IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY KNOTTERS, USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Haddan, of Kensington, Middlesex for an
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY KNOTTERS, USED IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF PAPER a communication to him from abroad by Reinicke and Jasper, of
Coethen, Germany
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert John Haddan at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th April 1883.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of Kensington, Middlesex, "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY
KNOTTERS, USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER," a communication to me from
abroad by Reinicke and Jasper, of Coethen, Germany,
The principal improvement recently applied to rotary knotters consists in the
omission of the shaking of the sieve proper.
The sieve rotates with its ends forming hollow journals, in bearings formed by
stuffing boxes.
The shaking motion necessary for the purpose of knotting is carried out in the
mass by means of a special plate which is bent and partly surrounds the cylinder,
and which plate situated at a short distance from the cylinder is moved up and
down with great rapidity;
Knotters of this kind have been further improved as regards their details of
construction.
The shafts supporting and actuating the shaking plate which were hitherto
introduced into the trough through stuffing boxes now enter the trough from below
through an ordinary hole, and the packing is obtained by surrounding the upper
end of the shaft with an indiarubber collar which is constantly somewhat com-
pressed and yields by elasticity to the shaking motion of the shaft.
The prismatic guides of the shaker have been provided with automatic lubricators,
and, for the purpose of adjusting the limit of the shaking motion towards below,
the adjusting nuts are provided with a very simple locking device.
The cam which causes the shaking motion has also been provided with an
automatic lubricator.
The most important improvement, however, is, that the knotter may now be

page_text: used in two different manners. Hitherto the mass has been introduced into the
trough underneath the sieve cylinder, the knots were caught by the onter circum-
ference of the sieve cylinder, and the purified mass was discharged from the
interior of the cylinder through the hollow journals. With the present construction
the same apparatus may not only be used for this purpose, but the mass may also
enter the sieve cylinder through the hollow journals in which case the knots are
caught by the inner surface of the sieve cylinder and the mass is discharged
through the sieve into the trough and flows off into the paper machine. In this
case the shaking device operates in the purified mass.
For the purpose of causing the mass to pass through the apparatus in either way
the supply and discharge channels for the mass may be attached alternately along
either side of the machine.
If the knots are caught on the inner surface of the sieve a sprinkling apparatus
operates from outside and above through the sieve, which washes the knots from
the inner surface of the sieve into a channel. This channel leads through the
sieve cylinder and serves to continuously discharge the knots.
If the knots are eliminated on the outer surface of the cylinder the sprinkling
apparatus operates from the inside towards the outside.
The water is then received above the machine in a channel of peculiar shape, but
it is preferable not to sprinkle simultaneously and continuously over the whole
breadth of the machine.
In view of this an arrangement has been invented for sprinkling separate parts
of the sieve cylinder sucessively in such a manner that on one complete rotation of
the cylinder its whole length is subjected to a sprinkling, which sprinkling
however only affects separate sections of the circumference of the cylinder which
sections are situated in spiral shape round the cylinder.
On the next rotation of the cylinder another of these spiral shaped sections is
sprinkled over and so on.
This partial and alternate sprinkling is effected by means of a revolving water
feeding device.
Hitherto the holes of the sieve were enlarged towards one surface only, for
facilitating the entrance of the spray of water into the sieve. As the apparatus is
now adapted to operate in both manners, sieve cylinders are employed the holes of
which are enlarged towards both surfaces.
The whole machine may be constructed in a very simple manner if instead of
supporting and actuating the shaking plate by means of spindles introduced from
below the said plate is fixed to a strap resting on the top of the trough and
operated by a revolving cam-shaft.
The same shaft rotates the sieve cylinder by means of an endless screw.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Herbert John Haddan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th October 1883.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of Kensington, Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROTARY
KNOTTERS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER," a communication to me from
abroad by Reinicke and Jasper, of Coethen, Germany,
The principal improvement recently applied to rotary knotters consists in the
omission of the shaking of the sieve proper.
The sieve rotates with its ends forming hollow journals, in bearings formed by
stuffing boxes.
The shaking motion necessary for the purpose of knotting is carried out in the
mass by means of a special plate which is bent and partly surrounds the cylinder
and which plate situated at a short distance from the cylinder is moved up and
down with great rapidity.
A sprinkling apparatus placed in the upper part of the sieve cylinder which
sprinkles for every circular cut of the sieve a fine jet of water from the inside
towards the outside of the cylinder, cleaning the latter from adhering knots and
the jets of water are caught by means of a double channel r bent into a peculiar
shape, in which manner the sprinkling water is educted.
