IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SURFACE FINISHING OF PAPER, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter M Laurin, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
SURFACE FINISHING OF PAPER, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREFOR
"
Sealed the 12th January 1877, and dated the 13th July 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter McLaurin at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th July 1870.
PETER MCLAURIN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Manu-
facturer. « IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SURFACE FINISHING OF PAPER, AND IN THE
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
This Invention has reference to the giving of a higher or superior surface finish
or polish to web paper than hitherto, by the friction of revolving brushes, and by
the friction or burnishing action of polished rollers, and improvements connected
therewith.
And the nature and novelty of the Invention consist, first, as regards giving the
finish by revolving cylindrical brushes which are preferred to be much larger in
diameter than heretofore, the paper is fed in over a series of small cylindrical
smooth rollers ranged concentrically at some little distance asunder in adjustable
bush bearings round, and in slight contact with the periphery of the large fast
revolving cylindrical brush, and with intermediate guide rollers ranged similarly
some little distance off or out from the surface of the said brush, so that the paper
is fed in between the brush and each of the friction or contact rollers, and round
the back or outside of each guide roller alternately, right round the brush and
whole series of rollers so ranged, thus on the cylindrical brush being driven at a
high velocity, and the paper preferably fed in and out slowly in the same direction
that the brush revolves, it gets a fresh polish in passing over each of the small
friction or contact rollers, the guide rollers in keeping the paper off the surface of
the brush between each contact roller holds it tight over these, thus saving the
paper from undue strain or fatigue between the bearing rollers, upon which in
consequence it gets a sharper or more decided frictional action of the brush on the
surface of each sinall friction roller, thus giving a higher polish than has hitherto
been obtained with the ordinary band holding or friction surfaces.
Price Gd1

page_text: Second. As regards the giving of the surface polish to paper by the friction of
roller surfaces, the improvements consist in using small fast revolving cylindrical
burnishing rollers, preferably of steel chilled or casehardened iron, glass, or other
suitable hard material, with smooth rounded sides and grooves or flutes formed
parallel to the axis, or by preference spirally, the paper being fed over a smooth
roller revolving at a slow speed, while the polishing grooved roller would revolve
at a very high speed preferably in the same direction and in contact with the
surface of the paper passing over the smooth roller so as to give great burnishing
or polishing effect, each rounded rib between the flutes (of the straight or spiral
round edged corrugated roller) giving a fresh burnishing action in succession much
superior to that produced by the small plain polishing rollers heretofore used, and
with much less pressure on the paper and rollers and less expenditure of power.
The smooth feeding roller over which the paper is passed while being so polished or
burnished may be made of iron or other inetal or hard homogeneous wood or pre-
parations of india-rubber or other substances, such as vulcanite or compressed
pasteboard, or paper such as used for calendar rollers but preferably of small
diameter. The paper after being so far polished by passing round the large
burshing roller, and its small pressing and guide rollers under the first improve-
ment can be finally led through one, two, or more pairs of the said bering or
feeding and corrugated burnishing rollers to give the degree of friction polish desired,
these rollers being carried in suitable setting up or pressure regulating brushes at the
delivery end of this new or improved web paper surface finishing or polishing
machine, when both improvements are to be combined and used in the same
machine, or otherwise, the brushing mechanism and the corrugated burnishing
mechanism may be fitted up as different machines or at such a distance from each
other in the same machine as that the web paper (plain or coloured, and prepared
or coated on the surface with chalks, wax, or other substance, all otherwise as here-
tofore) may be passed through either of these improved arrangements of mechanism
separately when desired, and thence to any ordinary arrangement of revolving or
reciprocating cutting mechanism in use attached thereto, or fitted as a separate
machine to cut the paper into the sizes of sheets required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Peter McLaurin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th January
1877.
PETER MCLAURIN, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Manu-
facturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SURFACE FINISHING OF PAPER, AND IN THE
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
My said Invention has reference to the giving of a higher or superior surface or
polish to web paper than hitherto by the friction of revolving brushes, and by the
friction or burnishing action of polished rollers, and improvements connected there-
with.
And in order that the nature, novelty, and mode of performing my said Inven-
tion may be properly understood, I shall now proceed to describe the several
Figures on the Sheet of Drawings which I have hereunto appended for the purpose
of showing the best modes and means I am at present aware of for putting the
Invention into effect or practice, the same reference letters and numerals indicating
the same or like parts in all the Figures where shown.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 are respectively a sectional elevation, a plan, and a transverse
elevation partly in section taken on the line 1---1 in Figure 1, all of a web paper
polishing and glazing or burnishing machine_constructed in accordance with and
illustrative of one modification of my said Invention, and embodying both the
brush polishing and ribbed rollers forming the essentials of my said Invention.

