Improvements in or connected with Apparatus or Machinery for the Manufacture of Vegetable Parchment Paper.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 8th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 5th Mar.,
1898
Improvements in or connected with Apparatus or Machinery for the
Manufacture of Vegetable Parchment Paper.
We, JOHN SAMUEL RIGBY, of Bagot Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Chemical Engineer, HAROLD SWEETAPPLE, of 10, Scarsdale Terrace, Kensington,
in the County of Middlesex, Paper Manufacturer, and JOHN CLARKE, of Castle
Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Architect, do hereby declare the
nature of our said invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to the manufacture of vegetable parchment paper,
and has more particularly for its object to provide improvements in connection with
apparatus or machinery employed in such manufacture by which the manipulation
of the material under treatment or manufacture is rendered more convenient,
unobjectionable, and the control and adjustment is provided or improved; and also
the removal of the acid (sulphuric acid) is more readily and positively effected.
According to this invention in connection with the sulphuric acid bath or trough
in which the paper or web to be treated is impregnated or subjected to the said
acid we employ a roller or barrel of glass or other suitable material which is
mounted on journals and is adapted to rotate thereon, and which is arranged and
adapted to be raised or lowered so as to enable the web or paper when first placed
and passed through the machine, to be handled and placed in position without
necessitating the operator to dip his hands into the acid in the bath or trough;
and also to enable the depth and duration of immersion in the acid to be varied
at will. Furthermore by the roller or cylinder being rotatable the strain on the
paper which at this period of manufacture is very weak-is rendered as small
as possible. The roller or cylinder is preferably large in diameter, that is, of
such a diameter that a part of it stands outside or above the level of the acid, while
a part revolves in the acid. This cylinder or roller in some cases is positively
rotated at the same rate of peripheral speed as that of the paper so that practically
no strain comes on the web. This may be conveniently effected by any suitable
kind of gearing driven from the gearing or machinery employed to move the
paper through the machine.
The vertical adjustment of the cylinder or roller may be effected by any known
suitable kind worked from above or below, the bearings being guided or held in
suitable slots or slides at each side of the sulphuric acid bath or trough.
In the manufacture of vegetable parchment paper, as the web or paper comes
out of the sulphuric acid it is passed through the acid adheres to or exists on the
surface as a sort of slime, and there is always a liability of its not being properly
removed, together with the necessity of the employment of a large amount of
apparatus or means of working it free from the acid. This objection is, or these
objections are obviated by the invention, by effecting a removal by means of
brushes or scrubbers of rubber or other equivalent material which act upon the

page_text: surface of the web and so positively or mechanically remove the acid surface
or so disturb it as to enable the complete removal to be effected readily by a
comparatively small quantity of water or water jets.
In some cases the brushes or scrubbers are of rubber the active surface or part of
which is in the form of ribs and this may be mounted on a suitable support or
backing of wood or other suitable material; while their movement is transversely
to the direction of movement of the web, the action being performed by cranks,
screws, or other suitable motion. Also, in some cases we construct and adapt the
brushes or scrubbers to eject water in jets on to the paper or web surface, so that
a combined mechanical or positive and water washing action is provided. In
such cases the scrubbers or brushes may be made hollow with holes or nozzles
between or about the rubber or like ribs, webs, or active parts of the brush or
scrubber.
By the ensurance of removal of all the acid from the web or paper, the weaken-
ing or breaking of the paper due to the presence of acid-however dilute or weak-
which otherwise exists or takes place, is obviated.
Although certain special constructions of parts are specified above, it is to be
understood that the invention is not limited to them, as they may be modified
or take various forms without departing from its main or essential characteristics.
Dated 8th March 1897.
Improvements in or connected with Apparatus or Machinery for the
Manufacture of Vegetable Parchment Paper.
We, JOHN SAMUEL RIGBY, of Bagot Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Chemical Engineer, HAROLD SWEETAPPLE, of 10, Scarsdale Terrace, Kensington,
in the County of Middlesex, Paper Manufacturer, and JOHN CLARKE, of Castle
Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Architect, 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 has reference to the manufacture of vegetable parchment paper,
and has, more particularly, for its object, to provide improvements in connection
with apparatus or machinery employed in such manufacture, by which the manu-
facture of the material under treatment or manufacture is expedited, and the
removal of the acid (sulphuric acid) is more readily and positively effected.
In the manufacture of vegetable parchment paper, as the web or paper comes out
of the dilute sulphuric acid, or water, it is passed through, the acid adheres to, or
exists on the surface, as a sort of slime, and there is always a liability of its not
being properly removed, together with the necessity of the employment of a large
amount of apparatus or means of washing it free from the acid. This objection
is, or these objections are, obviated by the invention, by effecting removal, by
means of brushes or scrubbers of rubber, or other equivalent material, which act
upon the surface of the web, and so positively, or mechanically, remove the acid
surface, or so disturb it as to enable the complete removal to be effected readily,
by a comparatively small quantity of water, or water jets.
In some cases, the brushes or scrubbers are of rubber, the active surface or part
of which is in the form of ribs, and this may be mounted on a suitable support
or backing of wood, or other suitable material; while their movement is trans-
versely to the direction of movement of the web, the action being performed by

