Tubes, and the like.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Aug., 1887
Complete Left, 8th May, 1888*
Complete Accepted, 8th June. 1888
Tubes, and the like.
JAMES RAPER THAME 3 Winders Road Battersea in the county of Surrey Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My improvements relate to the manufacture of Paper Barrels, &c. made direct from
the pulp, and, for ease and cheapness in making I prefer to construct them of three or
four parts, said parts being joined together, after being made.
In making these Barrels &c. I use an ordinary Millboard making machine but,
instead of using a top roll of wood or plain metal as is usually employed I make use
of a special roll, built as follows, viz.: The ends are made of metal and around and
fixed to the said ends is a wire gauze such as is used in a paper making machine or I
may use a perforated metal cylinder, or, a combination of both, to one end of this
improved roll I attach an air pump which may be driven from the same shafting as
the millboard machine, the machine with the improved roll & air pump attached is
then ready for for making the tubes forming the sides of the barrels &c.; when the
tubo is built up to the requisite thickness on the roll, I stop the machine running
with, the exception of the said top roll, & throw the air pump in gear which by creating
a vacuum in the interior of the roll causes the water to leave the tube that has been built
upon it, so that the tube is, before being drawn off the roll practically dry; or, I may start
the air pump at work after the first or second layer of pulp is taken up by the roll,
by this means I dispense with a great deal of the artificial drying that would otherwise
be required, after the tube is drawn off the roll I may either finish the drying process
in a hot room or, I may, put the tube on a suitably heated roll & dry & calender it at
the same time.
The top & bottom for the said tube I make of the desired shape in a suitable wire
gauze or other mould & I prefer to make it with a deep flange, & rim, in the case of

page_text: barrels required for gunpowder &c. I prefer to make the top or head in two parts viz.
one a ring from from one inch or more wide with a deep flange on the outside & I
mould a screw thread on the inside of the said ring, the second part of the top or head
I make with a corresponding screw on its rim & an overlapping flange on the top so
that in screwing it down it can only be screwed a certain distance i.e. until the ring
which is fixed to the tube touches the overlapping flange, to produce the said screw on
each of the top parts I insert in the centre of the mould a screwed metal centre for
the ring & a screwed ring for the other part, the pulp in a suitable state is placed in
these moulds & submitted to a heavy pressure until the desired result is obtained they
are then taken out & dried & fitted in the tubes.
Barrels &c. made in this way can be rendered waterproof by being treated or coated
with Tar, Pitch Rosin or a mixture of Tar & Linseed Oils or I may mix suitable
waterproofing Compounds with the pulp while it is in the beaters, I may also treat the
said barrels &c. with Soda Silicate or other suitable compound to render them fireproof
or I may combine with the pulp a proportion of Asbestos, Fossil Meal or other suitable
fireproof materials.

page_text: COMT DELE DI MIEIOUATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Paper Barrels, Kegs, Drums,
Tubes, and the like.
I JAMES RAPER THAME of 3, Windors Road, Battersea, in the County of Surrey,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statenient :-
My Improvements relate to the manufacture of paper barrels or closed cylinders or
like enclosing means or other articles adapted to be used as kegs drums, tubes, and
other shaped vessels or forms directly from unmanufactured pulp that is to say from
reduced fibrous matters in a fluid condition in contradistinction to partly dried or
partly made stuff.
The barrels may be made of the pulp in various numbers of parts said parts being
joined together after being separately made.
I find it convenient to make the barrels in three or four parts on account of the
simplicity of the means employed and consequent cheapness.
In forming the fluid pulp into the barrel or other desired form of cylinder I
employ substantially an ordinary millboard making machine in general construction
and mode of operation but instead of employing the usual top or making roll of
wood or metal I dispense with that and provide instead thereof a making or forming
roll constructed with its ends of metal formed so as to be adapted to support and be
connected to a cylinder of wire gauze or reticulate material the gauze used for
making this cylinder preferably being made similarly to gauze employed in papor
making machinery as regards its permeability.
In some cases instead of wire gauze I employ perforated metal as the metal for the
cylinder and in other constructions I sometimes employ a combination of wire work
and perforated plate or sheet for the cylinder.
This making or forming roll licks up and enwraps about its circumference the
flowing stream of fluid pulp until a sufficient thickness of pulp has been accumulated
for the present requirement the forming roll running in contact with and taking its
motion from a travelling felt driven by the under, bottom, or driving roll, both rolls
running on centrally projecting axes carried in journals borne by the framing of the
machine.
The axes of the making roll or one of them is formed hollow giving passage to
the hollow interior thereof in one direction and to an intercepter for moisture and
an air pump or exhausting means of equivalent character in the other direction
through a pipe so jointed that whilst the connection to the roll rotates with it the
connection to the exhaust remains stationary-The cylindrical surface of the forming
roll is pierced at close intervals with small openings communicating with the interior
thereof so that the exhaust acts therethrough and through the wire gauze on the
pulp enwrapped.