page_text: The
Referring to these Figures, the general construction of the machine consists of
two main cast-iron side frames 1, 1, made of an open ring form with cross arms
and broad spread out standards supporting feet, and long flange and feather sole
between them, all bolted together by transverse stays 2, and having deep re-
cesses 1, 11, in the upper arms fitted with bearing bushes and tightening covers
and screws 11 of the shaft of the large drum polishing brush A; and with short
recesses and covers round the outside of the ring part of the frames 1, 1, for carry-
ing the bearing bushes 21 of seven (or it might be fewer or more) friction bearing
or holding on small smooth rollers B set and held by the shifting and retaining
screws 2 of their bushes 21 in such a position against the brush A that it would
polish the paper passing over the inner surface of the rollers B. For holding the
paper tightly on these rollers B while being so polished, and at the same time
keeping the paper off the brush A. between them, a second set of intermediate guide
rollers C are carried in bearings with covers on the outer edge of the ring frames 1,
the paper undulating over the inner surface of the rollers B and the outer surface of
the roliers C alternately right round the whole of the ring frame and circular
brush A from the roller B¹, where it enters to the roller B¹¹, where it is drawn off*
by the drawing and burnishing rollers a, b, c, carried in bush bearings 21 in the
horizontal and vertical slotted parts 1111 at the upper front part of the side
frames 1, 1, fitted with covers and adjusting and retaining screws 211 in the
bushes 21, all so that these rollers B, C, and a, b, c, can be quickly and easily re-
moved and inserted at pleasure; as also the brush drum A without requiring to
move the main frames 1, 1, of the machine secured to a proper foundation.
rolls of web paper Z3, to be polished in this machine as they come from the mill,
or coloured when that is required, are cach mounted on a spindle 3 placed to revolve
loosely in the carrying brackets 31 secured in a convenient position in front of the
machine from which the paper Z is led forward under and round the guide roller 4
carried in bearing blocks 4' secured to the front of the cast-iron side frames 5, 5,
bolted together by the cross bars 51 and to the sides and front of the main side
frames 1, 1, all so as to carry the other leading in and guide drum 6 and rollers 7,
8, 9, to revolve loosely in their bearing brackets 6¹, 71, 81, 91, secured to the side
frames 5, 5, the paper Z passing round these rollers, as indicated by the strong
black line and arrows im the Figures. The paper Z passes over the rollers 8 and 9
in a horizontal plane at Z-Z, supported by the endless traversing band z mounted
on these rollers 8, 9, before reaching the new brushing and finishing mechanism;
or instead of the band a stationary platform may be used with springs under it,
so as to be served on the upper surface to be polished with French chalk or other
polishing powder in the same manner as in many other surface paper finishing
machines. The powder is dusted on the paper from the ordinary hollow perforated
roller or can 10 revolving in the bearing brackets 101, also secured to the side
frames 5, 5, and driven at a slow speed by the band 11 from the horizontal
shaft 12, which by the bevel gearing 13 actuates the vertical shaft 14 of the rub-
bing arms or disc 15 on its lower end, all carried by bearing blocks 121, 131, on
the bow frame 16 secured to the side frames 5, 5, over and across the paper Z at
the horizontal part Z³, so that the revolving arms or disc 15, covered with flannel
or other soft material on its under surface rub the chalk on to the surface of the
paper and partially polish it, all so far in the usual manner preparatory to the
finishing treatment in the new or improved brush polishing and roller burnishing
or finishing mechanism.
The new large brushing druin A is actuated at a very high surface speed (as from
two thousand to four thousand feet per minute) by the pulley A¹, keyed on one end
of its shaft close to one of the side frames 1, by the belt A", from any adjacent prime
moving shaft; and a slow motion is taken from it by the screw 17 on the other end
of its shaft, gearing into the screw wheel 171 on the lower end of the angled shaft 18
carried in bearing brackets 18' at its lower and upper end, secured to the frames
1 and 16 respectively; the shaft 18 by the bevel wheels 19 at its upper end
actuating the shaft 12 of the preparatory surface chalking or rubbing arms or disc 15

page_text: To support the rubbing action of the arms or disc 15, resting and revolving on the
top of the paper Z at Z¹, -- Z¹, the broad endless traversing web, of leather or
vulcanized india-rubber fabric, or of other strong woven or felted fabric is mounted
below these over the two rollers 8 and 9 which revolve or traverse loose at the
same rate as and by the frictional action of the paper Z resting or pressed down on
the band. The paper Z is uncoiled from the roll 32 and drawn through this machine
by the high speed frictional action of the drum brush A, polishing it on and while
passing over the whole set of rollers B, at the same time, slowly and progressively,
as indicated by the arrows at the side of the paper and circumference of the drum
brush and rollers, until it reaches the last of the guide rollers C (at C¹) which it
passes over and under, and round the front and top of the smooth surface drawing
and bearing roller a, a¹.