page_text: cranks, screws, or other suitable motion. Also, in some cases, we construct and
adapt the brushes or scrubbers to eject water in jets into the paper or web surface,
so that a combined mechanical or positive, and water washing, action is provided.
In such cases, the scrubbers or brushes may be made hollow, with holes or nozzles
between or about the rubber, or like ribs, webs, or active parts of the brush or
scrubber.
By the ensurance of removal of all the acid from the web or paper, the weaken-
ing or breaking of the paper, due to the presence of acid-however dilute or weak-
which otherwise exists, or takes place, is obviated.
Although certain special constructions of parts are specified above, it is to be
understood that the invention is not limited to them, as they may be modified,
or take various forms, without departing from its main or essential characteristics.
In the drawings which illustrate this invention, Figure 1 is a sectional side
elevation; Figure 2 is a plan; Figure 3 a cross section of machinery, for the manu-
facturing of vegetable parchment paper, provided with our improvements; and
Figure 4 is a group of details, being longitudinal section, cross section, and back
view, of the scrubbing or brushing apparatus, according to the invention.
Referring to the drawings, A is the acid containing tank, through which the web
of crude paper to be parchmentized is first passed; and B is the tank in which
water or weak acid is contained, and through which the paper web is next passed,
and the parchmentizing action largely effected.
C are glass rods or rollers in B, under which the paper web is carried; and C¹
are glass or other rollers in A, under which the web is passed.
D generally designates the brushes or scrubbers, for removing the acid slime on
the paper; and E are the winch rollers, over and between which the web is carried,
and in connection with which the brushes or scrubbers D operate.
F is a coupling bar, connecting the two brushes or scrubbers D together.
Gis a bell crank lever connected with F, for imparting a to and fro motion to it,
parallel with the axes of the rollers E; and H is a rod, worked from the axle of
one of the taking off paper rollers J, through an eccentric I.
K are the supporting frames for the rollers E and J, and the mechanism
connected with them.
The scrubbers or washers D each have a hollow space D¹ in their backs, with a
pipe T, through which water is introduced into them; and outlets S, through
which the water is discharged from these spaces.
The faces of the scrubbers consist of interspaced ribs R, of rubber, wood, or other
suitable material, extending in a circumferential direction about the rollers E.
The washers or scrubbers D are supported and slide to and fro on rods N, which
pass through bosses N¹ on the backs of the scrubbers.
The action of the apparatus is, that the paper is passed over the rollers E E, by
the rotation of these rollers; and, by the rotation of the rollers J, the scrubbers
and washers D will move to and fro over, and act upon, the surface of the paper
on E and water will be discharged on to it from the scrubbers, through the spaces
between the brushing or scrubbing ribs R. Thus the combined scrubbing or
brushing and washing action is produced, which effectively and efficiently removes
all slime and acid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. In the manufacture of vegetable parchment paper, effecting the removal of
acid from the paper web in the parchmentizing operations, by scrubbing or
brushing; substantially as described.
2. In machinery for parchmentizing paper, for the manufacture of vegetable
parchment paper, the employment, in connection with such machinery, of a
scrubbing or brushing device or devices, which act upon the surface of the paper,
in a direction at right angles to the direction of motion thereof past said scrubbers
or brushes; substantially as described.

page_text: 3. In machinery for parchmentizing paper, for the manufacture of vegetable
parchment paper the employment of apparatus or mechanism, adapted to both
scrub and wash the surface of said paper at once; substantially as and for the
purposes described.
4. The scrubbing or brushing devices, shewn in and set forth with reference to
the drawings, constructed, arranged, and adapted to operate, as and for the purposes
specified.
5. The machinery or apparatus, for the manufacture of vegetable parchment
paper, having its parts arranged, constructed, and adapted to operate, particularly
as shewn in and set forth with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 7th day of Danamba 1807
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
Applicant's Patent Agents, 15, Water Street, Liverpool.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
Applicant's Patent Agents, 15, Water Street, Liverpool.