IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF PAPER AND WOVEN FABRICS, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Elkanah Healey, of Old Oak Cottage, Willesden
Junction, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE TREATMENT OF PAPER AND WOVEN FABRICS, AND IN THE APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN"
Sealed the 12th July 1878, and dated the 14th January 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Elkanah Healey at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th January 1878.
ALFRED ELKANAH HEALEY, of Old Oak Cottage, Willesden Junction, in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF PAPER AND
WOVEN FABRICS, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
This Invention relates to the process for treating paper and woven fabrics with
copperized ammonia to produce therefrom waterproof sheets and slabs in respect of
which Letters Patent were granted to John Scoffern, dated 25th of May 1868, No.
1717, and to John Scoffern and George Tidcombe, dated 5th of March 1875, No. 827,
and it consists, firstly, in providing that each sheet or web of paper or woven fabric
partially acted upon chemically by the solution of copperized ammonia, as described
in the Specifications of the said former Letters Patent, shall have its direct motion
into the bath of copperized ammonia sharply diverted by passing it over a roller
or rollers situate at or about the level of the solution, and so arranged as to give a
definite bend and pull to each web from the point at which such web hegins to
expand, and become limp, whence the web passes down to the inferior roller or
rollers; or in the case of a horizontal bath passes along over a series of rollers in
order to effect its necessary saturation. By this means the liability to the forma-
tion of puckers, creases, and other defects, which a direct delivery of a stretched dry
web frequently entails is entirely obviated.
Secondly. In providing a roll or set of rolls after the webs leave the solution by
which the webs are passed, each separately, and prevented from contact until they.
are pressed together by the pressure rollers, thus allowing free vent for the ligneous
solution pressed out by the said pressure rollers.

page_text: Thirdly. In intercepting the back flow of lignine or ligneous solution and other
matters pressed out by the pressure rollers from each web in order to prevent the
return of the same into the bath, and the consequent deterioration in the strength
of the solution in the bath necessary to effect perfect amalgamation, such lignine
and matters being carried away to a separate vessel, where they may be thinned down
or otherwise treated, as found desirable.
Fourthly. In the case of single tissue, conducting such single web through a
separate bath of lignine solution after it has passed through the bath of copperized
ammonia in order to effect a glaze and otherwise improve the fabric, its passage
through the first bath being regulated according to the strength of the solution in
each, and the strength of the fabric itself submitted to it.
Fifthly. In providing such an arrangement that each web in the case of treating
more than one shall have the same length and period of immersion in the solution
so as to ensure uniformity in color and equality of state in respect of saturation
and expansion. This may be effected by the employment of a set of rollers to each
web so placed as to give the same and equal pulls in the case of each web, or by
providing such a set of rollers in a separate bath for each web.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Elkanah Healey in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
July 1878.
ALFRED ELKANAH HEALEY, of Old Oak Cottage, Willesden Junction, in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF PAPER AND
WOVEN FABRICS, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
My said Invention relates to the process for treating paper and woven fabrics
with copperized ammonia for the purpose of rendering them waterproof, agglu-
tinating and improving the same, in respect of which Letters Patent were granted
to John Scoffern, dated the Twenty-fifth of May, One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-eight, No. 1717, and to John Scoffern and George Tidcombe, junior, dated the
.Fifth of March, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, No. 827, and it
consists in providing that each sheet or web of paper or woven fabric partially
acted upon chemically by the solution of copperized ammonia, as described in the
Specifications to the said former Letters Patent, shall have its direct motion into
the bath of the said solution sharply diverted by passing it over a roller or rollers
situate at or about the level of the solution and so arranged as to give a definite
bend and pull to each web from the point at which such web begins to expand, and
become limp, whence the web passes down to the inferior roller or rollers; or in the
.case of a horizontal bath passes along over a series of rollers in order to effect its
necessary saturation. By this means I obviate the liability to the formation of
puckers, creases, and other defects, which a direct delivery into the bath of a
stretched dry web frequently occasions owing to the condition of the material under

