IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER PULP AND CARDBOARD, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to François Antoine Kieffer, of Paris, in the Republic of
France, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER
PULP AND CARDBOARD, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said François Antomie Aiener
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd November 1876..
FRANCOIS ANTOINE KIEFFER, of Paris, in the Republic of France. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER PULP AND CARDBOARD, AND IN THE
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
This Invention relates more particularly to the manufacture of paper pulp and
cardboard by means of the bark of osier, willow, and the like, and to apparatus to
be employed in such manufacture, as herein-after described.
The apparatus consist of―
1st. A bark cutter or bark preparer.
2nd. A tearing or carding engine.
3rd. A washing apparatus.
4th. An apparatus for bleaching by gaseous chlorine.
The bark cutter is composed of two feeding cylinders set in motion by toothed
wheels, and of a suitable number of fly wheels provided with knives, and making
say about two revolutions for every revolution of the feeding cylinders. These
cylinders are provided with circumferential grooves or divisions of sufficient depth
to admit of the passage of the knives which project to a distance of say about
3 inches from the periphery of the fly wheels. The rings or sections which are
thus left upon the cylinders between the divisions have cut or otherwise formed
around them grooves and serrations of triangular shape in cross section, the two
cylinders engaging with or gearing into each other. Fine flutings are also provided
parallel with the rectilineal generating lines or axes of the cylinders with a view to
ensure the hold upon the material.
By means of this apparatus the bark is cut up into fragments by the knives and
completely disintegrated in its passage between the cylinders, which operation
facilitates the ultimate elimination of the suberous pellicles.
The tearing or carding engine consists of a drum composed by preference of cast
iron which carries blades having triangular teeth, beneath which drum is arranged
[Price 6d1
.

page_text: '
a counterpart formed of a steel plate having teeth also triangular cut out and
turned up at an angle of say about 30° to the radius of the curve so as to admit of
the passage of the material, the same being also facilitated by the natural elasticity
of the plate which is simply attached at its lower extremity to a support beneath.
For treating certain descriptions of bark, such for example as that of the mulberry
tree, the teeth of the cylinder are made of a conical in lieu of a triangular shape.
The trough of the tearing or carding engine is provided with a false bottom of
wire gauze or equivalent material extending over say one half only of the bottom
of the engine which is of elliptical shape, whereby the almost complete elimination of
the pellicles and other matters which it is necessary to remove is ensured without
loss of time during the tearing process, such substances falling directly into a small
tank which is emptied from time to time.
The washing apparatus which forms the subject of another part of this Invention
is constructed so as to ensure a circulation and slow oscillation of the liquid
employed, it enables the fibres of osier, willow, and the like to be completely freed
from the pellicles of the suberous matter of the bark under the action of the slow
motion imparted to the liquid contained in the apparatus; the fibres are held in
suspension, whilst the very small and short pellicles descend to the bottom of the
apparatus, where they pass through a screen of wire gauze or equivalent material
which prevents any subsequent mixing.
The bark which has been separated by the tearing engine is placed with a
sufficient quantity of water in a large annular vat or trough provided with a falso
bottom of wire gauze or equivalent material, in the centre of which vat or trough
there is arranged a vertical shaft carrying a toothed wheel which imparts to such
shaft the slow motion which it receives from a pinion actuated by any suitable
motor.
Upon the shaft there are provided two or any other suitable number of jointed
horizontal cross pieces or arms independent one from the other and carrying teeth,
each of such arms with its teeth forming a species of rake which dips into the liquid
contained in the trough.
The motion is transmitted to the cross arms by means of two rollers travelling
over an endless series of undulations formed in the upper part of the apparatus, the
oscillating motion of the rakes being thence communicated to the liquid the fibres
are retained in suspension, whilst the smaller pellicles or particles of matter which
it is required to remove descend to the bottom of the apparatus; the effect produced
may be further increased by turning up the ends of the teeth in such a manner as
to form a species of hook if found desirable.
.
The bleaching chamber for the use of gaseous chlorine is composed of a box or
chamber containing a suitable number of cylinders of osier or other material best
adapted to resist the action of chlorine, which cylinders are placed one over the
other and fixed upon axes made by preference of hard wood or iron enamelled or
covered with porcelain, india-rubber, or other suitable material. These axes which
project at one side of the case through stuffing boxes intended to prevent as much
as possible the escape of the gas carry pullies connected together by means of an
endless band which is put in motion by an engine.
The fibres or shreds obtained by the previously herein-before described operations
or fibres or pulp obtained by means of other processes after having been placed in a
drying machine for a period of say 4 or 5 minutes are introduced into the chamber
before mentioned and subjected. to the operation of the cylinders, which by their
rotatory motion continually renew the points of contact, and thus accelerate in a
very rapid manner the bleaching of vegetable fires or paper pulp of any description
placed in the apparatus.
The fibrous material, viz, the barks of osier, willow, and the like yield on leaving
the washing apparatus a proportion of purified fibres which are placed in the
bleaching apparatus herein-before described with a view to the production of paper;
the other inferior products are employed in the manufacture of cardboard of a
tenacious and resisting quality in the following manner :—

