Improved Machinery for Pulping Fibrous Materials used in the Manufacture of Paper.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 21st May, 1892
Improved Machinery for Pulping Fibrous Materials used in the
Manufacture of Paper.
We, MASSON, SCOTT & COMPANY, LIMITED, Millwrights and Engineers, and
JAMES TAYLOR, Manager to said Company, of York Place, New Wandsworth,
Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said 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 relates to improved machinery for beating and pulping fibrous
materials used in the manufacture of paper, and consists in various improvements
in the construction and arrangement of the constituent parts of the apparatus-
all as hereinafter particularly described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
In the drawings:
Fig. 1, represents a plan view of the preferred arrangement of the apparatus.
Fig. 2, represents a sectional elevation, longitudinally of the apparatus, on the
plane indicated by the line a, b, Fig. 1.
The arrangement represented in these figs. may be modified as hereinafter
referred to.
Fig. 3, represents a sectional elevation, transversely of the apparatus, on the
plane indicated by the line c, d, Fig. 2.
Fig. 4, represents a like view, also transversely of the apparatus, on the plane
indicated by the line e,-, Fig. 2.
In Figs. 1, to 4, various details of the apparatus are omitted.
Figs. 5, to 11, are detail views on an enlarged scale, Figs. 5, to 7, representing
the beater-roll, its accessories and the improvements applicable thereto; and Figs. S
to 11, representing the improved apparatus for circulating the pulp through the
apparatus.
Fig. 5, represents a plan view.
Fig. 6, represents a sectional elevation on the said plane a,-b.
Fig. 7, represents a like view on the plane indicated by the line g,-—h, Fig. 5.
Fig. 8, represents a sectional elevation on the said plane c-d.
Fig. 9 represents a side clevation, partly of the exterior and partly on the plane
indicated by the line i, Fig. 10.
Fig. 10 represents a plan view of Fig. 9, partly in section on the plane indicated
by the line k,-l; and
Fig. 11, represents a sectional plan on the plane indicated by the line m, n,
Fig. 8.
In the improved machine there are combined in the improved manner herein-
after described -a mixing chest provided with a revolving mixing device-a
beating engine for pulping the fibrous material; and means for continuously
circulating the fibrous material through both the mixing chest and the beating
engine such constituent parts of the apparatus being respectively constructed
and adapted as hereinafter described.
12, represents the mixing chest, which is constructed of the peculiar formation
represented in Figs. 1 to 4, and is adapted with an inclined agitator or mixing
device 13, and with means for actuating the same at any desired speed directly
from a first-motion shaft, which is not represented on the drawings.
The chest. 12, is preferably made of cast iron, (though it may be made of any
other suitable material), open at the top, and with a steeply-inclined bottom
leading directly to a bottom outlet 14. Its ends are rounded, in the manner best

page_text: represented in Fig, 2, and it gradually increases in width and depth from its
entrance to its exit end, and is of a semi-conical formation as regards its lower
half-part intermediate of its ends, ride Figs. 3, and 4-all such features of
shape co-acting to cause a ready and unimpeded traverse of the pulp through
the beater, and to cause the pulp to be subjected to an efficient agitation and
to be thoroughly well mixed and rendered homogeneous throughout, and to
prevent any lodgment of pulp at any part of the chest.
The mixing device 13, is mounted in an inclined position, le Figs. 2, and 3.
Its shaft 15, works in outside bearings 16, cast on the chest 12, its lower end
continuing through a stuffing-box 17, and working in a bearing 18, supported
by a carrier 19, bolted to the adjacent end of the chest 12. On the end of
the shaft is keyed a worm-wheel 20, which gears with a worm 21, fast on a
shaft 22, which is supported by bearings 23, bolted to the carrier 19. On the
shaft 22, is also keyed a driving pulley 24, which is directly driven from said
first-motion shaft. The shaft of the mixer 13, is fitted with cast iron or timber
centres 25, carrying radiating arms 26, and longitudinally disposed mixing
blades 27, distending conformably with the conical formation of the under half
part of the chest 12.
The beating engine is arranged at a convenient level, with its outlet 28, above
the inlet end 29, of the mixing-chest.
