AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING PAPER
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Murdoch, of 7, Staple Inn, Holborn, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING PAPER." -A Communication.
Sealed the 4th August 1854, and dated the 7th February 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Murdoch at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
February 1854.
I, JAMES MURDOCH, of 7, Staple Inn, Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING PAPER," (communicated to him by a
foreigner residing abroad,) to be as follows:-
The Invention consists of a process for manufacturing paper from a plant
called spartum or water broom, and the distinguishing features of the process
are,-
First, in submitting the roots as well as the stems of the plant to the action
of a ley composed of American potash, quick lime, and sulphuric acid, with-
out any other preliminary treatment except cutting the plant into short
lengths.
Second, the peculiar arrangement of the platten or bed of the cylinder of the
carding pile, that is to say, the making the platten nearly flat, and modifying
the form of the teeth or blades, so that they draw out the filaments like lint,
instead of cutting them.

page_text: Third, the applying a strainer before the platten and the peculiar disposition
of the notches, which are placed checquerwise, and are of such a size as to
permit the impurities to pass off without allowing the filaments to escape,
which in their passage over the strainer traverse these notches at a right
angle.
Fourth, in treating the pulp with sulphuric acid after it has been bleached
by chlorine, in order to carry off the latter before proceeding to wash the
pulp.
The above-recited points constitute the peculiarities of the process for
making paper pulp from spartum, the accessary process being the same as
those employed in the manufacture of paper from rags and not claimed
as new.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Murdoch in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th August 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MURDOCH, of Staple Inn, Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Murdoch, Her special licence that I, the said James
Murdoch, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said James Murdoch, 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 "AN IM-
PROVED PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING PAPER," communicated to me by a certain
foreigner residing abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said James Murdoch, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Murdoch, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say) :--
This Invention consists of improvements in the mode of manufacturing
paper from the plant called "halfa," "spartum or water broom," and has for
its object the dimunition of labor, the economy of the material, and the
better bleaching of the pulp.
The improvements consist,―
First, in submitting the plant, roots, as well as stenis, to the action of a bath
composed of American potash, quick lime, and sulphuric acid, which quickens
the operation and decarbonizes the root without injuring the stems.
Second, in a particular disposition of the platten or bed and teeth of the
cylinder of the pile, the bed being made nearly flat and the points of the
teeth removed, and the root or base of them thickened so as to flatten or
smooth out the filaments to a kind of lint instead of cutting them.
Third, in the employment of a strainer placed in front of the bed of the
cylinder formed preferably with apertures about two inches long, and one
quarter of an inch wide, and placed checquerwise, and the spaces between
the apertures being of the same width as the apertures so as to permit the
impurities to pass off without allowing the filaments to escape.
Fourth, in submitting the tow coming from the cylinder to a flax carding
machine, so as to produce a more regular and finer pulp by dividing the fibres
more.
Lastly, in treating the pulp with sulphurous acid (absorbed into water) after
the pulp has been bleached by chlorine to carry off the latter before proceeding
to wash the pulp.
These are the points which constitute the peculiarities of the improved pro-
cess for making paper from spartum, the accessory processes being the same
as those employed in making paper from rags, and therefore not requiring to
be described. I subjoin, however, a few observations as to the application of
the improvements described above. It had been observed that the bole or
root of the spartum was in a measure carbonized, and therefore more difficult
to treat in the bleaching than the stems. To separate it from the stem was
tedious and expensive, and if it were wished to utilize the root, it became
necessary to treat it separately; but the composition of the ley herein-before
described allows the stem and root to be treated together without injury to the
stem. For instance, in operating upon a ton of raw spartum, I place the
plants in a vat without even stripping or barking them, but merely cutting

page_text: them into pieces, about five to six inches long, and I pour upon them a ley
composed of about 70 lbs. of American potash, 100 lbs. of quick lime, and four
gallons of sulphuric acid, with a sufficient quantity of water. The combination
of these ingredients (proceeding in other respects as with a steam ley) has the
effect of quickening the operation of decarbonizing the root of the plant without
damaging the fibre, which preserves its tenacity of separating the fibres, which
therefore are more readily freed in the cylinder pile from the kind of resin
which envelopes them, and finally facilitates the bleaching, which is thereby
rendered less expensive.
The application of the sulphurous acid takes place when the pulp is placed
in the washing pile; four quarts of sulphurous acid per two cwt. of pulp are
introduced a quarter of an hour before the washing commences, that is to say,
after the chlorine has produced its effect. This application, besides quickening
the washing, facilitates the bleaching, by decomposing the chlorine, and thus
allowing it to pass off with the water employed in the washing.
I claim as regards this Invention,—
Firstly, the treating of the roots and stems of the plant called spartum with
a ley composed of water, American potash, quick lime, and sulphuric acid, as
herein-before described.
Secondly, the form and disposition of the bed or platten, and of the teeth of
the pile cylinder, as herein-before described.
Thirdly, the employment of a strainer in conjunction with the cylinder
pile, as herein-before described, and also the peculiar construction of the
strainer described.
Fourthly, the subjecting the tow coming from the cylinder pile to the action
of a flax carding machine.
Lastly, the employment of sulphurous acid to more effectually remove the
chlorine after the last bleaching bath, and before the last washing.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Murdoch, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
CHARLES COLE.
JAMES MURDOCH. (L.S.)