IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER, PAPIER MACHE, CARDBOARD, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER, PAPIER
MACHE, CARDBOARD, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."-A communication
from M. Voelter, junior, of Heidenheim, in the Kingdom of Wurtemburg.
Sealed the 6th November 1857, and dated the 5th June 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th June 1857.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER, PAPIER
MACHE, CARDBOARD, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of paper, papier mâché, cardboard,
and other similar articles from wood or other ligneous or fibrous substances.
This object is effected by the employment of certain novel arrangements of
machinery for the purpose of operating upon wood or other ligneous or fibrous
substances, in order, firstly, to convert the same into pulp; and, secondly,
to separate and assort the fibres according to their different degrees of fineness,
preparatory to their being manufactured into paper, papier mâché, cardboard,
or other similar articles.
In carrying out the Invention, the wood is first cut into suitable lengths, and

page_text: is then carried to the first machine to be rasped or converted into fine
filaments. This machine consists of a segmental frame, provided at its
periphery with a number of adjustable holders, for the purpose of supporting
the wood to be operated upon; underneath this frame a circular or cylindrical
stone or other grinding or rasping surface is mounted in such manner as to
rotate in contact with the pieces of wood that are carried by the frame. The
grinding surface is supplied with water, for the purpose of facilitating the
operation, and for carrying away the fibres as they are removed by the grinding
operation from the blocks. The water may be supplied either by causing the
cylindrical grinding surface to turn in a trough containing water, and situate
underneath, or by means of pipes or any other suitable arrangement. The
holders for carrying the pieces of wood to be operated upon are made ad-
justable, so that as the surface of the wood is worn away it may be pressed
against the surface of the stone, and made constantly to receive the same
amount of grinding action.
The wood having been thus reduced to the state of filaments passes through
a shute below to the next machine, which forms the second part of the
Invention, the object of which is to sort the fibres into different degrees of
fineness, and to free them from extraneous matters. The fibres and water
mixed together are first fed into a riddle or sifter, to which a jumping motion
is communicated by means of a cam, or in any other convenient manner,
whereby the pulp is shaken out of it, and made to pass with some of the water
through the sieve, leaving the knots, bits of wood, and other large extraneous
matters behind. The fibres thus freed from extraneous substances are run on
to the first of a series of sorting cylinders; these cylinders (the meshes of which
gradually become finer from the first cylinder to the last) are set in suitable
troughs or boxes in gradations or steps, so that the. pulp may flow from one
to the other. It will now be understood that on the pulp being shaken on to
the first cylinder, all the coarse fibres which cannot pass through the meshes
thereof will be retained, while the finer portions will pass through the meshes
of the cylinder and through a suitable channel to the next cylinder, and so on
to the last and finest, from whence the stuff passes to the receptacle for
the finer fibres. The fibres which cannot pass through the meshes of the
cylinders are removed by means of rollers covered with flannel or other suitable
material, and are conveyed away to any suitable receptacle for subsequent
operations.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th December 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER, PAPIER MÂCHÉ, CARDBOARD, AND
OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," being a communication from M. Voelter, junior,
of Heidenheim, in the Kingdom of Wurtemburg, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the samé is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,.
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention of "Improvements in the Manufacture of Paper, Papier
Mâché, Cardboard, and other similar Articles," relates to the manufacturo
of these and other similar articles from wood or other ligneous or fibrous
substances. This object is effected by the employment of certain novel
arrangements of machinery for the purpose of operating upon wood. or other
ligneous or fibrous substances, in order, firstly, to convert the same into pulp;
and, secondly, to separate and assort the fibres according to their different

page_text: degrees of fineness, preparatory to their being manufactured into paper, papier
mâché, cardboard, or other similar articles.
