Improvements in or relating to Beating or Pulping Machines Applicable for Paper-making.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1886.
Complete Left, 7th Apr., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 10th May, 1887
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Beating or Pulping Machines
Applicable for Paper-making.
We, WILLIAM HULL and WILLIAM BICKERTON WALKER, both of Oakenholt, Flint
in the County of Flint, Paper makers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to machinery for the reduction of rags, esparto, straw, wood
pulp, and other fibrous substances in a continuous operation from the time the said
fibrous substances are fed to the Automatic Beating Machine, or series of automatic
beating machines, as the nature of the material may require, until delivered into the
ordinary stuff chests, or direct to the paper making machine, as circumstances may
require. By its means the time lost in present engines through the pulp having to
travel from back to front of the "roll," a distance of 12 to 14 feet (varying in different
engines, from 5 to 10 minutes) is avoided. The average time of preparation in
present engines is about 4 hours, and the material only comes under the grinding or
beating surfaces some 4 or 6 minutes during the operation, the remainder of the
4 hours is lost in the stuff making the circuits of the trough, and the power to drive
the engine during that time wasted.
Our invention consists 1st in forming a series of pulping mechanisms and passing
the material through each in succession, the first machine being coarsely set, and each
succeeding one preferably more finely set than the one before. At present the
material is repeatedly passed through one machine and this is set the closer and closer
as the work proceeds. 2nd. Instead of the present beating machine we prefer a
conical mill on a horizontal axis, the inner cone having a series of radial knives set
thereon, and their edges all on one cone, and the outer casing having a second series
of knives, also radial, but projecting inward, their edges forming a second cone,
parallel or nearly so with the other. The two sets of knives instead of being placed
each in the same plane as the axis of the cone are placed slightly askew, so that when
in action the two sets of knives pass each other at a small angle, and so shear the
material better.

page_text: To regulate the distance apart, the shaft of the inner cone is provided with a slight
longitudinal motion, preferably a screw at each end, worked by gearing in parallel
shafting. The cover is formed of two or more picces, say, a lower and an upper or a
lower and two upper pieces, the latter hinged to the lower, so as to open when
required, and fastened by screws or their equivalent. The material to be pulped is
fed into a hopper at the small end of the cone of the first machine, and escapes out of
a spout or discharge orifice at the other or broad end into the hopper; at the small
end of the second machine, and so on through the series.
The knives can be attached and wedged
in any suitable manner, we prefer to cast
or fit dovetail bars on the cones and string the knives thereon by means of dovetail
slots in the same, and then wedge them tight.
Among the advantages we hope to obtain by our invention are the following
That the sizing, colouring, etcetera being supplied automatically to engine, their
variations can immediately be corrected, and when once set, the supply is independent
of Beaterman; stirring is done away with; and "stuff" must be uniform; "strings
impossible, thereby permitting the use of finer knotter "plates," and consequently
cleaner "
paper." Less loss of time in washing up, no loss of "stuff" no loss of power
in waiting for "chest" room, or changing Shades, as the flow of Stuff being con-
tinuous and uniform from the "Automatic Beater or beaters, can be stopped with
the paper making machine, and irregularities in the substance of the paper reduced
to a minimum.
Dated this 7th day of June 1886.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6 Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicants.
Applicable for Paper-making.
We, WILLIAM HULL and WILLIAM BICKERTON WALKER both of Oakenholt, Flint
in the County of Flint, Paper Makers do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This invention relates to machinery for the reduction of rags, esparto, straw, wood
pulp, and other fibrous substances in a continuous operation from the time the said fibrous
substances are fed to the automatic Beating Machine, or series of automatic beating
machines, as the nature of the material may require, until delivered into the ordinary
stuff chests, or direct to the paper making machine, as circumstances may require. By
its means the time lost in present engines through the pulp having to travel from back to
front of the "roll" is avoided. The average time of preparation in present engines is
about 4 hours, and the material only comes under the grinding or
beating surfaces

