IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING SIZED PAPER
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Laban Clarke Stuart, of New York, United States of
America, for tho Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING SIZED PAPER."-
A communication from Joseph Kingsland, junior.
Sealed the 10th February 1857, and dated the 4th December 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Laban Clarke Stuart at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th December 1856.
I, LABAN CLARKE STUART, of New York, in the United States of America,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING
SIZED PAPER," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in drying sized paper. For
these purposes the sized paper is caused to pass to and fro betweon a series of
oblong trunks or hollow cylinders, placed one above the other, which have
their surfaces perforated with numerous small holes, through which currents
of graduated heated air are forced by means of suitable blowing apparatus.
The currents of air come in contact with both sides of the paper, which is
kept extended, and is passed to and fro by means of carrying rollers or

page_text: supports at the ends of the apparatus. The spaces between the perforated
trunks are open on all sides to the atmosphere, so that the vapour from the
paper which is passing through the spaces between the perforated trunks may
be free to escape immediately at all points, and not remain in contact with the
paper, or so as to be again absorbed thereby.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Laban Clarke Stuart in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th June 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, LADAN
CLARKE STUART, of New York, in the United States of America, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Iler Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of IIer reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Laban Clarke Stuart, Her special licence that I, the said Laban Clarke
Stuart, my executors, adininistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Laban Clarko Stuart, my exccutors, 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 "In-
PROVEMENTS IN DRYING SIZED PAPER," a communication from Joseph Kingsland,
junior, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Laban Clarke
Stuart, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to bo performed, and cause the samo to be filed in the Great Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Laban Clarke Stuart, do hereby declaro
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
In paper-drying machines heretofore in use the paper has been made to

page_text: pass through enclosed chambers, through which a blast of heated air is
driven. By this method, the vapor driven off from the sheet of paper runs
with the sheet to the end of the tube, where it escapes, thus causing the sheet
to pass through air charged with humid vapor. In others, the sheet of paper
is made to pass over a series of rollers in a chamber, into which 'heated air is
forced. In this case the air that passes between the folds of the paper is
retained, it having no free circulation, and consequently fails, without great
loss of time, to accomplish the object; and in all the machines used for this
purpose no graduation of the volume of heated air could be advantageously
used or applied.
By the present Invention both sides of the sheet of paper is continually.
subjected to the blast of air, which is gradually augmented both in volume
and in heat, and the vapor driven off escapes directly into the open air without
being permitted to be checked by or come in contact with the sheet of paper,
by which means the improvements more effectually accomplish the drying with
great economy of time and machinery, and at the same time give the size time
to set without endangering the quality of the paper.
The nature of the Invention, therefore, consists in passing the sized paper to
be dried over and between a series of oblong trunks or cylinders, placed one
above the other, which have their surfaces perforated with small holes, through
which currents of graduated heated air, forced (by means of a blower, fan, or
other mechanism) along the said trunks, escape and come in contact with both
sides of the continuous sheet of paper from the sizing vat, as the paper passes
over rollers or other supports arranged for that purpose between the trunks,
the said series of trunks and the paper between them being exposed to the
open air, so that the vapor driven from the sheet of paper at any and all
points may be free to escape immediately, and not run with the sheet or sheets
of paper to be again absorbed by them.
In a room of suitable size and construction I arrange a trunk or hollow.
cylinder T of wood or metal, which for ordinary purposes may be, say, fifty feet
in length, of rectangular form, and about one foot in depth. This is placed at
a convenient height above the floor, and the upper surface S of the trunk is
perforated with small holes at proper distances for the escape of the heated
air in sufficient volume. The trunk should be tight at the sides, ends, and
bottom. Above the trunk T, parallel therewith, and at about ten inches from
it, I place another trunk T, made in the same manner, and perforated like
the first one, both on the upper and under sides. In like manner I place two
or more other trunks T", T, as may be found necessary, above and parallel

page_text: to the preceding one, and at the same distance from it and from each other,
constructed in all respects like the former. The series of trunks may be
increased, but four will generally be found sufficient. These trunks are all
closed at the ends, and are connected by and supplied with heated air through
a flue or chamber F, leading from one to the other, or from the bottom to the
top trunk, and which flue F is provided with valves at its connection with
each trunk to regulate and control the current of air, it being desirable to so
regulato the volume of air as that the sheet immediately after leaving the
sizing tub or vat shall be exposed to very little blast, until the size has fairly
incorporated itself with the paper and is "set," and then gradually increasing
the blast until the paper is thoroughly dried.
The air may be supplied to the trunks by the fan blower B, or by any other
suitable blowing apparatus. The air for the purpose is heated either in a
separate chamber, or by steam pipes passing through and enclosed within one
or more of the trunks. The air to be used may be heated up to about 80°,
and under any circumstances it may not be found necessary to use the
air heated above 90°, as too rapid drying, and not allowing the size to set,
injures the quality of the paper. The paper in a continuous sheet as it comes
from the sizing vat is carried by machinery on to conductors or aprons, made
of tape, felt, or cloth, passing over rollers, and is conveyed on them lengthwise
along and near the surfaces of the upper trunk, and is thus partially dried.
By the onward movement of the paper upon the aprons or conductors, it is
carried back in an opposite direction botween the perforated surfaces of the
upper trunk and the next one below it, and is thus made to pass between all
of them, the current of heated air passing through the trunks and being
forced through the holes upon the paper during its passage through the
machine, until it reaches the lower trunk, when the process of drying will be
found complete. Whilst the paper is passing from the top to the bottom of
the machine the blast is arranged gradually to increase in volume, it being
very light at first, to allow the size to set. It has been found in practise
that the size on the paper, if dried too rapidly, will crack, and the quality of
the paper be materially injured. P, represents the paper in the process of
drying, passing in the direction indicated by the arrows, and is carried directly
from the sizing vat to the drying machine, thus dispensing with the use
of reels.
Having thus fully described the Invention, what I claim therein as new,
and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is, the process of drying sized paper,
by passing it between a series of trunks perforated on two sides, and so

page_text: arranged, that the hot air passing through these perforations will come in
contact with both sides of the paper and then escape, and not run or be
confined with the sheets.
In witness whereof, I, the said Laban Clarke Stuart, have hereunto set
my band and seal, this Fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
JNO. ALCOCK.
L. C. STUART. (L.S.)