An Improvement in Rag Engines, also applicable to Washing, Mixing; and Dyeing Vats for Paper Manufacture
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 21st Oct., 1899
An Improvement in Rag Engines, also applicable to Washing, Mixing;
and Dyeing Vats for Paper Manufacture,
I, KARL HROMADNIK, of Pasing, near Munich, Bavaria, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
This invention relates to an improved construction of rag engine for paper
manufacture wherein there is provided a conical propelling wheel with tangen-
tial or oblique blades which wheel is made to act upon the rags or stuff in the rag
engine in such manner as both to increase the speed with which the stuff cir-
culates and to subject it to an eddying motion whereby an effectual mixing
together of the stuff is effected. The said improvement is equally applicable to
vats for washing mixing or dyeing paper material.
For these purposes the partitions of the rag engine are so arranged that at the
part where the said propelling wheel is situated, the whole of the stuff is com-
pelled to pass through the wheel from the narrower to the wider side which con-
sequently has a most energetic propelling and mixing action thereon. The said
wheel has furthermore the property of effectually breaking up and dissolving any
materials that may be mixed with the stuff for the purpose of bleaching, sizing,
colouring or washing the stuff, or for the admixture of cellulose with the rags.
The said wheels may be arranged in a variety of ways for the above purposes
some of which are shewn by way of example on the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 shews a part sectional elevation and Fig. 2 a part sectional plan of a rag
engine in which the longitudinal partition P of the engine is extended to the
casing at one end and in a coned opening of such extension is fitted the said
conical wheel A with tangential or oblique blades B3 mounted on a shaft C carried
in stuffing boxes D in the sides of the casing and driven by any suitable power.
E is the usual rotary cutter cylinder and F the fixed knives. G is a washing
drum of known arrangement. The circulation of the stuff being made to take
place in the direction of the arrow, the whole thereof is made to pass through the
wheel A from the smaller to the larger side which has the effect both of pro-
pelling the stuff at a quicker speed towards the cutter cylinder E and of effec-
tually mixing up the particles of the stuff.
The top of the rag engine is enclosed by a cover K at the part where the
wheel A is situated to prevent splashing.
Figs. 3 and 4 shew respectively a front view and a cross section of the conical
wheel A B and its seat I to a larger scale, shewing clearly the oblique position
of the blades B.
Figs. 5 and 6 shew respectively a part sectional elevation and a plan of a modi-
fied construction in which the conical circulating and mixing wheel A, is
arranged in a restricted part of the circulating channel of the rag engine, in
front of the cutter cylinder E, instead of in an extension of the partition. The
propelling wheel A is for this purpose arranged in an upward inclined position
so that it propels the stuff directly upwards towards the cutter cylinder. The
shaft C of the wheel is shewn passing through a stuffing box in the bottom of the

page_text: rag engine and is driven by gearing below. The shaft might also be carried in
a step bearing on the bottom of the rag engine without passing through this,
and be extended upward to receive the driving gear. The top of the rag engine
is covered in at H above the wheel A. so as to confine the upward propelled liquid
and prevent splashing.
Figs. 7 and 8 shews sectional elevation and plan to a smaller scale of a modi-
fication of the last described arrangement in which the conical propelling wheel
is put on the side of the partition opposite to that on which the cutter cylinder is
situated.
Figs. 9 and 10 shew a longitudinal section and plan of a modification in which
the propelling and mixing wheel A. is arranged in a middle part L of the engine
and propels the stuff into the two outer parts L' L', from which it again passes
back to the middle part as indicated by the arrows.
The engine is here assumed to be used solely for mixing, washing or dyeing
the stuff, without either cutter. cylinder, or washing drum, it may however be
used as a rag engine by fitting either a cutter cylinder in the one side compart-
ment and a washing drum in the other one, or by providing a cutting cylinder
or a washing drum in each of the two side compartments.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In combination with a rag engine or mixing, washing or dyeing vat for the
manufacture of paper material the use of a conical wheel such as A with oblique
blades such as B so arranged as to draw in the material on the smaller side of the
wheel, and expel it on the larger side and thus both propel and mix the material
circulating through the rag engine or vat, substantially as described.
2. A rag engine, or mixing, washing or dyeing vat combined with a conical
wheel A with blades B for propelling and mixing the material, arranged and
operating as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 13th day of September 1899.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.