IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
COOPER,, of Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex, Stationer, send greeting...
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her,
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West
minster, the Third day of November, in the second year of Her reign, did, for.
Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Edward
Cooper, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said Edward Cooper, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Edward Cooper, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time.
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,.
exercise,. and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER,"
communicated to me by a certain Foreigner residing abroad; in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Edward Cooper, shall
cause a particular description of the said Invention, and in what manner.
the same to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's, High Court
of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after. the
date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
2. NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Edward Cooper, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:
"
.

page_text: The Invention relates, first, to the application of pulp made from the sugar
cane, in the manufacture of paper; and secondly, to improvements in the
paper engine; and in order to give the best information in my power, I will
proceed to describe the process pursued by me in obtaining pulp from sugar
cane, though such process may be varied, the first part of the Invention not
relating to any particular process of making pulp, but to the application of
pulp produced from sugar cane to the purpose of making paper,
whether paper
be made wholly of such pulp, or such pulp combined with the pulp produced
from other material. Hitherto the sugar cane deprived of its syrup, and called
cane trash or mogoss, has been employed as fuel or manure, either of which
applications renders but little pecuniary benefit, compared with what it might
produce by being converted into paper, of which it is ascertained to be
susceptible at moderate expence and little trouble. The cane trash is to be
thoroughly bruised, and cut or reduced into small fragments about two inches
in length, and immersed in rain or river water, and soaked until it sinks; and
after being drained is to be transmitted to the washing engine, where, having
undergone the necessary washing and trituration fitting it for the beating
engine, it should be bleached; and subsequently treated according to the
routine followed by paper makers, and the pulp produced therefrom is to be
made into paper either in combination with other pulp, according to the
object desired to be obtained, and as is well understood by paper makers.
I will now describe the second part of the Invention. According to the
present mode of constructing paper engines, the roller or cylinder is of the
enormous mass of fifteen to twenty hundred weight, in order to reduce to a
pulp the matter of rags or other material, the operation of which is accom-
panied by a great noise and shocks; (added to which) this roller, from its
position whilst in action, is never parallel with the plate until let down with
its whole power thereupon, causing a ruinous and unnecessary wear and tear.
The greater part of the time the roller forms an angle, more or less acute,
with the plate, whilst the pinion is thrown to a certain degree out of gear, in
consequence of the roller end of the spindle being thrown up, and thus
endangering the cogs of both pinion and main wheel. In order to remedy
these evils, I fix the roller B, Figure 1, perfectly horizontal in the engine A, A,
from which position it cannot deviate, but be always parallel with the plate C,
which I render moveable in its box by suspending it at each end by the four
corners, bearing each a bar or bolt of metal E, to the four levers F, F, above
the roller B, resting each upon its fulcrum G, acting independently of each
other like steelyards, by means of weights H, H, on their arms, and which,
being moved backwards or forwards, regulate the pressure of the plate against

page_text: the roller to any degree required, thus accomplishing that which has been
hitherto considered as impossible; and it is this graduating of the pressure
which constitutes the chief merit of this Invention. The handle or crank L
serves to turn the pulley K, and to move all the weights simultaneously upon
the four levers in either direction, they being attached to it by chains or cords
M, M, at both ends, and passing round the pulleys K, K, upon the ends of
the lever arms. The plate box should be open at the near end, and need only
be shut when the engine is at work, by a flanch of iron to close in the plate
without bearing against it so as to impede its up and down movement; it is
supported in the box at each end by a band or sling of iron O, O, passing under
and sunk at each side into the frame of the box, the upper ends being flush
with the upper surface of the box, and into these upper ends are screwed the
bars or bolts above mentioned, which hold the plate suspended to the levers.
This arrangement has been adopted in order that the plate may be withdrawn
occasionally for examination without the necessity of disturbing the box or
unscrewing the bolts which need seldom be moved.
References to the parts of the Drawing:-A, A, engine; B, roller; C, plate;
E, E, two of the four bars or bolts screwed into the sling which suspends the
plate from the levers F, F; F, F, two of the levers which raise and lower the
plate; G, G, two of the fulcrums; H, H, two of the moveable weights; I, I,
two of the grooves in which the arms of the levers slide, to keep them steady
and prevent vacilation; K, K, two of the pulleys or reels; L, cranks which
turn the reels or pulleys that move the weights to and fro; M, M, chains or
ropes attached to each end of the weights, and passing round the reels or
pullies; N, N, box which contains the plate; 0, 0, sling which supports the
plate and suspends it to the levers.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, I would remark that I
lay no claim to any of the processes through which it is necessary to pass the
material to form pulp, nor to any process of making pulp into paper, they
being well understood; nor do I claim any part of the paper engine, which is
well known. But what I claim is,―
First, the application of pulp made of sugar cane in the process of making
paper; and,
Secondly, I claim the mode of constructing a paper engine, as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Cooper, have hereunto set my.
hand and seal, this Third day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.
EDWP (L.S.) COOPER..

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Third day of May, in the year
of our Lord 1839, the aforesaid Edward Cooper came before our said Lady
the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute made for that purpose.