iron, or any other material which will
resist the chemical action of the contents. Within this vessel and
extending across the same a short distance above the bottom is a
perforated diaphragm on which are placed the wood in the shape
of chips, wood shavings, sawdust, or other fibre bearing vegetable
matter which is capable of being converted into paper pulp. In the
space between the perforated diaphragm and the bottom of the vessel'
is placed a coil or its equivalent to which steam is introduced, and to
the lower corner of the vessel is attached a discharge pipe and faucet.
A pipe extends from the top of the vessel into a condenser, where it
assumes the form of a coil or worm, the latter terminating in a pipe
which communicates with the space between the perforated diaphragm
and the bottom of the vessel. The vessel should have a man-hole for the
introduction of the material, the whole being furnished with a suitable
detachable cover, and the vessel may also be furnished with a suitable
safety valve. The material to be operated upon is confined in the vessel
between the top of the same and the perforated diaphragm, and a supply
of benzine, benzole, gasoline, or other equivalent product of the dis-
tillation of petroleum, coal, or schiste is introduced into a space bclow
the diaphragm, the supply after reaching or nearly reaching the
diaphragm being cut off by closing a cock. On introducing steam
into the coil vapour will rise from the benzine or its equivalent, and
after permeating the mass of shavings will pass through a pipe into
the coil, and after being there condensed will pass through a pipe to the
vessel below the diaphragm, to be there again converted into vapour by
the steam coil, the vapour pursuing its previous course through the

page_text: shavings prior to being again condensed. The vapour as it thus per-
meates and circulates through the mass of shavings at once attacks
the resinous and gummy ingredients of the wood, and these substances
being dissolved flow freely through the perforated diaphragm and lodge
on the bottom of the vessel, from which they may be withdrawn from
time to time through a discharge cock. In a comparatively short time
after the commencement of the process but little remains on the per-
forated diaphragm excepting a mass of fibres which is available for
paper stock.
The apparatus above described is an economical appliance for carrying
this Invention into effect, but it should be understood that the process
can be carried out in an open vessel on many woods; the objection to
this however is the loss of the benzine or its equivalent. The wood may
even be subjected to the direct action of the benzine or its equivalent
in open or closed vessels, or the process may be carried into effect by
the combined direct application of benzine or its equivalent and the
vapors of the same. For instance, there may be a second perforated
diaphragm near the top of the vessel, the shavings or other fibre bearing
vegetable matter being confined between the two diaphragms, and the
condensed benzine, or its equivalent, may be permitted to pass directly
from the coil in the condenser into the upper diaphragm through which
it will pass in streams and percolate through the mass of shavings until
it is vaporised by the steam coil or other heat generator and the vapor
again ascending to be condensed as before. In this case there will be
the direct application of benzine to the material by descending streams
simultaneously with the application of ascending vapour.
Other apparatus and appliances for carrying out this Invention, either
by the direct application of benzine or other equivalent product of the
distillation of petroleum, coal, or schiste, or by the application of vapors
of benzine or its equivalent, or by both, will readily suggest themselves
to those who are familiar with chemical processes and apparatus, and
therefore the Inventor does not confine or restrict himself to the use
of the particular apparatus before described, which is merely given as
an example.
The fibre when obtained as above described may be converted into
pulp by any of the mechanical or chemical processes now in usc.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 11th January 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN-
HENRY · JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the 35th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license
that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my
executors, administrators, or 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 Ircland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
EXTRACTING RESINOUS AND GUMMY MATTERS FROM WOOD, AND IN THE CONVERSION
OF WOOD AND OTHER LIKE FIBRE-Bearing SubsTANCES INTO PAPER STOCK," a
communication to me from abroad by William Adamson, of Philadelphia,
in the United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 John Henry Johnson, 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, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say,
The said Invention consists in extracting resinous and gummy
matters from wood and other fibre-bearing vegetable substances, such
as fibrous stalks, leaves, husks, and bark, by subjecting such substances