page_text: 1st. All the pellicles mixed with a certain quantity of fibres (the whole being
taken from the troughs or tanks situate below the double bottom of the tearing and
carding engines) are run into an ordinary refining apparatus, & thence directed
into a decanting tank, whence the pulp is finally withdrawn, after which it is
allowed to thoroughly drain upon a suitable drying floor.
2nd. The drained pulp is stirred with the thick matter deposited in the caustic
soda which has served for the treatment of the bark, and at the same time the
pectic sediment resulting from the two drainings of the paper fibre is mixed with
the drained pulp in suitable proportions. During the mixing there should be added
a quantity, say from 1/2 to 1 per cent. of sulphate of alumina which forms a sodic
alum with the soda employed.
3rd. The pulp. when thoroughly puddled is finally run off and preserved in
reservoirs.
The cardboard may be made by hand in separate sheets upon frames with wire
gauze or equivalent material of a suitable mesh, or it may be produced by a con-
tinuous machine, but in the latter case the sheet is of less thickness and should be
doubled or tripled in order to obtain the thicker kinds of cardboard.
The drained sheets are arranged in piles with felt interposed, and first submitted
to a gradual moderate pressure, they are then changed and subjected to powerful
pressure, after which they are dried in the air upon horizontal screens or racks and
finally finished by calendering or glazing. If however a sufficiently powerful press
is at command they may be again submitted to its action, whereby the solidity and
density of the cardboard will be increased.
In order to obtain a fine cardboard it will be necessary to eliminate the coarser
pellicles, and to substitute for them about an equal quantity of old paper. This
quantity may however vary, say from about 10 to 20 per cent. according to the
quality of cardboard which it is desired to produce.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said François Antoine Kieffer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st
May 1877.
FRANCOIS ANTOINE KIEFFER, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
"IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER PULP AND CARDBOARD, AND IN THE
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN.
"
My said Invention relates more particularly to the manufacture of paper pulp and
cardboard by means of the bark of osier, willow, and the like, and to apparatus to
be employed in such manufacture as herein-after described.
The apparatus consist of―
1st. A bark cutter or bark preparer.
2nd. A tearing or carding engine.
3rd. A washing apparatus.
4th. An apparatus for bleaching by gaseous chlorine.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figures 1 and 2 represent sectional elevations taken at right angles to each other
illustrating the bark cutter or preparer; Figures 3 and 4 are similar views
illustrating the carding engine; Figure 5 is a sectional elevation; Figure 6, a
plan, and Figure 7 a detail of the washing apparatus; and Figures 8 and 9
represent sectional elevations taken at right angles to each other illustrating the
bleaching apparatus.
The bark cutter, Figures 1 and 2, is composed of two feeding cylinders A set iu

page_text: motion by toothed wheels B and of a suitable number of fly wheels C provided with
knives D and making, say, about two revolutions for every revolution of the feeding
cylinder. These cylinders A are provided with circumferential grooves or
divisions. Z, Z, of sufficient depth to admit of the passage of the knives D
which project to a distance of, say, about three inches from the periphery of the
fly wheels. The rings or sections x, x, x, which are thus left upon the cylinder A
between the divisions have cut or otherwise formed around them grooves and
serrations of triangular shape in cross section, the two cylinders engaging with or
gearing into each other. Fine flutings y, y, are also provided parallel with the
rectilineal generating lines or axes of the cylinders with a view to ensure the hold
upon the material.
By means of this apparatus the bark is cut up into fragments by the knives D and
completely disintegrated in its passage between the cylinders A, which operation
facilitates the ultimate elimination of the suberous pellicles.
The tearing or carding engine (Figures 3 and 4) consists of a drum E composed
by preference of cast iron, which carries blades F having triangular teeth, beneath
which drum is arranged a counterpart G formed of a steel plate having teeth also
triangular, cut out and turned up at an angle of, say, about 30° to the radius of the
curve, so as to admit of the passage of the material, the same being also facilitated
by the natural elasticity of the plate G which is simply attached at its lower
extremity to a support H beneath.
For heating certain description of bark, such for example as that of the
mulberry tree, the teeth of the cylinder are made of a conical in lieu of a tri-
angular shape.
The trough of the tearing or carding engine is provided with a false bottom of
wire gauze or equivalent material extending over, say one half only of the bottom
of the engine which is of elliptical shape, whereby the almost complete elimination
of the pellicles and other matters which it is necessary to remove in ensured without
loss of time during the tearing process, such substances falling directly into a small.
tank which is emptied from time to time.
The washing apparatus, Figures 5, 6, and 7, which forms the subject of another
part of this Invention is constructed so as to ensure a circulation and slow oscillation
of the liquid employed. It enables the fibres of osier, willow, and the like to be
completely freed from the pellicles of the suberous matter of the bark under the
action of the slow motion imparted to the liquid contained in the apparatus, the
fibres are held in suspension whilst the very small and short pellicles descend to the
bottom of the apparatus where they pass through a screen of wire gauze or
equivalent material which prevents any subsequent mixing.
The bark which has been separated by the tearing engine is placed with a
sufficient quantity of water in a large annular vat or trough I provided with a false
bottom J of wire gauze or equivalent material, in the centre of which vat or trough
there is arranged a vertical shaft K carrying a toothed wheel which imparts to such
shaft the slow motion which it receives from a pinion actuated by any suitable
prime mover.
Upon the shaft K there are provided two or any other suitable number of jointed
horizontal cross pieces or arms L independent one from the other, and carrying
teeth or tines M, each of such arms with its teeth forming a species of rake which
dips into the liquid contained in the trough.
The motion is transmitted to the cross arms L by means of two rollers N travelling
over an endless series of undulations (see the detail Figure 7) formed in the upper
part of the apparatus, the oscillating motion of the rakes being thence communicated.
to the liquid the fibres are retained in suspension whilst the smaller pellicles or
particles of matter which it is required to remove descend to the bottom of the
apparatus, the effect produced may be further increased by turning up the ends of
the teeth M in such a manner as to form a species of hook as shewn in the
Drawing.
The bleaching apparatus for the use of gaseous chlorine which is illustrated by