During this operation the sprinkling water must be prevented from passing
between and falling into the mass and thereby diluting the same more than
necessary. For the purpose of preventing or at least diminishing the escape of
the water in this way the sprinkling itself is limited without however diminishing
the efficacy of the cleaning of the sieve; this is obtained in the following manner:
Instead of simultaneously and continuously sprinkling over the whole length
of the sieve-cylinder separate sections only of the same are sprinkled over at
the time.
As shown in Fig 1 the sprinkling tube q is divided into six equal parts or
sections. Each section of the sprinkling tube is fed with water from a separate
chamber or reservoir QQ. which chambers are connected together and situated
in a tube shaped body which extends through one of the hollow journals of the
cylinder into the interior of the same and is fixed outside to the frame of the
machine.
From the extreme end of this series of reservoirs six water conducting pipes s
pass through the same each of which terminates in one of the reservoirs QQ
Facing the outer apertures of these pipes 88... is situated a round plate or disc t
mounted on the shaft u and which may be turned round the axis of the series of
reservoirs. The disc t is enclosed in a space v from which the shaft u extends
through a stuffing box.
The sprinkling water is fed from above into the space by means of pressure.
The disc t has an aperture through which the water enters into one of the pipes s
and is conducted through the same into the reservoir which is connected with the
same. From this reservoir the water is conducted into the section of the sprinkling
pipe 9 connected with the same from which section alone the water is sprinkled
over the surface of the cylinder.
The disc is turned at intervals in such a manner that its aperture meets the
end of one pipe after the other and remains a short time before the aperture of
each of the pipes 8.
In front of the disc is placed another sieve which prevents the impurities
contained in the sprinkling-water from entering into the sprinkling apparatus

page_text: proper; this sieve can be cleaned by opening the cock situated at the bottom of
the space or chamber whereby the water is allowed to run down through the
space passing along the surface of the sieve.
The periodical turning of the disc t is caused by means of a ratchet mounted on
the shaft u. In Fig 1 at the left end of the machine is shown a toothed wheel w
which is set in motion when the machine works. At each revolution of the wheel,
a pin fixed on one of the arms of the wheel, catches the lever y extending
downwards from the ratchet and which is fixed with its upper arm on the pawl
of the ratchet (see Fig 2). This lever is provided with a weights, so that when
pressed on one side by the pin x it is brought back into its previous position by
means of the weight immediately after the pin has passed along the surface of the
lever and releases the same. Every time the lever is thus thrown back the pawl
turns the ratchet thereby turning the shaft u and the disc t to an amount corre-
sponding to one tooth of the ratchet which turning corresponds to the adjusting
of the aperture in the disc t in front of the openings of the conducting pipes 8 one
after the other
In proportion to the rapidity with which the sieve-cylinder and the wheel w
turn a larger or smaller section or part of the circumference of the sieve-cylinder is
sprinkled over by means of one of the sections of the sprinkling tube q. After
which the same operation is performed by means of the next section of the
sprinkling tube over another section of the sieve cylinder and so on.
According to the manner in which the tooth wheels are set into gear with each
other the machine can be so arranged that the whole length of the sieve-cylinder
is sprinkled over every six revolutions or at any number of revolutions.
If the disc t is provided with two apertures, two sections of the sprinkling tube
will be caused to sprinkle simultaneously, in a similar manner the amount of
sprinkling may be varied ad libitum. The sprinkling tube may be divided into
any number of sections. The disc t may be provided with a series of apertures
corresponding in position to the conducting pipes 8, which apertures except one
are closed in any suitable manner and the attendant by opening another or any
number of apertures will be able to regulate the amount of sprinkling water
according to the nature of the mass.
In rotary knotters hitherto used the mass of paper-pulp first flows into the
trough and then during the cleaning through the walls of the sieve cylinder into
the same and leaves the latter through its hollow journals to flow into the space o
and finally through the broad overflow channel p. In Fig 3 this is represented by
a projected plan. By this operation the greatest part of the caught knots are
accumulated in the trough of the machine where the mass becomes more and more
impure in consequence of which the trough must be emptied from time to time
owing to the large quantity of accumulated knots which prevents the passing of
the mass through the sieve. This is prevented by causing the mass to pass the
machine in the reverse direction. In Fig 4 it is shown how the mass of paper
pulp first flows into the space o and then passes through the hollow journals of the
cylinder into the latter and arrives through the sieve into the trough and from
the latter at the overflow channel p. In this manner the knots are caught on
the inside of the cylinder and may be washed off in a very simple manner as follows:
In the interior of the cylinder is placed a long channel m and the water is
sprinkled from outside by means of a sprinkling tube q¹ into the channel m.
trough and the sprinkling tube q' are shown in Fig 5 by dotted lines. The knots
adhering to the inner surface of the walls of the sieve are in this manner washed
into the channel m from where they are let off with the sprinkling water through
the let off pipe m¹.
