Process of and Apparatus for Treating Vegetable Fibres or Fibrous Substances for Producing Sheets, Roofing and Wall Felts, Matches, Torches, and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 7th Jan., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Process of and Apparatus for Treating Vegetable Fibres or Fibrous
Substances for Producing Sheets, Roofing and Wall Felts,
Matches, Torches, and the like.
4
I; PETER JENSEN of No. 77 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex
Chartered Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a com-
munication to me from abroad by Ernst Stiemer of Karlsruhe in the Enipire of
Germany Engineer and Chemist and Martin Ziegler of Nachterstedt in the
Empire of Germany Paraffine Works Manager) 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 a process of and apparatus for working up vegetable
fibres or fibrous substances for producing sheets, roofing and wall felts, matches,
torches and the like. The improved process mainly consists in mixing the raw
fibrous material in rag engines with about 15 to 20 per cent. of minerals such as
quicklime, borax and sulphate of magnesia and in bringing this mixture. to the
proper consistence by means of suitable adjusting vat and then in separating its
water by passing along the pulp over sieves felts and pressing rolls whereupon the
material is impregnated and caused to pass over heated drying cylinders and then
through a rolling or glazing machine so that an endless sheet is formed which
having passed an impregnating bath runs for drying over a reel-like cylinder and
for further glazing and smoothing through a second glazing or "satining" machine
after which the sheet thus produced is cut into pieces of desired form and length
by means of suitable cutting or dividing machines.
For the improved process fibrous peat or turf, fallen leaves jute and the like are
especially adapted which materials will give very durable and strong sheets of a
considerably high resisting force, which will allow various applications and when
suitably impregnated will be very suitable for the manufacture of matches of all
kinds, torches, roofing and wall felts and the like.
The manufacture of safety matches must especially be considered as a very
favourable one because the costs are considerably lower than that for wax
matches. The burning time of such turf safety matches is comparatively long as
it amounts to about three minutes for matches of the size of the well known
Swedish safety matches. The after-glowing, fuming and other bad properties are
wholly obviated, because the ignition-composition on the tip of the matches does
not contain phosphorus or any other noxious substances. This composition is some
one of those used in the so-called Swedish matches or similar thereto.
The apparatus, that is to say, the combination of the several devices and
machines, by means of which the working up of the raw material for making sheets
matches and the like is continuously performed, is illustrated in the accompanying
sheet of drawing.
The raw turf to be worked up is ground and mixed in vats a by means of
suitable blunt stirring devices with addition of the mineral substances. These
mixtures are then drained off into an adjusting vat 6 for giving them the proper
uniform consistence by the use of more or less water as required and as regulated
by taps.
From the adjusting vat 6 the pulp is led off upon an endless belt c
formed of sieves and felts and through suitable pressing devices d for removing
most of the water. Having passed the pressing devices d the half dried mass,
showing already the form of a sheet, receives an impregnation with a salt lye (such
as phosphate of ammonia say one of the phosphate dissolved in ten of water) by
means of spray apparatus e and is then passed over heated drying-cylinders f. The
sheet coming from the said drying cylinders and being now perfectly dried

page_text: passes through a "satining " machine g which it will leave as a perfectly smoothed
air dried and endless sheet. The sheet material thus far made is suitable for
roofing and the like, the phosphate of ammonia impregnation and the satinizing
process rendering it comparatively safe in case of fire even if subsequently coated
with tar because when the latter has burned off the sheet is not inflammable or
spark emitting but merely carbonizes.
When the sheet material thus produced is to be worked up for matches torches
and the like it has to pass moreover through an impregnating bath h consisting of
a paraffine and resin solution and then to run over a reel i provided in the interior
with an exhaustor, causing a complete drying and hardening of the impregnated
sheet or strip. By means of a "satining" apparatus k the material running down
from the reel i receives the requisite hardness and smoothness and by being then
passed through a suitable cutting-device it is cut into sheets or pieces of the
desired breadth and length.
For producing matches, torches and the like these sheets are only to be cut by
means of suitable dividing machines into strips, sticks or bars of the necessary
length and thickness.
The combination and the disposition of the several devices and machines are
arranged in such a manner that a continuous working is secured, so that the
freshly dug turf can be worked up for matches and other articles, which in con-
sequence of their perfectly dry state may immediately be packed into boxes ready
for forwarding.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. Improved process for working up vegetable fibrous substances for
obtaining sheet roofing and wall felts, matches, torches, and the like consisting in
bringing the fibrous raw material mixed with mineral substances to the proper
uniform consistence and in removing the water therefrom by passing the pulp over
sieve-belts and through pressing rolls, so that a cohering sheet-like product is
formed, which after being impregnated with a solution of phosphate of ammonia is
to be dried and smoothed with or without passing through a paraffine and resin
bath and being dried and hardened again forming thus an endless plate or sheet of
fibrous material which may be suitably divided according to the different purposes
of use and employments, substantially as specified.
Second. For carrying the process claimed by Claim 1 into effect the combined
arrangement consisting of stirring vats a an adjusting vessel b an endless belt c for
passing along the pulp and for removing the water, pressing rolls d, a spray-
apparatus e, drying cylinders f, a glazing device g and an edge-cutting device
with or without an impregnating-basin h, a drying reel i and a satining machine k
in such a combination with one another, that the raw material fed into the
stirring vats is passing continuously and successively the several devices leaving
as finished articles of manufacture substantially as described with
reference to the annexed drawing.
the same
Third. The manufacture of matches, torches and the like from peat substantially
in the manner set forth.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.