THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER AND CARD- BOARD FROM A FIBROUS VEGETABLE MATTER NOT HITHERTO USED FOR THAT PURPOSE
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Marc Antoine François Mennons, of the British
and Foreign Patent Offices, 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire
of France, for the Invention of "THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER AND CARD-
BOARD FROM A FIBROUS VEGETABLE MATTER NOT HITHERTO USED FOR THAT
PURPOSE." A communication from Mr. Edmond Nuewens, residing at
Montreuil-sous-Bois, France.
Sealed the 24th October 1861, and dated the 3rd May 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Marc Antoine François
Mennons at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 3rd May 1861.
I, MARC ANTOINE FRANÇOIS MENNONS, of the British and Foreign Patent
Offices, 39, Ruo de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of France, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER AND
CARDBOARD FROM A FIBROUS VEGETABLE MATTER NOT HITHERTO USED FOR THAT
PURPOSE," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in applying, as hereafter described, to paper and
cardboard manufacture the agglomerations of vegetable fibres known as
"poinmes de mer," or marine apples, which, formed by the breaking and
rolling action of the sea on a certain variety of alga, are found in large quan-

page_text: tities on the coasts of the Mediterranean.
These masses of algous fibre are
first shredded in an opening or tearing machine ("diâble"), by which they
are freed from the sand, pebbles, or other foreign matters, and are afterwards
exposed for about two hours to a soda lye, the temperature of which should be
carried to 120° or 130° centigrade. When thus cleansed they are steeped for
an hour in a bath composed of water and sulphuric acid, marking about 2° of
Beaumé's hydrometer, and during this process are stirred two or three times with
a wooden spatula sheathed with zinc. On leaving this bath they are washed
and drained off, and are finally bleached by exposure. for about an hour in a
closed chamber to the action of sulphurous acid gas. The raw material thus
prepared is reduced to pulp by the ordinary processes, and is applied to the
manufacture of paper and cardboard, either alone or combined with variable
proportions of other pulps, according to the quality of product required. It
should be observed, that although the cleansing and bleaching operations
above described have been found to give the best results for general purposes
they me be modified to a greater or less extent according to the nature of
the manufacture.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Marc Antoine François Mennons in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th October 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MARC
ANTOINE FRANÇOIS MENNONS, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices, 39,
Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her. most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
the
me, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, Her special licence that
said Marc Antoine François Mennons, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, 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 "THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER AND CARDBOARD
PROM A FIBROUS VEGETABLE MATTER NOT HITHERTO USED FOR THAT PURPOSE," (a

page_text: communication from Mr. Edmond Nuewens, a person resident at Montreuil-
sous-Bois, France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Marc
Antoine François Mennons, 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 Marc Antoine François Mennons, 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, that is to say:
66
-
This Invention consists in applying, as hereafter described, to paper and
cardboard manufacture the agglomerations of vegetable fibres known as
pommes de mer," or marine apples, and which, formed by the breaking and
rolling action of the sea on a certain variety of alga, (" zostera marina"), are
found in large quantities on the coasts of the Mediterranean. These masses
of algous fibre are first shredded in an opening or tearing machine ("diâble"),
by which they are freed from the sand, pebbles, or other foreign matters, and
are afterwards exposed for about two hours to a soda lye composed of about
twelve pounds weight of crude carbonate of soda dissolved in twenty-five
gallons of water. The temperature of this lye should be carried to about 120°
or 130° (centigrade). When thus cleansed they are steeped for about an
hour in a bath composed of water and sulphuric acid marking about 2° of
Beaumé's hydrometer, and during this process are stirred two or three times
with a wooden spatula sheathed with zinc. On leaving this bath they are
washed and drained off, and aro finally bleached by exposure for about an
hour in a closed chamber to the action of sulphurous acid gas. The raw material
thus prepared is reduced to pulp by the ordinary processes, and is applied to
the manufacture of paper and cardboard, either alone or combined with vari-
able proportions of other pulps, according to the quality of product required.
It should be observed, that although the cleansing and bleaching operations
above described have been found to give the best results for general purposes,
they may be modified to a greater or less extent according to the nature of
the manufacture.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner of carrying it into effect, I declare that I claim and desire to
secure by the above in part recited Letters Patent the application, substan-
tially as berein set forth, to the manufacture of paper and cardboard of the

page_text: "marine apples" or fibrous vegetable agglomerations formed by the action of
the sea waves on the "zostera marina" of Linnæus.
In witness whereof, I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, have
hereto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth-day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
XENXONO
M. F. MENNONS. (L.S.)