IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING PULP OF PULPOUS MATERIAL, APPLICABLE THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER, AND FOR OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Burke, of Woodlands, Montserrat, British
West Indies, at present residing in London, Gentleman, for the Inven
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING PULP OF PULPOUS MATERIAL, APPLICABLE
THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER, AND FOR OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES."
'PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Burke at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th June
1855. -
I, FRANCIS BURKE, of Woodlands, Montserrat, British West Indies, at
present residing in London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING PULP OR PULPOUS MATERIAL,
APPLICABLE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER, AND FOR OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES," to
be as follows:-
This Invention consists of a mode of preparing or obtainingfrom vegetable
0 substances their fibres in a state of pulp, applicable in the manufacture of
paper, and for other useful purposes.
The pulp generally used in the manufacture of paper is produced byminutely
¨dividing the fibres-of flax and other vegetable substances which have been
previously separated from the vegetable matters contained in the plants from
were obtained.

page_text: The object of my Invention is to convert the fibres of vegetables into pulp
without having recourse to the previous process of separating the fibrous
matter from the other component parts of vegetable substances; and for the
purpose of effecting this object, I adopt means for simultaneously or in one
process reducing the fibres to a state of pulp, and separating the pulp from
the gummy and other vegetable matters with which they are mixed or
combined.
The vegetable substances to which my Invention is applicable are the plants
known by the names of the plantain, the banana, and the aloe, and any other
vegetable substances containing fibrous matters from which the other matters
contained therein can be separated by water whilst undergoing the operation
herein-after described.
When necessary,
I first cut, crush, or bruise the vegetable matter to be
operated upon, for the purpose of reducing it to such a state of division that it
shall be capable of being introduced into a mill to be ground, as herein-after
mentioned; and if the vegetable be plantain, banana, aloe, or any similar
vegetable. substance, I prefer, first to crush it between rollers, or by any other
convenient means, so as to deprive it of as much of its fluid matters as can be
got rid of conveniently in that way.
For the purpose of reducing the vegetable matters to pieces of convenient
sizes, they may be cut by a chaff cutter, or by knives, saws, or other convenient
means, according to the nature of the material.
The material having been thus prepared, I proceed to grind it in a mill
made of a pair of stones, similar to those of an ordinary fleur mill, but with
the eye of the runner or upper stone somewhat enlarged, so as to facilitate the
admission of the material.
Either the upper or the lower stone of the mill may be made the runner,
and motion may be given to it in the same way as in ordinary flour mills; and
I cause the material to be ground, and also a stream of water to be simul-
taneously supplied or fed into the eye of the mill, the supply of material
being regulated according to the capability of the mill to grind it, and the
quantity of water supplied being sufficient to convert the vegetable material
when ground into a fluid pulp. The vegetable material and water may be
.supplied or fed into the eye of the mill, and the supply may be regulated
by any convenient means.
The water used may either be hot or cold, and when necessary may be
mixed with or have dissolved in it any chemical agent for the purpose of
facilitating the separation of the fibres from the other vegetable matters with
which they may be mixed,

page_text: The vegetable fibres being ground to a pulp as they pass through the mill,
are thrown out at the peripheries of the stones, round which I place a trough
to receive it, from whence it runs into suitable sieves, by which the fibrous
pulp is separated from the water, which passes away, carrying with it the
soluble matters, and also any minutely divided insoluble or non-fibrous
matters which may have been separated from the fibrous matters by the action
of the mill..
The extent of grinding to which the vegetable substance is subjected may
be varied, so as to make it more or less fine, according to the purpose to which
it is to be applied, and it may be coarsely ground, so as to produce a pulpous
material,.such as known in the paper trade by the name of "half stuff.”
The pulp of vegetable fibres thus prepared may, if desired, be bleached and
otherwise treated in like manner as pulp prepared or obtained in any other
manner, and may also be used or applied in the manufacture of paper,
millboard, or papier machè, or for any other purpose for which it may be
applicable. The pulp thus prepared may also be compressed into forms or
masses, so as to be stored for use, or more conveniently transported to a
place of manufacture.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Francis Burke in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th
December 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
BURKE, of Woodlands, Montserrat, British West Indies, at present residing in
London, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Francis Burke, Her special licence that I, the said Francis Burke, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Francis
Burke, 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 PREPARING PULP
OR PULPOUS MATERIAL APPLICABLE-IN-THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER, AND FOR OTHER

