Improvements in the Manufacture of Strainers and in Strainer Plates therefor Used in the Manufacture of Paper and other Industries.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Mar., 1887;
Complete Left, 9th Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 27th Jan., 1888
Improvements in the Manufacture of Strainers and in Strainer Plates
therefor Used in the Manufacture of Paper and other Industries.
I, HENRY JOHN ROGERS of Lavington House Watford in the County of Hertford
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture of Strainers &
Strainer Plates for straining pulp in the manufacture of paper & other industries.
In carrying this invention into practice I make a flat Strainer or "Knotter," the
Strainer plates being fixed on an angle or inclined to the centre of the Strainer
bottom, where I make a cavity or recess to collect dirt & other accumulations that
would be liable to spoil the finished sheet of paper, the pulp being admitted at both
ends of the said Strainer.
The plates are thus inclined to accelerate the passage of the said dirt and accumula-
tions to the cavity or recess before mentioned in which are deposited the impurities
that with the present system of flat Strainer plates are allowed to vibrate on the
surface of the plate, gradually becoming disintegrated and passing through the slits
in black specks or in some other form that is very deleterious to the manufacture of
good paper. This method of inclining the plates will also obviate the necessity for a
mechanical scraper which is sometimes used for clearing impurities from the slitted
surface of the plate and which often forces the dirt through the slits and tends to wear
them out and actually assists the dirt on its passage to the machine and thus damages
the paper.
I fix a rubber or other suitable diaphragm immediately under the bottom of the
plates or just close enough to allow of the free passage of the Stuff to the paper
machine after passing through the slits, and I attach to this diaphragm a plate of metal
of suitable strength and to this plate 1 fix guides so that the motion shall be absolutely
parallel the whole of the pulsating apparatus being made as light as possible; or I
obtain the vibrations of the above diaphragms by hydraulic pressure and for this
purpose I place a pump of suitabte construction in any convenient position and I lead
herefrom a hydraulic pipe to a cylinder placed on the bottom bed plate of the
trainer; in this cylinder I place a piston of wide wearing surface having a steel rod
he top end of which is securely fastened to the plate which is fixed to the rubber
iaphragm as before described, the valves in both the pump and cylinder being so

page_text: constructed as to give a constant vibratory motion to the diaphragm under the
strainer; or I obtain the vibratory motion as before described on the rubber or other
diaphragm by the "make and break " action of an alternating or constant current of
Electricity generated by a dynamo or battery either of the "Primary" or Secondary
type.
The
Hitherto strainer plates have been made with a perfectly flat surface on the upper,
and in some cases on the under side of the plate, but for use with the Strainer already
described I prefer to make the plate of a corrugated form both on the upper and
under sides; I slit the upper corrugations on the surface of the plate with a circular
saw as usual but much less time is occupied by this process because a continuous cut
can be made from end to end of the plate without raising or depressing the saw.
object of these corrugations is to ensure the passage of pure stuff only, as on a plain
surface in flat Strainers a sediment of matter such as metallic atoms, sand, heavy dirt,
and the heavier portions of pulp or knots accumulate on their passage from the sand
trap or catcher and even on the top of the strainer itself; when this improved form
of plate is used the heavier portions of the pulp gravitate to the bottom corrugations
and the lighter portions remain on the surface so that the slits will only pass the stuff
suitable for making good paper, the impurities passing down the inclined corrugations
to a dirt box or receptacle in the centre of the Strainer instead of vibrating on the
slitted portion of the plate as hefore but in existing Strainers the dirt and impurities
may be allowed to remain in the said corrugations until the machine is stopped for
cleaning purposes. I make this said plate of copper, hard rolled toughened brass,
phosphor bronze or other suitable material of suitable thickness and made to the
required shape for attachment to the under frame work thereof, and 1 form the said
corrugations by stamping with dies worked by a screw or hydraulic pressure, or I may
use ordinary rolls to form the corrugations longitudinally or crimping rolls to forin
them transversely or the said corrugations may be made in any other suitable manner.
This hard rolled plate I firmly fix to a frame of the requisite strength which never
requires renewing, the corrugated plate being the only part that is subject to wear.
These improved plates are also applicable to revolving knotters or strainers, in which
case 1 slit, both the upper and under corrugations where the length of fibre is suitable,
so as to give double the area of slitted surface to the plate for the pulp to pass through,
and it is evident that this form of double slitted plate may be used in flat Strainers if
a very large area of slitted surface is required. These plates can be made very much
cheaper than heretofore because of the facility with which they can be sawn and
because they can be made much lighter than usual, the corrugations rendering the
plate very much stronger than a Hat plate of the same thickness. They are also
specially adapted to be re-closed by my patent No. 32037 as less pressure is required
than in any other form of Strainer plate thus obviating the twisting and stretching
usually the result of the reclosing processes now in use. The plates may he made
either in one piece or in several sections as may be most convenient, or the plates may
be cast with the corrugations on the surfaces instead of rolled as before described.
