IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER PULP
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jean Prosper Labrousse, of Saint Junien, Haute
Vienne, in the Republic of France, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER PULP."
Sealed the 30th April 1875, and dated the 5th November 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jean Prosper Labrousse
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 5th November 1874.
I, JEAN PROSPER LABROUSSE, of Saint Junien, Haute Vienne, in the
Republic of France, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for “IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE Manufacture of Paper Pulp,”
to be as follows :—
This Invention relates to apparatus for the reduction of various
matters suitable for conversion into paper pulp, such for instance, as
straw, wood, rags, and so on, the machinery for effecting this being so
arranged that by the simple adjustment of the tools it is capable of
reducing any one of the substances above mentioned.

page_text: The apparatus consists of a hollow cylinder in two parts, united by
bolts and supported by the uprights of the frame; this cylinder is
supplied internally with two pieces in the form of a comb, and working
with gentle friction in the chambers or rectangular parts bearing the
cylinder. These two pieces are each maintained by screws in such &
manner that by imparting the same rotary motion simultaneously to
them the comb piece is made to advance or recede parallelly to itself
according as the screws are turned to the right or left; for this purpose
wheels are fixed on the screws which gear with endless screws attached
to a shaft turning freely in sockets. At the end of this shaft a small 1
fly wheel is fixed, on turning which to the right or left the same move-
ment is communicated to the screws, causing the comb to advance or
recede. The same transmission of movement occurs with the other
part of the comb, and by the same means, that is to say, by aid of a
similar set of screws, wheels, shaft, and fly wheel, as above named.
If it is desired to advance the two pieces simultaneously the two
shafts are united by substituting two cog wheels for the fly wheels, which
gear with two endless screws mounted on a shaft bearing at its end a
fly wheel.
The cylinder is closed at one end by a cap having an opening for the 2
passage of a shaft; this cap is bolted to the cylinder and bears a bracket;
a similar cap is placed at the other end of the cylinder; this also bears
a bracket; it is in these brackets that the shaft is borne, and on which
shaft a cog wheel is fixed gearing with a pinion fixed on another shaft,
on which latter two pullies are placed, one loose and the other fixed for 2
receiving the movement which is transmitted to the shaft borne by the
brackets, and which shaft also bears a circular plate of the same
diameter as the interior of the cylinder, but capable of turning freely,
there being a sufficient space between the cap and itself; it has also a
series of blades and a screw, the whole firmly connected by a nut so as a
to form one piece only with the shaft.
Both the teeth of the blades above mentioned, as well as those of
the two comb picces are of a conical form, the conical portion being
formed of two conical surfaces, the two edges of each being chamfered
off, so that this side presents only one rounded edge, which is no longer
in the axis of the blade since one of the chamfers is greater than the
other.

page_text: The two comb pieces and the shaft armed with its blades are so placed
that the blades of the shaft in turning pass in the spaces existing
between the teeth or blades of the combs, which latter in like manner
pass between the spaces or conical notches existing between the blades
or teeth of the shaft.
It should be mentioned that the teeth nearest the feed funnel as well
as those on the shaft are shorter at this part. It is in order that the
matter to be crushed and which is inserted in this opening should not
be taken in too large a quantity at a time, which prevents gorging the
machine.
The blades being arranged on the shaft in the form of a screw and
being more chamfered on the side where the paste is driven than on the
other, the straw or paste passes from one blade to another in following
the screw formed by the blades of the shaft, and on reaching the end is
removed from the cylinder.
The peculiar construction of the teeth and blades prevents the material
being cut or reduced to powder, it being merely crushed and torn, so
that the paste or pulp is formed of fibres more or less in length, but
infinitely fine, which gives solidity to the paper and affects or improves
its quality.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Jean Prosper Labrousse in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd May 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JEAN
PROSPER LABROUSSE, of Saint Junien, Haute Vienne, in the Republic
of France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Jean Prosper Labrousse, Her
special licence that I, the said Jean Prosper Labrousse, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Jean Prosper

