IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPARATING THE FIBRES OF MATERIALS PAPER PULP, AND APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Alfred Cowper, of No. 6, Great George
Street, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPARATING THE FIBRES OF MATERIALS
Sealed the 11th January 1873, and dated the 13th November 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Alfred Cowper
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 13th November 1872.
I, EDWARD ALFRED COWPER, of No. 6, Great George Street, West-
minster, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPARATING THE FIBRES
OF MATERIALS PRODUCING PAPER PULP, AND APPARATUS THEREFOR," to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to a method of separating the fibres of materials
prepared for the production of paper pulp, and distributing those fibres.
in water by means of apparatus whereby the operation is carried on
in a continuous manner. For this purpose I employ a closed cylindrical
vessel having at the one end an inlet by which the fibrous material.
to be separated is introduced, with a regulated proportion of water,
which by preference is heated, and at the other end an outlet for

page_text: the water with the separated fibres suspended in it. A shaft is passed
through a stuffing box in the centre of the one end of the vessel, and
another shaft is likewise passed through a stuffing box in the centre
of the other end. On the one shaft are fixed a number of radial bars,
and on the other shaft is fixed a frame which can revolve outside these
radial bars, and from which a number of radial bars project inwards,
the two sets of radial bars being arranged so that they pass clear of each
other. The two shafts are made to revolve in opposite directions, so that
their bars moving through the liquid in the vessel produce powerful
opposing currents, which dragging the fibres in different directions
separate them from each other without breaking them.
I am aware that radial bars or their equivalents revolving in opposite
directions have been employed for beating eggs, churning, and like
purposes; but in such cases the liquid to be operated on has first
been supplied in its full quantity to a saucepan or other open vessel,
and subjected therein to the action of the revolving bars till the
operation was complete, the speed being limited in consequence of the
vessel being open.
I am also aware the radial bars have been attached to the interior
of a revolving cylinder, whereby the whole contents were caused to
rotate.
According to my Invention, as above described, the speed of working
may be such as to produce the powerful currents required to tear
asunder the masses of fibre, the vessel being closed. The contained
liquid while agitated by opposing currents is not made to rotate bodily,
and the operation is rendered continuous, the material to be operated on
being introduced in a regular stream at the one end of the apparatus,
and the liquid with the pulp uniformly distributed through it issuing
at the other end.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Alfred Cowper in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 12th May 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
ALFRED COWPER, of No. 6, Great George Street, Westminster, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Edward Alfred Cowper, Her special license
that I, the said Edward Alfred Cowper, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Alfred Cowper, my
executors, administrators, 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
SEPARATING THE FIBRES OF MATERIALS PRODUCING PAPER PULP, AND APPARATUS
THEREFOR," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward
Alfred Cowper, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Alfred Cowper, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the accom-
panying Sheets of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to a method of separating the fibres of materials
prepared for the production of paper pulp, and distributing those fibres
in water by means of apparatus whereby the operation is carried on
in a continuous manner. For this purpose I employ a closed cylindrical
vessel having at the one end an inlet by which the fibrous material
to be separated is introduced with a regulated proportion of water,
which by preference is heated, and at the other end an outlet for the
water with the separated fibres suspended in it. A shaft is passed
through a stuffing box in the centre of the one end of the vessel, and
another shaft is likewise passed through a stuffing box in the centre
of the other end. On the one shaft are fixed a number of radial bars,
and on the other shaft is fixed a frame which can revolve outside these

