IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Wilson, of Hollingbourne, in the County of
Kent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
PAPER."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Wilson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th May 1881.
THOMAS WILSON, of Hollingbourne, in the County of Kent.
THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of paper.
According to this Invention the continuous web of paper being formed upon an
endless wire cloth of the ordinary form is taken from this endless wire cloth by an
endless felt or blanket being pressed upon it while it is lying on the wire, or it is
taken from the wire by an arrangement of rollers and laid upon an endless felt,
and by this felt it is conveyed between a pair of rolls, but before entering these
rolls another endless blanket is brought to touch upon the surface of the paper, and
the rolls press the paper between the first blanket and the second blanket, which is
also passed between the nip of the rolls.
The continuous web of paper is taken by this second blanket, and is sub-
sequently lifted from it and laid on the endless blanket by which it is to be carried
to the first press rolls; it is then taken through the press rolls in the ordinary
manner.
In order to dry the paper as it passes away from the press rolls, in place of
conducting it over heated cylinders and pressing it against these cylinders by felts,
as is now usual, I cause it to be dried by being led round a number of open work
drums mounted in a room, the temperature in which may be varied as found most
suitable.
The circumference of each of the drums is formed of any suitable open work, in
order to allow the air to come freely in contact with both sides of the paper, and in
the interior of each drum may be a rotating fan or other means by which a current
of air is kept in circulation over the surface of the paper.
By pressing the paper between the two felts as it leaves the endless wire cloth,
and drying by air, in the manner above described, the strength and texture of the
paper is greatly improved.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed.by
the said Thomas Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th November
1881.
THOMAS WILSON, of Hollingbourne, in the County of Kent.
THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER."
“IMPROVEMENTS IN
The object of this Invention is the improvement of machine made paper with a
view to increase its strength and obtain a texture closely resembling that of hand
made paper.
This I do in the following manner :-
1. An endless felt or blanket is pressed upon the moist paper whilst it is still
upon the endless wire cloth of the paper machine, and the paper is stript from the
wire cloth by this endless felt or blanket, to the surface of which the paper
adheres.
2. Whilst the paper is upon the endless felt or blanket by which it is removed
from the wire cloth, another endless felt or blanket is brought to touch upon it, and
the paper so held between the two felts or blankets is pressed by rollers."
3. The paper is lifted from the second felt or blanket and laid upon a third
endless felt or blanket by which it is carried to the press rolls.
4. After being consolidated by the press rolls, the paper or "water leaf" is air
dried upon open work drums which replace the steam heated rollers usually
employed at this stage of the manufacture.
5. The paper or "water leaf" is sized and redried in the usual way.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The Drawing represents a side elevation of the apparatus, but without the drying
drums.
a, a, is the endless wire cloth of the paper machine upon which the paper is
formed in the usual way; a¹, a, are the end rollers around which this wire cloth
passes; is the endless felt or blanket which is brought into contact with the
moist paper whilst still upon the wire cloth. The rollers 61 and 62 are rollers
which hold the felt or blanket b'against the paper for a short space as it is carried
by the wire cloth a over the roller a¹. These rollers may be called the first couch
rolls; c, c, are a pair of pressing rollers which may be called the second couch rolls.
The moist paper adhering to the endless felt or blanket b is carried between them,
and as it enters the nip of these rolls it has another endless felt or blanket d
brought to touch upon it, so that the paper is then between two endless felts or
blankets, and whilst so held it is exposed to the pressure of the rolls c, c, which can
be regulated by a screw adjustment. After receiving the pressure of the rolls c, c,
the paper adheres to the upper felt or blanket d, this being the drier of the two,
and so it is carried forward. The lower felt or blanket b passes onto the chamber e
where it is washed and dried, and then it continues its course until it again meets
the paper upon the endless wire cloth a.
The moist paper is transferred from the felt or blanket d to another endless felt
or blanket f, and by this it is carried between the press rolls g. I prefer to have
an endless felt or blanket g' passing around the upper press roll y, as it is
advantageous that all the roller pressures to which the moist paper is exposed
should take place whilst the paper is between two endless felts or blankets; but
this is not so important in respect to the subsequent pressures, when the paper is

page_text: already to some extent consolidated as it is in the first roller pressure which the
paper receives at c. The paper passing from the rolls g, g, is carried on still
supported by the felt or blanket f until it meets the endless felt or blanket h of
the second press rolls i, and from these rolls it receives another pressure.
The press rolls i may be dispensed with, but it is advantageous to employ them,
and they may with advantage be supplied with an upper felt or blanket, although
this is not represented in the Drawing, for as already stated it is preferable that all
the pressures to which the moist paper is exposed shonld take place between two
felts or blankets. The repeated transfer of the paper from blanket to blanket
between the pressures is also advantageous.
The now sufficiently consolidated paper or "water leaf" now passes into a drying
chamber where it is air dried whilst passing around open work drums. I do not
show in the Drawing the arrangement of these drums and of the drying chamber
because they are similar to the drums and drying chamber now in common use for
redrying paper after sizing. The paper passes around the series of open or skeleton
drums, whilst fans within the drums agitate the air. The chamber is warmed and
suitably ventilated.
This drying apparatus forms no part of my Invention, but I make use of it in
my novel process of air drying "water leaf," which at present is always dried upon
steam heated rolls. I need not describe the after processes of sizing and redrying
the paper, as these processes are performed in the ordinary manner.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim as my improvements
in the manufacture of paper,-
First. Bringing an endless felt or blanket into contact with the moist paper
whilst this is still upon the endless wire cloth of the paper machine, and removing
the paper from the wire cloth upon the surface of the said endless felt or
blanket.
Second. Pressing the endless sheet of moist paper between two endless felts or
blankets by means of rollers.
Third. Transferring the endless sheet of moist paper from one endless felt or
blanket to another previous to its receiving the pressure of the press rolls..
Fourth. Air drying the endless sheet of moist paper in the state in which it
leaves the press rolls as "water leaf" upon open work drums in place of upon
steam heated rolls as heretofore.
Fifth. The manufacture of paper, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Wilson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight bundred and eighty one.
MITA9
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THO
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WILSON
L.S.)