IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPA- RATUS AND IN THE MODE OF TREATING SPANISH GRASS AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS TO BE USED IN THE Manufacture OF PAPER PULP."
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jules Ferdinand Hillel, of Mark Lane, City of
London, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPA-
RATUS AND IN THE MODE OF TREATING SPANISH GRASS AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS TO BE USED IN THE Manufacture OF PAPER PULP."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jules Ferdinand Hillel
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 11th April 1860.
I, JULES FERDINAND HILLEL, of Mark Lane, City of London, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE APPARATUS AND IN THE MODE OF TREATING SPANISH GRASS AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER PULP," to be as follows,
that is to say:-
My Invention has for its object an improved mode of treating the Halpha
Esparte or Spanish grass, rushes, and all other textile fibrous plants, in order
to produce therefrom paper pulp.
or
In treating Spanish grass or other fibrous materials, in order to produce
therefrom paper pulp, I prefer first to remove from the plants the "heel"
other knotty portion. I effect this by means of a sharp blade or circular saw,
which separates the same from the rest of the plant. I then place the fibre

page_text: in an apparatus specially disposed so as to admit of its answering the purpose
of successively steeping, boiling, and steaming with superheated steam, the
two first operations being performed with a solution of alkaline salts of a
suitable strength, the object being to soften the plants, and cause them to
swell, thus preparing them for the purpose of separating their fibres. This
operation is effected by the machine described in the Specification of an
Invention, for which I obtained Letters Patent, dated Ninth of January, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty, being No. 56, which reduces them to the
fineness required, or by any other suitable machine. In the next place, I
treat the fibres with an alkaline solution of a suitable strength, in combination
with other solvents, until all their gummy and resinous matters are dissolved,
when I cause them to be well washed, and they are then ready to be bleached,
which latter operation I perform as follows:-Instead of using a solution of
the ordinary chloride of lime in powder, I prepare the same chloride in a
state of solution by introducing a stream of washed chlorine gas into a vessel
containing water which holds in suspension an adequate quantity of hydrate
of lime or other alkaline hydrate in solution, and regulate the strength of this
mixture as may be required, by which means a great economy is obtained, and
purity and uniformity of results secured. In bleaching some materials I add
a small quantity of ammonia or some ammoniacle salts, so as to obtain a purer
color. In order to produce a more powerful agitation and intermixture in the
Bleaching vat, I give the mass a movement of rotation, both horizontally and
vertically. I effect this by driving, by means of toothed gear from the main
shaft which supports and gives motion to the ordinary horizontal agitators,
two shafts placed parallel to the former, having also mounted upon them arms
or agitators at right angles, these shafts having both a motion of rotation on
their own axis, and also a motion round the main shaft and its agitators, both
of which motions and directions may vary from those of the latter. After
having well washed the bleached materials, if they are of a nature to require
it, I treat them with bran water at a moderate temperature, whereby all
traces of clilorine are removed, and the fibres become softer and better
adapted for the purpose of paper. Furthermore, in order to dry the pulp, I
propose after expressing as much water out of it as possible to pass currents of
hot air down through the mass from the surface downwards, in contradistinction
to the ordinary method of passing it upwards, and by thus causing it to follow
the natural course of the heavier fluid to carry away and separate in the
shortest time the moisture from the pulp.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jules Ferdinand Hillel in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 11th October 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JULES
FERDINAND HILLEL, of Mark Lane, City of London, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Jules Ferdinand Hillel, Her special licence that I, the said Jules
Ferdinand Hillel, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Jules Ferdinand Hillel, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPARATUS AND IN THE MODE OF TREATING
SPANISH GRASS AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF PAPER PULP," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Jules
Ferdinand Hillel, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under , 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 within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jules Ferdinand Hillel, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :-
My Invention has for its object an improved method of treating the Halpha
Esparte or Spanish grass, rushes, and other similar textile fibrous plants,.in
order to produce therefrom paper pulp.
'
In treating Spanish grass or other similar fibrous materials, in order to
produce therefrom paper pulp, I propose first to remove from the plants the
"heel" or other knotty portion. I perform. this either by means of a sharp
blade or of a circular saw, so framed and mounted as to separate the same
from the rest of the plant. I then place the fibre in an apparatus specially
disposed, so as to enable me to successively steep, boil, and steam the same

page_text: the latter operation being effected either with ordinary or superheated steam,
the two first operations, that is the steeping and boiling, being performed
with a solution of caustic alkaline salts of a suitable strength, the object being
to soften the plants, and cause them to swell, thus preparing them for the
purpose of separating their fibres. This operation is effected by the machine
described in the Specification of an Invention, for which I obtained Letters
Patent, dated the 9th day of January 1860, being No. 56, or by any other
machine which will reduce them to the fineness required. In the next place,
I treat the fibres with an alkaline solution of a suitable strength, in com-
bination with other solvents, until all their gummy and resinous substances
are dissolved, when I cause them to be well washed, and they are then ready
to be bleached, which latter operation I perform as follows:-Instead of using
a solution of the ordinary chloride of lime from powder, I prepare a solution
of the said chloride by introducing a stream of washed chlorine gas into a
vessel containing water which holds in suspension an adequate quantity of
hydrate of lime or other alkaline hydrate in solution, and regulate the strength
of this mixture as may be required, by which means a great economy is
obtained, and purity and uniformity of results secured. In bleaching some
materials I add a small quantity of ammonia or some ammoniacal salts, so as
to obtain a purer colour. In order to produce a more powerful agitation and
intermixture in the bleaching vat, I give the mass a movement compounded
of a horizontal and vertical motion. This I effect by driving, through means
of toothed gear from the main shaft which supports and gives motion to the
ordinary horizontal agitators, two other shafts parallel to the former, and
having agitators at right angles. These shafts have a motion of rotation both
on their own axes and also round the main shaft and its agitators, both of
which motions may vary in direction from the latter. After having well
washed the bleached materials, if they are of a nature to require it, I treat
them with bran water at a moderate temperature, whereby all traces of
chlorine are removed, and the fibres become softer and better adapted for the
purpose of paper-making. Furthermore, in order to dry the pulp, I propose,
after expressing as much water out of it as possible, to pass currents of
hot air through the mass from the surface downwards, in contradistinction
to the ordinary method of passing it upwards, and by thus causing it to
follow the natural course of the heavier fluid, to carry : it away, and separate
in the shortest time the moisture from the pulp.
Having now described my Invention, and how the same is effected and
carried out in practice, I wish it understood that what I claim as new, and
wish secured to me by the before in part recited Letters Patout, is, the process

page_text: and method of treating Spanish grass or other such fibrous plants, in order to
produce therefrom pulp from paper, after the manner and by the means as
fully set forth in the foregoing Specification.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jules Ferdinand Hillel, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this 11th day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
JULES FERDINAND HILLEL. (L.S.)