IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING PAPER, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66 Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING PAPER, PART OF
WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES " A communication
Sealed the 23rd September 1857, and dated the 6th May 1857.1
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th May 1857.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer; do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention, for "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING PAPER, PART
OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
The first part of the Invention relates to a combination of parts, consisting
of a
pump vacuum chamber, air and water chambers, pipes and vacuum chest
provided with cocks, whereby the pulp on the endless wire cloth apron is
compressed and deprived of moisture by atmospheric pressure, and the edges
of the paper or pulp cut or trimmed in a perfect manner.
The second part of the Invention consists in the means employed for
stretching or keeping in a distended state, and also guiding the endless felt
apron which conveys the paper from the wire cloth apron tothe usualpressure.
and heated cylinders.
The features of novelty for which I desire to obtain Letters Patent are,
1st, the employment or use of a pump vacuum chamber and vacuum chest,
[Price 8d1

page_text: provided with the two compartiments, and communicating with the exhaust
pipes by means of separate cocks, so that either or both of the compartments
of the vacuum chamber may be put in communication with the exhaust
pipes.
2nd, the use of an air aud-water trunk or reservoir, provided with a stand
pipe communicating by means of branch pipes, provided with cocks, with au
external pipe for drawing off the water at different altitudes, according to the
thickness of paper required; the reservoir also communicating by means of
another pipe which conducts the air therefrom to horizontal blast pipes in the
machine. These pipes have a series of jets connected to them for thepurpose
of blowing on to and thereby trimming the edges of the paper or pulp. It
will be evident that the edges of the pulp may be trimmed by means either of
a blast of steam or of air obtained from other sources, and ejected through
the tubes or jets above mentioned.
3rd, the next improvement relates to the method of stretching the felt
apron, which is effected by a curved rod with rollers placed on it, the rollers
being connected with coiled springs placed on the curved rod. By this means
the felt apron is stretched or distended transversely, and also guided or
properly retained in position as it operates. This arrangement of the curved
rod, with the rollers and coiled spring thereon, is also applicable to stretching
woven fabrics in the dressing and finishing operations, and it may be used
either with or without the springs.
For the purpose of keeping the endless apron (that carries the web) tight,
an additional cylinderis employed in combination with the wet press cylinders.
The speed of the additional cylinder and of the wet press cylinders is made
variable for the purpose of stretching or distending the apron longitudinally
as it passes through the machine.
In order to keep the wire cloth clean, it is made to pass under a pipe,which
is perforated with a number of small holes, from which issue jets of water
that will wash off all matters that may adhere to the surface of the wire
cloth. The water that is drawn from the pulp, as it passes over the vacuum
chamber, enters the latter, and is conveyed from thence to trunks, from which
itpasses to the vat, while the air is used as a blast to trim the edges of the
paper.
The operations of the machine are continuous, and it works with greater
ease and convenience than the ordinary Fourdrinier machines.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office, on
the 6th November 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord One.
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William.
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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
"IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING PAPER, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE
TO OTHER PURPOSES," being a communication from abroad, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention of improved machinery for manufacturing paper, and which
has been communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, relates; in the
first place, to a combination or peculiar arrangement of parts, consisting of
a pump vacuum chamber, air and water chambers, pipes and vacuum chest,
provided with cocks (as will be herein-after fully shewn and described),
whereby the pulp on the endless wire cloth apron is compressed and deprived
of moisture by atmospheric pressure, and the edges of the paper or pulp cut
or trimmed in a perfect manner.

