IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Hollingworth, of the Clyde Paper Mills,
Eastfield, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Manager, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF PAPER."
Sealed the 29th September 1859, and dated the 4th July 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Hollingworth at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th July 1859.
I, JAMES HOLLINGWORTH, of the Clyde Paper Mills, Eastfield, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, Manager, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE
OP PAPER," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of that portion
of paper-making machinery or apparatus technically known as the "deckle,"
which prevents the stream of pulp from flowing away laterally as it is carried
over the endless web of wire cloth, and thus regulates the width of the con-
tinuous length of paper. The object of my Invention is to so arrange the
deckle bars that they may be readily moved simultaneously to or from each
other, so that the width of the web of paper may be varied with facility, and
without stopping the paper-making machine.
Under one modification the parallel longitudinal bars of my improved

page_text: expanding and contracting deckle are connected to each other by two or
other number of transverse rods or horizontal shafts, the bearings of which
are bolted to the side standards of the machine; the extremities of these rods
have long right and left-handed screw threads cut on them. The ends of the
transverse rods pass through nuts fixed in the deckle bars, which nuts have
corresponding internal screws tapped therein. There are also jam nuts, which
traverse to and fro on the transverse rods, and serve to prevent any movement
of the deckle bars arising from the continuous vibratory action of the "wire"
and its connected mechanism. One extremity of each of the adjusting
transverse rods bas fitted to it a worm wheel; each of these wheels is in gear
with a worm keyed on a horizontal spindle arranged above the worm wheels,
and parallel with the side framing of the machine. The horizontal spindle is
made in two parts, and is connected at the centro by a coupling; this is done
with a view of allowing a slight lateral play to one of the transverse rods, so
that the deckle bars may be opened out slightly wider at the outflowing end.
The horizontal spindle is carried in bearings, which are bolted to the framing
of the machine, and to one extremity of the spindle is fitted a hand wheel, by
means of which it is actuated. The "apron" at the inflowing end of the
deckle, over which the stream of pulp flows, is formed of a sheet of vulcanized
india-rubber, which extends across the machine and overlaps the wire cloth.
The elastic nature of the material admits of the deckle bars being moved to
and fro laterally, aud at the same time preserves a uniform level surface. To
alter the width of the web of paper, nothing more is necessary than to turn
the hand wheel on the horizontal spindle; this puts the two transverse adjusting
rods in motion, the screws of which working through the deckle causes the
bars to approach or recede from each other accordingly as it is desired to
make a wider or narrower web of paper. This alteration in the width of the
web may be effected instantly, and without impeding or stopping the motion
of the machine. The deckles may be actuated by other mechanical means
equivalent to or in lieu of those herein-before described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Hollingworth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd January 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
ПOLLINGWORTH, of the Clyde Paper Mills, Eastfield, in the County of Lanark, 3
North Britain, Manager, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Hollingworth, Her special license that I, the said James Hollingworth,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Hollingworth, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER,"
condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Hollingworth, by an instru-
ment 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.
upon the
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Hollingworth, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of that
portion of paper-making machinery or apparatus technically known as the
"deckle," which prevents the stream of pulp from flowing away laterally as it
is carried over the endless web of wire cloth, and thus regulates the width of
the continuous length of paper. The object of my Invention is to so arrange
the deckle bars that they may be readily moved simultaneously to or from
each other, so that the width of the web of paper may be varied with facility,
and without stopping the paper-making machine.
Under one modification the parallel longitudinal bars of my improved
expanding and contracting deckle are connected to each other by two or
other number of transverse rods or horizontal shafts, the bearings of which
are bolted to the side standards of the machine; the extremities of these rods
have long right and left-handed screw threads cut on them. The ends of the
transverse rods pass through nuts fitted in the deckle bars, which nuts have
corresponding internal screws tapped therein. There are also jam nuts, which
traverse to and fro on the transverse rols, and serve to prevent any movement

page_text: of the deckle bars arising from the continuous vibratory action of the wire
and its connected mechanism. One extremity of each of the adjusting
transverse rods has fitted to it a worm wheel; each of these wheels is in gear
with a worm keyed on a horizontal spindle arranged above the worm wheels,
and parallel with the side framing of the machine. The horizontal spindle is
made in two parts, and is connected at the centre by a coupling; this is done
with a view of allowing a slight lateral play to one of the transverse rods, so
that the deckle bars may be opened out slightly wider at the outflowing end.
.The horizontal spindle is carried in bearings which are bolted to the framing
of the machine, and to one extremity of the spindle is fitted a hand wheel, by
means of which it is actuated. The apron at the inflowing end of the deckle
over which the stream of pulp flows is formed of a sheet of vulcanized india-
rubber, which extends across the machine and overlaps the wire cloth. The
elastic nature of the material admits of the deckle bars being moved to and
fro laterally, and at the same time preserves a uniform level surface. To alter
the width of the web of paper, nothing more is necessary than to turn the
hand wheel on the horizontal spindle; this puts the two transverse adjusting
rods in motion, the screws of which working through the deckle causes the
bars to approach or recede from each other, accordingly as it is desired to
make a wider or narrower web of paper. This alteration in the width of the
web may be effected instantly, and without impeding or stopping the motion
of the machine. The deckles may be actuated by other mechanical means
equivalent to or in lieu of those herein-before described.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe the several Figures on the illustrative Sheet of
Drawings hereunto appended, for the purpose of showing certain modifications
under which my improvements may be judiciously carried out in practice, that
is to say:
Figure 1 on the accompanying Drawings is a longitudinal elevation of a
portion of a paper-making machine having my improvements applied thereto;
Figure 2 is a plan of the same; Figure 8 is a transverse section; Figure 4 is
a partially longitudinal section of the machine; and Figure 5 is a partially
sectional plan of the guage for setting the deckle to form the required width
of paper. In the elevation and plan of the accompanying Drawings a portion
of the paper-making machine is shown, in order to explain the connection of
my improvements therewith, as this part of the machine is arranged and
constructed in the ordinary manner, and forms no part of my present Inven-
tion, a detailed description is unnecessary. The prepared pulp flows from the
vat A on to the apron B, which is fastened down to the lip or overhanging

