Improvements in or Connected with Suction Boxes for Paper Making Machines.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th May, 1887
Complete Left, 10th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 16th Mar., 1888
Improvements in or Connected with Suction Boxes for Paper
Making Machines.
I, GEORGE BIRD, of 243 Leith Walk, Leith, in the County of Mid Lothian, North
Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows,
that is to say:-
My said Invention has principally for its object to diminish the wear and tear to
which, in ordinary paper-making machines, the "wire" or endless wire gauze cloth
is subjected, whilst passing over the suction boxes, and in consequence of its great
friction on such boxes as ordinarily constructed.
With ordinary suction boxes the wire is supported by and rubs on the top edges of
the boxes, and on bars fixed across the tops of the boxes; but by the present Invention
the wire is supported on two rollers whilst passing over each suction box and these
rollers are driven by gearing so as to have the same surface velocity as the wire and
so that there may be practically no friction between the wire and the rollers. The
suction is arranged to take effect on the underside of the wire between the two rollers,
a space being there formed having the wire for its top, parts of the rollers for its front
and back sides, adjustable pieces for its ends, and for its bottom a horizontal piece
made of wood or metal or any suitable combination of materials and formed with
front and back concave edge surfaces to bear on the rollers between which it is placed
at a level a little higher than their centres. The bottom piece is mado with a central
opening communicating with a space beneath, which is connected, by preference at
one of its ends with the pipe leading to the suction pumps. Troughs are formed
round the undersides of the rollers and are more or less filled with water when the
apparatus is in action; and beneath the bottom piece which is between the rollers
there is fixed a sheet of rubber cloth with loose ends extending some distance down
and under the rollers in such a way that if there is any leakage between the rollers
and bottom piece the loose ends of the rubber cloth will be drawn up to and stop the
leak. The end pieces fit tightly down on the bottom piece and on the roilers and are
provided with rubber strips to bear up against the wire; whilst they are adjustable by
screw spindles so that they can be placed immediately under the deckles to suit the
width of paper.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Connected with Suction Boxes for Paper
Making Machines.
I, GEORGE BIRD, of 243 Leith Walk, Leith, in the County of Mid Lothian, North
Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this 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 :-
My said Invention has principally for its object to diminish the wear and tear to
which, in ordinary paper-making machines, the "wire" or endless wire-gauze cloth
is subjected, whilst passing over the suction boxes, and in consequence of its great
friction on such boxes as ordinarily constructed.
With ordinary suction boxes the wire is supported by and rubs on the top edges of
the boxes, and on bars fixed across the tops of the boxes; but by my present Invention
the wire is supported on two rollers whilst passing over cach suction box, and theso
rollers are driven by gearing so as to have the same surface velocity as the wire, and
so that there may be practically no friction between the wire and the rollers. I do
not however now claim the use of the rollers apart from the accessory details which
are hereinafter described, as attempts have already been made to apply rollers for
the purpose by myself, and others, one arrangement being described in a Provisional
Specification dated 5 August 1879 No. 3145.
In carrying out my Invention the suction is arranged to take effect on the underside
of the wire between the two rollers, a suction space being there formed having the
wire for its top, parts of the rollers for its front and back sides, adjustable pieces for its
ends, and for its bottom a horizontal piece made of wood or metal or any suitable
combination of materials and formed with front and back concave surfaces to bear on
the rollers between which it is placed. The bottom piece is made with an opening or
openings communicating with a space beneath, which is connected with the pipe
leading to the suction pumps. A piece of rubber cloth is fixed to the underside of
the bottom piece and its front and back edges extend down partly round the rollers
and if there is any leak between the rollers and the sides of the bottom piece the
loose parts of the rubber cloth are drawn up by the sucking action and stop the leak.
The end pieces fit tightly down on the bottom piece and on the rollers and aro provided
with rubber strips to bear up against the wire.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same may
be properly understood I hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings representing
parts of a suction box as made with my improvements.
Figure, 1, of the accompanying drawings is a plan of about half of a suction box.
Figures, 2, and 3, are enlarged transverse vertical sections, figure, 2, being as taken
beyond the end of the actual box, and figure, 3, being as taken across the middle of
the box. Figure, 4, is a longitudinal section as at one end of the box. In these
drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever
they are repeated.

page_text: The suction apparatus is a long narrow box, 5, the lengthway of which corresponds
to the width of the wire which is not shown but which passes across the top of the
box in the direction of the arrow in figure, 1. The two rollers, 6, consist by preference
of brass shells or tubes carried by means of end disks or rings, and intermediate rings
if required, on spindles, 7, which are carried in bearings in frame pieces, 8, at the
ends of the box and are driven by means of spur gear, 9, on their outer ends. Tho
bottom, 10, of the box has fixed along its middle a hollow casing, 11, which at one
end communicates with a pipe, 12, leading to the suction pumps. Along the top of
the middle casing, 11, there is fixed what is hereinbefore termed a bottom piece, 13,
which, fitting between the rollers, 6, at the narrowest part between them, forms the
bottom of the suction space enclosed between the upper parts of the rollers and which
has the wire for its top when the wire is in its place. A groove is formed along the
middle of the bottom piece, 13, and slits, 14, are formed through the bottom piece
into the casing below, these slits being restricted to the middle part of the length of
the box so as to be within the narrowest width for which the deckles are ever likely
to be set. Adjustable pieces, 15, are provided for closing the ends of the suction
space between the upper parts of the rollers, 6, these pieces being blocks of wood or
other suitable material shaped to fit between the rollers, and fixed to end plates, 16,
which are made with tongues projecting down into the groove along the middle of the
bottom piece, 13, so as to be guided thereby. A rubber strip or lip, 17, is fixed
between the block, 15, and its back plate, 16, to bear up against the underside of the
wire, to make a close joint and prevent leakage of air, and also to present an elastic
surface for the wire to bear on whilst being subjected to the atmospheric pressure.
Handled rods, 18, passing through eyes in the end frame pieces, 8, are fixed to the
plates, 16, of the end pieces, 15; and by means of these rods the end pieces can be
adjusted along the rollers, 6, to suit the positions in which the deckles niay be placed
on the upper side of the wire.
Between the underside of the bottom piece, 13, and the casing, 11, a piece of rubber
cloth, 19, is secured by means of plates, 20, at the sides of the casing, 11, and by
means of the screws which fix the bottom piece, 13, to the casing, 11. The loose
edges of the rubber cloth, 19, are in contact with parts of the rollers, 6, and prevent
leakage up between the bottom piece, 13, and the rollers. The casing, 11, divides the
box, 5, into two trough-like portions which are filled with water up to a level above
the axes of the rollers, 6, this water assisting in preventing leakage of air.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1 Combining and arranging the parts of roller suction boxes of paper-making
machines substantially in the improved manner herein before described and as shown in
the accompanying drawings.
2-Enclosing the suction space between the rollers partly by a bottom piece fitting
between the nearest parts of the rollers and made tight by rubber pieces drawn close
by the sucking action itself substantially as herein before described."
3-Enclosing the suction space between the rollers partly by adjustable end pieces
provided with elastic rubber strips or lips to bear up against the underside of the
wire substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this Ninth day of February 1888.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.