page_text: substantially in the manner herein-after described to the action of
hydrocarbons, by preference naptha, benzine, benzole, gasoline, or other
equivalent volatile product of the distillation of petroleum, coal, or
schiste, the object of the Invention being to obtain from wood or other
fibrous vegetable matter at a cheap rate fibres suitable for manufacture
into paper stock of a superior quality.
The apparatus which has been found to answer well in carrying out
this Invention, but which separately forms no part thereof, consists of a
closed vessel of iron or any other material which will resist the chemical
action of the contents. Such an apparatus is shewn in vertical section
on the annexed Sheet of Drawings.
Within this vessel A and extending across the same a short distance
above the bottom is a perforated diaphragm B, on which is placed the
vegetable substance to be operated upon, such, for example, as wood
in the shape of chips, wood shaving, sawdust, or other fibre-bearing
vegetable matter which is capable of being converted into paper pulp.
In the space between the perforated diaphragm and the bottom of the
vessel there is placed a coil D or its equivalent to which steam is.
introduced through a pipe a, and to the lower part of the vessel is
attached a discharge pipe and faucet or tap f. A pipe D' extends from
the top of the vessel into a condenser G, where it assumes the form of
a coil or worm H, the latter terminating in a pipe e which communicates
with the space between the perforated diaphragm and the bottom of
the vessel. The vessel should have a man-hole x for the introduction
of the material, the whole being furnished with a suitable detachable
cover, and the vessel may also be furnished with a suitable safety valve
if required. The material to be operated upon is confined in the vessel
between the top of the same and the perforated diaphragm B, and a
supply of benzine, benzole, gasoline, or other equivalent product of the
distillation of petroleum, coal, or schiste is introduced by the pipe / into
the space below the diaphragm, the supply after reaching or nearly
reaching the diaphragm being cut off by closing the cock y. .On
introducing steam into the coil D vapour will rise from the benzine or
its equivalent and after permeating the mass of shavings or other fibre-
bearing vegetable substance will pass through the pipe D' into the coil
or worm H, and after being there condensed will pass through the pipe e
back to the vessel A below the diaphragm B, to be there again converted
into vapour by the steam coil, the vapour pursuing its previous course

page_text: .
through the vegetable substances prior to being again condensed. The
vapour as it thus permeates and circulates through the mass of shavings,
fibrous stalks, leaves, husks, or bark at once attacks any resinous and
gummy matters that may be contained therein, and these substances
being dissolved out flow freely through the perforated diaphragm B and
lodge on the bottom of the vessel A, from which they may be withdrawn
from time to time through the discharge cock or faucet f. In a com-
paratively short time after the commencement of the process but little
remains on the perforated diaphragm excepting a mass of fibres, which
is available for paper stock.
The apparatus above described is an economical appliance for carrying
this Invention into effect, but it should be understood that the process
can be carried out in an open vessel on many woods. The objection to
this however is the loss of the benzine or its equivalent. The wood may
even be subjected to the direct action of the benzine or its equivalent
in open or closed vessels, or the process may be carried into effect by
the combined direct application of benzine or its equivalent and the
vapours of the same. For instance there may be a second perforated
diaphragm (as shewn by the dotted line m) near the top of the vessel,
the shavings or other fibre-bearing vegetable matter being confined a
between the two diaphragms m and B, and the condensed benzine or its
equivalent may be permitted to pass directly from the coil H in the
condenser into the space above the upper diaphragm m through the
pipe e' shewn in dotted line, through which diaphragm it will pass in
streams and percolate through the mass of shavings until it is vaporized a
by the steam coil or other heat generator and the vapour again
ascending to be condensed as before. In this case there will be the
direct application of benzine to the material by descending streams
simultaneously with the application of ascending vapour.
Other apparatus and appliances for carrying out this Invention either a
by the said application of benzine or other equivalent product of the
distillation of petroleum, coal, or schiste, or by the application of vapours
of benzine or its equivalent, or by both, will readily suggest themselves
to those who are familiar with chemical processes and apparatus, and
therefore the Inventor does not confine or restrict himself to the use of 3
the particular apparatus before described, which is merely given as an
example.

page_text: The fibre when obtained as above described may be converted into
pulp by any of the mechanical or chemical processes now in use.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to he novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured.
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The preparation of wood and other fibre-bearing substances so
as to render them suitable for the preparation of paper stock by sub-
jecting the same to the action of such hydrocarbons as possess a
solvent action on the gums and resins contained in such fibre-bearing
substances, substantially in the manner herein-before described.
Second. The extracting the resinous and gummy matters contained
in wood or other vegetable fibre-bearing substances by the employment
of such hydrocarbons as are solvents of the said resinous and gummy
matters, substantially in the manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of
January One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.