Or if preferred the corrugations may be formed on the upper and under sides of a
sheet of metal by rotary cutters, the slitting process being afterwards applied in
the usual way. These corrugated plates may also be applied to the old form of
Strainer plate by removing the worn portion of the said plate as in my Renovating
Patent No. 11927/86.
The Strainer plates here described are applicable to Breweries or to any other
industries where a straining process is required. The ordinary form of Strainer plate
can be used in the strainer before described and my improved corrugated plate may
be used in any of the present form of strainers such as Hat, suction, jog or revolving
Strainers.

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Strainers and in Strainer rates
therefor Used in the Manufacture of Paper and other Industries.
I HENRY JOHN ROGERS of Lavington House, Watford in the County of Hertford
Engineer 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:-
Fig. 1
This invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture of strainers and
strainer plates for straining pulp in the manufacture of paper and other industries.
In carrying this invention into practise I use a flat strainer or "Knotter" a
the strainer plates being fixed on an angle or inclined to the centre of the strainer
bottom where I make a cavity or recess to collect dirt and other accumulations that
would be liable to spoil the finished sheet of paper the pulp being admitted at both
ends of the said strainer.
The plates c c are thus inclined to accelerate the passage of the dirt and accumulations
to the cavity or recess or dirt-box before mentioned in which are deposited the
impurities that with the present system of flat strainer plates are allowed to vibrate
on the surface of the plate, gradually becoming disintegrated and passing through the
slits in black specks or in some other form that is very deleterious to the production
of good paper.
This method of inclining the plates will also obviate the necessity for a mechanical
scraper which is sometimes used for clearing impurities from the slitted surface of
the plate and which often forces the dirt through the slits and tends to wear them out
and actually assists the said dirt on its passage to the machine and thus damages the
paper.
Beneath the strainer plates c c I place an India-rubber or other diaphragin d just
close enough to allow the free passage of the pulp to the paper machine and I attach
to this diaphragm a plate of metal e which is placed in immediate contact with the
mechanism used for obtaining the vibrations of the said diaphragm.
According to one method I effect this vibration by hydraulic pressure as illustrated
in Fig. 1. and for this purpose I place a pump of suitable construction in any
convenient position and at any distance from the strainers to be actuated thereby and
I lead therefrom hydraulic pipes g to a cylinder placed on the bed plate of the
strainer a; in the cylinder place a piston of wide wearing surface having a steel
rod the top end of which is securely fastened to the plate e, the valves in both the
pump and cylinder being so constructed as to give a constant vibratory motion to the
diaphragm under the strainer, the said pump being of suitable capacity to work
several strainers if required. Or I obtain the vibratory motion by arranging a crank
shaft j under or at one end of the strainer as shewn in figure 2 the connecting rod k
set in motion by the said shaftj acting upon a series of links 11 giving two vibrations
of the diaphragm to one vibration of the crank shaft and I fix guides m to the said

page_text: '
diaphragm so that the action thereof shall be absolutely vertical and springs n to
counteract the downward motion of the diaphragm d and to render the action
more free and reciprocating.
Or I obtain the vibratory motion on the diaphragm by the "make and break"
action of an alternating or constant current of Electricity generated by a Dynamo or
battery or any other known source of Electricity as illustrated in Fig. 3. where o o
are magnets fixed on a frame p. When the current passes around the said magnets o
the poles thereof attract the armature g and draw down the diaphragmn d and by so
doing depress the end of the rocking bar; simultaneously the opposite ends of the
rocking bar is raised which has the effect of clearing the slits of the strainer plate c
ready for the next downward movement of the diaphragm. The current is alternated
from side to side by the "make and break" action illustrated in Figs. 4. 5 where t is
a solid disc conveying current from the source of supply to the axle u on which is
fixed another disc v partly insulated from and partly in contact with the said axle the
contact segments of the said disc conveying the current to either side of the strainer
by means of the wires w. w. The Strainer a is divided in the centre by the division
plate so that the vacuum on one side will not be affected by the vacuum on the
other side.
It is evident that by using speed pullies y on the shaft u I can regulate the number
of vibrations of the diaphragms to any desired extent so as to suit the fibre of the
"stuff" that is being used and this alteration can be effected without stopping the
machine.
Solenoids may be used instead of magnets if preferred.
