IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Craig, of Newbattle Mills, Dalkeith, in
the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, Paper Manufacturer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE
OF PAPER."
Sealed the 22nd October 1869, and dated the 30th April 1869:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Craig at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th April 1869.
I, ROBERT CRAIG, of Newbattle Mills. Dalkeith, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, Paper Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF PAPER," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of certain improvements in the machinery of
the "Fourdrinier paper-making machine" as combined and working in
connection with what is commonly known as the "American cylinder,"

page_text: and by the combination of such machine and cylinder working together
papers generally of a thin or light texture are commonly made.
"
As such machine and cylinder are used at present there is only one
press roll, which is usually in a position immediately under such cylinder.
I place, however, in addition to such single press roll as now used at
least one additional press roll situate at a distance of about one foot or
thereby in front of such first-mentioned press roll. The effect of such
additional press roll or rolls is to express or discharge the water incor-
porated with the pulp in its progress through the machine to such an
extent as more efficiently to prepare the web of paper for receiving the
final pressure which it receives as such machine and cylinder are used at
present. It requires as I have found such. preparation, from the fact
that papers of a thickish or heavy description would otherwise "run;"
such additional press roll or rolls employed by me prevent "running'
in the web of paper. The use of my additional press roll or rolls tends
to increase the bulkiness of the paper, owing to the web being by said
additional press roll more gradually subjected to pressure than by the use
only of the single press roll at present in use. The press rolls before
mentioned, or such additional roll or rolls so used by me, are composed or
constructed of an inner shell or core of iron, brass, or other metal, or
wood, covered with an inner coating of vulcanite or hard rubber and an
outer coating of vulcanized or semi-rubber not so highly cured or
hardened, as described in my Specification for "Improvements in
Machinery or Apparatus for the Manufacture of Paper," Letters Patent
for which as applied to press rolls were granted to me under the Great
Seal upon the 16th day of January 1869. At a distance of about 18
inches or thereby from the additional press roll above mentioned, and in
front thereof, immediately above the point where the paper pulp first
comes in contact with the said cylinder, I place a "buff" or "buffer".
consisting of a wooden or metal roll having grooves wherein are inserted
flaps or pieces of leather or other flexible or suitable substance about two
inches apart from each other or thereby. The said "buff" or "buffer"
extends across the whole breadth of said cylinder, and is placed
sufficiently near said cylinder so that (revolving as it does at a high rate
of speed in an opposite direction thereto) the said flaps strike the surface
of the cylinder with force, the effect of which is thereby to keep up the
polish of said cylinder and to secure freedom from "seriff" or dirt or
other deleterious matter which otherwise is apt to gather, and also to

page_text: prevent such accumulations on the cylinder. The effect of my said
"buff" or "buffer" therefore is such that it thereby enables the paper
to be made and finished with a much higher gloss and much better
surface. My "buff" or "buffer" also preserves the polish of the surface
of the cylinder and aids in preventing its deterioration. The web of
paper also comes off said cylinder much more freely and is loss liable to
break.
I do not claim as of my Invention any part of the machine and
cylinder aforesaid except the application of said additional press roll or
rolls and the "buff" or "buffer" as aforesaid applied by me as above
described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Craig in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 30th October 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
CRAIG, of Newbattle Mills, Dalkeith, in the County of Mid Lothian,
North Britain, Paper Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Robert Craig, Her special licence that
I, the said Robert Craig, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Robert Craig, my executors, adminis-
trators, and 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 Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Robert Craig, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Scal Patent Office within six calendar

page_text: Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Craig, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon), that is
to say:
This Invention consists of certain improvements in the machinery of
the "Fourdrinier paper-making machine" as combined and working in
connection with what is commonly known as the "American cylinder,"
and by the combination of such machine and cylinder working together
papers generally of a thin or light texture are commonly made.
As such machine and cylinder are used at present there is only one
press roll which is usually in a position immediately under such cylinder.
I place, however, in addition to such single press roll, as now used at
least one additional press roll situate at a distance of about one foot
or thereby in front of such first-mentioned press roll. The effect of such
additional press roll or rolls is to express or discharge the water incor-
porated with the pulp in its progress through the machine to such an
extent as more efficiently to prepare the web of paper for receiving the
final pressure which it receives as such machine and cylinder are used
at present. It requires, as I have found, such preparation from the fact
that papers of a thickish or heavy description would otherwise "run;"
such additional press roll or rolls employed by me prevent "running"
in the web of paper. The use of my additional press roll or rolls also
tends to increase the bulkiness of the paper, owing to the web being by
said additional press roll more gradually subjected to pressure than by
the use only of the single press roll at present in use. The press rolls
before mentioned or such additional roll or rolls so used by me are com
posed or constructed of an inner shell or core of iron, brass, or other
metal, or wood, covered with an inner coating of vulcanite or hard rubber
and an outer coating of vulcanised or semi-rubber not so highly cured
or hardened, as described in my Specification for "Improvements in
Machinery or Apparatus for the Manufacture of Paper," Letters Patent
for which as applied to press rolls were granted to me under the Great
Seal on the Sixteenth day of January One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-nine.

page_text: In the accompanying Drawings, plate I. is a sketch of a portion of the
Fourdrinnier paper-making machine working in connection with the
American cylinder.
Figure A represents such cylinder; Fig. B, my patent rubber press
roll (driven it may be by contact with the cylinder A or by separate
gearing, but I prefer it to be driven by contact with such cylinder);
Fig. C represents an additional press roll, as before mentioned, situated
in front of such first-mentioned press roll. This additional roll may
also be driven in the same manner as the under press roll B, either by
separate gearing or by contact with the cylinder A, but I prefer the
latter mode. At a distance of about eighteen inches or thereby from such
additional press roll above mentioned, and in front thereof, immediately
above the point where the paper pulp first comes in contact with the
said cylinder, I place a "buff" or." buffer (D) consisting of a wooden
or metal roll having grooves wherein are inserted flaps or pieces of
leather or other flexible or suitable substance about two inches apart
from each other or thereby. The said "buff" or "buffer" extends across
the whole breadth of the said cylinder, and is placed sufficiently near
said cylinder so that (revolving as it does at a high rate of speed in an
opposite direction thereto) the said flaps strike the surface of the cylinder
with force, the effect of which is thereby to keep up the polish of said
cylinder and to secure freedom from "seriff" or dirt or other dclc-
terious matter which otherwise is apt to gather, and also to prevent such
accumulations on the cylinder.
Plate II. is a sectional Drawing shewing the cylinder and buffer (A)
and (D) with the relative gearing for driving the latter. The mode of
driving is as follows:-The under pulley E is driven by steam or other
motive power, and by a belt communicates motion to pulley F, and
thence to the friction gearing G, H, which gearing drives the buffer D.
I do not, however, limit myself to any particular mode of driving.
The effect of my said "buff" or "buffer" therefore is such that it
enables the paper to be made and finished with a much higher gloss
and much better surface. My "buff" or "buffer" also preserves the
polish of the surface of the cylinder and aids in preventing its dete-
rioration, and enables thick papers to be made with a gloss. The web of
paper also comes off said cylinder much more freely and is less liable
to break.

page_text: Having thus described my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I hereby declare that I do not claim as of my
Invention any part of the machine and cylinder aforesaid, except the
application of said additional press roll or rolls and the "buff" or
"buffer" as aforesaid applied by me as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Craig, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of October, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.