Improvements in Machinery for Refining Pulp in the Manufacture of Paper.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 27th May, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Refining Pulp in the Manufacture
of Paper.
A. communication from abroad by IRWIN PETER DILLON, of 62, Butler Street, Law-
rence in the State of Massachusetts, one of the United States of America,
Manufacturer, and HENRY CLAY KING, of 361, Lowell Street, Lawrence,
aforesaid, Grocer.
I, ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES, of 55 & 56, Chancery Lane, in the County of Lon-
don, Chartered l'atent Agent, 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:-
My invention is an improvement in machinery used for refining the paper stock
or stuff in the manufacture of paper, and has a two-fold object in view, ri;-
to prevent the blades or bars and lining from being accidentally destroyed by the
passage therethrough of a hard substance such as a bolt, nut or nail, and also to
prevent the working loose or out of place of the bars and filling of the plug or
rotary part of the engine.
In apparatus of this kind one most serious difficulty encountered is the liability
of the bars and filling to become loosened from their proper positions and thereby
cause disastrous injury to the machine, it being understood that enormous quan-
tities amounting to many tons per day of stuff are run through an engine and
at considerable pressure, and also that the engine is driven at a high speed, so
that there is a complexity of strains besides the centrifugal action which all com-
bine to dislodge the bars and filling blocks of the plug.
Accordingly my correspondents have devised the means hereinafter more fully
explained whereby each bar is held in a vice like grip at a plurality of points
throughout its length, so that it is impossible for it to have radial movement with-
out actually tearing out the solid metal composing it, and the wooden filling blocks
between these bars are held in by an automatic clinching at their inner edges
against the adjacent bars; by this provision it is absolutely impossible for my
improved engine to become disrupted by radial movement of its component parts.
The details of my invention will be fully explained in the following description
and the invention itself will be more particularly defined in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings illustrative of a preferred embodiment of my in-
vention,
Fig. 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section of a refining engine of a usual
type having the improvements constituting my invention applied thereto;
Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross section on the line 2, Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on the line 33, Fig. 1:
Fig. 4 is a perspective detail of the rim of one of the retaining heads or spiders;
Fig. 5 is a perspective detail of the right hand end spider showing the means
of securing the bars therein;
1. Con calamod view of the ulure looking towards the loft ·

page_text: Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail showing the manner of securing the filling between
the bars;
Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the bars.
The general details of the engine may be and are of usual construction com-
prising a bed A provided with stands a, on which are mounted a shaft a', means
for longitudinally adjusting said shaft and its supported parts, a shell or casing
in the heads of which the shaft is journalled and having an outlet at one end
and an inlet at at its other end, and a driving pulley mounted on the shaft a
In passing the tons of macerated matter constituting the paper stuff through
the machinery for the manufacture of paper and particularly in the apparatus
referred to it is not of infrequent occurrence that nails, bolts, nuts or other pieces
of iron or unyielding substances are dislodged from the machine or dropped there-
into and carried along with the flow of stuff, causing irreparable damage when they
come to the engine, or machine herein described being caught between the revolv-
ing plug B and the lining a7 of the shell a³, thereby grinding and dismembering
the parts thereof. With a view to obviating this disaster a settling recess has
heretofore been constructed beneath the forward or small end of the plug approxi-
mately at the point marked. Fig. 1; but in practice the stuff fills up this recess
and becomes solidly packed therein by the rotating blades of the plug B, which
in a very short time pack in the stuff and grind off the top surface thereof even
with the blades, so that the mass of indurated stuff thus gathered in the recess
becomes practically integral with the lining of the engine shell, so that the
machine has been practically without any means for catching the stray nuts and
the like mentioned.
Accordingly I have offset the inlet as shown, and have provided a chamber as
having a trap and containing a centrally arranged outlet a projecting upwardly
within the dome all of the trap, and preferably having an outwardly flared
mouth, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, so that as the flow of stuff from the inlet
enters the chamber as it forms an eddy therein, and the heavy foreign substances
which it is desired to stop are caused to settle and remain at the bottom of the
chamber while the more liquid and lighter stuff rises to the dome of the trap
and flows out through the outlet 10 to the neck a of the engine. A man hole
cover is preferably provided for inspection of the settling chamber, and a re-
movable cap a closes an opening near the bottom of the chamber through which
the latter may be cleaned out.
Also as a further precaution my correspondents prefer to form in the neck
of the engine a sand box 16 in which such lighter foreign matter as may flow over
the mouth may be caught; this sand box a being entirely out of the influence
of the plug B, and therefore not subject to become packed and rendered inopera-
tive by the rotation of said plug. A cap a is preferably provided at each side
of the said box in order that the latter and the adjacent parts of the engine may be
readily cleaned.