Hitherto Strainer Plates have been made with a perfectly flat surface on the upper
and in some cases on the under side of the plate but for use with the strainer already
described I prefer to make the plate of a corrugated form see Figs. 6 & 7 both on the
upper and under side, the object of which is to ensure the passage of good stuff only,
as on a plain surface in flat strainers a sediment of matter such as metallic atoms,
sand and the heavier portion of pulp or "knots accumulate on their passage from
the sand trap and even on the surface of the strainer plate itself.
"
"
By reason of the two surfaces of the plate being formed entirely of gentle undula-
tions or curves, "hanks"
ог knots"
are unable to form on the under side thereof
and "retree is reduced to a minimum; the heavier portions of the pulp gravitate to
the lower corrugations a and the lighter portions remain on the surface so that the
slits d will only pass the "stuff" suitable for making good paper, but in existing
strainers the impurities may be allowed to remain in the corrugations a and gullies b
until the machine is stopped for cleansing purposes. At the end of the said dirt
trap b is an outlet for clearing out the accumulated impurities when required and
a small pipe is placed in the said dirt trap with pin holes therein from which issue jets
of water for the purpose of keeping the lighter portions of the pulp, but not the
refuse portions, in a state of agitation, or I fix a dasher, which I gently agitate to and
fro in the said dirt trough to effect the same purpose.
I make the said corrugated plates a. b. d. of copper, toughened brass, phosphor
Bronze, or other suitable material of the proper thickness for the passage of the
stuff and I form the said corrugations by stamping with dies worked by a screw or
cam or by hydraulic pressure, or I may use ordinary rolls to form the corrugations
longitudinally or crimping rolls to form them transversly. This hard rolled plate I
firmly fix to a frame c of the requisite strength which never requires renewing, the
corrugated plate being the only part that is subject to wear. These plates are also
applicable to revolving knotters or strainers in which case I slit both the upper and
under corrugations where the length of fibre is suitable so as to give double the area
of slitted surface and it is evident that this form of double slitted plate may be used in
flat strainers if a very large area of slitted surface is required but in this case they will
no longer act as dirt arresters.
This form of plate is very much stronger than a flat plate of the same thickness on
account of the corrugated or bridge shaped form of the plate, it is also especially
adapted to be reclosed when the slits become worn as less pressure is required than in

page_text: any other plate the pressure being lateral instead of vertical thus obviating the
twisting and stretching usually the result of the reclosing processes now in use when
applied to the usual flat plates.
These plates may be made either in one piece or in several sections or they may be
cast with the corrugations on the surfaces instead of being rolled if desired, or the
corrugations may be formed on the upper and under side of a sheet of metal by rotary
cutters the slitting process being afterwards applied in the usual way or I may form
the corrugations by grooving the crown of the present form of strainer plate.
These corrugated plates may also be applied to the old form of strainer plates by
removing the worn portion thereof as in my "Renovating" Patent No. 11927/86.
The strainor plates here described are applicable to Breweries or to any other
industry where a straining process is required.
The ordinary form of Strainer Plate can be used in the strainers already described
or my improved corrugated plate may be used in any of the present forms of Strainers
such as flat, suction, jog or revolving strainers.
These plates may be attached to the old or new frame either by rivetting, the
edge of each plate overlapping the other as shewn in Fig. 7, or the edges may be
turned down as shown in Fig. 6. and inserted in a "V" grove e cut in the
strengthening bar of the new or old frame and the recess between the two edges of
the plate filled in with any alloy that will expand in cooling, an absolutely rigid
joint being thus attained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1st. The application of the pumps or water cylinders f. h. to obtain the vibration
of the diaphragms d by hydraulic pressure as described and illustrated in Fig. 1.
2nd. The application of the springs and guide rods m. n. in connection with the
link motion to obtain the vibration of the diaphragm d as described and illustrated
in Fig. 2.
«
3rd. The application of a current of Electricity governed by a make and break"
action for obtaining the vibrations of the diaphragmus d as described and illustrated
in Figs. 3. 4. 5.
ог
25
4th. The strainer plate a b d formed with corrugated or evenly curved surfaces, the
upper surface to arrest the dirty ingredients of the pulp the lower surface to prevent
the formation of "hanks knots" as described and illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7.
5th. The application of the said corrugated strainer plates either in segments or in
one plate to worn strainer plates so that the worn surface only need be renewed and
not the whole plate and the method of fixing the said plates to the new or old frame
work as described and illustrated in Figs. 6 & 7.
But I do not claim the shape or configuration of the strainers as illustrated in
Figs. 1. 2. 3. nor the diaphragms d but only the methods of actuating the said
diaphragins as described and illustrated.
בד
1:1 of Decembar 1887
HENRY J. ROGERS.