The beating roll 30, (vide Figs. 5, to 7,) is fitted in an ordinary manner
with equidistant steel bars 31, spaced apart by wooden wedge-like distance-
pieces 32, and secured to the roll by rings 33, one of which is let into a recess
at each end of the roll. The spindle 34, of the roll is fitted, at each end, with
a bearing 35, (preferably of gun-metal or bronze) which rests on a yielding
bearing block 36, (made of india-rubber or other suitable material) which is
seated in a side lever 37, on a carrying plate 38, and can be adjusted in its
seating by means of a screw 39, and set-nut 40. Each of the side levers 37,
at the one end, rests on a stud 41, bolted to the casing 42, of the beating engine,
and at the other end is fitted with a squared nut 43, which engages with a
screwed rod 44 resting on a footstep 45, and working in a bearing 46, so as to
be capable of rotating without receiving end way motion. On each such rod 44,
is keyed a worm-wheel 47, which gears with a worm 48, the two worms being
fast on a common spindle 49, which is fitted with an actuating hand-wheel 50,
and is carried by bearings 51. The footstep 45, and bearings 46, and 51, may
all be in one piece bolted to the casing 42. By such means, both levers 37,
can be simultaneously and equally raised and lowered in such a manner as to
set the beater-roll 30, into close contact with the den-plates 52, or at any
required distance therefrom. The elastic connections between the bearings 35, of
the roll and the supporting levers 37, prevent the full weight of the roll from
coming suddenly on to the den-plates as the roll is lowered, and allow of any
desired adjustment being made with nicety.
On the spindle 34, of the roll, is keyed a driving pulley 53, which is directly
driven from said first-motion shaft.
The den-plates 52, in connection with which the roll 30, works to heat or
refine the pulp, are made in an ordinary manner with equidistant steel bars
spaced apart by zinc distance-pieces, the whole being carried in a box 56, which
is fitted endways into a corresponding trough 57, cast in the bottom of the.
casing 42; the box 56, resting on a packing 58, of wood, and the entrance-way
into the trough being subsequently closed by a door 59, secured by a clamping
lever 60.
The casing 42, of the beater is cast integral with a peculiarly formed inlet 61,
with a flat descending bed 62, for guiding the pulp to the beater roll, with the
trough 57, and with said outlet 28.
The pulp is fed to the beating engine by the inlet 61, the entrance to which
is of a formation corresponding with that of the duct 74, hereinafter referred,
to, the channel gradually diminishing in depth and spreading out in width until

page_text: at the point of delivery into the beating chamber, it is of the full width of the
interior of the casing. At such point, the channel turns back, and returns
forward in the direction of the desired flow of the pulp down the incline 62,
towards the beater roll, and is fitted with an adjustable gate 63, by means of
which the area of the feed channel, and consequently, the feed of the pulp may
be regulated as desired. The gate 63, is pinned or secured on a spindle 64,
which is carried by and projects through the casing, and is fitted with a
handle 65, engaging with a notched sector 66, which enables the gate to be
adjusted and set as desired. From the upper part of the inlet 61, to the
outlet 28, from the beating chamber, the casing 42, is made of the same width;
and the length of the roll 30, is such as to just clear the inner sides of the
casing so that the pulp is caused to pass in a comparatively thin even stream
between the beating surfaces of the roll and den-plates and to be evenly acted
upon.
:
The roll is surmounted by a wooden cover 67, fitted to the casing 42, leaving an
inspection opening at 68 which is normally closed by a flap 69, hinged at 70, to the
cover 67. The flap is provided with a pivoted slotted arm 71, which engages with
a thumb-screw 72, or with any other suitable holding device which permits of the
flap 69, being kept closed or of its being opened to permit of inspection of the pulp
entering the beating chamber.
If the structural arrangement of the building where the apparatus will be
erected will pernit of the apparatus being arranged as represented in Fig. 2; then
the beating engine may, as there represented, discharge directly into the mixing
chest; but, if otherwise, then the beating engine may be arranged on a floor
above the mixing chest, and may discharge into the latter through a connecting
duct.
The exit 14, from the mixing chest is connected with the entrance 61, to the
beating engine by means of a tubular duct 74, preferably of an oblong formation
(but not so shown in the accompanying drawings) in some convenient part of which
are arranged a circulating device 75, of the novel and peculiar construction herein-
after described, and a deflecting chamber 76, also of the peculiar construction
hereinafter described, adapted to direct the pulp either to the beating engine or
to the store-chests (which latter are not illustrated in the drawings), as may be
required.
Owing to the peculiar character of the material dealt with by the apparatus and
its liability to choke up and effect lodgments of pulp in ordinary water pumping
appliances, we have devised a special apparatus which is very effective in ciren-
lating forward the pulp fed to it by gravity, and is not liable to get choked up, and
does not offer any lodgment to the pulp.
As represented on the drawings, the circulating device 75, is arranged at the one
end of the lowest reach of the duct 74, and the deflecting chamber 76, is arranged
at the other end thereof, but such arrangement is not material, as such device 75,
and chamber 76, may be placed conjunctively in any convenient part of the lowest
reach of the duct 74.
