IMPROVEMENT IN THE TREATMENT OF FIBROUS MATERIALS SUITABLE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER STOCK AND PAPER
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Routledge of Ford Works Sunderland in the
County of Durham Paper Manufacturer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENT
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Routledge at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th December 1882.
THOMAS ROUTLEDGE of Ford Works, Sunderland in the County of Durham
Paper Manufacturer "IMPROVEMENT IN THE TREATMENT OF FIBROUS MATERIALS
SUITABLE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER STOCK AND PAPER
33
In two previous Patents' granted to me viz:-N° 2470 September 13th 1870.
and No 2431 15th August 1872 I described a system of both boiling and sub-
sequent washing in a Battery or séries of Vessels connected together so that from
time to time by a process of continuous circulation the Leys and subsequent
washing waters could be forced by Hydrostatic pressure successively in regular
sequence from vessel to vessel whenever a spent Ley or Wash water was discharged
until the fibrous material under treatment was sufficiently prepared and purified
this being then taken out of the Process and a fresh charge of material introduced.
I have since found that this system is so far defective that during the period
which elapses while making the change throughout the Vessels forming the Battery
or Series the contents of the vessels become cooled down and thus in some degree
the Leys and washing waters lose their efficiency and also become more or less
mixed and commingled.
According to my present Invention a very great improvement as well as
economy is effected by making such consecutive change of Liquors in one vessel
only at a time and this I effect by pumping when operating with steam at Low
pressure or by the pressure of the steam itself when using high pressure that is to
say when it is desired (in its regular turn) to discharge either a spent Ley or a
wash water I effect this either by pumping or by pressure of Steam thus completely

page_text: and entirely abstracting all the Liquid contents (and soluble compounds combined
therewith) from one vessel either discharging the same out of the Process or con-
ducting such Liquor to the next succeeding or another vessel of the series or
Battery either on to material therein which has been previously partially acted
upon or on to a fresh charge of Material and so on from vessel to vessel in regular
sequence progressively by which means the soluble and coloring compounds are
carried forward as and when formed or eliminated gradually purifying the fibre
under treatment finishing with a purer and stronger Ley followed by Hot washing
waters leaving almost pure Cellulose and thereby reducing the amount of Bleaching
Agency that may be required for the concluding paper pulp.
As it is desirable however that the circulation of the Alkaline Leys be main-
tained during the process of Boiling I prefer employing the well known Bowking
or Vomiting system and introduce.steam for Boiling and circulation either low or
high pressure according to the nature of the material to be treated under the
Vomiting or circulating pipe but circulation of the leys may be induced in any
other convenient manner; the vessels in which the operation is conducted may be
made to rotate such motion being arrested when a change of ley or washing water
is made as described.
When treating fibrous substances to convert them into "Stock" or to a fibrous
condition in order to reduce their Bulk and the cost of carriage and freight the
system of boiling and washing I have described possesses great advantages as it
enables the process to be arrested at any convenient stage, when the fibrous
substance has been purified and partially freed from its soluble compounds,
reducing it to such a condition that it may, by suitable mechanical means such as
Willowing be converted or reduced to a convenient condition for subsequent drying
and Baling up leaving the finishing processes of manufacturing such Stock into
pulp or paper to be effected by the purchasing paper Maker; this being very
desirable when treating fibrous substances, in a Foreign country such as India
where chemicals are costly and skilled labour difficult to obtain,
According to a further part of my Invention when treating a certain class of
plants for the production of stock such as season shoots of the Bamboo, stems of
the Musacea Aloe leaves Phormium and such like plants when in their succulent
condition in order not only to open out and separate their fibres but to eliminate
as far as possible their moisture and sappy constituents-these I cut transversely
by any suitable machine into from 3 to 6 inch lengths and then pass them through
a Willow or Devil by which means I burst open their vascular or intercellular
structure when by Pressure Hydraulic or otherwise the moisture and sappy con-
stituents are readily eliminated far more efficiently than by crushing the stems or
leaves of such plants in the direction of their length. When reduced to this coarse
fibrous condition they can at once be submitted to the Boiling process or may be
readily dried and reduced by press packing to a compact form for storage or
Carriage.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Routledge in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th June 1883.
THOMAS ROUTLEDGE of Ford Works, Sunderland in the County of Durham
Paper Manufacturer "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF FIBROUS MATERIALS
SUITABLE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF. PAPER STOCK AND PAPER'
In the Specifications of two Letters Patent granted to me namely N° 2470 dated
the 13th September A.D. 1870 and N° 2431 dated the 15th August A.D. 1872 I
described a system of both Boiling and subsequent washing in a Battery or series
of vessels connected together so that from time to time by a process of continuous
circulation the Leys and subsequent washing waters could be forced by Hydro-
static pressure successively in regular sequence from vessel to vessel whenever a
spent Ley or wash water was discharged until the Fibrous material under
treatment was sufficiently prepared and purified this being then taken out of the
Process and a fresh charge of material introduced.
I have since found that this system is so far defective that 'during the period
which elapses while making the change throughout the vessels forming the
Battery or series the contents of the vessels become cooled down and thus in some
degree the Leys and washing waters lose their efficiency and also become more or
less commingled and mixed.
According to my present Invention a very great improvement as well as
economy is effected by making such consecutive change of Liquors in one vessel
only at a time and this I effect by Pumping (in lieu of Hydrostatic pressure) when
operating with steam at low or atmospheric pressure, or by the pressure of the
steam itself when using High pressure that is to say when it is desired (in its
regular turn) to discharge either a spent ley or a wash water I effect this either by
Pumping or by pressure of steam thus completely and entirely abstracting all the
liquid contents (and soluble compounds combined therewith) from one vessel either
discharging the same out of the process or conducting such liquor to the next
succeeding or another vessel of the battery or series either on to the material.
therein which has been previously partially acted upon or on to a fresh charge of
material and so on from vessel to vessel in regular sequence progressively; by
which means the soluble and coloring matters or compounds are carried forward
as and when formed or eliminated gradually cleansing and purifying the Fibre
under treatment finishing with purer and stronger Ley followed by hot washing
waters and a finishing cooling water if necessary reducing the ultimate cellulose or
cellular Tissue to the pitch of purity desired thereby reducing the amount of
Bleaching agency that may be required for the concluding Paper Pulp or Stock.
I do not confine myself to any distinct method of Boiling and employ vessels of
any convenient form heated by steam of either Low or High pressure or by blind
pipes with steam or heated water circulating therein or by the direct action of Fire
or Gas.
As it is desirable however that circulation of the Leys should be maintained
during the actual process of Boiling I prefer employing the well known Bowking
or Vomiting system introducing steam for boiling and circulation, either high or
low, pressure steam, according to the nature of the material being treated under the
vomiting or circulating pipe, but circulation of the Leys may be induced in any
other convenient manner, or the vessels in which the operation is conducted may