The
In certain cases it is preferable to cause the mass to flow in the direction_first
described but it may be desirable to reverse the direction in which the mass flows,
which may be carried out, as may easily be seen, without requiring substantial
alterations in the construction and arrangement of the machine.
The -trough is provided on-the left side with a connecting tube to which is

page_text: adjusted the overflow channel p while the plate closing the connecting tube serves
to close the space o. The machine proper and its connection with its transmission
need not be altered.
•
If desirable the machine can be so arranged that the sprinkling tube q' may be
replaced, by a sectional sprinkling apparatus fed by an arrangement similar to &
revolver.
In sieve cylinders hitherto made the outside is completely smooth while the slit-
shaped openings are enlarged toward the inside so as to permit an easy ingress of
the jets of sprinkling water.
In machines constructed as before described and which are arranged in such a
manner that the mass may be caused to flow in either direction the openings of the
sieve cylinder are enlarged towards both sides.
A particular advantage in the second mode of operating the machine is that the
shaking plate g works in the already purified mass of pulp whereby the mass is
thoroughly stirred which is favourable, for the formation of the paper which follows
the purification.
In the first mode of operating, the stirring of the shaking plate in the pulp, in
which the accumulation of the knots increases with the working of the machine,
cannot be recommended.
Owing to the great rapidity of the shaking motion and the sandy impurities of
the mass, the stuffing boxes hitherto employed for receiving the supporting shaft of
the shaking plate as well as the shaft itself, soon wear out and become useless.
For the purpose of avoiding constant repairs the shaft of the shaking plate enters
the trough through an ordinary hole and the packing is obtained by surrounding
the upper end of the shaft with an india rubber collar n which is constantly
somewhat compressed and yields by elasticity to the short shaking motion of the
shaft (Figs 1 and 5)
The prismatic guides e of the shaker and the cam causing the shaking motion
have been provided with automatic lubricators and for the purpose of adjusting
the limit of the shaking motion towards below, the adjusting nuts are provided
with a simple adjusting device, Fig 6.
If acidulated cellulose is used for making paper, iron troughs, coated with
an expensive substance for the purpose of rendering them proof against acid, must
be employed, owing to which the machines used for treating such paper stuffs are
expensive. Consequently a very simple and cheap apparatus in connection with
the construction of a rotary knotter with separate shaking device has been invented
and is represented by Figs. 7 and 8.
The sieve cylinder is placed in a wooden casing and is turned by the driving
shaft c by means of an endless screw and bevel wheels while the shaking plate g
has its bearings in straps, pivoted on the opposite wall of the casing and
actuated by the ratchet wheels d.
Fig 8 of the accompanying drawing shows the large bevelled driving wheel C¹,
which gears into the bevelled wheel C mounted on a short axle with the worm
wheel B¹.
On the corresponding end of the main shaft c is fixed the screw B coupled
with the worm wheel B' while the driving wheel A is mounted on the other end.
Between the bearings of this shaft is shown the ratchet-wheel d partly concealed
from view by the ends of the straps. Fig 8 is a sectional view of the sieve cylinder
showing the channel m and the shaking plate g.
The paper pulp to be purified is led by a channel o through the hollow journal
of the cylinder directly into the sieve cylinder while the purified mass leaves the

page_text: 2. Causing the paper pulp to pass from the interior of the sieve-cylinder
through the circumference of the latter, so that the shaking plate, works in the
clarified paper pulp.
3. The packing of the shaking rod f where it enters the trough of the machine,
which packing consists essentially of an india-rubber ring n adapted to yield to
the shaking motion by elasticity, without being relieved of compression.
4. Sieve-slots enlarged towards the inner and outer surface of the. cylindrical
sieve.
5. The means of moving the sieve cylinder and the shaking plate, comprising a
shaking axle c mounted at the side of a wooden box and adapted to move the
sieve-cylinder directly by the aid of an endless screw and bevel gearing, and a
shaking plate mounted on saddle-straps resting with one extremity on ratchet-
wheels and with the other on the wall of the box.
.
The whole substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said Herbert John Haddan have hereunto set my
hand and seal this 5th day of October A.D. 1883.