Referring now more particularly to the plug and the detailed views thereof in
Figs. 2-8 it will be observed that I have spaced apart on the shaft a a plurality
of heads b. 1, 62 herein shown for convenience of illustration as five in number.
Each of these heads or spiders is milled on its periphery or otherwise provided
with a plurality of radial kerfs or notches, as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 4-6
uniformly spaced apart transversely of the rim or periphery of the respective heads
to snugly contain the bars b', not only forming solid integral seats for the latter
but giving them lateral bracing support."
The heads are also bored at their forward sides to provide enlargements or
pockets at the bottoms of the notches 3, these pockets extending only partway
through the web of the heads, as is clearly shown in Figs 2 and 4.
Viewing Fig. 8 it will be observed that I provide on the bar 6 bosses or enlarge-
ments 6 which may be formed thereon by rolling the bar in its original manu-
facture, or they may be forged thereupon or otherwise as desired.
These bosses 66 are formed of the same size as the pockets 5 so that when the

page_text: ars are properly seated in the notches 63 of the respective heads, each bar is
immovably secured in the head simply by driving it endwise from the left hand,
towards the right, viewing Fig. 1, thereby driving the enlargements
into the pockets 65, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
snugly
The head is provided at its rear peripheral edge with an annular groove or
recess in which is shrunk a ring, shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 5, and each
bar is provided at its rear end with a notch 6, so that as the bars are driven
home seating their bosses in the pockets the notches thereof simul-
and are thereby rigidly locked at the rear end of
taneously engage the ring
the plug
At the forward end of the plug 13 the the head is provided at its forward
peripheral edge with an annular recess similar to that provided at the rear edge
of the head 6, and each bar is cut down from its outer edge at its forward end
to provide a shoulder, the bottom thereof being oblique to the inner edge of
the bar, as clearly shown in Fig. S; so that when the bars have all been pro-
perly placed and driven home, as stated, a ring bo is shrunk onto the forward
end thereof tightly fitting the peripheral recess in the head and thereby engag-
ing the shoulders and clamping all the bars b permanently in place.
From the above description it is evident that it is absolutely impossible that the
bars should become radially dislodged in the operation of the machine without
actually tearing out the solid metal of the bars,
Various other expedients have been devised for accomplishing this object, but
so far as my correspondents are aware none of them have proved effectual, and
indeed they have served rather to weaken the bars and render them less capable
of resisting the enormous strains to which they are necessarily subjected.
As is well known it is deemed necessary in this style of apparatus to place
filling blocks or timbers between the bars +, and there has been heretofore serious
difficulty in so securing these timbers that they would not work loose, especially
when they should become swelled by the continuous presence of the moist stuff
flowing through the engine, it having been heretofore almost impossible to secure
the timbers so that they would remain in place for any length of time.
The serious consequences of this uncertain securing of the timbers will be
plainly evident when it is borne in mind that these engines are driven at consider-
able speed and with enormous power so that when a fimber becomes dislodged it
is simply ground to pieces and wedged between the plug and the shell of the
engine, necessarily causing mutual disaster thereto.
However my correspondents have entirely overcome this serious difficulty simply
by making the timbers 6" deeper than usual, as is clearly shown in Fig. 7, and
driving them in so tightly that the fibre thereof has been slightly compressed
between the bars, thereby causing the lower part as soon as driven beyond the
inner edges of the bars to expand forming lateral ridges or swells thereon as soon
as it becomes soaked with the liquid stuff, the inner dotted lines in Fig. 7 indi-
cating the position of the wood if it had not been permitted to swell. The project
ing portion 12 of the wood being free to swell, then expands into the position
shown by the outer dotted lines 61, Fig. 7, and thereby absolutely clinches the
filling timber beneath the bars beyond the possibility of removal.
I do not deem it necessary herein to explain the construction of the lining a of
the engine, and I have omitted to illustrate the details thereof inasmuch as my
invention does not relate thereto, although it is obvious that the bars of the lining
could be secured in the same manner as the bars of the plug, if desired, this
being unnecessary, however, inasmuch as the lining has no tendency to work
loose.
In operation the stuff is delivered in usual manner at the inlet, the stuff
then passing through the engine where it is refined and thence out at the outlet at
to the stuff chest or machine chest whence it is delivered to the wire, and so on
through the machine in usual manner.

