IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLERS FOR PAPER-MAKING MACHINES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John McFarlane, of Edinburgh, Scotland, Wire
Cloth Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ROLLERS
FOR PAPER-MAKING MACHINES,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John McFarlane at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th August 1868.
I, JOHN MCFARLANE, of Edinburgh, Scotland, Wire Cloth Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN ROLLERS FOR PAPER-MAKING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object the saving of expence and labour of
renewing the ordinary felt coverings of the couch rollers in paper-making
machines, and also the prevention of injury to the wires and felts.
Hitherto the couch rollers have been made of wood or brass covered
with felt, and the press rollers have been made of iron, sometimes
covered with brass. Now my Invention consists in constructing the
upper and under couch rollers and under press rollers with an iron shell

page_text: covered with india-rubber of suitable thickness. By this means are
secured acting surfaces possessed of the requisite capability to bear
pressure, and at the same time elastic in a sufficient degree for the pur-
pose. The rubber employed for this purpose is of such density as to be
capable of bearing the required pressure on the paper, and at the same
time of sufficient elasticity to prevent damage to the wires and felts by
knots or rolls of pulp passing between the rollers.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said John
McFarlane in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th February 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MCFARLANE, of Edinburgh, Scotland, Wire Cloth Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John McFarlane, Her special licence that I,
the said John McFarlane, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John McFarlane, 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 ROLLERS FOR PAPER-
MAKING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said John McFarlane, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 Seal Patent Office on or before
the Twentieth day of February One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John McFarlane, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):
My Invention of "Improvements in Rollers for Paper-making
Machines" has for its object the saving of expense and labour of
renewing the ordinary felt coverings of the couch rollers in such
machines, also the thickening of the paper and improvement of its
surface, and also the prevention of injury to the machine wire.
Hitherto the couch rollers have been made of wood or brass covered
with felt jackets. Now my Invention consists in constructing the upper
and under couch rollers with an iron shell covered with vulcanite and
india-rubber of suitable thickness, the vulcanite being fixed upon the
iron shell and a covering of vulcanized india-rubber fixed upon or over
the vulcanite, by which means a perfect junction is secured as required.
By means of rollers so constructed are secured acting surfaces capable of
bearing pressure as required, and at the same time elastic in a sufficient
degree for the purpose. The india-rubber employed is of such density as
to be capable of bearing the required pressure on the paper, and at the
same time of sufficient elasticity to prevent injury or damage to the
machine wire by knots or rolls of pulp passing between the rollers.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section representing the upper and under couch
rollers of a paper-making machine, and Fig. 2 shows a portion of the
rollers in end elevation of the machine.
A is the iron shell of the roller; B is the vulcanite or hard india-rubber
fixed on the iron shell; and C is the outer covering of vulcanized india-
rubber such as is ordinarily used for like purposes.
In constructing couch rollers in this manner it is important that the
iron shell should be made quite parallel from end to end, as the slightest
inequality therein is liable to interfere with the required accuracy of the
work of couching performed by the rollers.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that I do not
claim as of my Invention the use of rollers constructed as described,
except as couch rollers in paper-making machines, neither do I claim
the use of couch rollers covered with india-rubber otherwise than in
the manner described; but what I do claim as of my Invention is, the
substitution for the couch rollers of the ordinary construction in
paper-

page_text: making machines of couch rollers constructed in the manner represented
and described, and for the purpose or purposes described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John McFarlane, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Eleventh day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
ALEXANDER MURRAY,
Stead Place, Edinburgh,
Manager.
JOHN MCFARLANE. (L.S.)