IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PULP FROM STRAW AND SIMILAR FIBROUS MATERIALS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Love, of the Firm of Robert Biggart
and Company, of the Milton Paper Works, Bowling, in the County
of Dumbarton, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PULP FROM STRAW AND SIMILAR FIBROUS MATERIALS,
AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR. -A communication from abroad by
"
-
Hector Joseph Lahousse, residing at Prague, Bohemia.
Sealed the 23rd January 1872, and dated the 26th July 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Love at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th July 1871.
I, WILLIAM LOVE, of the Firm of Robert Biggart and Company, of
the Milton Paper Works, Bowling, in the County of Dumbarton, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PULP FROM STRAW AND SIMILAR FIBROUS
MATERIALS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR," (a communication to me from
abroad by Hector Joseph Lahousse, residing at Prague, Bohemia,) to be
as follows:-
This Invention, which has for its objects to obtain an improved pulp
from straw and similar fibrous materials, comprises a connected series of
processes and certain adaptations of apparatus therefor.

page_text: In carrying out the Invention the straw after being chopped by an
_ordinary chaff cutter or other suitable machine is put into a vessel,
preferably of a spherical form, and has therein added to it a solution of
caustic alkali of a strength of about five degrees Beaumé, and which
solution is by preference cold. In this it is allowed to steep for about
four hours, the vessel being made to revolve at intervals for short
periods, at the end of which time the alkaline liquid is drained off by
pumping. The straw is then transferred to a boiler, which is of a
cylindrical form, and is mounted on trunnions so as to turn about an
axis at right angles to its axis of figure. Steam of about sixty pounds
pressure per square inch is admitted through one of the trunnions, and
by a system of internal perforated piping arranged to insure a thorough
circulation and a searching and uniform action throughout the mass
of straw. The internal piping consists by preference of a main pipe
along the cylinder's axis, with a number of branches radiating therefrom
at different parts of its length. The steaming is continued for about five
hours, after which the straw is thoroughly washed in the same vessel by
water admitted by the other trunnion, but distributed internally by the
same system of internal piping as the steam. The straw is next bleached
by the usual treatment, such treatment being however applied as well as
the subsequent washing in the same vessel as the steaming. After
being washed the straw is passed through a pair of millstones adjusted
to exert a rubbing, but not grinding or pulverising action. The stones
are used for the very important purpose of rubbing down any hard knots
or bits amongst the straw, and their action very much facilitates the
subsequent processes, which are conducted as hitherto practised.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Love in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th January 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM 30
LOVE, of the Firm of Robert Biggart and Company, of the Milton Paper
Works, Bowling, in the County of Dumbarton, North Britain, send
greeting.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM 30
LOVE, of the Firm of Robert Biggart and Company, of the Milton Paper
Works, Bowling, in the County of Dumbarton, North Britain, send
greeting.

page_text: of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Love, Her special licence that
I, the said William Love, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
5 such others as I, the said William Love, 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 PULP FROM STRAW AND SIMILAR FIBROUS MATERIALS, AND IN APPARATUS
THEREFOR," a communication to me from abroad by Hector Joseph
Lahousse, residing at Prague, Bohemia, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Love, 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 Love, 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 following statement in writing, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, that is to say :—
The said Invention, which has for its objects to obtain an improved
pulp from straw and similar fibrous materials, comprises a connected
series of processes and certain adaptations of apparatus therefor.
And in order that the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same may be properly understood, I hereunto append two Sheets of
explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to and representing the
principal arrangements and apparatus for carrying out the Invention.
In these Drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the
same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
Figure 1 on Sheet 1 of the Drawings is a vertical section of a building
and showing the apparatus, whilst the Figures on Sheet 2 are enlarged
and sectional views of important parts, and will be herein-after more
particularly referred to.