page_text: As the stuff flows into the settling chamber as all heavy material, such as nails,
coarse sand, heavy buttons, electere, are automatically removed from the pulp or
stuff, being gathered by gravity in the bottom of the chamber and also stopped in
their flow and precipitated by coming in contact with the flaring edges of the
pipe, and the stuff flows through the latter into the neck, such finer foreign
matter, such as sand, etcetera, which would otherwise speck and spot the paper
heing caught by the sand box, as before explained: the stuff then Hows through
the engine, being refined in the usual manner by being drawn out and rubbed or
ground down by the blades or bars of the plug in cooperation with those of the
Shell or lining.
As the plug is rapidly rotated in performing this office the bars are held
against loosening or Hying out by the engagement of their bosses or enlarge-
ments with the pockets of the steel heads, and the lateral support of the
notches together with the engagement therewith of the retaining rings,
which all together serve to lock and retain the individual bars in vice like fashion.
Also the filling or timbers are held in firmly clinched position behind the bars,
and instead of being more able to work loose as they become swollen by the
presence of the liquid stuff, as has heretofore been the case, they are thereby still
more firmly and irremovably clinched and fasioned by the free swelling of their
projecting inner edges, as fully explained and clearly shown in Fig. 7.
While I have herein described the preferred construction of my invention in its
various details, I wish it understood that I am not limited to these details, inas-
much as many changes therein may be made without departing from the main
features and the spirit and scope of my invention; other forms of enlargements
and interlocking of the bars with the spiders, as well as various changes in detail
of the settling chamber may be resorted to within the terms of my invention as
hereinafter defined in the claims.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to he performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In machinery for the manufacture of paper the combination of a refining
engine having a rotary plug; of an inlet thereto for the paper stuff, and a settling
chamber between said inlet and said engine, said settling chamber containing
means to divert the direct flow of the stuff to the engine and precipitate by gravity
heavy foreign materials contained in the stu, and a sand box in the neck of the
engine but out of range of the rotating plug thereof, substantially as described.
2. The combination with a refining engine for use in paper making, of a ver
tical pipe a projecting from the inlet of the engine, a drum or enlarged chamber
surrounding said pipe, and a stuff inlet pipe connected to said chamber at one side
thereof below the upper end of said pipe, substantially as described.
3. In a plug of a paper stuff refining engine, a head having a plurality of radial
notches cut transversely in its periphery, each notch having at its bottom an
enlarged recess extending only partially through the head, in combination with
the bars of the plug fitting in said notches and provided with enlargements for
said recesses, substantially as described.
4. In a plug of a paper stuff refining engine, a head having a plurality of radial
notches cut transversely in its periphery, in combination with the bars of the plug
adapted to fit in said notches, said bars being cut down from their outer edges
to provide shoulders at their inner edges adjacent one peripheral edge of said head,
and a ring secured in clamping position about said head and on said shoulders,
substantially as described.
5. In a plug of a paper stuff refining engine, a head having a plurality of radial
notches cut transversely in its periphery, in combination with the bars of the plug
adapted to fit in said notches, said bars being cut down from their outer edges to
provide shoulders at their inner edges adjacent one peripheral edge of said head,
said shoulders extending from their outer ends obliquely toward the inner edges

page_text: of said bars, and a ring tightly secured about said head and resting in clamping
engagement on said shoulders, substantially as described.
6. A plug for a paper stuff refining engine, comprising a plurality of longitudinal
bars and a plurality of supporting heads therefor spaced apart and each provided
with transverse peripheral notches having a width corresponding to said bars, the
intermediate heads heing bored out at the bottoms of their notches only part way
through and on the forward sides thereof, and the bars having bosses or enlarge-
ments to fit said bored out portions, the rear end head, having a peripheral ring
secured thereon across the open side of its notches, and the rear ends of the bars
being notched to engage and be held by said ring, the forward ends of said bars
being cut away to provide shoulders, and a ring secured peripherally on the for-
ward end engaging said shoulders, and serving to lock said bars in place with the
enlargements thereof in the bored out portions of the intermediate heads, and the
end notches thereof in engagement with the said rear ring, substantially as
described
7. In a plug for a paper stuff refining engine, a plurality of longitudinal bars
held rigidly spaced apart radially on the plug, and filling timbers between said
bars, said plug being freely open for the flow of water within it behind said
timbers, said timbers having their inner edges projecting freely behind the inner
edges of said bars and clinched therebehind by the lateral swelling of the pro
jecting edges of the timbers produced by the presence of the water within the
plug, substantially as described.
Dated the 14th day of March 1899.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55/56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.