CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OR PROCESS OF MANU- FACTURING PAPER
Year: 1842

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
HUGHES, of Whitehall Mills, Chapel-en-le-Frith, in the County of Derby,
Paper Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-ninth day of January, One thousand eight hundred
and forty-two, in the fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Hughes, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Joseph Hughes,
my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Joseph
Hughes, my executors, administrators, and 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, my
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OR PROCESS OF MANU-
FACTURING PAPER;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I,
the said Joseph Hughes, shall cause a particular description of the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be enrolled in Her 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Joseph Hughes, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and

page_text: ascertained in. and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the following
explanation thereof, that is to say:-
My improvements in the method or process of manufacturing paper
apply particularly to white paper; and, firstly, in that part of the method
or process of manufacture in which the rags or "half stuff" is gased and
bleached preparatory to being, converted into pulp. Secondly, my improve-
ments consist in a new method or process of destroying the gas in the rags or
"half stuff" preparatory to the process of "bowking" or immersion in the
bleaching liquor, iustead of submitting it a second time to the operation of the
rag engine, as commonly practised, which new process will be found greatly to
economise time and labour in this part of the manufacture. And, thirdly, my
improvements consist in a novel mode of finishing the paper as it proceeds
from the common Fourdrinier web machine, by means of certain apparatus
applied to such machinery in order to improve the finish or appearance of the
*paper produced.
The first part of my improvements will be readily understood by reference
to Sheet 1, Fig. 1, of the Drawings attached to these presents, and consists in
a novel and peculiar method of making the "bleaching powder," or chloride
of lime, usually employed in treating or operating upon the rags or "half
stuff." This "bleaching powder" I produce by employing the waste chlorine
gas which is ordinarily used in gasing the rags and impregnating lime therewith,
instead of opening the gas chests and allowing the superfluous gas to escape
into the air (to the injury of animal and vegetable life), as usually practised, after
the rags have been gased, and without employing more drugs than commonly
necessary for the gasing process. Two common stone gas chests or chambers
are represented in section at a, a, a, a, with the rags or "half stuff" contained
therein, and supposed to be under the operation of gasing; the chlorine gas
passes into these chambers through the pipes b, b, b, proceeding from the
still in which it is generated, and acts as usual upon the rngs. After the
rags are fully gased, instead of opening the chests and allowing the super-
fluous gas to escape, the rods c, c, are to be lifted and thus the valves d, d,
opened, when such gas will pass into the lower cistern or chamber e, c.
This chamber is provided with layers of lime f, f, which will become
impregnated with the gas, and the " bleaching powder," or chloride of
lime, thus be made from the operation of the waste gas from the gasing
chambers, the layers of lime being stirred once or twice during the work-
ing off of the gas. A portion of this gas may also be advantageously
employed in making the bleaching liquor used in an after process, which
is also a novel feature in such manufacture. A pair of leaden pumps

page_text: 9, 9, with leaden clacks, wooden plungers, and packed either with hemp
or india-rubber, are to be employed for exhausting a portion of the gas
from the cistern or chamber e, e, and impregnating lime water contained in
the reservoir or vessel h, h, therewith, which will also be found to make
sufficient bleaching liquor from the waste or superfluous gas after the rags
have been fully gased as usual.
The second part of my improvements is effected by immersing the rags or
"half stuff," as it is taken from the gas chest, in a stone cistern with false
bottom containing a weak solution of lime and water. The rags should be
well stirred up whilst being placed in the solution, when it must stand from one
to two hours; clean water must now be turned in at top and a valve opened
below in order to drain or wash the rags entirely free from any lime or gas,
which washing through should continue an hour and a half. The gas will
thus be completely destroyed, and the rags or "half stuff" be ready to be
removed for "bowking" or immersion in the bleaching liquor, and it will be
found that the rags prepared in this manner only require half the time in
"bowking" that is usually taken. If it is preferred, this process of destroy-
ing the gas may be performed in the rag engine instead of an independent
cistern, but this extra employment of machinery is not requisite.
The third part of my improvements will be clearly explained by reference to
Sheet 2 of the Drawings annexed, and consists in the application or addition
of certain apparatus to the paper or delivering end of the ordinary Four-
drinier's machine. Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of my improved finishing
apparatus attached to a paper machine, the end of the framing and last drying
cylinder of which is shewn at a, a, a, a. My improvements consist in the
application of one, two, or more pairs of friction bowls or rollers b, b, b, b,
worked with a felt or cloth, or without, geared with the machine, and having
a change wheel attached, so that any requisite amount of friction can be
given to the surface of the paper passing between them by driving the upper
bowls from three or six or more revolutions per minute faster than the lower
bowls, to be regulated according to the finish required upon the surface of the
paper, which is represented at c, c, passing from the drying cylinder a to the
paper roll d. Fig. 2 represents another arrangement or modification of a
similar finishing apparatus, but with three pairs of bowls instead of two,
having similar letters of reference marked upon corresponding parts of the
mechanism.
Having now particularly described the nature of my said Invention, and tho
manner of carrying my improvements into practical effect, I desire it to be
understood that I claim as my Invention,-

page_text: Firstly, the production or manufacture of the "bleaching powder" and
bleaching liquor," commonly used in the first or early process of paper
manufacture, by the application, employment, or use of the waste or super-
fluous gas after the common gasing process has been fully performed.
Secondly, lestroying the gas in the rags or "half stuff" by the immersion
of them in a weak solution of lime and water preparatory to the "bowking"
or bleaching process, whether such immersion is performed in the common
rag engine or in a separate and independent cistern.
And, lastly, I claim the application of friction rollers or bowls to the end of
Fourdrinier's machine, as shown in the Drawings annexed, for the purpose of
finishing the paper by friction; such rollers or bowls being made of steel
(which I prefer), chilled iron, or other metal or material.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Hughes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-two.
JOSEPH (L.S.) HUGHES.
Extraordinary in Chancery.
JOSEPH (L.S.) HUGHES.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Twenty-sixth day of July,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Joseph Hughes came before our
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Twenty-ninth day of July, in the year above written.