AN IMPROVEMENT IN PAPER MAKING MACHINES."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Herbert and John Loch, both of the City and
County of Edinburgh, North Britain, for an Invention of “AN IMPROVEMENT
IN PAPER MAKING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Herbert and John
Loch at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th September
1880.
CHARLES HERBERT and JOHN LOCH, both of the City and County of Edinburgh,
North Britain. "AN IMPROVEMENT IN PAPER MAKING MACHINES."
The said Invention relates to an improvement in paper making machines, and
consists in providing the vacuum or suction boxes, by which moisture is drawn
from the pulp carried forward upon the wire web, with a moving cover continually
passing over the top of the vacuum box in the same direction as the wire web. In
carrying the Invention into effect the vacuum box is placed inside a rotating
cylinder of suitable size and revolving upon a horizontal axis, so that the top of
the vacuum box bears closely against the inside of the cylinder, or is otherwise
closely covered thereby, and so that the said cylinder continuously passes thereover.
The said cylinder is perforated all over with holes or slits for the passage of water
from the pulp. By this Invention friction between the top of the vacuum box
and the wire web is obviated, or reduced to a minimum, and wear and tear
consequently much reduced.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Herbert and John Loch in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 29th March 1881.
CHARLES HERBERT and JOHN LOCH, both of the City and County of Edinburgh
North Britain. "AN IMPROVEMENT IN PAPER MAKING MACHINES."
Our said Invention relates to an improvement in paper making machines, and
consists in providing the vacuum or suction boxes thereof, by which moisture is
drawn from the pulp carried forward upon the wire web, with a moving cover
continually passing over the top of the vacuum box in the same direction as the
wire web carrying the pulp, whereby friction between the top of the vacuum boxes
and the wire web is obviated, or reduced to a minimum, and wear and tear
consequently much lessened.
And in order that our said Invention may be properly understood we now
proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner, in or under
which the same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference being
had to the accompanying Drawing, and to the letters and Figures marked thereon,
that is to say,-
Figure 1 represents in longitudinal section, and Figure 2 in transverse section, a
suction box to which our Invention is applied; Figure
is an elevation of one of
the end pieces carrying the travelling cover of the said box; Figure 4 is a diagram
illustrating a portion of a paper making machine, shewing the position in the
machine of two suction boxes provided with travelling covers according to our
Invention.
The vacuum box A is provided with open ends or trunnions a, by which the air
and water are withdrawn from the interior thereof, and may otherwise be of
ordinary or convenient construction, but with the upper surface curved to
correspond with an arc of the circle of the cylinder B, inside which the said
vacuum box is situated, the said cylinder B consisting of a shell of brass having
therein a number of perforations or being formed of brass wire gauze, or being
formed of other perforated or reticulated material which will allow the moisture
from the paper pulp to pass into the interior of the suction box, whatever portion
of the cylinder B may be over the top of the suction box. The said cylinder B is
carried by end pieces C, having sleeves c, which are carried upon the hollow
trunnions a as an axis, so that the cylinder B on being rotated passes continuously
over the top of the suction box, the suction box bearing closely against the inside
of the said cylinder B; D are the sliding side cheeks, adjustable nearer to or
further from each other upon the right and left hand screws upon the shaft d
according to the width of paper being made by the machine. The guides e are
attached at intervals to the exterior of the suction box, each guide forming with
the top of the said box a circular guide for the cylinder B, and being of the same
diameter as the inside of the said cylinder. When the machine is in operation the
wire web carrying the paper pulp passes over the suction box or boxes with which
the machine is provided, the travelling covers or cylinders B of the said boxes
having by preference the same rate of movement and in the same direction as the
said wire web. This movement of the said cylinders B may be obtained from any
convenient part of the driving mechanism of the machine. In Figure 4 the motion
is shewn as being transmitted from the cylinder of one suction box to the cylinder
of another by gear wheels 1, 2, and 3, those of the cylinders B being keyed upon
the sleeves c thereof. A portion of the wire web carrying the pulp and travelling
over the suction boxes is marked x in Figure 4.
The pumps and other parts in connection with the suction boxes are, or may be,
of the ordinary construction, and require no description.

page_text: The covers B, instead of consisting of rigid cylinders, as shewn, may consist of
flexible perforated or reticulated webs or plates of metal or other suitable material,
led over guides and over the top of the suction boxes, essentially as described with
reference to the accompanying Drawings, and instead of the said cylinders or
covers being driven by gearing they may be caused to travel by the frictional
contact of the wire web thereover. Any desired number of suction boxes
constructed with travelling covers according to our Invention may be used in one
machine.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may
be used or practically carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that what
we consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to us by the herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
The improvement in paper making machines, consisting in providing the suction
box or boxes thereof with a travelling cover, or with travelling covers, which is or
are caused to pass over the top or tops of the said box or boxes, essentially as and
for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Herbert, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
CHARLES HERBERT. (L.S.)