page_text: Figures 8 and 9 is composed of a box or chamber P containing a suitable number of
cylinders of osier or other material best adapted to resist the action of chlorine,
which cylinders are placed the one over the other and fixed upon axes R made by
preference of hard wood or iron enamelled or covered with porcelain, india-rubber,
or other suitable material. These axes which project at one side of the case through
stuffing boxes intended to prevent as much as possible the escape of the gas carry
pulleys S connected together by means of an endless band S¹ which is put in motion
by an engine.
'
The fibres or shreds obtained by the previously herein-before described opera-
tions or fibres or pulp obtained by means of other processes after having been placed
in a drying machine for a period of say four or five minutes, are introduced into
the chamber before mentioned and subjected to the operation of the cylinders, which
by their rotatory motion continually renew the points of contact and thus accelerate
in a very rapid manner the bleaching of vegetable fibres or paper pulp of any
description placed in the apparatus.
The fibrous material videlicet, the barks of ozier, willow, and the like yield on
leaving the washing apparatus a proportion of purified fibres which are placed in
the bleaching apparatus herein-before described with a view to the production of
paper; the other inferior products are employed in the manufacture of cardboard of
a tenacious and resisting quality in the following manner :-
1st. All the pellicles mixed with a certain quantity of fibres (the whole being
taken from the troughs or tanks situate below the double bottom of the tearing and
carding engines are run into an ordinary refining apparatus and thence directed into
a decanting tank, whence the pulp is finally withdrawn, after which it is allowed to
thoroughly drain upon a suitable drying floor.
2nd. The drained pulp is stirred with the thick matters deposited in the caustic
soda which has served for the treatment of the bark, and at the same time the pectic
sediment resulting from the two drainings of the paper fibre is mixed with the
drained pulp in suitable proportions. During the mixing there should be added a
quantity, say from half to one per cent. of sulphate of alumina, which forms a sodic
alum with the soda employed.
Third. The pulp when thoroughly puddled is finely run off and preserved in
reservoirs.
The cardboard may be made by hand in separate sheets upon frames with wire
gauze or equivalent material of a suitable mesh, or it may be produced by a con-
tinuous machine, but in the latter case the sheet is of less thickness and should be
doubled or tripled in order to obtain the thicker kinds of cardboard.
The drained sheets are arranged in piles with felt interposed and first submitted
to a gradual moderate pressure, they are then changed and subjected to powerful
pressure, after which they are dried in the air upon horizontal screens or racks, and
finally finished by calendering or glazing. If however a sufficiently powerful press
is at command they may be again submitted to its action, whereby the solidity and
density of the cardboard will be increased.
In order to obtain a fine cardboard it will be necessary to eliminate the coarser
pellicles and to substitute for them about an equal quantity of old paper. This
quantity may however vary from, say about 10 to 20 per cent., according to the
quality of cardboard which it is desired to produce.
Having 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 to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. The bark cutter or back preparer, substantially as and for the purposes
herein-before described.
Secondly. The tearing or carding engine with its partial false bottom, substantially
as and for the purposes herein-before described.
Thirdly. The washing apparatus arranged so as to ensure the circulation and

page_text: slow oscillation of the liquid, substantially 'as and for the purposes herein-before
described.
Fourthly. The apparatus for bleaching by gaseous chlorine, substantially as and
for the purposes hercin-before described.
Fifthly. The process of manufacturing cardboard from the residues resulting from
the manufacture of paper pulp obtained by means of the bark of osier, willow, and
the like, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francois Antoine Kieffer, have to this my
Specification, set my hand and seal, the Twenty-sixth day of April, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.