IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Routledge, of the Eynsham Paper Works,
near Oxford, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF PAPER."
Sealed the 24th July 1860, and dated the 2nd February 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Routledge at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd
February 1860.
I, THOMAS ROUTLEDGE, of the Eynsham Paper Works, near Oxford, do
bereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF PAPER," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the preparation of half-stuff (paper pulp) and
paper from esparto or Spanish grass, (comprising the plants spartum ligeum,
stipa tenecissima, dis or alpha, (commercially so denominated,) by an improved
and economical process of manufacture, the same being applicable to straw
and other raw fibrous substances. On the 31st July 1856 (No. 1816), a
Patent was granted to me for the treatment of the above and other raw fibres,
by a process consisting of boiling the same in a caustic ley composed of soda,
with more lime added than was necessary to render the same caustic; and,
secondly, by a subsequently boiling in carbonate or bicarbonate soda solution.
Although it is possible to manufacture a fair quality of half-stuff and paper
from esparto and other raw fibrous substances by the above process, I have
found in practice that it is very much more costly and less efficient, and the

page_text: resulting half-stuff more difficult to bleach than by the process I now claim
and herein-after describe.
I have found that not only does the excess of lime in the ley so prepared,
but even the use of lime beyond a certain point in caustic ley as ordinarily
employed, sets or coagulates the silicious, albuminous, glutinous, and gumino-
resinous compounds or matters, but it fixes or dyes the coloring and extractive
matters combined more or less with all raw fibres, and which it is necessary
to render soluble before the fibres can be efficiently separated from each other,
and so constitute a finely divided fibrous half-stuff; moreover, when once the
coloring and extractive compounds or matters are so fixed, not only is a more
elaborate and costly system of bleaching necessary, but the white so produced
is not bright or permanent, more particularly if the half-stuff has to lie by
some little time, as ordinarily happens in the course of manufacturing the same
into paper. I find that by employing a ley in which the lime is not as it were
so prominent, I obtain a better practical result.
I now proceed to describe my process for esparto, premising that the same
may be applied to other fibres according to their mechanical or other structure
as most convenient, except for very fine quality paper. I do not find it
necessary to cut the esparto, but after roughly sorting the same, pack it in a
boiler; for this purpose I employ the ordinary Lancashire bowking or vomiting
kier, and run thereon a ley composed of from 10 to 11 per cent. of carbonate
of soda, and from 60 to 70 per cent. of the caustic or quicklime that would
be necessary to render that quantity of soda caustic. I dissolve the soda salt
(using, by preference, that known as soda ash in commerce,) in water not less
than 10 times its weight, and add the proportion of lime above mentioned,
and when the solution is clear run it over the fibre in the kier. I do not boil
under pressure, but merely keep the kier on what is technically termed the
"spring of the boil," sufficient to ensure complete circulation of the ley through
the fibre. I find 3 to 4 hours sufficient for boiling, after which the spent
liquor is run off, and the kier filled up with warm or cold water (the former
by preference), which may be repeated once or twice, as convenient, one rinse
being generally sufficient. The fibre is than taken to the ordinary rag breaking
engine, and converted into half-stuff, washing at the same time as practised
with the ordinary rag material. I generally find half an hour sufficient for
this process; when the water runs off clear the half-stuff is let down into a
vat with a false bottom, and drained ready for the bleaching process, which
may, however, be conducted in the same engine, or I pass the boiled fibre
through squeezing rolls to further express the extractive foreign matters,
which are then in a soluble state, and at the same time open the fibre, in

