AN-IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER PULP
Year: 1865

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents;
66, 'Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "AN-IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER PULP."
- A communication from abroad by James Brewer Brown, of Peekskill;
in the State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 30th January 1866, and dated the 31st August 1865..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,-on-the
31st August 1865.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex,. Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
PAPER PULP," to be as follows:-
This
his Invention consists in treating fibrous materials, such as wood fibre,
hemp, manilla grass, and other similar fibres,. after they have been reduced or.
cut up into small pieces, with chlorine gas in a dry state and under continuous.
agitation in a close vessel. A pulp is thereby obtained which will readily,
absorb water, and can be worked into paper either alone or mixed with ordinary
4
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page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th February 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight. hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for. Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Edward Newton, Her special licence that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER PULP," being a communi-
cation from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Edward Newton, 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 Edward Newton, 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):-
This Invention consists in treating fibrous materials, such as wood fibre,
hemp, manilla grass, and other similar fibres, after the same have been reduced
or cut up into small particles, with chlorine gas in a dry state and under
continuous agitation in a close vessel, so that a pulp may be obtained which
will readily absorb water, and which can be worked into paper either alone or
mixed with ordinary paper pulp. The wood, hemp, or other material to be
reduced into paper pulp is first cut up or ground, or otherwise reduced into
small pieces by any of the well known methods, and then the vegetable
material is placed in an agitator for the purpose of treating it with chlorine

page_text: gas. The agitator consists of a closed vessel with suitable stirrers, and the
chlorine gas is applied in a perfectly dry state. By the action of this gas the
fibres are loosened from their adhering impurities, and they preserve the
requisite affinity for water and the quality to form in water a fine even paste
or pulp. By treating these fibres with alkalies, as is usually done, some
portions of the same are rendered insoluble in water, and the fibres are coated
with a gummy substance, which has to be removed by operating upon the
mass in costly boilers, thereby incurring much loss in time and labor. By the
improved process the fibres are operated upon by chlorine gas until the pulp
assumes an orange color, when it is considered ready for the paper manufac-
turer. The pulp improves if it is confined for some time with the acids
formed by the action of the chlorine gas; and when the pulp thus prepared
reaches the paper mill, it is to be soaked in water and treated by any of the
well-known processes, whereby it may be converted into paper.
Having now described the Invention which has been communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent as aforesaid, and having explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by
Letters Patent as aforesaid, treating fibrous materials such as herein
specified with chlorine gas in a dry state as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-seventh day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)