The improved circulating device is illustrated in detail in Figs. 8 to 11. It is
constructed with a casing 77, made in flanged half parts which can be bolted
together, as at 78.
The casing is formed with a gradually diminishing inlet chamber 79, enclosing
an inner casing or chamber 80, within which the circulator 81, is driven, and to
within which the descending pulp is admitted through eyes 82, formed in the sides
of the casing 80, concentric with the axis of the circulator. The upper part of
the casing 80, is made of a double inclined formation so as to be adapted to deflect
the descending pulp equally on each of the outer sides of the casing 80, so that it
is fed to the circulator 81, equally on both sides thereof. The casing 77, is also
formed integral with an outlet 101, delivering with its full bore into said duct 74;
and with stuffing box chambers 83, through which the shaft 84, of the circulator
is passed the shaft being supported by bearings 85, bolted to an extending bed-

page_text: plate 86, and having keyed thereon, a pulley 87, which is directly driven from said
first-motion shaft.
The circulator 81, consists of a series of arms which in cross section (vide
Figs. 10 and 11,) are of a distended V-like formation, and are curved backwardly
in relation to their direction of rotation, vile Fig. 9. In dimensions, the said arms
approximate closely to the inner walls and surrounding inner periphery of the
casing 80.
The circulator continues a mixing action upon the pulp received from the
mixing chest, and circulates it in even quantity along the duct-74, to-the heating
-engine.
By the adjustment of the said regulator 63, controlling the area of the inlet into
the beating engine, and by regulating the speed of rotation of the circulator 81,
(which can be effected by the use of stepped driving pulleys on the first-motion
shaft) the quantity of pulp delivered to the beater roll may be readily regulated
and determined.
The deflecting chamber 76, is made with one inlet 89, and with two outlets 90,
cach of a formation adapted for connection with the duct 74, leading from the
mixing chest to the beating engine, and for connecting with a duct 91, leading to
the store-chests; and it is made of a rectangular or flatsided formation at the
part 92, intermediate of said inlet and outlet ends, and is thereby adapted to receive
an adjustable gate or closing flap 93, which is adapted to entirely close either the
through-way to the duct leading to the beating engine, or that leading to the
storage-chests, as may be desired. The gate 93, is fitted on a spindle 94, which
passes through stuffing boxes 95, cast integral with the casing of the chamber, and
is provided with a weighted lever 96, adapted to keep the gate closed against either
of its seatings 97, in the casing, as desired, and also with a lever-arm 98, connected
by a rod 99, to a lever 100, arranged conveniently to the inspection-opening 68, of
the beater.
It will thus be seen that in the aforesaid apparatus each of the essential elements
of the apparatus performs solely its own function; the beater-roll simply beating
or pulping the material as it is passed therethrough in a constant thin stream, the
mixer operating to mix the pulp into a perfectly homogeneous condition, and the
circulator ensuring the continuous circulation of the pulp; and as each of such
elements is independently driven every facility of relative adjustment is obtained,
and the driving power required is reduced to the lowest possible limit.
As a special advantage over existing machines, we obtain absolute equality and
cleanliness of treatment of the material, the fibrous material being rendered homo-
geneous in the mixing-trough, and spread out in even regulated thinness in the inlet
to the beating engine, so that all portions thereof are caused to be equally inter-
mixed and to be equally submitted to the action of the beater-roll and evenly treated.
Moreover, no angular corners or recesses exist in the apparatus in which lodgment.
of the pulp can take place, and discolouration thereof arising from old deposits in
inaccessible corners is prevented, the action of the circulator being so very efficient
that every portion of its interior, as well as of that of the duct leading therefrom
to the beating engine is kept constantly scoured and clean.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. The combination, in a pulp beating machine, of a mixing chest provided with
a revolving mixing device, a beating engine, and means for continuously circulating
the fibrous material through both the mixing chest and the beating engine; when
such constituent parts of the apparatus are respectively constructed and adapted as
hereinbefore described.
2. The construction of the mixing chest of the peculiar formation hereinbefore
described, with an inclined agitator, and with the means described for actuating the
same.

page_text: 3. The construction of the beating engine with the adjustable inlet, the improved
means of mounting the beater-roll, and with the several other improvements
hereinbefore described.
4. The means described for leading the pulp from the mixing chest to the beating
engine or store chests, consisting of a divided tubular duct combined with a circulating
device of the novel and peculiar construction hereinbefore described, and a deflecting
chamber also of the peculiar construction herein before described.
5. The improved circulator hereinbefore described, and the application thereof
to pulp beating machinery.
6. The deflecting chamber and means hereinbefore described, and the application
thereof to pulp beating machinery.
Dated this 19th day of April 1892.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holhorn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.