page_text: which case it is not necessary to remove it from the engine, and the bleaching
process may at once be proceeded with.. The fibre may also be passed into an.
hydraulic or other press previous to being broken down into half-stuff, as is
frequently practised with ordinary rag material. It is not necessary that the
ley should be perfectly clear, for even low class white paper it may be slightly
milky, as the lime in the proportions used by me is innocuous; but for finer
class papers I prefer having my ley clear. I also prefer to lift the fibre out of
the rinse water in the pan, which permits all grit or feculent matter, of which.
there is a considerable deposit, to settle or run off the fibre so lifted. After.
passing through the squeezing rolls or press, or that process omitted after-
being converted into half-stuff, the fibre may receive a souring or acid bath
(using either sulphuric or hydrochloric acid), particularly if a fine white is
desired; but I do not find this necessary for common printing papers.
The process of bleaching pursued by me is that ordinarily employed for.
other paper material, either by gas or immersion in a solution of chloride-
of lime, either in steeps or the rag engine, or poacher. I find: that the
bleaching agency requires, however, to be more energetic than that employed
for ordinary rag material, which most in some degree has undergone this
process. The process I pursue is to circulate the half-stuff in the poaching,
rag, or breaker engine from 15 to 30 minutes, with the bleach solution,
apportioned to the pitch of color desired, and I then add from 2 to 3 pints
sulphuric acid, circulate from 10 to 20 minutes longer, and let down into
steeping vats, then the half-stuff may be at once drained, pressed, if desired,
and converted into pulp in the beating engine in the ordinary manner, as well
known and practised; or I employ steam in the poaching engine after the
half-stuff is well combined with the bleach solution, by opening a cock con-
nected with the engine until a temperature of 80 to 90 degrees is attained,
adding in this case from 1 to 1 pints bydrochloric acid, or sulphuric acid in
less proportion, a better and more permanent color is thus attained; but
where coal is dear the process is more costly than that with the sulphuric acid.
By treating esparto in the manner herein-before described, I obtain a half-
stuff of great strength and length, and of beautiful color, hardly distinguishable
from strong rag material, and adapted for making any quality of white paper.
The bleaching process may be omitted, and the half-stuff converted into a
strong, firm, tough and smooth paper, or it may be semi-bleached, and in
either stage if desired mixed with the ordinary rag material with which it
blends perfectly.

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
2nd August 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
ROUTLEDGE, of the Eynsham Paper Works, near Oxford, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Routledge, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Routledge, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Routledge, 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 THE
MANUFACTURE OF PAPER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Thomas Routledge, 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 Thomas Routledge, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in the preparation of half-stuff (paper pulp) and
paper from esparto or Spanish grass, (comprising the plants spartum ligeum,
stipa tenecissima, dis or alpha,) commercially so denominated, by an improved
and economical process of manufacture, the same being applicable to straw
and other raw fibrous substances. On the 31st July 1856 (No. 1816), a
Patent was granted to me for the treatment of the above and other raw fibres
by a process consisting of boiling the same in a caustic ley composed of soda,
with more lime added than was necessary to render the same caustic; and,
secondly, by a subsequent boiling in carbonate or bi-carbonate soda solution.
Although it is possible to manufacture a fair quality of half-stuff and paper
from esparto and other raw fibrous substances by the above process, I have

page_text: found in practice that it is very much more costly and less efficient, and the
resulting half-stuff more difficult to bleach than by the process I now claim
and herein-after describe.
I have found that not only does the excess of lime in the ley so prepared,
but even the use of lime beyond a certain point in caustic ley, as ordinarily
employed, sets or coagulates the silicious, albuminous, glutinous, and gummo-
resinous compounds or matters, but it fixes or dyes the coloring and extractive
matters combined more or less with all raw fibres, and which it is necessary
to render soluble before the fibres can be efficiently separated from each other,
and so constitute a finely divided fibrous half-stuff; moreover, when once the
colouring and extractive compounds or matters are so fixed, not only is a more
elaborate and costly system of bleaching necessary, but the white so produced
is not bright or permanent, more particularly if the half-stuff has to lie by some
little time, as ordinarily happens in the course of manufacturing the same into
paper. I find that by employing a ley in which the lime is not as it were so
prominent, I obtain a better practical result.
I now proceed to describe my process for esparto, premising that the same
may be applied to other fibres according to their mechanical or other structure,
as most convenient. Except for very fine quality paper I do not find it
necessary to cut the esparto, but after roughly sorting the same, pack it in a
boiler; for this purpose I employ the ordinary Lancashire bowking or vomiting
kier, and run thereon a ley composed of from 10 to 11 per cent. of carbonate
of soda, and from 60 to 70 per cent. of the caustic or quicklime that would be
necessary to render that quantity of soda caustic. I dissolve the soda salt
(using, by preference, that known as soda ash in commerce,) in water not less
than 10 times its weight, and add the proportion of lime above mentioned.
It must be understood that dry carbonate of sola is referred to, and the per-
centage is in relation to the quantity of esparto treated, and as carbonate of
soda of commerce varies in its per-centage of dry carbonate of soda, it is
necessary to raise or diminish the per-centage of lime to soda in like pro-
portions, which will afford a soda ley leaving about 20 per cent. of the soda in
a carbonated state, and when the solution is clear run it over the fibre in the
kier. I do not boil under pressure, but merely keep the kier on what is
technically termed the "spring of the boil," sufficient to ensure complete
circulation of the ley through the fibre. I find 3 to 4 hours sufficient for
boiling, after which the spent liquor is run off, and the kier filled up with
warm or cold water, (the former, by preference,) which may be repeated once
or twice, as convenient, one rinse being generally sufficient. The fibre is then
taken to the ordinary rag breaking engine and converted into half-stuff,