page_text: Labrousse, 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 "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER PULP," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Jean Prosper Labrousse, 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 Jean Prosper Labrousse, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the 1
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is
to say :-
This Invention relates to apparatus for the reduction of various
matters suitable for convertion into paper pulp, such for instance as a
straw, wood or rags, the machinery for effecting this being so arranged
that by the simple adjustment of the tools it is capable of reducing
any one of the substances above mentioned.
The apparatus consists of a hollow cylinder A. in two parts, united by
bolts, and supported by two uprights, B, B¹, of the frame. This cylinder 2
is supplied internally [with two pieces C, O¹, in form of a comb and
working with gentle friction in the chambers or rectangular parts bearing
the cylinder A, see Figs. 3 and 4. The piece O which is only seen in
Fig. 3, is maintained by the two screws D, D¹, Fig. 4, precisely in the
same way as the part C¹ is by the two screws E, E³, in suchwise that in å
imparting the same movement of rotation simultaneously to the
two screws D, D³, the piece C advances or recedes parallelly with itself
according as the screws are turned to the right or left. With this view
on the screws D, D', the wheels F, F¹, are fixed, which gear with the
endless screws G, G', which latter are fixed on the shaft H, which turns. 8
freely in the sockets I, I¹, I. At the end of this shaft a small fly
wheel J is fixed, if therefor a rotary motion to the right or left is given

page_text: to this wheel the movement is transmitted to the screws D, D', and the
piece O will either advance or recede. The same transmission of move-
ment occurs with the screws E, E', that is to say, in imparting a rotary
motion to the fly wheel J', Fig. 3, the piece C₁ is made to advance or
recede parallel with itself towards the axis of the cylinder.
If it is desired to advance or withdraw the two pieces O and C¹ simul-
taneously, the two shafts H and H', Fig. 3, merely want uniting by
fixing
in place of the fly wheels J, J', two cog wheels which gear with
two endless screws mounted on a shaft at the end of which a fly wheel
is arranged.
The cylinder A is closed at one end by the cap K, having an opening
of the same diameter as the shaft L. This cap is bolted with the
cylinder and bears a bracket M. At the other end of the cylinder a
cap K¹ is fixed, but this latter has a circular opening, vide Fig. 4, a little
smaller than the inside of the cylinder, and it likewise bears a bracket M².
In these two brackets a shaft L is placed on which is fixed a cog
wheel N which gears with the pinion O fixed on the shaft P; on this same
shaft P two pullies Q, Q', are placed, one loose and the other fixed, for
receiving the movement which is consequently transmitted to the shaft L
and on which is also fixed, 1st, against its shoulder a circular plate R,
of the same diameter as the interior of the cylinder, but capable of
turning freely and having a slight space between the cap K and itself;
2d, a series of blades; 3rd," a screw S; the whole being firmly con-
nected by the nut T, so as to form one piece only with the shaft L.
In order to show more clearly the form and disposition of the blades
on the shaft L, as well as that of the blades or teeth of the pieces O, Ơ¹,
two views are shown on a larger scale, vide Figs. 7 and 8, of a part of
the shaft Larmed with its blades, and two views, Figs. 5 and 6, of a part
of one of the pieces C, O¹.
As shown by Fig. 8, a transverse section of the conical part of one of
the blades is illustrated, showing that the conical part is formed of two
conical surfaces, and moreover that the two edges are chamfered off so
that this side presents only one rounded edge which is no longer in the
axis of the blade since one of the chamfers is greater than the other;
the same is the case with the teeth of the pieces 0, 0¹, Fig. 6. A
transverse section of one of the teeth shows that the cone of the teeth
is formed of two conical surfaces, and that the edges of one of two