In carrying out the Invention, the wood is first cut into suitable lengths,
and is then carried to the first machine to be rasped or converted into
fine filaments. This machine consists of a segmental frame, provided at its
periphery with a number of adjustable holders, for the purpose of supporting
the wood to be operated upon; underneath this frame a circular, or cylindrical
stone or other grinding or rasping surface is mounted in such manner as
to rotate in contact with the pieces of wood that are carried by the frame. The
grinding surface is supplied, with water, for the purpose of facilitating the
operation, and for carrying away the fibres, as they are removed by the grinding
operation, from the blocks. The water may be supplied either, by causing the
grinding surface to turn in a trough placed underneath and containing water,
or by means of pipes or any other suitable arrangement. The holders for
carrying the pieces of wood to be operated upon are made adjustable, so that
as the surface of the wood is worn away it may be pressed against the surface of
the stone, and made constantly to receive the same amount of grinding action.
The wood having been thus reduced to the state of filaments passes through
a shute below .to the next machine, which forms the second part of the
Invention, the object of which is to sort the fibres into different degrees of
fineness, and to free them from extraneous matters. The fibres and water
mixed together are first fed into a riddle or sifter, to which a jumping motion
is communicated by means of a cam, or in any other convenient manner,
whereby the pulp is shaken out of it, and made to pass with some of the water
through the sieve, leaving the knots, bits of wood, and other large extraneous
matters behind. The fibres thus freed from extraneous substances are run on
to the first of a series of sorting cylinders; these cylinders (the meshes of which
gradually become finer from the first cylinder to the last) are set in suitable
troughs or boxes in gradations or steps, so that the pulp may flow from one
to the other. It will now be understood that on the pulp being, shaken on to
the first cylinder all the coarse fibres which cannot pass through the meshes
thereof will be retained, while the finer portions will pass through the meshes
of the cylinder, and through a suitable channel to the next cylinder, and so on
to the last and finest, from whence the stuff passes to the receptacle for
the finer fibres. The fibres which cannot pass through the meshes of the
cylinders are removed by means of rollers covered with flannel or other suitable
material, and are conveyed away to any suitable receptacle for subsequent
operation.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1, Sheet I., and Figures 2, 2, and 3,

page_text: Sheet II., represent the apparatus included under the first head of the Inven-
tion, and intended to be employed for grinding up or reducing the wood
or other suitable material to pulp or fine filaments mixed with water.
Fig. 1 (Sheet I.) is a vertical section of the machine; Fig. 2, Sheet (II.),
is a plan view; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same. Similar letters
of reference denote corresponding parts in all these Figures.
S is the circular grinding surface or rasper, which may be of any convenient
dimensions, and may be made of natural or artificial stone, or any other
suitable material, the grain of which must not be too coarse; it is enclosed in
a casing W, made of wood, and impervious to water, and is mounted on
a shaft A, turning in bearings bolted to the framing G, which is mounted
on solid woodwork or masonry. Motion is communicated to the shaft A
either by bands and pulleys or other suitable gearing, at the rate of
from one hundred and twenty to two hundred and fifty revolutions per*
minute, according to the dimensions of the stone or grinding surface. Seg-
mental cast-iron frames B are bolted to the framing G; and above, these
frames B, and connected therewith by rods a, a, are placed other segments B*.
These two segmental frames form, in fact, the upper framing of the machine.
Cast on to the lower segmental frames B are brackets g, which serve to support
plates f, between which (and extending along the lower side of the inner
frames B) are screwed strips of wood w, as near as possible to the stone (sce
Fig. 8, Sheet II.), for the purpose of giving greater firmness to the plates f, and
also preventing any wood from introducing itself between the stone S and the
casing W, and thereby impeding the motion of the former. The plates fare
also placed as near as possible to the stone S, and form, with the pieces w, and
the intermediate pieces h, which are screwed thereto, the different spaces
or chambers for the reception of the pieces of wood which are to be reduced to
the state of fibre or pulp by the action of the rotating stone thereon. These
chambers may be of greater or less dimensions, and may vary in their number
and arrangement, according to the size of the stone or grinding surface; but
it is important that they shall not extend over a greater surface of the stone
than is represented in the Figures, (that is to say,) somewhat above a quarter of
each upper surface, either to the right or left of the stone, according to the
direction of rotation of this latter; it is also important that the stone or
grinding surface shall turn towards this side of the said chambers.