page_text: washing at the same time, as practised with the ordinary rag material. I
generally find half an hour sufficient for this process; when the water runs off
clear the half-stuff is let down into a vat with a false bottom, and drained
ready for the bleaching process, which may, however, be conducted in the
same engine; or I pass the boiled fibre through squeezing rolls. to further
⚫ express
the extractive foreign matters, which are then in a soluble state, and
at the same time open the fibre, in which case it is not necessary to remove it
from the engine, and the bleaching process may at once be proceded with.
The fibre may also be passed into an hydraulic or other press previous to being
broken down into half-stuff, as is frequently practised with ordinary rag
material. It is not necessary that the ley should be perfectly clear for even
low class white paper, it may be slightly milky, as the lime in the proportions
used by me is innocuous; but for finer class papers I prefer having my ley
clear. I also prefer to lift the fibre out of the rinse water in the pan, which
permits all grit or feculent matter, of which there is a considerable deposit, to
settle or run off the fibre so lifted. After passing through the squeezing rolls
or press, or that process omitted after being converted into half-stuff, the fibre
may receive a souring or acid bath (using either sulphuric or hydrochloric
acid), particularly if a fine white is desired, but I do not find this necessary
for common printing papers.
The process of bleaching pursued by me is that ordinarily employed for
other paper material, either by gas or immersion in a solution of chloride of
lime, either in steeps or the rag engine, or poacher. I find that the bleaching
agency requires, however, to be more energetic than that employed for ordinary
rag material, which, mostly, in some degree, has undergone this process. The
process I pursue is to circulate the half-stuff in the poaching, rag, or breaker
engine from 15 to 30 minutes with the bleach solution, apportioned to the
pitch of color desired, and I then add from 2 to 3 pints sulphuric acid,
circulate from 10 to 20 minutes longer, and let down into steeping vats,
then the half-stuff may be at once drained, pressed if desired, and converted
into pulp in the beating engine in the ordinary manner, as well known and
practised; or I employ steam in the poaching engine after the balf-stuff is
well combined with the bleach solution, by opening a cock connected with the
engine until a temperature of 80 to 90 degrees is attained, adding in this case
from 1 to 1 pints hydrochloric acid, or sulphuric acid in less proportion, a
better and more permanent color is thus attained; but where coal is dear, the
process is more costly than that with the sulphuric acid.
By treating esparto in the manner herein-before described, I obtain a half-
stuff of great strength and length, and of beautiful color, hardly distinguishable

page_text: from strong rag material, and adapted for making any quality of white paper.
The bleaching process may be omitted, and the half-stuff converted into a
strong, firm, tough, and smooth paper; or it may be semi-bleached, and in
either stage if desired mixed with the ordinary rag material with which it
blends perfectly.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Routledge, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
THOS. ROUTLEDGE. (L.s.)