page_text: The second part of the Invention consists in the means employed for
stretching or keeping in a distended state, and also for guiding the endless
felt apron which conveys the paper from the wire cloth apron to the usual
pressure and heated cylinders.
The Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which Fig.1
is a longitudinal vertical section of part of a paper-making machine, con-
structed according to the present improvements; Fig. 2 is a plun or top view
of the same; Fig. 3 is an end view of the same; Fig. 4 is a vertical section
of the pump vacuum chamber and water and air reservoirs, with the neces-
sary pipes attached, taken in the line a, e, in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal
vertical section of the suction or vacuum chest, over which the endless wire
cloth apron passes, and is taken in the line y, y, in Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a trans-
verse section of the vacuum chest, taken in a line, passing through one of the
slides therein, as indicated by the line ,, in Fig. 5. Similar letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures. A represents a
framing, which may be constructed in any proper manner to support the
working parts; B (Figures 1 and 2) is a cylinder, which is placed trans-
versely on the framing A; and Cis what the Inventor terms a vacuum chest,
which is also placed transversely on the framing A, just in front of the
cylinder B. The chest C is divided longitudinally by a vertical partition c
into two compartments a and b, and both compartments communicate at their
lower ends with a pipe D by means of cocks d, e, which are placed at each
side of the lower part of the chest C, as shewn in Fig. 1. The cocks are placed
. at each side of the chest throughout its whole length, at a suitable distance
apart, as shewn in Figures 2 and 5. By means of these cocks either or both
of the compartments a, b, may be made to communicate with the pipe D.
which is attached longitudinally to the unler side of the chest C. E is an
endless wire cloth apron, which is constructed precisely similar to the ones
now used in paper-making machines. This apron passes over the top of the
chest C and around the cylinder B, as shewn clearly in Fig. 1. F, F, are
two upright trunks or conical or cylindrical vessels, which are placed at one
side of the framing A. The trunk or vessel F is divided into compartments
f, g, by a horizontal partition h, Fig. 4, and a pipe G passes horizontally
through the lower compartment g, and is connected to one end of the pipe D.
A branch pipe H is connected with the pipe G within the compartment g,
thereby causing the pipe G to communicate with the upper compartment fin
the trunk F, as seen in Fig. 4. In Figures 1, 2, and 4, I is a pump, which
is placed between the two trunks F, F', and the pipe G communicates with
this pump, as seen best in Fig.4; this pipe G forms the suction pipe of the

page_text: pump. Jis another pipe also connected with the pump I, and communicates
with the trunk F', and acts as the force pipe of the pump. The pump I
may be constructed in any suitable manner upon either the reciprocating or.
rotary pump principle.
The trunk F¹ has a vertical pipe K fitted within it; this pipe extends down
to the bottom of the trunk, and has its lower end perforated, as shewn in
Fig. 4. The upper end of the pipe K may be closed, and it extends some
distance above the top of the trunk. A series of horizontal pipes a¹, a², a³, a
are attached to the pipe above the trunk F', and are placed one above the,
other at suitable distances apart, and communicate with the upper end of a
vertical pipe L, which has a horizontal pipe Mattached to its lower end; the
pipe M leads to the vat of the machine, or such part of it as is required for
the working of the pulp, and the surplus liquid passes off at N. By so doing
the necessity of using spring water is obviated, and the small fibres of pulp
which the water that passed through the pump contains are obtained, as is also.
the mucilage which makes the pulp work smoothly on the endless wire apron:
To the upper end of the trunk F¹ a pipe O is attached, and the lower end
of this pipe is connected to two horizontal pipes P, P¹, placed one above the
other at one end of the framing A, as shewn in Fig. 3, and the apron E passes.
between the two pipes P, P¹. These pipes P, P1, are each divided trans-
versely, or formed of two parts, and they fit into tubes h, so that one end of
the pipes may be moved or shoved in and out of the tubes, and the pipes
lengthened or contracted longitudinally as desired; each part of the two pipes
is provided with short tubes i and j, the tubes i being on the upper pipe P, and
the tubes j on the lower pipe P. The ends of the tubes i are slightly curved
or bent, but the ends of the tubes j are straight, as shewn in Fig. 3. The
points of the upper tubes i are directly over or a little at the side of the points
of the lower tubes j, and the two tubes of each pipe may be moved nearer
together or further apart, as desired, by shoving the moveable ends of the
pipes P, P, further in or out of the tubes h. A horizontal pipe Q is
attached to the end of the framing A just below the pipe P¹, and is per-
forated with small holes, and communicates by means of a connecting pipe
Qwith a proper reservoir, the pipe Q being provided with a cock Q¹¹
to cut off the communication when required. Each compartment of the
chest C is provided with a slide 1, Figures 2 and 5, one at each end, the
slides having a rack m on their lower ends, into which gear pinions n, see
Fig. 5. By turning these pinions the slides may be adjusted nearer together
or further apart, and the compartments increased or diminished in length, as
desired. Each slide has a hole l' made horizontally into it. These holes