page_text: In carrying out the Invention the straw after being chopped in an
upper flat 1 of the building by an ordinary chaff cutter or other suitable
machine (not shown in the Drawing) is put into a vessel 2, preferably
of a spherical form, as shown, and has therein added to it a solution of
caustic alkali of a strength of about five degrees Beaumé. This solution,
which is by preference used cold, may be conveniently made in or
pumped up into a tank 3, from which it is supplied by a stop-cock 4 to
the steeping vessel 2. This vessel 2, which is shown in vertical and
horizontal section in Figures 2 and 3 on Sheet 2, is fitted internally with
two hollow angular paddles 5, the sides of which are perforated, so that
they also act as drainers, and the vessel is mounted on horizontal
journals or axles, so that it can be made to revolve by any suitable
gearing, such as that indicated. The straw is allowed to steep in the
alkali solution in the vessel 2 for about four hours, the vessel being
made to revolve at intervals for short periods, at the end of which time
the alkaline liquid is drained off by means of the stop-cock 6, a pump
being by preference applied so as to remove all the solution not absorbed
by the straw. The straw is then transferred to a boiler 7, which is of a
cylindrical form, and is mounted on trunnions 8, so as to turn about
a horizontal axis which is at right angles to its axis of figure, suitable
gearing, such as that indicated in Figure 1, being provided for turning
it. Steam of about sixty pounds pressure per square inch is admitted
through one of the trunnions 8, and by a system of internal perforated
piping arranged to insure a thorough circulation and a searching and
uniform action throughout the mass of straw. Figure 4 on Sheet 2 is a
vertical section showing the arrangement of internal piping which is
preferred, and which comprises a main pipe 9 along the cylinder's axis,
with branch pipes 10 radiating therefrom in several sets of six each.
The centre pipe 9 is divided by a partition at its middle, and the two
halves receive their supplies of steam from spaces 11, 12, at each end
of the cylinder, and communicating with the trunnion 8 by branch
pipes 13, 14, fitted with separate stop valves to admit of the steam being
admitted to the opposite ends at the same or at different times. The
internal shells enclosing the spaces 11, 12, are perforated to allow part
of the steam to issue through them. From the other trunnion 8¹ a
single branch pipe 15 is led to the upper end space 11 for the intro-
duction of water for washing; and when the water is introduced in this
way the lower part of the central pipe 9 with its branches 10 and the
shell of the lower end space 12 serve as draining outlets for the water

page_text: "
which is discharged by the stop-cock 16. The cover 17 is made with a
notched flange, and is secured by a number of hinged bolts 18, which
afford the necessary security along with facility in opening and closing
the boiler. The steaming in this boiler is continued for about five
hours, the boiler being made to revolve slowly at intervals, after which
the straw is thoroughly washed in the same vessel by water admitted by
the trunnion 8'. The straw is next bleached by the usual treatment, such
treatment being however applied as well as the subsequent washing in
the vessel 7. Or the straw may be washed and bleached in the ordinary
"rag
or "stuff engine" 19, indicated in Figure 1. The bleached and
washed stuff is run into a tank 20, in which a paddle 21 revolves, so as by
agitation to keep the fibres from settling, and it is thence pumped up by
the pipes 22 to a pair of millstones, the casing of which is shown at 23
in Figure 1, the stones 24 and their accessories being shown in vertical
section in Figure 5 on Sheet 2. The stuff is first pumped into a box 25
having an outlet regulated by a slide, and from which the stuff passes by
a duct and hopper 26 to the eye of the upper stone 24. The excess of
stuff pumped into the box 25 returns by an overflow pipe 27 to the
tank 20; and if the stuff should fill the eye of the upper millstone 24
and overflow it will be caught by a gutter 28 formed inside the upper
part of the casing 23, and be led by a duct 29 into the overflow pipe 27.
The lower millstone is adjusted by means of the screws 30, so that the
stones may exert a rubbing but not grinding or pulverising action.
The stuff that passes through the millstones is caught by the inclined
gutter 31, and discharged thence into a duct, which is not shown, but
which leads it away for the subsequent treatment. The millstones are
used for the very important purpose of rubbing down any hard knots or
bits amongst the straw, and their action very much facilitates the
subsequent processes which may be conducted as hitherto practised.
Having thus particularly described the said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I have to state that I do not
restrict myself to the precise details herein described or delineated; but
that what I believe to be novel and original, and claim as the In-
vention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,

page_text: 2. The treating of the straw or similar fibrous material with cold
caustic alkali, as herein-before described.
3. The draining of the excess of alkali away from the straw or similar
fibrous material before applying heat, as herein-before described.
4. The constructing and working of the steeping apparatus in the 5
improved manner, substantially as herein-before described.
5. The constructing and working of the steaming apparatus in the
improved manner, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Love, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year 1
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
Wч. LOVE. (L.S.)