IMPROVEMENTS IN BOILING, BLEACHING, WASHING, OR CLEANSING FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexandor Macarthur, of the Dalsholm Paper
Works, in the County of Dumbarton, North Britain, Paper Maker, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOILING, BLEACHING, WASHING, OR
CLEANSING FIBROUS MATERIALS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Macarthur at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on tho
10th December 1856.
I, ALEXANDER MACARTHUR, of the Dalsliolm Paper Works, in the County
of Dumbarton, North Britain, Paper Maker, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOILING, BLEACHING, WASHING, OB
CLEANSING FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improved apparatus for boiling, bleaching, washing,
or cleansing fibrous materials, which, whilst it is applicable in various manu-
factures, is more particularly designed. for the treatment of paper making
materials of all kinds, and is more efficient and economical in use than the
apparatus ordinarily adopted for the same purpose. The apparatus.consists
of a chambered vessel of any convenient size or form arranged to rotate upon
a horizontal axis within a closed enveloping chamber or vessel which is filled
up to a certain level with hot water or other liquid. The rotating vessel is by
preference cylindrical, and is divided into four or any other convenient or

page_text: suitable number of chambers by partitions arranged radially or in any other
suitable manner, the materials to be operated upon being introduced into the
chambers by doors in the vertical sides or ends, or in the circumferential
portion of the rotating vessel. The partitions are composed in each case of
two plates or boards arranged slightly apart, so as to leave a space between
them, and one plate or board of such partition is perforated, the other plate
or board remaining entire, so that each chamber communicates by the per-
forations with the partition space on one side of it. The partition spaces all
open into the outer vessel at the circumference of tho rotating rotating vessel,
which last is made to rotate according to one plan in such a direction that the
perforated side of each chamber is always downwards on the descending side.
As the inner vessel rotates, each chamber on descending below the level
of the liquid contained in the outer vessel receives a supply of this liquid
through the perforations in its partition; this supply of liquid mixes with the
materials, and the whole is carried round until the chamber again reaches
the descending side, when the materials fall over as in an ordinary dash wheel,
and the liquid finds its way out again through the perforated partition, which
is then undermost, and carries with it the loose particles of sand or dirt.
With some classes of material it is found better to make the vessel rotate in
the direction opposite to that described, that is to say, so that the liquid may run
out of the chamber on the ascending side, in which case less liquid is carried
round, and the fall on the descending side is rendered less severe upon the
materials. The rotation of the vessel thus causes an alternate rush of the
liquid into and out of each chamber, which has a very efficient washing and
cleansing effect, the loose sand or dirt issuing at the circumferential openings
of the partition cases, and falling to the bottom of the outer vessel.
The outer vessel may be of any convenient form, and may or may not have
a grating or perforated false bottom, through which the sediment falls to a
space beneath. A pipe or duct is provided for drawing off the liquid and
sediment from the very bottom of the outer vessel, and this pipe or duct is
fitted with a branch, which rises to the level at which it is wished to keep the
liquid inside during working, so that the other discharge being closed and
the branch opened, any excess of liquid passes off without causing injurious
suction inside the vessel. The outer vessel is fitted with suitable appliances
for the introduction of water, bleaching agents, and steam, and is provided
with arrangements for providing chlorine or other gaseous bleaching agents,
such application being by preference made in the closed vessel, the materials
to be operated upon being made to rotate inside.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Macarthur in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 10th June 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MACARTHUR, of the Dalsholm Paper Works, in the County of Dumbarton,
North Britain, Paper Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Ier
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alexander Macarthur, Iler special licence that I, the said Alexander
Macarthur, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Alexander Macarthur, 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 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 BOILING, BLEACHING, WASHING, OR CLEANSING FIBROUS MATERIALS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander Macarthur,
my executors or adıministrators, 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 Alexander Macarthur, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to improved apparatus for boiling, bleaching.
washing, or cleansing fibrous materials, which, whilst it is applicable in various
manufactures, is more particularly designed for the treatment of paper making
materials of all kinds, and is more efficient and economical in use than the
apparatus ordinarly adopted for the same purpose.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I have
hereunto appended a Sheet of explanatory Drawings, to which I shall refer
in the following particular description of my improved apparatus.

page_text: Figure 1 on the said Sheet of Drawings is a front elevation of the
apparatus, shewing a portion of the external casing in vertical section;
Figure 2 is a side elevation with the external casing in vertical section; and
Figure 3 is a vertical section of the internal revolving cylinder. The same
letters of reference mark the same parts in all the Figures.
The improved apparatus consists of a chambered vessel A of any convenient
size or form arranged to rotate within a closed enveloping chamber or vessel C
upon a horizontal shaft B driven in any convenient manner. The rotating
vessel A, which is represented as built up of iron frames and plates bolted
together, is by preference cylindrical in form, and is divided internally into
four or any other convenient or suitable number of chambers by partitions D
arranged radially or in any other suitable manner, the materials to be operated
upon being introduced into tho chambers by doors E in the vertical sides or
ends or in the circumferential portion of the vessel. The partitions D are
composed in each case of two plates or boards arranged slightly apart, so as
to leave a space F between them, and one plate or board D of each partition
is perforated, the other plate or board remaining entire, so that each chamber
communicates by the perforations with the partition space F on one side of it.
The partition spaces F all open into the outer vessel or case C at the cir-
cumference of the rotating vessel A, which last, according to the plan
preferred when paper making material is being operated upon, is made to
rotate in the direction indicated by the arrows in the Drawings, which
direction, it will be observed, is such that the perforated side of each chamber
is always downwards on the ascending side. The outer vessel or case C is
supplied up to the level G or thereabouts with hot water or other liquid that
may be used in the process, and as the inner vessel A rotates, each chamber
receives a quantity of this water or liquid through the partition space F, with
which it is in communication, by the perforations on the outer end of this
partition space descending below the level G; this supply of water or liqui
mixes with the materials deposited in the chamber to be operated upon, and
again leaves or partially leaves them and issues out of the chamber, when
the latter ascends above the level G. The materials are carried round in the
chambers by the rotation of the vessel A, and fall over on the descending side,
as in the ordinary dash wheel. The severity of the dashing action may be
increased by causing the vessel A to rotate in the opposite direction to that
indicated by the arrows in the Drawing. When the vessel rotates with tho
perforated partition plate D downwards on the ascending side, the liquid, or
the greater portion of it, runs out as the chamber rises above the level G;
but if the perforated partition plate of each chamber is uppermost on the