page_text: The forming roll constructed as described and provided with means of attachment
to the exhaust pump is ready for being set in operation for making the cylindrical
parts of barrels and the like-The pump may be driven by driving gear from the
making machine or otherwise.
The machine is run until the pulp added layer by layer from the flowing stream on
the felt apron has acquired sufficient thickness on the making roll then it is stopped
by lifting the forming roll from contact with the running apron and whilst the apron
is stopped from giving further supply of pulp the making roll is given independent
rotatory motion or is brought to a like stand still as desired and is at the same time
put into connection for exhaust through its axis, and the pump being put into
operation a vacuum is created in the interior of the roll by which suction of the
moisture in pulp takes place and air from without presses on and through the pulp
consolidating it and drying it so that by the time the tube is stopped rotating and is
drawn off the pulp is practically dry.
In some cases instead of finishing the enwrapment of the pulp to the full extent of
substance desired the exhaust is started by starting the pump to work as soon as the
making roll has completed its first or second layer of pulp wrapping and whilst the
roll is still licking on the pulp by which means the drying is more gradually effected
and in either case much of the subsequent drying that otherwise would be requisite
in order to remove the great quantity of contained moisture from the pulp is avoided
and the pulp cylinders are easier to handle and not so liable to damage in removal.
The subsequent complete drying may be effected in a hot room with currents of
air or in cold drying chambers or by placing the tubes on a heated roll to be dried
and by contact with pressure with another roll or surface the rolls of pulp may at
one operation be dried and calendered.
The cylindrical wall for the barrel or like vessel having thus been made from pulp
I now proceed to the method of making the top and bottom parts for closing the
ends thereof. For some uses the top and bottom pieces are simply formed alike of a
disc with a circumferential lateral thickening of the rim forming a flauge to serve as
a means of attachment to the outer parts of the cylinder by pinning through flange
and cylinder. In other cases as for gunpowder, as well as for other uses the bottom
is in one piece whilst the head is formed of an annulus to fit into the drum end and
has on its inner circumference a thread or worm formed which is adapted to be
engaged by a corresponding thread or worm formed on the exterior of a flange or
laterally thickened rim of a disc or plate of pulp. In closing the drum the annulus
is fixed in the mouth thereof then the central opening diminished by the annulus is
filled up by placing the plate over it and turning it so as to engage the thread of its
peripherical screw in that of the annulus and screwing the plate down until the
Hanged rim and the outer edge of the annulus and the outer edge of the drum are all
flush thus making a strong, handy, cheap and sightly vessel capable of preserving its
contents from damage when waterproofed, during transit or stowage.
The pulp employed for some uses I find it convenient to prepare with the admixture
of a proportion of ground asbestos and fossil meal or of either of those matters and
I find good and useful results may be obtained by admixture in the proportions of
60 per centum of ground or pulped asbestos or ground or powdered fossil meal or
equivalent proportion of each.
The pulp prepared is conveyed by suitable channels into an annular or open or
closed cylindrical space as the case may be that of a bottom in one piece, a top ring or
top central plate-internally this space being formed by an inner gauze covered
perforated wall and roof enclosing a hollow space which is in communication with a
channel for exit of extracted water and which channel is in communication with an
exhausting pump or engine whilst externally this space is formed by a solid air tight
pressure resistant cover having channels of communication passing through it from a
hydraulic pump or forcing means and an air escape. Within this enclosing wall is a
flexible waterproof diaphragm adapted to be distended by the influx of pulp to the full
internal dimensions of the pulp space and then when the space is full the pulp supply
inlets closed, the air first allowed to escape and the hydraulic pressure supply turned

