Improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Paper Pulp.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Feb., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 4th Mar., 1887.
[Communicated from abroad by FRANK JAMES MARSHALL, of Turners Falls,
Massachusetts, United States of America.]
Improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Paper Pulp.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 relates to improvements in that class of engines used in the manufacture
of paper, and in which the pulp is ground or beaten up just previous to its being
discharged onto the machine which makes the continuous sheet of paper.
To make the best paper, it is absolutely necessary that the pulp should be ground to
the finest degree.
Those at all familiar with the art of paper making well know the difficulty of
perfectly reducing the pulp to the finely comminuted condition required to make fine
and strong paper.
Even with the greatest care it is almost impossible with the
pulping engines in common use to get the pulp through and on the screen free from
knots and threads, which, not being able to pass through the screen, clog it up,
causing delay and considerable waste.
My invention when attached to one of the engines in common use, remedies this
great defect, and, by a different action of the grinding force, succeeds in most
thoroughly communiting the pulp.
It consists of two circular vertically placed plates, or discs, having on their inside
faces cutting-knives, one of these plates being fixed. The other revolves, carrying the
pulp, as it is forced through the engine, around between the plates and finely grinding it.
In the accompanying drawing
.
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section through the engine case.
Figure 2 is an elevation of one disc.
Figure 3 is an elevation of the other disc.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of a portion of the engine.

page_text: A is a disc, having knives set on its inside near its circumference, and revolved by
means of the shaft I to which it is firmly keyed.
B is a stationary disc, which I call a "bed-plate," having also knives around its
inner circumference, against which the pulp is ground by the face of the rotating
disc A. This stationary disc or bed plate B, resting against the conical case P of the
engine, moves forward and backward, being guided by keys K bolted to the case, and
fitting in slots cut for the purpose on the inner circumference of the disc or bed-plate B.
It is also supported and strengthened by the cap L, which forms the front of the machine
to which it is bolted.
The cap L has two outlets E, through either of which the pulp may be discharged.
It also has in its centre a stuffing-box M, through which runs the driving-shaft I. The
revolving disc A maintains a fixed position on the shaft in its revolution; but to adjust
the degree of grinding, the disc or bed-plate B is moved forward or withdrawn by the
action of a collar and gear wheel C and a worm H, working on the case P in rear of
the bed-plate, so that as the space between this and the revolving disc A is diminished,
the pulp will be ground finer as desired, and knots and fibres which have passed
through between the case P and the cone R within it, both of which have also cutting
or grinding knives, will be entirely comminuted and refined.
The device for moving the bed-plate B back and forth the short distance required,
consists of a collar G encircling the case P and bolted to it. This collar has on its
outer circumference a coarse thread, which engage with a similar thread on the inside
of another collar C, encircling it.
Bolted on the front side of the collar C is a flange T, extending around the case P
and fitting into a slot in the rear of plate B, and controlling its movements as brought
forward or backward.
On the outer circumference of the collar C are formed gear-teeth which mesh with
a worm H on a shaft running across the case P and supported by standards S bolted
to the case. This worm is moved by a hand-wheel V, which when turned to the right
or to the left, actuates the worm H in the gear teeth on the collar C and advances or
retracts the collar C, and consequently moves the bed-plate B.
That part of the engine marked P is the common pulping-machine being formed of
a conical case lined with knives, and having revolving within it a "conical plug" so
called, with knives on its circumference, which, acting in conjunction with the others,
grind the pulp as it is forced in near the smaller end at the inlet D, and by this and
its speed and by centrifugal action the pulp is driven forward out at the front and
larger end.
Fis a valve for cleaning out the engine when found to be necessary.
N is the bearing for one end of the shaft I, which bearing is made to slide to and
fro on the standard O and has lugs fitting into slots cut around the shaft for allowing
the horizontal motion of the shaft at the same time with its rotary movement. The
other end of the shaft has its bearing just outside the small end of the case P. The
longitudinal action of this shaft is controlled by the hand-wheel and screw J, acting on
the box N through a rest on the standard O, so that the plug R, which is keyed on the
shaft I, may be moved in or out of the case P, or, as I propose to use it, set at a
certain fixed point and revolved, while the bed-plate B is moved the required distance
to work the pulp finely up to the revolving disc A, where it is refined and passes into
the case L, whence it is discharged at will through the outlets E.
It will be observed that by using my device the pulp need not be ground so fine in
the engine as is commonly done, and consequently the knives will last much longer
than heretofore without sharpening, or necessitating the chipping out of the usual
intermediate blocks which secure the knives, as is often necessary and which operation
is slow, clumsy, and necessitates stopping the machinery for some time.
The discs A B of my invention, with the knives or grinding plates, can each be
readily removed for replacing knives or cutting out the blocks, or for the substitution
of other discs with knives set nearer each other, in case it is desired to grind the pulp
to an extra degree of fineness.

page_text: It will be readily seen that the action of my device for reducing and refining paper
pulp, is different from that of the engines in common use as in the latter case the pulp
is simply beaten up, while mine also brushes it and refines it from shreds and lumps.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my foreign
Correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
First. The combination of revolving and stationary discs or plates for grinding
paper pulp, constructed and arranged substantially as described.
Second. The fixed and revolving discs for grinding paper pulp, in combination with
the conical shaped engine in cominon use, constructed and arranged substantially as
described.
Third. The worm and gear, in combination with the screw-threaded collars for
moving the bed-plate back and forth, substantially as constructed and described.
Fourth. The fixed and revolving discs, in combination with a gear and worm for
advancing or withdrawing the fixed disc or bed-plate in its action with the revolving
disc, constructed as described.
Fifth. The combination of the circular fixed and revolving discs secured as described
with the worm gear and conical shaped engine, constructed as described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.