Between the upper frames B are screwed cross pieces Q (see Figures 2
and 3, Sheet II.), connected to the intermediate pieces h and upper and lower
frames B and B by pillars or bars a. These bars also serve to hold the
frames B, B, and the intermediate pieces h and cross pieces Q more firmly

page_text: together, they also serve as guide rods to hold the pressing pieces e in a
straight position. Through these pressing pieces e pass screwed rods d, and
which are firmly keyed thereto to prevent them from turning. These rods
are also fastened to these pressing pieces e by means of screw bolts y, y, in
order that these latter may be carried upwards when the rods d move upwards.
These rods are mounted loosely, although made to fit pretty accurately in the
worm wheels b above; these wheels are capable of turning in the cross
pieces Q, and these latter are held fast by the ring c, so that they cannot rise.
by the descent of the rods d. On the wheels bare fixed forked spring holders
k, which are attached to the wheels by a screw bolt at the end where their
arms are jointed, and also on the other side of the rods d, by a saddle piece 1.
The office of these holders is to resist or sustain the pressure which the rods
have to exert during the working of the machine. The arms of these holders
are kept closed by means of a spring m, provided with a catch; when this
catch is unfastened, the arms are kept open by means of another spring z, in
order that one limb of the holders may not take into the screw of the rods d
during the rotation of the wheels b. Upon the transverse shafts o, which turn
in bearings n, and are driven by pulleys q, are mounted worms p, which give
motion to the worm wheels at the upper end of the shafts d, so that when
the holders k are closed, the rods d and pressers e will be gradually lowered.
As the pressers e rest upon the lower frames B, and upon the intermediate
pieces h, a piece or pieces of wood i are severally screwed to the under part
of these pressers, which wood is capable of extending down into contact with
the rasping stone, and presses directly upon the piece of wood E, which is
intended to be acted upon by the stone; but, as when the piece of wood H
has been ground away and reduced to fibre, and the pressers e are brought
against and made to rest upon the lower frames B, some part of the
machinery might become damaged or even broken if the driving pulleys q
could not be stopped or made to turn loosely upon the shaft o, provision
must be made to prevent any derangement of the machinery should the
attendant neglect to notice that the wood H. has been ground away and used
up.
And to avoid the injury that might arise from this neglect, the following
contrivance is adopted (see the detached view, Fig. 2*, Sheet II.) Upon
the driving pulleys q, Fig. 2, which turn loosely upon the shafts o, are spring
clicks, which take into ratchet wheels keyed on the shaft o, and thus effect
the rotation of these shafts which carry the worms p. When the pieces of
wood are reduced to the state of fibre, and the presser e rests upon the frame
B, the driving pulley 2 continues it is true to turn, but the shaft o stops, and
in consequence of the resistance produced, the spring click r slips over the

page_text: teeth of the ratchet wheel, which produces a noise sufficiently loud to attract
the attention of the attendant, and to notify to him that a fresh supply of
wood is required. The shafts u, Fig. 2, and their pullies v, serve to raise
the pressers e by means of hand wheels t, mounted upon the said shafts, and
furnished with ratchet wheels and clicks. By this arrangement the pieces of
wood may be readily fed into their chambers by means of chains or cords
attached to the pressers e, and passing round the pullies v. R, R, Fig. 1,
are pipes, through which water is supplied to the stone or grinding surface
for the purpose of washing and carrying away the fibres of wood as they are
ground off, and thereby keeping the grinding surface clean. These pipes are
however not absolutely necessary, as the stone may be made to turn in a
trough below, and to which water may be supplied.
water may also be adapted opposite the pipe R, R.
grinding surface, and inside the framing G of the machine, is a water-tight
box K, for the reception of the fibres as they fall from the stone or grinding
surface, and which afterwards pass off through the opening into a shute, by
which they are conducted to the sorting apparatus, which forms the second
head of the Invention. This apparatus is represented in Figures 4 and 5,
Sheet I., Figures 6 and 7, Sheet II., and Figures 8 and 9, Sheet III., of
the Drawings. It consists of three principal parts, viz, the pulp purifier K,
the sorting cylinders S, c, (two only of which are represented,) and the
receptacle for the sorted materials.
