IM- PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER
Year: 1860

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Gardner at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his. Petition, on the 8th
October 1860.
I, EDWARD GARDNER, of Maidstone, in the County of Kent, Engineer and
Brassfounder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
PAPER," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
apparatus commonly known as a "knotter," for straining the pulp employed
in the manufacture of paper, and consists in the employment of a vessel or
vat, in the interior of which is suspended from a horizontal shaft a strainer,
the perforated or straining surfaces of which are in a vertical or nearly vertical
position. These straining surfaces are combined with closed ends, so as to
form a hollow receptacle with perforated or slotted sides This receptacle is
connected to a vibrating or rocking shaft, from which it receives a constant
oscillating or vibratory motion by any suitable mechanical contrivance. A
diaphragm of vulcanized india-rubber, leather, or other suitable flexible
material serves to connect the upper edge of the vibrating strainer with the
sides of the vessel or vat, so that whilst perfect freedom of vibration is allowed

page_text: to the strainer, all communication between it and the vat is closed, excepting
through its perforated or slotted sides. The pulp after leaving the "stuff"
chest" or "lifters" enters the vessel or vat of this improved "knotter" and
percolates through the perforated sides of the strainer, after filling the cavity
of which it flows over the edge in a fit state to be manufactured into paper,
the knots or other refuse matter retained in the vessel or vat being removed at
intervals when requisite. In the feed pipe which supplies the pulp to the
vessel or vat of the "knotter," it is proposed in some cases to fit a self-closing
valve, which will act in such a manner that when the strainer is vibrated it
will effectually prevent or check the tendency which the pulp may have to flow
back or rise in the feed or supply pipe.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Gardner in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th April 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
GARDNER, of Maidstone, in the County of Kent, Engineer and Brassfounder,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edward Gardner, Her special license that I, the said Edward
Gardner, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Edward Gardner, my executors, administrators, or 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
PAPER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward
Gardner, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them, should par-
ticularly 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Gardner, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
apparatus commonly known as the "knotter," for straining the pulp used in
the manufacture of paper, and consists in the employment of a vessel or vat,
in the interior of which is a strainer, the perforated or straining surfaces of
which are in a vertical or nearly vertical position. These straining surfaces
are combined with closed ends, so as to form a hollow receptacle with
perforated or slotted sides. This receptacle or strainer is connected to a
vibrating or rocking shaft, from which it receives a constant oscillating or
vibratory motion by any suitable mechanical contrivance. A diaphragm of
vulcanised india-rubber, leather, or other suitable flexible material serves to
connect the upper edge of the vibrating strainer with the sides of the vessel or
vat, so that whilst perfect freedom of vibration is allowed to the strainer, all
communication between it and the vat is closed, excepting through its
perforated or slotted sides. The pulp after leaving the "stuff chest" or
"lifters" enters the vessel or vat of this improved "knotter," and percolates
through the perforated sides of the strainer, after filling which it flows over
the edge in a fit state to be manufactured into paper, the knots or other refuse
matter retained in the vessel or vat being removed at intervals when requisite.
In the feed pipe which supplies the pulp to the vessel or vat of the "knotter,"
it is proposed in some cases to fit a self-closing valve, which will act in such a
manner that when the strainer is vibrated it will effectually prevent or check
the tendency which the pulp may bave to flow back or rise in the feed or
supply pipe.
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 I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of the annexed Sheet of Drawings represents a longitudinal
vertical section of my improved "knotter;" Figure 2 is a corresponding end
elevation of the same; Figure 3 is a plan of the "knotter" corresponding to
Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section of the same.
A is a stationary vessel or vat, and B, the vibrating or oscillating strainer
connected to the overhead rocking shaft C working in bearings D, D, secured

page_text: to the ends of the vat A; E, E, are the perforated or openwork sides of the
vibrating strainer; and F, F, are the closed ends of the strainer, which unite
the two open sides and form a rectangular box or receptacle. A rocking
motion is imparted to the shaft C by means of the lever arm G, connecting
rod H, and slotted disc and crank pin I, disposed at each end of the apparatus.
The two discs I, I, are carried by the driving shaft K working in suitable
bearings carried by the standards L, L, and provided with a fly wheel M, a
rotatory motion being imparted to this shaft by means of a strap passing over
the driving pulley N. O is an india-rubber or other suitable flexible dia-
phragm, which connects the edge of the vibrating strainer with the edge of the
stationary vat, and prevents all communication between the two, excepting
through the perforated sides of the strainer; P is the bottom of the strainer,
which is formed with flanges, to which the perforated sides are secured. The
outer vat or vessel A may be supported on standards Q, Q. The pulp to be
strained is fed into the vat A through the pipes R, R, each pipe being supplied
with a self-closing flap valve S, S, for checking the backward motion of the
pulp in the pipes when the strainer vibrates towards them. The strained pulp
passes through the perforated or openwork sides of the strainer, and flows over
the edge thereof by the overflow spout T to the paper-making machine. U is
an aperture in the bottom of the vat A, provided with a hinged or other
suitable lid or cover packed with india-rubber, to facilitate the emptying of
the vat when required; V, V, are holes in the ends of the vat A, for the
purpose of enabling the perforated or openwork sides to be cleared of knots or
obstructions adhering thereto.
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 herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent, is, the general construction, arrangement, and
combination of apparatus for straining the pulp used in the manufacture of
paper, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Gardner, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of April, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-one.
EDW. GARDNER. (L.S.)