IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FORMING A PARTIAL VACUUM IN PAPER-MAKING MACHINES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sam Mason, junior, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, John Wolstenholme, of the Albert Works, Radcliffe
Bridge, in the same County, Hydraulic Engineer, and Samuel Spencer, of Rad-
cliffe Bridge aforesaid, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR FORMING A PARTIAL VACUUM IN PAPER-MAKING MACHINES."
Sealed the 4th May 1877, and dated the 20th November 1876.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Sam Mason, John Wolsten-
holme, and Samuel Spencer at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 20th November 1876.
SAM MASON, junior, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, JOHN
WOLSTENHOLME, of the Albert Works, Radcliffe Bridge, in the same County,
Hydraulic Engineer, and SAMUEL SPENCER, of Radcliffe Bridge aforesaid, Engineer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FORMING A PARTIAL VACUUM IN PAPER-MAKING
MACHINES."
In paper-making machines of the ordinary construction the partial vacuum
required for removing the excess of moisture from the pulp is produced by a current
of water passing through the vacuum box or by pumps. Now our Invention
consists in effecting the same object by means of an injector or elevator consisting of
a steam nozzle fitting within a case containing the combination nozzle; this case is
attached or connected to the vacuum box, and when the steam is on, it produces the
partial vacuum required to remove the excess of water from the pulp and to force it
into the "stuff chest."
The current can be regulated by screwing the steam nozzle nearer to or further
from the combination nozzle. By this means the waste of water and pulp is
avoided and the pumps and gearing for driving them are dispensed with.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Sam Mason, John Wolstenholme, and Samuel Spencer in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 19th May 1877.
SAM MASON, junior, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, JOHN
WOLSTENHOLME, of the Albert Works, Radcliffe Bridge, in the same County,
Hydraulic Engineer, and SAMUEL SPENCER, of Radcliffe Bridge aforesaid, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FORMING A PARTIAL VACUUM IN PAPER-MAKING
MACHINES."
In paper-making machines of the ordinary construction the partial vacuum
required for removing the excess of moisture from the pulp is produced by a current
of water passing through the vacuum box or by pumps. Now our Invention
consists in effecting the same object by means of an injector or elevator consisting
of a steam nozzle fitting within a case containing the combination nozzle; this case
is attached or connected to the vacuum box, and when the steam is on, it produces
the partial vacuum required to remove the excess of water from the pulp and to
force it into the "stuff chest."
The current can be regulated by screwing the steam nozzle nearer to or further
from the combination nozzle. By this means the waste of water and pulp is
avoided and the pumps and gearing for driving them are dispensed with.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
operation, we will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a plan of part of an ordinary vacuum box which is placed under the wire
gauze forming part of the paper-making machine, and Fig. 2 is an end view of the
same.
The partial vacuum for removing the excess of moisture from the pulp on the
wire gauze is produced by an injector or elevator fixed to the vacuum box or con-
nected to it in any convenient manner. The injector consists of the steam nozzle a
which fits in the case b, fixed to the end of the vacuum box or otherwise connected
to it. Within the case b is the combination nozzle c, and the force of the current is
regulated by varying the distance between the point of the steam nozzle and the
combination nozzle, and this is effected by the hand wheel d, the boss of which
forms a nut for the screw on the bush of the steam nozzle a. The glande fits on
the boss of the hand wheel d, and this gland screws into the case b to compress the
packing of the stuffing box. The steam nozzle is connected to a steam pipe in any
convenient manner, and when steam is turned on it produces the desired partial
vacuum in the vacuum box to draw off the excess of moisture from the pulp and to
force it back to the "stuff chest " through a pipe connected to the end of the
case b.
Fig. 3 represents a modification of our Invention; in this case the injector instead
of being fixed to the end of the vacuum box as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, is connected
to the end of the elbow pipe g, which is bolted to the side of the vacuum box as
shewn in Fig. 1. By this arrangement the water is allowed to run off at the pipe,
and the steam alone is discharged at f
The partial vacuum obtained by the injector as above described is considerably
stronger than that required for drawing off the excess of moisture from the pulp,
consequently the paper machine may be worked when the vacuum box is drawing
air, whereas when the partial vacuum is obtained by a current of water or by
pumps as usual, the machine has to be stopped for repairs when the vacuum box
leaks.
Our Invention also dispenses with the apparatus heretofore required for actuating
the pumps, or otherwise producing the partial vacuum.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention and described a convenient mode
of performing the same, we wish it to be understood that we do not intend to limit

page_text: ourselves to the details given, and we claim, producing the partial vacuum required
in the vacuum boxes of paper-making machines by means of injectors or elevators.
In witness whereof, we, the said Sam Mason, junior, John Wolstenholme, and
Samuel Spencer, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixteenth day
of May, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.