page_text: radial bars, and from which a number of radial bars project inwards,
the two sets of radial bars being arranged so that they pass clear of
each other. The two shafts are made to revolve in opposite directions,
so that their bars, moving through the liquid in the vessel produce
powerful opposing currents, which dragging the fibres in different
directions separate them from each other without breaking them.
I am aware that radial bars or their equivalents revolving in opposite
directions have been employed for beating eggs, churning, and like
purposes; but in such cases the liquid to be operated on has first been
supplied in its full quantity to a saucepan or other open vessel, and
subjected therein to the action of the revolving bars till the operation
was complete, the speed being limited in consequence of the vessel
being open.
I am also aware that radial bars have been attached to the interior
of a revolving cylinder, whereby the whole contents were caused to
rotate.
According to my Invention, as above described, the speed of working
may be such as to produce the powerful currents required to tear
asunder the masses of fibre, the vessel being closed. The contained
liquid while agitated by opposing currents is not made to rotate bodily,
and the operation is rendered continuous, the materials to be operated on
being introduced in a regular stream at the one end of the apparatus,
and the liquid with the pulp uniformly distributed through it issuing
at the other end.

page_text: through a collar K set with a feather L on the shaft G, so that it
must turn therewith, but can slip longitudinally thereon. Nuts M
on the screw J regulate the position of the shaft G, and the one set
of bars D attached thereto in relation to the other bars E, which will
presently be described. The shaft G is provided with fast and loose
pulleys O and N, so that it can be driven by a strap P carrying
round the radial bars D, D. The other radial bars E, E, are attached
to the shaft Q, one end of which is steadied by the brass bush R in
the end of the shaft G. The shaft Q passes through the stuffing
box H, and is supported at its outer end by the bearing I', and is
provided with means of longitudinal adjustment, as described, for the
shaft G. The shaft Q is also provided with fast and loose pulleys N¹, O¹,
by which it is driven by a strap P¹ in the opposite direction to the
shaft G.
In order to take up any shake which may occur owing to the wear
of the brasses S, S', screws T, T¹, are provided tapped into the bottom
brasses S¹, S¹, and having their ends resting in holes in the casing of the
gland, so that by turning the screws T, T', the bottom brasses S¹ can be
raised.
The end of the frame F is bushed with brasses U, U', to turn on
the shaft Q. In order to take up any shake which may occur owing
to the wear of these brasses, they are fitted, as shewn in the end view,
Fig. 5, Sheet III. The two half brasses U, U₁, which embrace the
shaft Q can be drawn close together by screws V, V₁; the bolts W, W',
which pass through slotted holes being temporarily unscrewed to allow
of this adjustment.
The apparatus is stopped or started by shifting the bands P, P¹, to
the loose or fast pullies. For this purpose X is a hand lever turning
on the fulcrum X', and connected at its lower end to a sliding bar Y
which carries two pins Y¹ for shifting the strap P¹; Z (see Fig. 2,
Sheet II.) is a similar bar carrying two pins Z' for shifting the strap P;
a is a lever pivotted at a' in its middle, one end of which works in a
slot in the sliding bar Y, and the other end in the sliding bar Z. Thus
by moving the hand lever X the straps P and P¹ are shifted together.
Although in the Drawings I have shewn the cylindrical vessel con-
taining the revolving bars placed with its axis horizontal, it may be
readily understood that it could be placed with its axis vertical or

page_text: oblique, the openings for feed and delivery of the pulp material and
water being suitably arranged for such change of position.
According to the fineness or coarseness of the material to be acted on,
the radial bars should be placed close together or further apart to attain
the desired action.
If it is desired to use this machine as a mixer or
"
conditioner for
different kinds of pulp, it is only necessary to feed the requisite pro-
portions of pulp into the feeding inlet, and after passing through the
machine they will be found to be thoroughly mixed and in good condition
for the paper machine.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that
I do not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illus-
trated, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature
of my Invention; but I claim,—
First. The method, substantially as herein described, of separating the
fibres of materials producing paper pulp by means of two sets of radial
bars made to revolve in opposite directions in a cylindrical vessel con-
taining water and the pulp material.
Second. The use, for the purpose above referred to, of apparatus:
wherein two sets of radial bars are made to revolve in opposite directions
through water charged with pulp material, substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Alfred Cowper, have here-
unto set my band and seal, this Twelfth day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three
EDWARD ALFRED COWPER. (L.S.)