page_text: part C of the vat by a band of brass D. The apron is formed of an elastic
material, vulcanised india-rubber being preferred for the purpose; it is slightly
stretched at the part where it is fastened to the lip C; the sides of the india-
rubber are turned upwards, and then over, forming a double layer on each
side, which is fastened laterally by a screw and thumb nut, which secures the
end pieces of the band D. The india-rubber apron B extends over the endless
wire cloth E, the apron is contracted at the sides to the width of the narrowest
web of paper required, the surplus is folded over, at the lateral margins, and
the india-rubber is attached by means of the plates F to the longitudinal
bars G, which, with their connected parts, form my improved adjustable
deckle. The plates F are arranged parallel to each other, the india-rubber
passing down between, and the whole is secured by bolts. A piece of wood is
fitted under the folded part of the india-rubber on each side, so as to keep up
the parts between the band D and the deckle bars G. The deckle straps H,
which prevent the pulp from flowing under the bars G, are arranged in the
ordinary manner; at the front part they pass over the drums I on a horizontal
shaft, which is driven by an endless band passing round the pulley J. The
principal feature of my present Invention is, that the deckle may be instantly
adjusted to make any required width of paper without stopping the machine
to effect the alteration. The simultaneous movement of the bars G and their
connected parts is effected by means of the winch handle K, which is fitted
on the end of the horizontal shaft L, which extends out beyond the framing
on the opposite side of the machine. The shaft L has keyed to it the bevel
pinion M, which gears with the bevel pinion N on the lower extremity of
the shaft O; this shaft is carried in overhanging bearings which are bolted
to the framing of the machine. At the upper end of the shaft O is keyed a
pinion P, which is in gear with the pinion Q on the extremity of the horizontal
shaft R; this shaft extends parallel with the bars G, and has formed on it
the two worms S and T, which give motion to the worm wheels U and V.
The worm wheels are fast to the ends of two horizontal screws W and X,
which work through pedestal bearings on the contiguous bar G. The ends of
the screws W and X are each connected to or form a continuation of an iron
bar Y, which is covered with brass; the opposite extremities of these bars are
attached to the screws Z and a, which work out through the pedestal bearings
of the opposite bar G. To the inner face of each pedestal bearing is attached
the end of a tube b, which end forms a bush, having an internal screw made
therein to correspond to the screw passed through it; the several tubes 6 fit
over the screws and central bars Y telescopically. The screws W and X
on the one side of the machine, and the opposite ones Z and a, are made right

page_text: and left-handed, so that when the handle is put in motion, the rotatory move-
ment of the screws in the bushes of the tubes 6 causes the bars G to be moved
towards or recede from one another, according to the direction in which the
handle is moved. The drums are made sufficiently long to admit of the
greatest traverse required in making the different widths of paper. Between
the two screw shafts W and X there is fitted a transverse stay c, which passes
through the pedestal bearings on the bars G, and so serves to steady the
central portion of the deckle. The depth or thickness of the stream of pulp
is regulated by an adjustable gauge or "slice," which consists of two plates d,
capable of longitudinal adjustment by means of two long slots e, in which the
retaining bolts slide to and fro as the plates move simultaneously with the
bars G. The plates d are fitted with two overhanging arms, the free
extremities of which extend outwards in a lateral direction; in the tubular
ends of these arms are fitted the screws e, the ends of which enter the bars G.
By turning these screws to the right or left, the slice or gauge d is thereby
raised or lowered, so as to regulate the thickness of the pulp, and so produce
an equal layer or film all over the wire cloth. A gauge is also fitted to the
tubular part of the screw shaft W, to indicate the space between the deckle;
to the tube b is fixed the plate f, the face of which is divided into inches and
fractional parts thereof. On the bar Y is a mark, which shows the extent to
which the deckle has been opened or contracted, a movement of an inch and a
half, as indicated on the gauge f, being equal to double the space between the
two bars G. The shaft L carries on its free extremity a wheel 9, which gives
motion to the wheels h and i; these wheels are keyed on the screw shafts
jand k; the rotatory movement of these shafts actuate the ends and m of
the vacuum boxes. In this way as the deckle is adjusted in regard to width,
the same movement simultaneously regulates the width of the vacuum boxes,
so as to correspond to that of the deckle. With these improvements the paper
maker is enabled to alter the size of the paper at a moment's notice without
stopping the machine, or incurring loss either of time or material.
Ilaving now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect. I would observe in conclusion that what I consider novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hercin-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general arrangement and construction of machinery or apparatus
for the manufacture of paper, as herein-before described and shown in the
accompanying Drawings.
Second, the system or mode of regulating and adjusting the width of a con-

page_text: tinuous web of paper, by means of the mechanical appliance or arrangement
berein-before described and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any
mere equivalent therefor.
Third, the system or mode of contracting or extending the length of the
vacuum boxes of a paper-making machine, in accordance with the move-
ments of my improved mechanical deckle, as herein-before described and
shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere equivalent therefor.
Fourth, the system or mode of arranging the elastic apron of paper-making
machines, whether the apron is used in conjunction with my improved
mechanical deckle or not, which arrangement of the apron is permanent, or
does not require to be detached in any way when the deckle is shifted, as
herein-before described and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Hollingworth, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of December, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-nine.
JAMES HOLLINGWORTH. (L.S.)