IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STEEPING OR TREATING PAPER PULP AND OTHER MATTERS SUBJECTED TO THE ACTION OF ALKALIES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STEEPING OR TREATING PAPER PULP AND
OTHER MATTERS SUBJECTED TO THE ACTION OF ALKALIES."A communication.
from abroad by Messieurs Neyret, Orioli, and Fredet, Manufacturers of
Paper Pulp, all of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
October. 1865.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STEEPING OF TREATING PAPER PULP AND
OTHER MATTERS SUBJECTED TO THE ACTION OF ALKALIES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improved apparatus for steeping paper pulp, rags,
or it may be fabrics. The apparatus is especially applicable for treating pulp
and rags by means of ammonia, as when once the steeping operation is ter-
minated I may by distillation collect the gaseous ammonia, which will serve
[Price 8d.]

page_text: for a new operation. The apparatus consists of a closed case of cylindrical
or other form, in which are placed the products to be treated and the barium.
soda, potash, ammonia, or other solution. This case is enclosed on all sides
by a second cylinder. so as to leave a concentric annular space between the
two, in which is introduced the steam serving to heat the lye and materials
contained within the inner cylinder. The outer casing is connected to. the
first mentioned, and is carried on hollow bearings fitted with stuffing hoxes,
one of which bearings conducts the steam from a suitable generator into the
apparatus. the other bearing being furnished with a turbine wheel having
several branches serving to raise the condensed water into the double casing
and reconduct it to the boiler, so as to create a circulation rendering the
boiler self feeding. For this purpose the axis of the steeping apparatus
should be above that of the boiler. The apparatus.is further furnished with
cocks for drawing off the matters after treatment, and others for the discharge
by distillation of the ammoniacal gas when such an alkali is made use of.
The whole apparatus receives continuous rotary motion from any suitable
power during the steeping operation, which motion is arrested on the
termination of the treatment, when the distillation of the ammonia
commences, and the contents of the cylinder are discharged. The inner
cylinder bears a certain number of pallets for raising, dividing. and dis-
tributing the matters so as to constantly change their position, while the
whole is enclosed in a non-conducting casing: the apparatus is charged
through the manhole.
The advantages possessed by this improved annaratus are as follows:-It
is never subject to the direct action of a furnace, and consequently the
materials can never become carbonized,, and although wholly or partially
decomposed will never adhere to the sides. The lye being heated apart from
the steam used in the apparatus will always remain at the same degree of
concentration. The operation is performed with great rapidity, as the
concentric annular space is heated from end to end of the cylinder containing
the materials. The apparatus may be made of thin sheet or other metal. as
the two cylinders are united together by stays, and consequently afford
sufficient. resistance to the pressure of the steam. The operation may be
effected with but a small amount of fuel, as the steam condenses after
expanding the whole of its heat, while the generator is self-supplied with hot
water, as before mentioned. The agitation of the matters is also effected in
a self-acting manner, and there is no leakage from the fact of their being
enclosed in a completely closed cylinder, which is of importance when
employing ammonia for steeping purposes.

page_text: This Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing; Fig. 1 of which
shows a transverse section of the apparatus taken through the manhole; and
Fig. 2 a longitudinal section of the same. The same letters serve for both
Figures.
a, closed cylindrical metal casing, in which are placed the products to be
treated, as also the solutions of soda, potash, ammonia, or other matters; b,
second casing, enclosing the former and leaving a concentric annular space c,
into which the steam passes for heating the matters by contact with the
surface of the inner cylinder a; d, e, hollow pivots furnished with stuffing
boxes, the one marked d serves for the introduction of steam from any
suitable generátor, while e communicates with a wheelf having numerous
involute arms serving to raise the condensed water from the double casing c
and reconduct it to the generator, in this manner the generator is self-
supplied with water at the boiling point; g, g, emptying cocks; h, i. cocks
connected with the distillation and collection of the ammonia, supposing this
alkali to be used in the steeping, and also for the introduction of the necessary
water for keeping it constantly at the desired degree of concentration; g,
curved pallets serving to raise the matters a certain distance, and then
allow them to fall by the rotation of the cylinder, in order to continually
change the surfaces of contact of the matters under treatment; k, non-
conducting casing; I, stays pierced with holes connecting the cylinders, and
thereby dividing the resistance between them; m, manhole for charging
the apparatus, the said manhole being hermetically closed during the
operation. The apparatus being charged with matters steeped in lyc, has
rotary motion imparted and steam introduced. the agitation of the whole mass
being quickly effected; on the termination of the steeping the apparatus is
stopped with the manhole uppermost, a pipe is then connected to one of the
upper cocks for effecting the distillation of the ammonia (supposing such to
be used), the heating with steam being continued.
In order to remove the
condensed water forming while the apparatus is at rest, 1 adapt a purge
cock, or if the steeping apparatus be at a higher level than that of the water
in the generator, the said water may be conducted direct thereto by means of
a pipe in connection with a cock at the under part. This improved steeping
apparatus may be fixed instead of rotating as described, at the same time
retaining most of its advantages; it may also be placed vertically instead of
horizontally, in which case the two concentric cylinders are furnished at their
upper end with superposed parts serving to close the annular space c, and on
which is bolted a cover, to be removed at each operation, in order to effect
the charging and discharging of the contents; the lower part of the annular