page_text: be made to rotate such motion being arrested when a change of either Ley or
washing water is made as described.
It is well understood in the Paper Trade that Rags Esparto, Straw, indeed the
majority of endogenous Fibrous Plants or the crude Fibres derived therefrom of
annual or a short period of growth may be boiled in weak Leys and by the
Agency of Exhaust or low pressure steam that is to say-at atmospheric pressure
but Exogenous Fibrous Plants such as Wood, Barks or Basts of Trees and some
endogenous Fibres sucli as Bamboo especially when matured by age require much
more energetic treatment as the Silicious, Amylaceous, Glutenous, Resinous, coloring
and other compounds can only be rendered soluble and effectually abstracted and
the true Fibre or cellulose reduced to a condition suitable for. Paper Making by
being boiled with stronger Leys and at a more elevated temperature, this being
effected by the employment of steam at a high pressure such. Leys and such pressure
being adjusted according to the character of the material treated I have found
however that by the system I have described and claim that both the strength of
the Leys and the pressure of Steam can be reduced.
When treating Fibrous substances to convert them into Stock or to a fibrous or
Tow like condition in order to reduce their bulk and the cost of Carriage and
Freight the system of Boiling and washing I have described possesses great
advantages as it enables the process to be arrested at any convenient stage when
the Fibrous substance has been purified and partially freed from its soluble
compounds so that it may by Mechanical means such as Willowing be converted or
reduced to a convenient condition for subsequent drying and Baling up, leaving
the finishing processes of manufacturing such stock into pulp. or paper to be
effected by the purchasing paper maker.
According to a further part of my Invention when treating or preparing for the
production of Stock a certain class of Fibrous Plants such as season shoots of
Bamboo, the stems of the Musaceæ, Leaves of Aloes, Sansieveria, Phormium and
such like plants in their succulent condition when they contain a large percentage
of watery sap I cut them transversely by any suitable machine into 3 to 6 inch
lengths then pass them through a Willow by which means I burst open their
intercellular or vascular structure when by Hydraulic pressure, passing through
rollers, or otherwise, the moisture and sappy matters are eliminated far more
efficiently than by crushing the stems or leaves of such plants in the direction of
their length. In some cases boiling or steeping may be employed with advantage
previous to pressing. After pressing they can be again willowed to open the
Fibres out for drying, and by press packing reduced to a compact form for storage
or carriage or at once submitted to the Boiling process where convenient or
desirable.
When treating another class of Fibrous products namely Barks or Basts either
green as stripped or dried, in a similar manner I cut them transversely into
convenient lengths from 3 to 6 inches, steep or boil them in plain water or blow
steam through them in a suitable vessel thereby abstracting coloring or other
compounds which may be rendered available as biproducts, and at the same time
softening the fibres so that after pressing, or rolling combined when desirable,
with stamping or rubbing they can be willowed or teased out either for Drying and
Baling up, or submitted at once to the Boiling process as before described.
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 hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is:-
First In the treatment of fibrous materials for the manufacture of paper stock
pulp or other paper material conducting the process in the boiling and washing
vessels or battery as herein before described.
Second-Preparing certain classes of fibrous plants (as hereinbefore stated for

page_text: use in making paper or paper stock or other paper material by cutting them
transversely into short lengths and then passing them through a willow
substantially as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof I the said Thomas Routledge have to this my Specification
set my hand and seal this fifteenth day of June One thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.
THOS. ROUTLEDGE (L.S.)