An exit pipe for the
Under the stone or
In manufacturing paper the purifier K is constructed on the well-known
Donkin principle. In the present arrangement it consists of a frame a,
Figures 8 and 9, covered with a large sieve having about sixteen holes or
meshes to the square inch. This frame is supported at one side by gudgeons
b, and at the other by arms resting on the tappet wheels c on the cam shaft d,
and which in revolving impart a jumping motion to the frame. The sieve a
is placed in a wooden box e, e, mounted upon a frame 1, 1, corresponding in
position to that of the shute and of the sorting cylinder. In front of the
frame is a partition f, f, slotted at 9, 9, in such manner that the fibrous
matter which escapes shall rise to the extent of about an inch. By this
means any sand or extraneous matters are prevented from passing over into
the sorting cylinders. It would be more advantageous, although more
expensive, to apply to this pulp purifier a larger cylinder, covered with a
sieve of corresponding size, arranged in a similar manner to that of the
cylinder hereafter mentioned. It possesses the advantage of not becoming
clogged with fibres and pieces of wood, which would prevent the passage of
finer particles.

page_text: From the pulp purifier (in. which must remain only the pieces of wood
which have not been reduced sufficiently fine for the manufacture of paper)
the fine fibres are conducted by shutes on to the revolving cylinders S. c, the
perforations of which successively become finer. These cylinders may vary in
position and number, and in the nature of the wire gauze or perforated
material with which they are covered, according to the quantity of material to
be operated upon, and the degrees of fineness required to be obtained. For
this purpose, sieves varying in fineness from sixteen to two thousand holes or
inesses per square inch are employed.
The cylinders are mounted upon horizontal axles a in such manner that the
fibres of wood on issuing from the shute may run over the whole length of
the sieve through which the finer fibres pass, whilst the larger ones remain
outside, and are removed therefrom by means of the wooden cylinder h, h,
which revolves in the contrary direction, and is covered with flannel or
caoutchouc from this latter the waste fibres are removed by means of a doctor
i, i, and fall into receptacles k, k; another doctor roller might also be placed
on the other side of the sifting cylinder, behind or under the shute, if a single
one were not sufficient, and several of these take-off rollers might be placed at
cach side, according to the dimensions of the sifting cylinder.
The sorting cylinders S, c¹, S, c¹¹, which may be caused to revolve in either
direction, are mounted in boxes n, n, of suitable dimensions, and are arranged
in such manner that the fibres which have passed through them can only
escape through the cylinders themselves, or their discharge pipes o, o, into the
receptacles p, p, from whence they run off through the pipe q. 7, on to a second
sorting cylinder, from thence to a third, and so on, until they are finally
discharged into the pulp receptacle 2, which receives the finest fibres.
There are three methods of employing these sorting cylinders, each of which
possesses its peculiar advantages, or these methods may, if required, be combined.
One of these methods consists in allowing the fibres to flow off at the top
upon the cylinder m, m, as well as the fibres which have passed through.
They are allowed simply to flow off through the discharge pipes, together with
the water with which they are impregnated, without any other preparation.
The second method consists in causing the finer fibres to run off more
quickly through a shute adapted to the interior of the cylinder, to which a
sliglit inclination is given by suspending it to the shaft of the cylinder, and
which must be of sufficient depth, and as wide as possible, in order that no
water may flow off at the sides. If the shaft does not revolve with the
cylinder, but remains stationary, the shute may also be fixed upon the shaft;
in this case the inclination may be made slighter.

