IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES IN ORDER TO CONVERT THE FIBROUS PORTIONS THEREOF INTO PULP
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street, in
the City of London, E. C., Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES IN ORDER TO CONVERT
THE FIBROUS PORTIONS THEREOF INTO PULP."-A communication from
Husson Morel.
Sealed the 31st December 1858, and dated the 25th August 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald
Brooman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 25th August 1858.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, E. C., Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES IN ORDER
TO CONVERT THE FIBROUS PORTIONS THEREOF INTO PULP," (communicated to me
by Husson Morel, a foreigner residing abroad,) to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the means of separating the fibrous portions of
plants, bark, and vegetable substances generally from the resinous, gummy,
and other substances which hold the fibres together, and in a particular
means of bleaching the fibres.
I will proceed to describe the process of treating the diss, a plant well
known and common in Algeria, to convert it into pulp. The same process
will be applicable to other plants.
For operating upon the plants I use a large vat provided with a perforated
false bottom or grating, under which a perforated steam pipe connected with a

page_text: boiler is supported; there is also a cover to the vat, in which a safety valve is
fitted, and at bottom there is a draw-off cock. Between the boiler and the
vat a leaden vessel containing salts of soda or carbonate of soda is placed;
the steam pipe from the boiler opens into this vessel and another pipe leads
from it to the vat. The vat is filled with bundles of diss and closed; steam
is turned on, which on passing through the leaden vessel becomes impregnated
with the salts of soda or carbonate of soda, and after a lapse of from 12 to 20
hours, more or less, will have discharged from or softened the gummy and
resinous matters in the plants. During the steaming the discharge cock
must be opened at intervals, to allow of the escape of the condensed water
which will carry with it the gummy and glutinous matters extracted from the
plants by the action of the steam; the clearness of the water will be the test
of the purity of the fibres. The steaming finished, steam is turned off from
the vat, the cover is removed, and a cloth thrown over the hot and steaming
fibres at intervals, during one hour eau de javelle is poured in small quantities
upon the cloth. The cloth is removed, a second cloth applied, and for about a
similar period water slightly acidulated is poured upon it; the fibres are next
removed from the vat and are washed and beaten in clear water.
After being
dried, either under pressure or otherwise, the fibres are fit for the manufacture
of paper or for other purposes for which pulp is used.
If the process is to be carried on where water is plentiful, I first subject
the plants to a retting, then open or crush them under rollers and place them
in the steaming vat, the steam is then to be introduced directly from the
boiler for from four to five hours, after which steam impregnated with the
salts or carbonate of soda is introduced for from 3 to 5 hours.
Bleaching of the fibres.-The fibres are susceptible of being bleached by any
of the known processes for the bleaching of fibres or by the improved method,
which I proceed to describe.
I take the diss or other vegetable substance from the steaming vat after the
first preparation thereof and place it in a pulping or tearing cylinder, to there
thoroughly wash it; half an hour will generally suffice for the washing, and
then run off the water; I next pour in, say, a couple of pailfuls of a solution
of sulphuric acid, marking 8 or 9 degrees with the water still remaining in the
cylinder, this strength will be reduced to from one-half a degree to two degrees.
The fibres are roused for about three-quarters of an hour and the water
drained off, they are then washed in clear water, when about a couple of
pailfuls of a clear solution of crystals of soda are thrown in; the strength
of the solution after mixing with the water in the cylinder should be from one-
half to two degrees. After stirring for about three-quarters of an hour I run

page_text: off the water and pour in a solution of chlorine, which when mixed with
the contents of the cylinder should mark from one-half to two degrees. The
rousing is continued for about two hours, when the pulp will be found suf-
ficiently bleached.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 17th January 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, E. C.,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special licence that I, the said Richard
Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, 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 nake, 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 TREATMENT OF VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES IN
ORDER TO CONVERT THE FIBROUS PORTIONS THEREOF INTO PULP," (a communication
from Husson Morel, a foreigner residing abroad,) upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 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 Richard Archibald Brooman, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:
This Invention consists in certain means of separating the fibrous portions

page_text: FIRST TREATMENT OF THE FIBRES.
For operating upon the plants, I use a large vat shewh at A in the Drawings
annexed, provided with a perforated false bottom or grating B, under which
is a perforated coiled steam pipe D connected with a boiler I and supported
upon a stand C, there is also a cover G to the vat, in which cover a safety
valve E is fitted, and at bottom there is a draw off cock F. Between the
boiler and the vat a leaden vessel H, containing two parts (by weight) of salts
of soda or carbonate of soda to 100 of plants is placed, the steam pipe from
the boiler opens into this vessel, and another pipe leads from it to the vat.
The pipe D is furnished with a regulating tap M, and the vessel H with a
drawing off tap O. The vat is filled with bundles of the plants and closed; steam
is then turned on, which in passing through the leaden vessel becomes im--
pregnated with the salts of soda or carbonate of soda, and after a lapse of
from 12 to 20 hours, more or less, will have softened or discharged from the
plants the gummy and resinous matters contained in them. During the
steaming, the discharge cock F must be opened at intervals to allow of the
escape of the condensed water, which will carry with it the gummy and
glutinous matters extracted from the plants by the action of the steam.
The clearness of the water will be the test of the purity of the fibres. The
steaming finished, steam is turned off from the vat, the cover is removed,
and a cloth thrown over the hot and steaming fibres, at intervals during one
hour bleaching liquid (eau de javelle) is poured in small quantities upon the
cloth. The cloth is removed, a second cloth applied, and for about a similar
period, water slightly acidulated is poured upon it; the fibres are next re-
moved from the vat, and are washed and beaten in clear water.
After being
dried, either under pressure or otherwise, the fibres are fit for the manufacture
of paper, or for other purposes for which pulp is used.
If the process is to be carried on where water is plentiful, I first subject
the plants to a soaking or retting action, then open or crush them under
rollers, and place them in the steaming vat. The steam is then to be intro-
duced directly from the boiler through the branch pipe J for from 4 to 5
hours, after which, steam - impregnated with the salts or carbonate of soda is
introduced for from 3 to 5 hours. The steam is admitted and shut off as
desired to and from the pipe J and the vessel H by means of the taps N
N

page_text: DELACHING
THE LIBRES.
The fibres are susceptible of being bleached by any of the known processes
for the bleaching of fibres, or by the improved method which I proceed to
describe and which I prefer.
I take the vegetable substance from the steaming vat after the first pre-
paration thereof and place it in a pulping or tearing cylinder, and then
thoroughly wash it, half an hour will generally suffice for the washing, and
then run off the water. I next pour in, say a couple of pailfuls of a solution
of sulphuric acid, marking 8 or 9 degrees, with the water still remaining in
the cylinder, this strength will be reduced to from one half a degree to two
degrees, the fibres are roused for about three-quarters of an hour and the
water drained off. They are then washed in clear water, and afterwards about
a couple of pailfuls of a clear solution of crystals of soda are thrown in; the
strength of the solution after mixing with the water in the cylinder should be
from one-half to two degrees. After stirring for about three-quarters of an
hour, I run off the water and pour in a solution of chlorine, which when
mixed with the contents of the cylinder should mark from one-half to two
degrees. The rousing is continued for about two hours, when the pulp will
be found sufficiently bleached.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim :-
First, the method of treating vegetable substances preparatory to the
bleaching the same by the means and in the manner herein-before described.
Secondly, the method of bleaching pulp by the means and in the manner
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of January, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.