page_text: ascending side the liquid is carried round and over, and falls with the-
materials on the descending side, considerably increasing the severity of
the fall. The rotation of the vessel A causes a rush of the liquid alternately
into and out of each chamber, which has a very efficient washing and clean-
sing effect, the loose sand or dirt issuing at the circumferential openings of the
partition spaces F and falling to the bottom of the case C. This outer vessel
or case C, which is represented as built up of cast-iron plates bolted together,
may be of any convenient form. A pipe or duct H is fitted to the very
bottom of the case C to draw off the liquid and sediment therefrom, and this
pipe His fitted with a branch I, which rises to the level G at which it is
wished to keep the liquid in the case C, but allows any surplus water to flow
away. The pipe H is also fitted with a stop-cock J, which is closed except
when the contents of the case C are to be drawn off below the level G, and
when this stop-cock J is closed, a stop-cock K on the pipe I being open, any
excess of liquid above the level G passes off by this pipe I being drawn from
the very bottom of the case C instead of from the surface of the liquid. A
pipe L fitted with a stop-cock is fitted to the case C for the introduction of
steam therein. This pipe projects inside the case C below the rotating
vessel A and below the level 'G, and its internally projecting portion is per
forated to cause the steam to issue in numerous small jets. At the opposite-
side of the case C another pipe M is fitted to it for the introduction of water
or other liquid used in bleaching or cleansing operations: This pipe M is
fitted with a stop-cock and also with a funnel N, into which the water. or
liquid is poured from a pipe or other detail. At a higher level the case C is
fitted with a stop-cock and pipe O, provided for the introduction of chlorine or
other gaseous matter that may be used in the vessel. A small trial cock P
is likewise fitted to the case C to ascertain the condition of the interior, and
a safety valve Q is provided to prevent the retention inside of steam of too
high a pressure. When steam of a pressure bigher than that of the atmo-
sphere is used inside the case C, the stop-cocks J; K, O, P, and that of the
pipe M, are of course closed.
In the manufacture of paper it has hitherto been the ordinary custom to
carry on the several operations of boiling, washing, and bleaching in different
vessels or apparatus, whereas my improved apparatus provides for all these
various processes in a single vessel, the materials operated upon passing through
one process after the other in succession without being removed between
each; increased convenience, efficiency, and economy being thereby obtained.
The improved apparatus is represented as constructed so that it can be
closed air-tight or nearly so, and a vacuum may be produced inside by very

page_text: simple means, namely, by filling it with steam and allowing it to condense if
found useful or advantageous in any of the processes.
I may here remark that a rotating vessel constructed like the vessel A may
be employed like an ordinary dash wheel, that is to say, without being enclosed
in an outer vessel or case, but nevertheless working in a trough corresponding
to the lower portion of the case C, so that it may revolve in water maintained
at the level G or thereabouts.
My present Invention further comprehends the system or mode of bleaching,
paper making, and other fibrous materials by subjecting them to the action of
chlorine gas in a closed chamber, such as the case C, represented on the Sheet
of Drawings hereunto attached, being kept in motion during such treatment
by a rotating vessel, such as the vessel A, in which they are deposited, and
which is accessible to the gas. Other gaseous matters may be applied in a
similar way if found suitable either alone or in combination with chlorine gas.
When employing gaseous matters a vacuum may be produced inside the
apparatus, in the manner herein-before described, prior to the introduction of
the gaseous matters, so that they may, if desirable, be applied unmixed with
air.
Having now particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be carried into effect, I must remark, in conclusion,
that I do not confine or restrict myself to the precise arrangements or details
which I have had occasion to describe or refer to, as the essential elements of
my Invention may be embodied under various forms and modifications, nor do
I claim to have invented the whole of such arrangements and details taken
separately; but 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 application and use for boiling, bleaching, washing, or cleansing
fibrous materials of a rotating vessel formed with chambers communicating
each on one side with intermediate spaces open at their outer ends, and
contrived to admit water or liquid to each chamber in succession, and allow it
to issue thence as the vessel rotates with its lower part immersed in the water
or liquid, as herein-before described.
Second, the application and use for boiling, bleaching, washing, or cleans-
ing fibrous materials of a rotating chamber constructed in the manner herein-
before described, and working either in an open trough or completely enclosed
in an external vessel or case fitted with contrivances for supplying liquids,
steam, or gaseous matters, as herein-before described.
Third, the system or mode of constructing a single apparatus for the treat-

page_text: ment of fibrous materials, so that the several operations of boiling, washing,
and bleaching can in succession be carried on in it, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the system or mode of bleaching fibrous materials by the application
to them of gaseous matters, such as chlorine alone or combined with other
gases in a closed vessel or case, the materials being carried in an inner
rotating vessel in chambers accessible to the gaseous matters, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Macarthur, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
ALEX MACARTHUR. (L.S.)