page_text: extend into the slides a requisite distance. The slides are slit vertically from
their upper surfaces down to the holes A, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, 1
representing the slits.
The cylinder B has a pressure bar R bearing longitudinally against it; this-
bar has its edge covered with felt, and is made to bear against the cylinder B
with a greater or less pressure by means of set screws o, which act against
each end of the bar. S, Fig. 1, represents an endless felt apron, which works
over rollers p, p, and passes between two wet press cylinders T, T. The
apron S also passes over a cylinder I placed just behind the upper cylinderT,
and a roller V, having its bearings in the ends of weighted levers q, bears
against the apron and presses it against the upper cylinder T. The pressure
of the roller V against the apron S may be regulated or graduated, as desired,
by adjusting the weights on the levers 2. W is a curved rod, the ends of
which are attached to the upper part of the framing A; upon this rod Wa
series of rollers s are placed loosely, and the apron S passes over them.
These rollers assume the form of a curve, corresponding of course with the rod
W, and stretch the apron S transversely, so that it will pass in a perfectly even
and unwrinkled state between the cylinders T, T. The apron is also stretched
longitudinally by varying the speed of the lower cylinder Tand the cylinder U;
for instance, if the cylinder U is made to rotate a trifle slower than the lower
cylinder T, it follows as a matter of course that the apron S, as it passes
between the cylinders T, T, will be stretched longitudinally.
It is important that the apron S be guided properly while passing between
the cylinders T, T; this is effected in the following manner:-A series of
collars are placed loosely on each end of the curved rod W, and a spiral
spring is placed around these collars, a spring being on each end of the
curved rod. The three or four rollers s at each end of the rod are placed over
the springs and collars. The inner ends of these springs are attached to the
rod W, as shewn at u, in Fig. 2, the spring at one end of the rod only being
shewn. The outer ends of the springs are attached to the outermost rollers
designated by s¹, two or more of the adjoining rollers being over the springs,
but not connected to them. As the apron S works over the rollers s, if it
inclines or passes to either side out of a direct line, it will pass on to one of
the outermost rollers s¹, and in so doing it will rotate the said roller and
unwind the spring ; this spring as it unwinds becomes increased in diameter,
and produces sufficient friction upon the adjoining rollers which are over it to
retard their motion, and thereby cause the apron to work off from them in a
direct line. The outermost rollers at both ends of the rod W being similarly
arranged, the apron is kept moving in a direct line or course.

page_text: From the above description of the curved rod and its rollers s, s',it will be
seen that the device may be advantageously used for stretching textile fabrics
during the dressing and finishing operations, and is equally applicable to those
purposes as to that herein-before mentioned.
The operation ofthe machine is as follows:--The pulp (shown in rod) passes
on the wire cloth apron E in the usual manner. The chambers a, b, in the
chest C,are made of the requisite length corresponding to the desired width of
the paper by adjusting the slides . The pump I is put in operation, and a
suction or vacuum is produced in one or both of the chambers a, b, as desired.
This suction is made equal or uniform throughout the entire length of the
chambers by adjusting the cocks d, e, so that the communications between the
chambers a,b,and the pipe D,are gradually enlarged from the junction of the
pipe G with the pipe D to the opposite end of the pipe D), see Fig. 5. If the
communications were of equal size throughout, the suction would be strongest
nearest the end of the pipe G, and an unequal pressure would be produced
upon the pulp. As the pulp passes over the chest C upon the apron I'; the
pressure of the atmosphere, caused by the vacuum produced within the chest C,
drives or expels the moisture. from the pulp. The water and air is drawn
down within the pipe D through the pipe G into the pump I,.Fig. 4, and both
are forced into the trunk FI, the water falling to the bottom of the trunk in
consequence of its superior gravity. As the operation continues, the water
(shown in blue) will be forced upward within the pipe K in consequence of
the pressure of the air in the trunk F', and the water passes through one of
the series of pipes a, a, into the pipe L, and is conveyed by the pipe M to
the vat, as previously described.
The air in the upper part of the trunk F passes through the pipe O and into
the two pipes P, P1, and is ejected through the tubes i and j. The air, as it is
thus ejected through the tubes i aud j, smooths the edges of the pulp, and a
clean edge is formed at each side of the paper. The upper tubes i having
their points or ends bent or curved, as shown, the air ejected therefrom acts
obliquely upon the pulp, and serves to smooth all unevenness or roughness
produced by the vertical blasts from the tubes J. The pulp, it will be seen, is
smoothed at its edges before it reaches the chest C, and the edges of the
apron E at each side of the pulp are perfectly dried as the edges pass over the
slides-, because the air is drawn through the edges as they pass over the
slits in the slides ; the apron is therefore not allowed to contain or hold
any moisture, but is dried simultaneously with the pulp.
The strength of the blasts from the tubes i, jis regulated by varying
the height of the column of water in the pipe K. If thick paper is being