As shown in the Drawing the roller a is made to revolve loose in its bearing
bushes a, which may be set so as to gripe the paper on the surface of the roller C
when desired, and it is formed preferably with a thick circumferential or cylindrical
coating of vulcanized india-rubber, vulcanite, or ebonite a¹ with a very regular or
true and smooth elastic surface, on which it gets its final finish or burnished glaze by
the pressure and friction of the swiftly revolving, highly polished, round-threaded,
or spirally-ridged and grooved cylindrical rollers b and c. The roller b is actuated
by the belt d (from a pulley on the prime moving shaft driving the drum brush)
passed round the pulley d keyed on its spindle; and is formed with a coarse
pitch of four threads in the circle, and presses and spirally burnishes the paper Z on
the front surface of the roller a; while the roller c (which is shown of a very fine
pitch of one or two threads only) is mounted to act similarly on the paper above the
roller a, actuated from the roller by the band c and pulleys e¹ on their spindles.
This frictional action of the rollers b, c, thus gripes the paper between them and
the roller a, so as to pull and deliver the paper Z quite over the top and at the
back Z of the machine, polished and burnished by the said first and second
improvements and arrangement of mechanism forming the substance of my
Invention; delivering the paper with a very high surface finish on one side, all
ready for any further treatment in the web, or for being cut into sheets as in the
present paper polishing and finishing machines. The drum 6, carried in journal
bearings in the brackets 6' at the front of the machine, is shown as made hollow of
sheet metal for the thorough drying or heating of the paper when that is desired,
while passing round it to the machine by a jet or current of steam or hot air passed
into it through one end of its hollow shaft; when steam is used the condensed
water being drawn off at the other end. Or otherwise, the space below and between
the frames 1, 1, and 5, 5, might be closed, and heated, air blown, or conducted
thereto, so as to heat the paper while passing over the blanket z, or over the
rollers band c.
When more tension is required on the paper for tightening it than the weight of
the roll Z3 working on its bearings would give, a pacing lever or weight might be
used acting on its spindle or a pulley on it. Athough the paper Z has been shown
and described as drawn through the machine by the frictional action of the polishing
drum A, and burnishing rollers b and c, it will be understood that it might be
drawn in by a slow positive motion given to any of the loose revolving rollers B, C,
or a, or the rollers 4, 6, 7, 8, or 9, by a belt from the prime moving shaft, or the
slow moving shaft 12.
The nature and novelty of the Invention consist all as follows:-First, as regards
giving the finishing polish to the surface of web paper by revolving cylindrical
brushes, this is effected by the use of one such cylindrical brush A of much larger
diameter than heretofore; the paper Z to be polished being fed over a series of
small cylindrical smooth rollers B, ranged concentrically at some little distance
asunder in adjustable bush bearings 21, 211, round and in slight contact with the
periphery of the large fast revolving cylindrical brush A, and with intermediate
guide rollers C, ranged similarly some little distance off, or out, from the surface of
the said brush A. The paper is fed or drawn in in an undulating manner, alter-

page_text: nately over the inner side or surface of the rollers B, and outer surface of the
rollers C, that is, between the brush A and each of the friction or contact rollers B,
and over or round the back or outside of each guide roller C, alternately right round
the circumference of the large brush A and whole series of rollers B, C, from where
it is fed in to where it is drawn off at B and B respectively. Thus, on the cylin-
drical brush A being driven at a high velocity, and the paper fed in and out at a
very inuch slower rate, preferably in the same direction in which the brush revolves
(so that its action tends to draw the paper through the machine) it gets a fresh
polish in passing over each of the small friction or contact rollers B, the guide
rollers C keeping the paper off the surface of the brush A between each contact
roller B and holds it tight over the latter while being so polished by the brush A,
thus saving the paper from undue strain or fatigue between the bearing rollers B,
upon which, in consequênce, the brush A gets a sharper or more decided frictional
action on the surface of the paper while passing over each small roller B in succession ;
which gives a higher polish to the paper than has hitherto been obtained by the
ordinary mode of passing it under the brushes or endless traversing friction holding
webs or surfaces. The brushes A may be constructed substantially as they have
been hitherto for the said polishing of paper on endless webs, except that they are
made larger in diameter to give sufficient room round its circumference for the
series of small rollers B, B, and guide rollers C, C, and although the paper to be
polished has been shown and described as passing over these rollers B and C, it is
to be understood that when these rollers are driven they might have an endless
band passed over them, and returning guide rollers outside the others, below the
paper when desired, for assisting in feeding and supporting it through the machine
while being polished as for very thin paper.