page_text: some
or 6 minutes during the operation, the remainder of the 4 hours is lost in the
stuff making the circuits of the trough, and the power to drive the engine during that
time wasted, as far as the stuff making that circuit is concerned.
The invention is best described by aid of the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 shows a general view of plant.
Figure 2 sectional elevation of a single machine.
Figure 3 plan of same.
Figure 4 end view of machine.
Figure 5 end view of gland and slide bars.
Figure 6 enlarged end view and part cross section of cones.
Figure 7 flat projection of inner cone knives.
Figure 8 flat projection of outer cone knives.
In Figure 1, A, A', A", are three pulping machines hereafter more particularly
described. The materials enter at B, pass through A and out at spout C into B³,
thence through A' and so on through the three or any desired number of machines,
till they finally are discharged, fully pulped, at in the drawing (or last spont as
the case may be). In each machine the knives hereafter described are preferably
differently spaced-say coarsely set in A, less coarsely in A¹, and still less in A-or
for some varieties of materials in the reverse plan, namely, finely in A, less finely
in A, and still less in A¹¹.
Under the present existing system the material is repeatedly passed through one
machine, and the cutters of that machine are set closer and closer, or wider and wider
apart (as the case may be) as the work proceeds.
Taking now Figures 2, 3, etcetera, we will describe an individual pulping machine.
D is a horizontal or nearly horizontal shaft running in bearings E, E. D¹ shaft
coupled to D by coupling or clutch D", the advantage in having two shafts is that
they can be uncoupled, and D lifted out of place at any time without disturbing D'.
F is a cone keyed onto shaft D. Ga series of knives, the edges of which form a cone,
preferably concentric with, and parallel to F. These knives are firmly wedged into
the recesses formed by radial and slightly dovetail ribs H of cone F. I Blocks of
wood or metal packing filling the space between, and laterally supporting the knives,
and filling up the space between them, except that the edges of the knives rise beyond
these blocks, a quarter of an inch or more. To still more firmly pin the knives into
the cone, we turn out a deep groove in each end of the knives and packings, and a
slightly larger one in the ray-like ribs, and shrink on the same an iron or steel hoop.
This draws the knives and packings tight down towards the centre-the enlarged
groove in the ribs enabling the full force of the shrinkage to come upon the knives
and packings holding them in place.
Ja second series of knives parallel with the first or nearly so and attached in any
convenient manner to outside casing K. We prefer to fix them by means of
dovetails L attached to and forming part of the outer casing upon which the knives
having similar dovetail slots to fit, are threaded or strung. Blocks of metal or other
packing keep each knife a given distance from its neighbour, and fill up the interstices
as in the other case, as shewn. These knives instead of being exactly parallel with the
other knives are preferably placed askew laterally at a small angle, (and are formed in
several series in the length of the cone, each series in succession being skewed to the
same angle, but opposite in direction to the last, as set forth in Figure 8. By this
means any longitudinal strains caused by the shearing of one set in one direction are
counteracted by other strains caused by the next set shearing in the opposite
direction.) In place of these knives being placed slightly askew, the inner knives
could be skewed, or the angle be divided between the two sets, or the outer knives
can be formed each in one piece and skewed on the cone. They can also be fixed by
a bond forced into a groove at the ends as with the inner knives if desired—but in
this case shrinking cannot be used to tighten up. In order to regulate the distance
apart of the two cones of knives, the shafts D, D¹, are made free to slide in thei
bearings E, and have the following adjustment.
M is a shaft supported on brackets N² having gear wheels N gearing into wheels O,

page_text: so as to cause these two to run synchronously. O¹ is a handle to rotate them by.
P is a yoke or crosshead attached by pillar studs P1, P1, firmly to end of cone K.
Qis a terminal bearing for shaft D at each end; R screwed shaft connecting
wheel O with terminal bearing Q and screwed through a hole in P also screwed to
fit it. Ris a check nut or lock arrangement. The mode of action of this part is as
follows: On turning the handle O¹ both wheels O are simultaneously turned, giving
to the gearing N, M, N. Screwed shafts R, R, being keyed to wheels 0, 0, turn
with them and screwing through the nut P force the two terminal bearings Qequally
in the same direction and with them shafts, D1, D¹. S, S, are frames to carry the
machinery. T, T are fast and loose driving pulleys. In order to enable the machine
to be constructed and easily taken to pieces, or opened for examination, we form
cone K in two halves, a bottom, and a top or lid. The lid can if desired be also again
divided into two parts, but except in very large machines, this is not necessary. The
top and bottom are bolted together by bolts at U, U. V is the orifice to which spout C
is attached.
:-
Among the advantages, we hope to obtain by our invention are the following
That the sizing, colouring, etcetera is thoroughly amalgamated, and can immediately
be corrected; stirring is done away with; and "stuff" must be uniform; "strings
prevented, thereby permitting the use of finer knotter "plates," and consequently
cleaner "paper." Less loss of time in washing up, no loss of "stuff," no loss of power
in waiting for "chest" room, or changing shades, as the flow of stuff being continuous
and uniform from the "automatic Beater" or beaters, can be stopped and altered
immediately, and irregularities in the substance of the paper reduced to a minimum.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
1st. The process herein described for pulping rags and other materials, which
consists in passing the materials through a series of pulping machines, each in
succession fed from the previous one and each supplied with a set of cutting devices,
substantially as described.
2nd. The improvement in a pulping machine which consists in forming it with
two conical series of cutting devices on the same axis or nearly so, the one conical
series being adjustable on its axis so as to approach or recede from the other
series by suitable mechanism according as the cutters are required to have a coarser
or finer cut.
3rd. The mechanical device for adjusting the distance between the cutters,
substantially as herein shown and described.
4th. The arrangements for firmly fixing and holding the knives in place,
substantially as described.
.
5th. The arrangements by which the internal shaft and cutters can be quickly
removed without disturbing the driving apparatus all substantially as and for the
purposes described.
6th. The pulping machine combined and constructed as a whole, substantially
as described.
Dated thie Sixth day of April 1887
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Agents.