IMPROVEMENTS IN. THE TREATMENT AND APPLICATION OF VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL PULP OR FIBRES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF Hollow AND MOULDED ARTICLES IN IMitation of LEATHER, EARTHENWARE, OR PAPIER MACHÉ, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF MACHINERY TO BE USED THEREFOR.” PROAL SP
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Charles Vickers and Edwin William Knowles,
both of Compton Street, Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN. THE TREATMENT AND APPLICATION OF
VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL PULP OR FIBRES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF Hollow
AND MOULDED ARTICLES IN IMitation of LEATHER, EARTHENWARE, OR PAPIER
MACHÉ, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF MACHINERY TO BE
USED THEREFOR.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Charles Vickers and
Edwin William Knowles at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
17th July 1878.
EDWARD CHARLES VICKERS and EDWIN WILLIAM KNOWLES, both of Compton
Street, Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREAT-
MENT AND APPLICATION OF VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL PULP OR FIBRES FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF HOLLOW AND MOULDED ARTICLES IN IMITATION OF LEATHER,
EARTHENWARE, OR PAPIER MACHÉ, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT
OF MACHINERY TO BE USED THEREFOR."
Any known fibrous substance or substances, whether vegetable or animal, or
combination of the same, is or are taken and submitted, in conjunction with water,
to the operation of an ordinary rag engine, and thus reduced to the required specific
gravity.
The forms or moulds for the articles desired to be manufactured are constructed
of perforated metal or wire gauze, the same being strengthened by means of ribs of
metal, or in any other suitable manner, and are connected with a vacuum pump; the
pulped fibres having been introduced into the forms or moulds, a valve which is in
connection with the vacuum pump is opened, and the air being exhausted from one
side of the mould, the superfluous water contained in the pulp is forced by the

page_text: pressure of the atmosphere into the exhausted space. When this operation is
completed and it is desired to remove the moulded article air is forced into the last-
mentioned space, thus allowing of the said article to be removed without injury
from the mould. The article being thus left in a semi-dried state is afterwards
pressed by hydraulic power, or any other suitable method and means, whereby any
remaining moisture is thereby expelled.
The articles are then embossed or smoothed, and painted, enamelled, japanned, or
varnished, and finished as may be desired.
Any article constructed as above described may be embossed with letters, figures,
or other designs, by means of heated dies.
This Invention is applicable to the manufacture of bowls, cornices for ceilings,
and a great variety of other articles.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Charles Vickers and Edwin William Knowles in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 17th January 1879.
EDWARD CHARLES VICKERS and EDWIN WILLIAM KNOWLES, both of Compton
Street, Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREAT-
MENT AND APPLICATION OF VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL PULP OR FIBRES FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF HOLLOW AND MOULDED ARTICLES IN IMITATION OF LEATHER,
EARTHENWARE, OR PAPIER MACHÉ, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT
OF MACHINERY TO BE USED THEREFOR."
Any known fibrous substance or substances, whether vegetable or animal, or
combination of the same, is or are taken and submitted, in conjunction with water,
to the operation of an ordinary rag engine, and thus reduced to the required specific
gravity.
The forms or moulds for the articles desired to be manufactured are constructed
of perforated metal or wire gauze, the same being strengthened by means of ribs of
metal, or in any other suitable manner, and they are placed in connection with
suitable pumps for creating a vacuum, and also for forcing air through the moulds;
the pulped fibres having been introduced into the forms or moulds a valve which
is in connection with the vacuum pump is opened, and the air being exhausted.from
one side of the mould the pulp is forced down evenly over the mould, and a great
amount of moisture extracted therefrom by the pressure of the atmosphere. When
this operation is completed and it is desired to remove the moulded article, air is
forced into the exhausted space beneath the mould, and the said article can then be
removed without injury. The article, after the last-described operation, being left
in a semi-dried condition is afterwards pressed by hydraulic power, or by any other
suitable method and means, whereby any remaining moisture is expelled.
The articles are then embossed or smoothed, and painted, enamelled, japanned, or
varnished, and finished as may be desired.
Any article constructed as above described may be embossed with letters, figures,
or other designs, by means of heated dies.
We will now proceed to refer to the annexed Drawings, from which the above-
described apparatus for moulding the articles will be more clearly understood.
The view shewn in Figure 1 is a vertical section of the apparatus, and Figure 2
is a plan view.
A is the outside case, upon which the mould B rests; b is a receptacle for the
pulp; C is a pipe connected to the apparatus for exhausting the air from the
space between A and B ; and D is a pipe, through which air is forced into the
same.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The mould B, which is of any desired
shape, is placed over the case A; the air is then exhausted from the space between A
and B until the pulp contained in the receptacle b is sufficiently forced down by
atmospheric pressure on to the mould; air is then forced into the space between A.
and B through the pipe D. The moulded article is then removed and the manu-
facture of the same completed, as above described.
This Invention is applicable to the manufacture of bowls, cornices for ceilings,
and a great variety of other articles.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, we would observe in conclusion
that what we consider novel and original, and therefore claim as constituting
the Invention secured to us by the said herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent are,
First. The treatment and application of vegetable and animal pulp or fibres,
substantially as and for the purposes herein-before described and set forth.

page_text: Aud, Secondly. The combination and arrangement of apparatus for moulding
articles, such as are herein-before mentioned, substantially as herein-before described
and set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said Edward Charles Vickers and Edwin William
Knowles, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourteenth day of
January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
EDWARD CHARLES VICKERS. (L.S.)
EDWIN WILLIAM KNOWLES.
(L.S.).