The nature and novelty of the second part or improvements of the Invention
consist in giving the higher glaze or surface polish to paper, either at once or after
it has been polished by the brushing action of the drum A under the said first
improvements, by the burnishing frictional action of swiftly revolving spirally
ridged and grooved rollers and surfaces as b, c, preferably parallel or cylindrical
and of small diameter, with the frictional burnishing ridges 6,1 c¹, rounded (as seen
particularly in Figures 2 and 3) so as to give great frictional, burnishing, or
polishing effect superior to that produced by the small plain polishing rollers hereto-
fore used, and with much less pressure on the paper and rollers and less expenditure
of power. The spirally ridged rollers b, c, are preferably made of chilled or case-
hardened iron or of glass or other such suitable hard material, the spiral ridges
giving a fresh burnishing or polishing action in succession on the paper as it is fed
or passed over the india-rubber or smooth even parallel surface of a roller as a, a¹,
the rollers borc being furnished with pressing screws 21 or other equivalent to
regulate the pressure of their burnishing action on the paper. The rollers B, C,
are found to work well at a surface speed of from 800 to 1,200 feet per minute,
with the feed roller a and paper passing in the same direction at a speed of from
50 to 70 feet per minute, the spiral action of the first roller tending to draw the
paper to one side may be counteracted by making a reverse spiral on the second
roller, and although the small roller a has been described as preferably made of
india-rubber or vulcanite it might be made of metal, or of metal with an outer
surface of hard or homogeneous wood, or of compound pasteboard such as that of
which calender rollers are made, in any case preferably of small diameter as
indicated in Figure 1.
When both improvements are to be combined and used in the same machine, as
shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the paper Z after being so far polished by passing
round the large brushing drum A, and its small pressing and guide rollers B, C,
under the first improvement, can be finally led through one, two, or more pairs of
the said bearing or feeding rollers a and corrugated burnishing rollers b, c, to give
the degree of frictional polish desired, these rollers being carried in suitable setting
up or pressure regulating bushes at the delivery end or part of this new or improved
web paper surface finishing or polishing machine.

page_text: It is to be understood, however, that the brushing mechanism under the first
improvements, and the spiral corrugated burnishing rollers and mechanism forming
the second improvement of the Invention, might be fitted up as different machines,
or at such a distance from each other in the same machine as that the web paper
(plain or coloured and prepared or coated on the surface with chalk, wax, or other
substance, or otherwise as heretofore) may be passed through either of these
improved arrangements of mechanism separately when desired, and thence to any
ordinary arrangement of revolving or reciprocating cutting mechanism heretofore
in use, attached thereto or fitted as a separate machine to cut the paper into the
sizes of sheets required.
Although these improvements and the machine have been shown and described
more particularly for the polishing of paper in the web, it will be understood that
they might be adapted and used for the polishing of paper in sheets, especially
the second part or improvements of the Invention.
I desire it to be understood that I make no claim to the making of the corrugations
(or hollows and burnishing ridges) on the circumference of the small polishing
roller longitudinally parallel to its axis, although this is mentioned in my Provisional
Specification, and I now desire to form them only helically or spirally along the
surface of the roller with one or more parallel threads.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated, but what I consider novel and original and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is―
First. The general construction or arrangement and use of mechanism or machines
for the surface finishing or polishing and burnishing of paper, all substantially in
the new or improved manner herein described in reference to and shewn in the
accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Second. The general construction or arrangement of small bearing rollers (as B)
round a large revolving brush (as A) for the surface finishing or polishing of paper
passed between them, substantially as herein described in reference to and shewn
in the accompanying Drawings, under the first part or improvements of this
Invention or any mere modification thereof.
Third. The construction and use of one or more small revolving helically or
spirally ridged or corrugated rollers (as band e) working and pressing on the
paper passed between it or them, and a small plain surface roller (as a) for polishing
or burnishing the surface of paper, substantially as herein described in reference
to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, under the second part or improve-
ments of this Invention, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter McLaurin, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Tenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
.Witness,
W. R. M. THOMSON,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
PETER MOLAURIN. (L..s.)