page_text: The third method consists in not allowing the fibres to flow direct upon the
cylinder, but .only into the boxes n, n. In this case the stuff would be
constantly turned over by the rotation, and whilst the finer fibres would pass
off, and are carried off by the tendency of the water to flow off, the coarser
ones will remain outside, and be continually carried off by the small doctor
roller. But in this third method it is important that there should be under
the sieve a corresponding number of small rods, and that the sieve should be
evenly stretched upon them, or even sewn thereto, if necessary, as by this
means the passage of the finer fibres is materially facilitated, as well as the
retention of the coarser fibres outside.
2°
For the first, as well as the third method, it is equally important that the
point of entrance and discharge should be at least as high as, or as nearly as
possible on a level with the shaft. It is also very important for all these
methods that the flow of the stuff should be so regulated as to be gentle and
regular. The cylinder z, for receiving the stuff, is furnished inside with curved
radial arms (see Fig. 5), so that it does not require so great an inclination
as the sorting cylinders S, c. The cylinder is covered with the finest wire
gauze, the fibres which have passed through all the sorting cylinders, and
which are consequently the finest, only require to be conducted to the
receptacle for the stuff, as has been already remarked, from whence they are
removed by the cylinder of the said receptacle, and are carried off, as in
the sorting cylinders, by the take-off rollers h, h, and doctor i, i, into the
receptacle K, K, whilst the water escapes through the exit passage o, o, box
P, P, and pipe q, q.
The mode of proceeding for the preparation of the ligneous matter by
means of the apparatus above described is as follows:-The wood is first sawn
or cut into pieces of suitable size, according to the size of the chambers in
which it is to be operated upon, and reduced to fibre; it is next deprived of
its bark of the largest protruberant parts, and of any impurities which it may
contain or may adhere to it. Any kind of wood may be employed, according
to the color of the paper to be manufactured.
When the machine has been set in motion, water is first allowed to run on
to the stone or grinding surface through the pipes adapted for that purpose;
the pressers e, e, (Fig. 1,) are then severally removed, and the prepared pieces
of wood supplied thereto; the pressers are then replaced, and the holders k
closed, after which the pieces of wood H are placed regularly upon the stone
or grinding surface. A varying speed may now be communicated to the
driving pullies q, as required, so that the rod d may descend at a rate of from
eight to thirty inches per hour. It is important (independently of the regular

page_text: feed thus obtained) that the fibres of the pieces of wood be placed parallel to
the axis of the stone or grinding surface, and not otherwise, as in that position
they are much more readily detached from the wood, no impediment being
offered thereto as when the wood is placed edgeways; or it might be placed
lengthwise (that is to say) with the length of the fibres in the direction of
rotation of the stone when great power is employed, by which two methods
the fibres will be obtained in lengths, and more adapted for being reduced
into fine fibres. It is also very advantageous to place the pieces of wood
immediately behind one another, as shown in the Drawing, as the fibres torn
off from the first piece of wood, then from the second, and so on, undergo the
rubbing action of the succeeding pieces of wood, and consequently become
finer and of better quality. The coarser fibres will therefore be produced from
the last pieces of wood; this may, however, be remédied by bringing the last
piece or pieces of wood down more slowly upon the stone.
Having now described the nature of this Invention, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I desire it to be understood that what I claim as the Invention secured to me
under the above in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the application of wood, or any other ligneous matter, in the manner
above described, for the production of paper, cardboard, papier mâché, and
other similar articles, the ligneous matter being operated upon in such a
manner that the said matter may be reduced to the state of fine fibres, as
above set forth, and by means of the addition of water the fibres thus obtained
may be sorted according to their different degrees of fineness.
Secondly, I claim the arrangement and construction of the mechanism, and
the combination of the various parts above described, and shewn in the
Drawings, for the purposes above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Fifth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.B.).