page_text: treatment, it being observed that the solution of copperized ammonia developes an
expansive power relatively greater and more rapid than other fluids or semi-fluids in
which similar webs of paper or of woven fabric may be immersed.
The Invention also relates to improved combinations of rollers and other devices,
as herein-after described, whereby increased efficiency, economy, and uniformity in
result are obtained.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
In the case of treating a single web of paper or woven tissue for the purpose of
cupro-impregnating and improving the same, I proceed in the following manner,
reference being had to Figure 1, which is a vertical section representing the operation
in its simplest form.
A is the bath of copperized ammonia; a is the web as it comes from the machine
on which it is made, or from the reel on which it is wound; B, B, are rollers situate
at or about the level of the solution in the bath A, and so arranged that the web
a shall have its direct motion into the bath sharply diverted in order to give it a
definite bend and pull from the point at which it commences to expand, and
become limp by the chemical action of the solution upon it.
inferior roller or rollers, round which the web is led; and D is a leading or guide
C represents the
roll so placed as to allow free vent for the ligneous solution expressed by the pres-
sure rollers E, E.
By the use of the rollers B, B, arranged in the manner indicated, the liability to
the formation of puckers, creases, and other defects is obviated, which a direct
delivery of a stretched dry web into the bath frequently occasions.
In some cases I provide doctors (which may be made to travel laterally in some
instances if desired) for the purpose of carrying away the ligneous solution pressed
out by the pressure rollers when such ligneous matter, owing to the nature of the
material under treatment would be prejudicial to the solution in the bath, or would
interfere with the objects of treatment in view, or when it is desirable to preserve
the ligneous matter so expressed. One of such doctors is shewn in detail in Figure
2, and in the general view (Figure 1). It consists of a gutter F, which is con-
nected by a metal plate b, with an inclined directing strip c of india-rubber or other
suitable material, the extremity of which is arranged in close proximity to without
being in actual contact with the sheet or web a under operation, travelling over the
leading roll D so as to intercept the back flow of the lignine or ligneous solution
and other matters expressed by the pressure rollers E, E, and prevent their return
into the bath, such lignine or other matters being carried away by a pipe d to any
convenient receptacle, where they may be thinned down or otherwise treated as
required.
If desired I may employ in substitution for the doctor or doctors any other con-
venient devices producing the same result.
In order to glaze and otherwise improve the fabric after the same has passed
through the bath A, I conduct it through a glazing bath containing silk ligneous
or resinous material dissolved in copperized ammonia, and calculated to obtain the
desired result, or I bring the partially dissolved fabric into contact with the said
glazing solution in any other convenient manner, the duration of the passage of the
fabric through the solutions being regulated according to the strength of the latter
and the strength of the fabric under treatment.
Figure 3 is a vertical section representing the treatment of two webs, and which
will also serve to illustrate the method of treating any greater number of webs than
two.
a, a¹, represent two webs under treatment; B, B¹, are rollers situate at or about
the level of the solution in the bath, and so arranged that the webs a, a¹, shall have
their direct motion into the bath sharply diverted in order to give them a definite
bend and pull from the point at which they commence to expand, and become limp

page_text: by the chemical action of the solution upon them; C, C₁ are the inferior rollers
round which the webs a, a', are led, and D, D¹, are leading rolls so placed as to
allow free vent for the ligneous solution expressed by the pressure rollers E, E.
In some cases I arrange the rollers in the bath, over which the webs a, a¹, are
passed, so that the linear distance travelled by the web a from the point 1 at which
it enters the bath to the point 2 at which it leaves the bath, will be equal to the
linear distance travelled by the web a' from the corresponding entrance point 3 to
the corresponding exit point 4. This result is obtained in the example illus-
trated by introducing additional rollers C² and causing the web a' thus to follow a
more circuitous course between the points 3 and 4, which will be equal to the course
between the points 1 and 2 of the web a, but other equivalent methods may be
adopted for this purpose.
If desired, in lieu of employing a single bath of copperized ammonia for the whole
of the webs, a separate but analogous bath may be used for each web, the rollers of
the several baths being all arranged in a similar manner so as to cause the webs to
travel an equal linear distance, as before mentioned. By thus equalizing the
distance travelled by the several webs through the bath, uniformity in color and
equality of condition in respect of saturation and expansion in each of the several
webs are insured.
Figures 4 and 5 are similar vertical sections of a horizontal bath, the former
illustrating the treatment of a single web, and the latter illustrating the treatment
of two webs.
The arrangements indicated in these Figures will be perfectly understood from
the description-herein-before given with reference-to vertical baths without further
explanation.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the 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 herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The employment of means whereby each sheet or web of paper or woven
fabric partially acted upon chemically by a solution of copperized ammonia shall
have its direct motion into the bath containing the said solution sharply diverted,
substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein-before described.
Second. The general arrangement and combination of parts forming apparatus
for the treatment of single webs or sheets of paper or woven fabric, substantially
us herein-before described, and illustrated by Figures 1, 2, and 4 of my Drawings.
Third. The general arrangement and combination of parts forming apparatus for
the treatment of two or more webs or sheets of paper or woven fabric, substantially
herein-before described, and illustrated by Figures 2, 3, and 5 of my
as
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Elkanah Healey, have to this my Speci-
fication set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-eight
ALFRED ELKANAH HEALEY. (L.S.)