Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Sept., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 7th June, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 7th Sept., 1888
I JAMES GOURLAY of Queen Victoria Street in the City of London Journalist do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to pulp knotters or strainers & has for its object the clearing
or freeing of the knotter or strainer from dirt and refuse thereby preventing it from
passing through the slots on to the wire on which the paper is formed. In the flat
strainer or knotter mostly used refuse steadily accumulates on the surface of the
plate & unless removed impedes the passage of the pulp through the slots. The
mothods hitherto used for clearing away the refuse are not only imperfect but
productive of much injury to the paper also to the wire & felt. The variation in
the delivery of the pulp from the strainer the passage of accumulated dirt & the
gradual choking of the said slots. My improved knotter or strainer differs from
others in several important features, that is to say in the formation of the vat and
the method of clearing the strainer and to prevent any dirt or refuse going on to
the wire during the act of clearing. The vat is constructed with a water chest
running along the entire length of the vat in connection with it is a pipe and cock
for the supply of water, level with the strainer plate, a slot admits a copious and
powerful stream of water, the other side of the vat is moveable and is constructed
to turn on an axis or in a groove so as to allow the dirt or refuse on the surface of
the plate to be swept into a trough provided for that purpose, a slot for admission
of water is placed under the plate also the supply and delivery pipes connected to
the strainor are fitted with valves. The strainer is cleared automatically at regular
intervals without stopping its operation or the supply to the machine. It is estimated
to take from one to three seconds; the supply of pulp is momentarily checked by

page_text: means of a valve working automatically the supply of pulp to a small vat, in
connection with the wire is also checked and is cut off from the strainer, a stream
of water extending over the whole surface of the plates instantaneously carrying
away whatever may have lodged on them into the trough.
LE FEVRE & Co.,
26, Budge Row, E.C.,
Agents
JAMES GOURLAY of 171, Queen Victoria Street in the City of London Gentleman
do hereby declare the nature of this invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN PULP KNOTTERS
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to Pulp Knotters or freeing of the Knotter or strainer from
dirt and refuse thereby preventing it from passing through the slots on to the wire
on which paper is formed. In the flat strainer or knotter mostly used, refuse steadily
accumulates upon the surface of the plates, and unless removed impedes the passage
of the pulp through the meshes. The methods hitherto used for clearing away the
refuse are not only tedious but imperfect and productive of much injury to the
paper also to the wires and felt. The variation in the delivery of the Pulp from
the strainer, the passage of accumulated dirt, and the gradual choking of the meshes,
are obviated hereby. This improved knotter or strainer differs from others in use
in several important particulars, that is to say, in the formation of the Vat, the
method of cleaning the strainer and the method of preventing dirt or refuse going
on the wire during the act of clearing. In this Invention the Pulp Vat is
constructed with fixed ends S in the ordinary manner but the one side is enclosed by a
Water Chest A Fig. 1. and the other side is enclosed by a sluice. The Water Chest
runs the entire length of the Vat and may be divided or otherwise, it is supplied
with water conducted through a valve C. which is kept closed by means of a weighted
lever. The flush of water is regulated by adjustable plates DD and admit of a
copious and powerful stream when the valve C is opened. The movable sluice

page_text: plate E may be constructed to slide in a groove or it may turn upon a hinge or upon
an axis, so as to allow the dirt or refuse upon the surface of the strainer plates P
to be washed into a trough provided for that purpose. A slot R Fig. 1 for the
admission of water beneath the strainer plates P is also cast in the water chest A
Fig. 1 for the purpose of flushing the refuse through the waste pulp valves G into a
trough provided for that purpose. The strainer plates both top and bottom are thus
cleansed at intervals and without any perceptable difference in the rate of the delivery
of pulp by the aid of the following machinery. The lever handle J is fixed on to and
works the shafts K and I by means of the rod N connecting the cranks M. M. The
shaft K carries the levers for working the pulp valves G and the Vat sluice E and
the shaft L carries gearing V Fig. 2 for working the water valve. All the machinery
being thus connected one motion of the hand lever communicates a simultaneous
action to the whole of the valves and sluices.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of this said invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed what I claim is ;-
1-A Pulp Vat and Knotter contained in one casting or castings with water chests,
sluices and other valves the disposition of which will automatically perform the
operation of Knotting Pulp.
2- An Apparatus the machinery of which by simultaneous action actuated by a
single lever, opens and closes various valves and sluices for rapidly knotting pulp
without waste or stoppage of machinery.
3-An improved vat to save the pulp which is frequently wasted to a greater or
lesser extent in the ordinary methods of knotting or clearing pulp from refuse.