page_text: other sides are chamfered off but one more than the other, so that this
side only presents one rounded edge and which is no longer on the axis
of the tooth.
It should be mentioned that these teeth which are of one piece with
those C, C³, could be supported, or the pieces C, O', formed of several
pieces, or as many as each have of teeth provided that they are solidly
united so as only to form the two parts C and C¹.
The direction of rotation of the shaft L from left to right is shown by
the arrow U, the first blade on the shaft L is placed against the plate R,
Fig. 4, in a position in relation with the direction of motion in the
same position as shown, Fig. 8, and placed in relation with the
vertical lino a, b, and in accordance with the movement shown by the
arrow U. The second blade is placed against the first the eighth of a turn
in rear of the first, as in like manner is the second placed, the third is
arranged an eighth of a turn behind the second, and so on to the end.
Against the last one the two-winged screw S is placed; this is of the same
thread as the screws formed by the blades, for if a line is passed from
the points c, d, e, f, Fig. 8, this line will be a screw line of a left thread,
its dimensions being 8 times the thickness of a blade. Again if another
line is passed by the points c¹, d³, e¹, ƒ¹, we shall have another screw
thread, that is to say, that the shaft L thus armed with its blades (see
Fig. 7) represents a double screw thread of a left-handed screw, a
section of which at its axis would have the same Figure as that of one
of the blades seen, Fig. 8, and on which screw the threads would be cut
by a series of circular and conical notches, as shown, Fig. 7.
Figs. 3 and 4, clearly show that the pieces 0, 0³, and the shaft L
armed with its blades, are so placed that the blades of the shaft in
turning pass in the spaces existing between the teeth or blades of the
pieces C and C¹; and that the teeth of these pieces pass between the
spaces or conical notches existing between the blades or teeth of the
shaft L; if by means of the fly wheels J, J', thees pieces are advanced
towards the shaft L their teeth will touch those of the shaft by their
conical surfaces and produce friction.
It should be remarked that the first teeth of the pieces O, 0¹, which
are in front of the opening or funnel V are much shorter than the others,
consequently those also of the shaft L facing them are of the same pro-
portions. The object of this arrangement is, that the matter to be

page_text: crushed, and which is inserted in this opening should not be taken in two
large a quantity at a time, which prevents gorging the machine. By
this it will be observed, that if some straw for instance is placed in the
funnel V, and that the shaft P is set in motion, it communicates its
motion to the shaft L in the direction of the arrow U, then the blades
or teeth of this shaft, which as stated only present a rounded edge,
take the straw by their bent or concave side and engage it between the
teeth of the piece O, so presenting it also to the side which only offers
rounded edges, and the chamfers of all its teeth admit of the straw
engaging between the teeth of the shaft and those of the piece C. The
straw having already received a first crushing between these teeth is
again presented from below to the teeth of the piece O', which are similar
to those of the first, and so on in succession the blades continue to take
fresh straw and pass it between all these teeth; and by the disposition
of the blades in a screw form and being more chamfered on the side
where the paste should be driven than on the other, the straw or paste
passes from one blade to another in following the screw formed by the
blades of the shaft L and reaches the screw S, which finishes by taking
it as it leaves the cylinder. Moreover the straw which is merely paste
or paper pulp on leaving the cylinder has been entirely crushed and
torn between each of the teeth of the pieces C and C' and of the shaft L,
without being cut or reduced to powder, as no cutting edge is presented
to it during its progress, so that the paste or pulp is formed of fibres
more or less long but infinitely fine, which gives solidity to the paper
and affects or improves its quality. The same is the case with rags or
other matter employed to make paper, according as it is desired that the
paste should be more or less finely reduced, as the pieces O and O' of
the shaft L are drawn closer or separated from one another, so that by
regulating the amount of play between the teeth of the pieces O, O',
and those of the shaft L, so in proportion is the matter more or less
reduced.
In order that the teeth which first receive the substance should not
be overtaxed the pieces C, C', can be placed so that when the teeth at
the exit side of the pulp touch those of the shaft L, there will be more
or less play between those of the opposito end or the end where the
matter is first received.
Taps r,,, are placed on the cylinder A. to convey the requisite
water for forming the paste, or that on leaving the cylinder the paste

page_text: is ready for conversion into paper. The pulp on leaving the cylinder can
be directly conveyed to the paper machine or to a vat containing an
agitator and thence to the machine.
Having thus described my Invention what I claim and desire to secure
by Letters Patent is,—
First. The parallel advancing and receeding pieces O, O', working
conjointly or independently in combination with the shaft L, the teeth
or blades on the shaft being arranged in form of a screw; both the
teeth of the pieces C, C¹, as well as those of the shaft being of a peculiar
formation, as herein-before expressed.
Secondly. The application of the system to either horizontal or vertical
machines, and the blades being of the same or of different thicknesses,
so that the thread of the screw is formed by the blades of the shaft L
should be the same at the entry as at the exit of the straw, or that they
should gradually diminish from the entry to the exit or reciprocally; the 1
shaft alone turning, shaft with fixed blades having a differential motion,
acting and reacting blades mounted on two shafts working conjointly.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jean Prosper Labrousse, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy- 2
five.