page_text: Figure 1. shews a front view of part of the machine with a portion thereof in section
in order better to illustrate mode of construction of the forming roll and parts operating
thorewith to make the rolls or cylinders of pulp.
Figure 2. is a section taken vertically of the apparatus for moulding the bottom
ends.
Figure 3. is a like view of the machine for moulding the outer parts of the top ends
when made in two parts and the inner parts of such top ends would be made in a
machine substantially the same as in Figure 2 except as to diameter of the parts
horizontally.
Figure 4 shows an annular mould and die in which the rings to form part of the ends
are compressed and internally screwed, the mould being in two parts.
Figure 5 shews a mould also in two parts for cooperating with a die of annular
form corresponding to compress and externally give a screw thread to the removeable
head for the barrels.
Figure 6. shews a section of such a cylindrical barrel A with its bottom B top ring C.
and closer D as the apparatus described is designed to form.
In Figure 1. a is the making roll rotating on its axes a¹ a³, the bearing a² being
hollow and communicating with the water intercepting chamber a' by the pipe a* and
thence to the exhaust pump a, b is the framing of the machine c is the bottom roll
and d the interposed felt or apron. e is a pulley driving by suitable band the roller c
fin dotted lines indicates the position in section of the cylindrical enwrapment of pulp
on the forming roll a-g is the wire gauze interposed on the roll- is a connecting
piece making joint between the hollow axis a³ and the stationary pipe leading to the
exhaust through the intercepter, z are the perforations in the forming roll a.
In Fig. 2. is the space to be occupied by the pulp supplied by the pipes ; which
enter the chamber formed between the perforated wall perforated with series of
holes dividing the chamber i from the inner space with which is connected the
pipe m for water exit and attachment to intercepter and exhausting means as in Fig. 1.
Over this wall k is laid wire gauze no is the flexible diaphragm and p is the outer
case covering the whole. p¹ p³ are pipes for supply of hydraulic pressure or equivalent
compressing means and for exit of contained air when required respectively-The
openings of pipes ; into the chamber i are provided with valves j¹ closing against
back pressure but opening to permit flow of pulp when internal pressure is
removed.
In Fig. 3. the like parts are indicated by like letters of reference and the operation
is substantially the same except that the space i is not continued over the top of
perforated wall k for pulp as only an open annulus has to be formed, the elastic
diaphragm lies in between the perforated wall and the outer case p loosely.
In Fig. 4 r is the internal portion of the mould for the annulus C of the top end of
a barrel the outer side r¹ of this part being formed as a screw thread. ³ is the outer

page_text: retaining wall of the mould, is the die which under hydraulic or other pressure is
forced down onto the pulp compressing into the recess of the screw on the inner mould
from which the pulp form is removed by unscrewing.
In Fig. 5. the like parts are similarly lettered except the threading is formed on
the part instead of on part r a wood handle D¹ screwed across D serves as a handle
for it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is,
1. The manufacture and use of barrels and other forms of receptacles for goods
from pulp made from reduced fibrous matters in a fluid condition in manner substantially
as set forth.
2. The manufacture and use of cylinders of barrels and other receptacles from pulp
of fibrous matters in a fluid condition by the aid of a forming roll cooperating with an
apron or felt and an under roll, said roll being perforated and in connection with an
exhauster acting to draw off moisture from the pulp formed on the forming roll all
arranged and operating as set forth.
3. The manufacture and use of barrel end closing parts from fluid pulp by means
of an inner perforated supporting wall, covered with reticulate material, an elastic
intervening diaphragm and an outer casing having means for supply of pulp and appli-
cation of pressure and withdrawal of air and moisture all substantially as and for the
purpose herein set forth.
4. The manufacture and use of ends or closing parts for barrels and other
receptacles from fluid pulp by means of apparatus such as shewn by Figures 2 & 3 in
combination with the use of screwing apparatus therefor such as shown by Figs. 4
and 5.