page_text: USEFUL PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Francis
Burke, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should parti-
cularly 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 Létters. Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francis Burke, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say) :-
This Invention consists of a mode of preparing or obtaining from vegetable
substances their fibres in a state of pulp, applicable in the manufacture of
and for other useful purposes.
paper,
The pulp generally used in the manufacture of paperis produced by minutely
dividing the fibres of flax and other vegetable substances which have been pre-
viously separated from thevegetable matters contained in tho plants from which
..they were obtained.
The object of my Invention is to convert the fibres of vegetables into pulp
without having recourse to the previous process of separating the fibrous
matter from the other component parts of vegetable substances; and for the
purpose of effecting this object, I adopt means for simultaneously or in one
process reducing the fibres to a state of pulp, and separating the pulp
from the gummy and other vegetable matters with which they are mixed or
combined.
The vegetable substances to which my Invention is applicable are, the plants
known by the names of the plantain, the banana, and the aloe, and any other
vegetable substances containing fibrous matters from which the other matters
contained therein can be separated by water whilst undergoing the operation
herein-after described.
When necessary, I first cut, crush, or bruise the vegetable matter to be
operated upon, for the purpose of reducing it to such a state of division that it
shall be capable of being introduced into a mill to be ground, as herein-after
inentioned; and if the vegetable be plantain, banana, aloe, or any similar
vegetable substance, I prefer first to crush it between rollers, or by any other
convenient means, so as to deprive it of as much of its fluid matters as can
be got rid of conveniently in that way; this is supposing that the vegetable
matters above mentioned are treated when in the green and undried state,
which is what I consider the best course of proceeding.
For the purpose of reducing the vegetable matters to pieces of convenient

page_text: sizes, they may be cut into short lengths by a chaff cutter, or by knives, saws,
or other convenient means, according to the nature of the material.
The material having been thus prepared, I proceed to grind it in a mill
made of a pair of stones, similar to those of an ordinary flour mill, but with
the eye of the runner or upper stone somewhat enlarged, so as to facilitate the
admission of the material; and I have found that it is not necessary to have
the surfaces cut or grooved, as when grinding wheat. So far as my experience
goes, the plain surfaces act best.
Either the upper or the lower stone of the mill may be made the runner,
but it is most convenient to have the upper stone the runner, and motion
may be given to it in the same way as in ordinary flour mills; and I cause
the material to be ground, and also a stream of water to be simaltaneously
supplied or fed into the eye of the mill, the supply of water and of the
material being regulated according to the capability of the mill to grind the
material. The quantity of water supplied is to be sufficient to convert
the vegetable material when ground into a fluid pulp. The vegetable
material and water may be supplied or fed together or separate into the
eye of the mill, and the supply of each may be regulated by any convenient
means.
The water used may be either hot or cold, but I believe it is preferable
to use cold water, and when necessary may be mixed with or have dissolved
in it any chemical agent for the purpose of facilitating the separation of the
fibres from the other vegetable matters with which they may be mixed; I have
not, however, found it necessary or desirable to use other matters than water.
The vegetable fibres as they are ground to a pulp are thrown out at the
peripheries of the stones, round which I place a trough to receive it, from
whence it runs into suitable sieves, by which the fibrous pulp is separated
from the water, which passes away, carrying with it the soluble matters, and
also any minutely divided insoluble or non-fibrous matters which may have
been separated from the fibrous matters by the action of the mill.
The extent of grinding to which the vegetable substance is subjected may
be varied, so as to make it more or less fine, according to the purpose to
which it is to be applied; and it may be coarsely ground, so as to produce
a pulpous material, such as known in the paper trade by the name of "half
stuff."
The pulp of vegetable fibres thus prepared may, if desired, be bleached and
otherwise treated in like manner as pulp prepared or obtained in any other
manner, and may also be used or applied in the manufacture of paper,
millboard, or papier maché, or for any other purpose for which it may be

page_text: applicable. The pulp thus prepared may also be compressed into forms
or masses, so as to be stored for use, or more conveniently transported to
a place of manufacture..
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Burke, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth-day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
FRANCIS BURKE. (L.S.)
Witness,
JAS. MEADE,
Provost Marshal of Montserrat,
CHARLES ANSTRUTHER CHAMBERS,
Sub-Treasurer and Landing Surveyor
of Montserrat.