page_text: space remains the same, while the feed cock of the boiler may be placed at
the bottom of the apparatus, or it may be the manhole, when it is wished to
remove the matters from the bottom. The steam is introduced on one side
at the upper part of the apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th April 1866.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of-Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William Clark, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Clark, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR STEEPING OR TREATING PAPER PULP AND OTHER MATTERS SUBJECTED
TO THE ACTION OF ALKALIES," a communication to me from abroad by Messieurs
Neyret, Orioli, and Fredet, Manufacturers of Paper Pulp, all of 29, Boulevart
St. Martin, Paris, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Clark, my executors or administrators, 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 William Clark, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to an improved apparatus for washing or steeping

page_text: paper pulp, rags, or it may be fabrics.
The apparatus is especially applicable
for treating pulp and rags by means of ammonia, as when once the steeping
operation is terminated I may by distillation collect the gaseous ammonia,
which will serve for a new operation.
The apparatus consists of a closed case of cylindrical or other form, in which
are placed the products to be treated, and the barium, soda, potash, ammonia,
or other solution; this case is enclosed on all sides by a second cylinder, so
as to leave a concentric annular space between, in which is introduced the
steam serving to heat the lye and materials contained within the inner
cylinder. The outer casing is connected to the first-mentioned, and is carried
in hollow bearings fitted with 'stuffing boxes, one of which bearings conducts
the steam from a suitable generator into the apparatus, the other bearing being
furnished with a turbine wheel having several branches serving to raise the
condensed water into the double casing and reconduct it to the boiler; and
so create a circulation rendering the boiler self-feeding; for this purpose the
axis of the steeping apparatus should be above that of the boiler. The
apparatus is further furnished with cocks for drawing off the matters after
treatment, and others for the discharge by distillation of the ammoniacal gas
when such an alkali is made use of. The whole apparatus receives con-
tinuous rotary motion from any suitable power during the steeping operation,
which motion is arrested on the termination of the treatment, when the
distillation of the ammonia commences, and the contents of the cylinder are
discharged. The inner cylinder bears a certain number of vanes for raising,
dividing, or distributing the matters so as to constantly change their position,
while the whole is enclosed with a non-conducting casing; the apparatus being
charged through the manhole.
The advantages possessed by this improved apparatus are as follows:-
It is never subject to the direct action of a fire, and consequently the materials
can never become carbonized, and although wholly or partly decomposed will
never adhere to the sides. The lye being heated apart from the steam used
in the apparatus will always remain at the same degree of concentration.
The operation is performed with great rapidity as the concentric annular space
is heated from end to end of the cylinder containing the materials. The
apparatus may be made of thin sheet iron or other metal, as the two cylinders
are united together by stays, and consequently afford sufficient resistance to
the pressure of the .steam. The operation may be effected with but a small
amount of fuel, as the steam condenses after expending the whole of its heat,
while the generator is self supplied with hot water as before mentioned.
The agitation of the matters is also effected in a self-acting manner, and

page_text: there is no leakage from the fact of their being enclosed in a completely
closed cylinder, which is of importance when employing ammonia for steeping
purposes.
This Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing: Fig. 1 of
which shows a transverse section of the apparatus taken through the man-
hole, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal section of same, the same letters serve for
both Figures.
a, closed cylindrical metal casing in which are placed the products to be
treated, as also the solutions of soda, potash, ammonia, or other matters: b
second casing enclosing the former and leaving a concentric annular space c
into which the steam passes for heating the matters by contact with the
surface of the inner cylinder a; d, e, hollow pivots furnished with stuffing
boxes, the one marked d serves for the introduction of steam from any
suitable generator, while e communicates with a wheel having numerous
involute arms serving to raise the condensed water from the double casing c.
and reconduct it to the generator, in this manner the generator is self-supplied
with water at the boiling point: g, g, emptying cocks; h. i, cocks connected
with the distillation and collection of the ammonia, supposing this alkali to be
used in the steeping, and also for the introduction of the necessary water for
keeping it constantly at the desired degree of concentration; g, curved pallets
serving to raise the matters a certain distance, and then allowing them to fall
by the rotation of the cylinder in order to continually change the surfaces of
contact of the matters under treatment: k non-conducting casing: 1. stays
pierced with holes connecting the cylinders, and thereby dividing the resistance
between them: m, manhole for charging the apparatus, said manhole being
hermetically closed during the operation. The apparatus being charged with
matters steeped in lye has rotary motion imparted and steam introduced, the
agitation of the whole mass being quickly effected. On the termination of
the steeping, the apparatus is stopped with the manhole uppermost, a pipe is
then connected to one of the upper cocks for effecting the distillation of
the ammonia (supposing such to be used), the heating with steam being con-
tinued. In order to remove the condensed water forming while the apparatus
is at rest. I adapt a purge cock, or if the steeping apparatus be at a higher
level than that of the water in the generator, said water may be conducted
direct therein by means of a pipe in connection with a cock at the under part.
This improved steeping apparatus may be fixed instead of rotating as described,
at same time retaining most of its advantages; it may also be placed vertically
instead of horizontally, in which case the two concentric cylinders are furnished
at the upper end with superposed parts serving to close the annular space c

page_text: and on which is bolted a cover, to be removed at each operation, in order to
effect the charging and discharging of the contents, the lower part of the
annular space c remains the same, while the feed cock of the boiler may bo
placed at the bottom of the apparatus, or it may be the manhole so placed
when it is wished to remove the matters from the bottom.
introduced on one side of the upper part of the apparatus.
The steam is
Having described the nature of this Invention, and. the manner of
performing the same, 1 declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
The improved apparatus for treating paper pulp, rags, or fabrics, all as
herein-before described, and with reference to the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred-and sixty-six.
Witness,
JAMES DAISH,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)