page_text: made, the column of water is increased in height by closing the lower pipes a¹,
and leaving the uppermost one a1111 open. If paper of medium thickness is
being made, the pipe all or a¹ is left open, and the lower one closed. The
greater the height of the column of water, the stronger the blasts will be, for
the gravity of the water serves as a counterpoise to the air forced within the
trunk F¹.
The chamber, within the trunk F, serves to equalize the vacuum inside of
the chest C, for as the pump I operates, the air is exhausted from the
-chamber f, and consequently a continuous suction or draw is produced, and
the pulsations of the pump are compensated for in the same manner as an air
vessel compensates for the unequal action of a pump in discharging water.
The felt apron S receives the paper from the wire cloth apron E,and passes
it between the wet press rollers T, T, the apron being stretched and properly
guided, as previously described, and the roller V by its pressure, which may
be graduated, as before stated, compresses the paper, and the moisture expelled
therefrom is absorbed by the apron.
The portions of pulp that pass around the cylinder B, before the pulp is
properly fed or adjusted on the felt apron S, and which occur as the machine
is started, are washed off by the shower from the pipe Q, the cock Q" in the
pipe Q¹ being turned to let the water into the pipe Q, when desired.
This machine has been practically tested, and operates rapidly and well in
manufacturing all kinds of paper. It possesses many advantages over the
ordinary Fourdrinier machine, inasmuch as there are no cylinders to injure
the wire cloth apron by forcing into it sand or other hard substances which
the pulp may contain; the machine may be used at much greater speed
without crushing the pulp; it is also much simpler in construction, not at
all liable to get out of repair, and is less expensive to operate, permitting more
water to be worked with the pulp, and consequently working longer stuff or
fibre, thereby producing a stronger sheet, and the wire apron will be kept
perfectly clean from grease, pitch, or other foreign substances which the pulp
may contain.
Having now described the Invention that has been communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I would observe, that I do not claim expelling or
forcing the moisture from the pulp by means of atmospheric pressure, irre-
spective of the means employed for effecting that pressure, as herein described;
but that which I consider to be new in the machinery above described, and
therefore desire to claim as the essential features of the Invention secured to
me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, are,-
First, the application and combination of the pump I, vacuum chamber f

page_text: and vacuum chest C, provided with the two compartments a, b, and com-
municating with the pipes D, G, by means of cocks, as herein shewn and
described, and for the purpose set forth.
Second, I claim the use and application of the air and water trunk or
reservoir F, provided with the pipe K communicating with the external pipe
L, for the purpose herein set forth, the reservoir being made to communicate
with the pipes P, P1, as described, and for the purpose of trimming the edges
of the paper or pulp. And I further claim trimming the edges of the pulp by
means either of air or steam when ejected through the tubes i, j, arranged
in the manner shown, or in any other analogous manner.
Third, I claim the use and application of the curved rod W with the rollers
s, s', placed on it, whereby the felt apron S is stretched or distended trans-
versely, and also guided or properly retained in position as it operates. And
I also claim, the application of this arrangement of the rod W for stretching
or distending woven fabrics in dressing and finishing operations, for whichpur-
pose it may be sometimes used with and sometimes without the springs .
Fourth, I claim the cylinder U in combination with the wet press cylinders
T. T, the speed of the cylinder U, and of the cylinders T, T, being made
variable, for the purpose of stretching or distendingthea ronSlongitudinally,
as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
25 Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane, London.
(L.S.) W. E. NEWTON.