IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER IN THE WEB
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Clarke, of Elton, in the County of Lancaster, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO MACHINERY FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF PAPER IN THE WEB."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Clarke at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th September 1879.
JOHN CLARKE, of Elton, in the County of Lancaster.
RELATING TO MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER IN THE WEB."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND
My Invention has for its object the "licking" or drawing the paper from off the
endless wire belt after it has passed through the crouch rollers. I accomplish this
by placing a wire or perforated copper cylinder covered with a felt in front of the
bottom crouch roll, through which run preferably two open pipes; the wire or
perforated copper cylinder revolves on these pipes, and "licks" the paper from
off the endless wire belt and delivers it onto the wet felt, which takes it forward to
a pair of polished copper rollers, then to the presses, after which it passes through
preferably three copper rollers and forward to the drying cylinders. Another
way of carrying out my Invention is to place a revolving perforated pipe at
the back of the endless wire belt, and preferably two open pipes in the front, with
a wire or perforated copper cylinder covered with a felt revolving round the said
pipes, which cylinder "licks" the paper from off the endless wire belt.
I place this at a convenient distance above the bottom crouch roller, and attach
pipes to fans or pumps, which are arranged so as to create a vacuum or draught in
the pipes, which shall act on the paper through the thoroughfare, which lifts the
[aper and "licks" it off the endless wire belt. To regulate the proper amount of
draught or vacuum, I fix a valve in each pipe at the most convenient place.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Clarke in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th March
1880.
JOHN CLARKE, of Elton, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND
RELATING TO MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER IN THE WEB."
My Invention has for its object the "licking" or drawing the paper from off the
endless wire belt after it has passed through the couch rollers B, C. I accomplish
this by placing a wire or perforated copper cylinder A covered with a felt or
"jacket"in front of the bottom couch roll B, through which run preferably two
open pipes J, L; the wire or perforated copper cylinder A revolves round these
pipes and "licks" the paper from off the endless wire belt and delivers it onto the
wet felt, which takes it forward to a pair of polished copper rollers D, then to the
presses E, E, after which it passes through preferably three copper rollers F and
forward to the drying cylinders. Another way of carrying out my Invention is to
place a revolving perforated pipe H at the back of the endless wire belt, and
preferably two open pipes J, L, in the front, with a wire or perforated copper
cylinder A covered with a felt revolving round the said pipes, which cylinder
"licks" the paper from off the endless wire belt.
I place the cylinder A. at a convenient distance above the bottom couch roller,
and attach the pipes J, L, to fans or pumps, which are arranged so as to create a
vacuum or draught in the pipes which shall act on the paper through the thorough-
fare, which lifts the paper and "licks" it off the endless wire belt. To regulate the
proper amount of draught or vacuum, I fix a valve in each pipe at the most
convenient place.
In the Drawings Fig. 1 shows my apparatus in its most improved form
for general use in new machinery, in which my improved perforated copper
cylinder A is placed a short distance above the bottom couch roller B, obviating
the necessity of an upper couch roller altogether. Figs. 2 and 3 are modifi-
cations of my Invention in those cases where it is desirable to retain the
upper couch roller, in which case the perforated copper cylinder A takes the web
after passing through the couch rollers B and C. In the Drawings the endless
wire belt is represented when not in contact with a cylinder by a double chain
dot line, the wet felt by a single chain_dot, and the paper when not in contact
with either by a single line of dots. D, D, are polished copper rolls; E, E, the
presses; F, F, F, three more copper rollers delivering the paper to the drying
cylinders; arrows represent the course of the paper; G, G, are india-rubber
doctors to preserve the polish on the rollers; I, I, the framing, most of which is
removed so as not to crowd the Drawing, there being nothing now in it.
The cylinder A is the most important part of the Invention. It consists
preferably of perforated copper of from ten to twelve inches diameter. It is
provided with two pipes J and L running through it. One of these J, five or six
inches in diameter, has a slot in its periphery running the entire breadth of the
endless wire belt, and say two inches further on each side; this slot is from a quarter
to half an inch wide. This tube is stationary fastened to the stationary head or
axle on which the cylinder revolves. It is plugged at one end, and connected at
the other to an exhaust fan or air pump so that a constant inward current of air
passes through the perforated cylinder to the slot, which it will be seen is opposite
the endless wire belt and paper web thereon. This suction licks the paper off the
endless wire belt and holds it to the cylinder, as the tube causes a partial_vacuum
all over the inner surface of the cylinder except near the slot in the pipe L now to
be described. L is a pipe of lesser diameter, say two inches and a half; this pipe bas
a much narrower slot but otherwise similar to that in pipe J. This pipe L is
connected with the exit pipe of the air pump or fan, so as to always contain a
pressure of air, which rushing out opposite the point where the wet felt web begins,
destroys the suction at that point and blows the paper off the "jacket” of the

page_text: perforated cylinder onto the felt. These pipes J and L are securely attached to the
iron or brass end plates.
This arrangement is shown in detail in Fig. 4, in which a is the perforated copper
forming the cylinder a; b, a solid brass end of perforated cylinder a revolving on
stud c; c, stud for adjusting the cylinder and pipes in position on which the end of
copper cylinder revolves; d, solid end brazed to pipe J into which the stud c is keyed;
e, solid end for cylinder through which the pipes J and L pass, and on which the
ring fattached to cylinder a revolves; g, lips on either side of the slots in the pipes,
which extend to within one sixteenth of an inch of the perforated cylinder; i, lugs
to which to fasten the felt covering or "jacket" of perforated cylinder; k, supports
between the pipes L and J. Fig. 5 shows in detail construction of cylinders
Hand K, through which the current of air may be caused to pass in either direction,
the letters referred to in Fig. 4 describing it.
The mode of operation is as follows: The paper pulp passes along the endless
wire belt between the couch rollers B, C, where the water is to a large extent
extracted by pressure, and then on to the cylinder A, which by reason of the suction
through the slot in the pipe J licks the pulp froin off the endless wire belt, at the
same time exhausting moisture from it, and carries it to the wet felt passing over
roller K, which sucks or licks it off the cylinder A, being permitted to do so by the
suction round the cylinder A being destroyed at that point by the blast issuing
from the slot in pipe L. The damp paper is then conveyed sometimes through
rollers D, D, to the press rolls E, E, and from thence through roller, F, F, F, which
are kept in close contact by a spring to the drying cylinders. I prefer to use a
roller H with a draught issuing from it in taking the paper from the endles wire
belt to the cylinder A. In passing over the cylinder A the fibres of the paper are
tightly knit togeter.
By my Invention I effect a great saving in the wear and tear of the endless wire
belts and felts used for carrying the pulp and wet paper by obviating the necessity
of such heavy couch rolls for extracting the water as are now used or doing away
with them. I prevent the frequent occurrence of broken ends between the endless
wire belt and wet felt, and consequent waste of material and loss of time in piecing
them up. And by the use of the polished rolls D and F, I produce a paper with
a surface on both sides of stronger and better quality than is produced in an
ordinary machine,
Having now described my Invention and the best modes known to me of
carrying it into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I believe to be new
and desire to protect under the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The manufacture of machines for making paper in the web with a per-
forated cylinder (provided with suction in a segment of its interior) placed a little
above the lower couch roller, so as to act in the double capacity of a paper carrier
and a substitute for a couch roller, substantially as described.
Second. The manufacture of machines for making paper in the web with rollers
such as D and F, substantially as and for the purposes described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Clarke, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty
Witness,
J. OWDEN O'BRIEN,
Clerk to W. P. Thompson & Co.,
Patent Agents,
Liverpool and London.
JOHN CLARKE. (L.S.)